Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

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BARON CORNY DOG
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Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

Postby BARON CORNY DOG » 21 Apr 2021, 13:29

The long awaited second season of this country music history podcast is being rolled out. This season is ostensibly all about George Jones (and, presumably, Tammy) and everything that touches their world, so I'm stoked. I've listened to the first 20 minutes or so of the first episode, which is all about the history of pinball (none of which I really knew and which is relevant), so he casts a wide net.

As I've also mentioned, there's a lot about the narrator/creator/producer's manner that rubs me the wrong way. BUT, no one else is doing anything remotely like the work he's doing, so he has a long leash with me.* Obviously, I love country music, but I think there's a lot there even for people who might not. But what do I know.

Season One is here:
https://cocaineandrhinestones.com/episodes/season-one

Season Two started yesterday here:

https://cocaineandrhinestones.com/episodes/season-two





* I do enjoy the trouble he (Tyler Mahan Coe) creates on social media, which is mildly amusing.
take5_d_shorterer wrote:If John Bonham simply didn't listen to enough Tommy Johnson or Blind Willie Mctell, that's his doing.

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Mike Boom
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Re: Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

Postby Mike Boom » 21 Apr 2021, 15:59

Awesome, will be listening to this

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Re: Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

Postby GoogaMooga » 21 Apr 2021, 19:09

I have never associated country music with cocaine. George Jones sang about moonshine, "White Lightning". So booze, yes, speed, yes, weed, yes, but cocaine?
"When the desert comes, people will be sad; just as Cannery Row was sad when all the pilchards were caught and canned and eaten." - John Steinbeck

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Re: Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

Postby BARON CORNY DOG » 21 Apr 2021, 19:26

GoogaMooga wrote:I have never associated country music with cocaine. George Jones sang about moonshine, "White Lightning". So booze, yes, speed, yes, weed, yes, but cocaine?


Well hell yes!!
Also: it sounds better than “Pills and Rhinestones”
take5_d_shorterer wrote:If John Bonham simply didn't listen to enough Tommy Johnson or Blind Willie Mctell, that's his doing.

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Re: Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

Postby Rorschach » 21 Apr 2021, 19:42

I once listened to an episode about Bobbie Gentry, which was pretty good. Maybe I'll try another one!
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Re: Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

Postby Brickyard Jack » 21 Apr 2021, 20:00

Dr. Baron wrote:
GoogaMooga wrote:I have never associated country music with cocaine. George Jones sang about moonshine, "White Lightning". So booze, yes, speed, yes, weed, yes, but cocaine?


Well hell yes!!
Also: it sounds better than “Pills and Rhinestones”


But "Rhinestones and a pint of best" sounds good.

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Re: Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

Postby BARON CORNY DOG » 22 Apr 2021, 14:11

I finished the first episode this morning and it’s pretty excellent. It’s mostly about the record business in the 50s, viewed through the prism of Starday Records, the upstart indie that gave George Jones his start.

The episodes are pretty long and I think the guy could use an editor—not because they are too long to contain too much detail, but because the episode is a bit like a run on sentence, with no clear thesis and lots of loose threads left hanging. I assume it’ll all come together over the arc of the season and it doesn’t bother me because I’m hungry for all the information. I learned quite a lot and heard a few great records I’ve never heard.
take5_d_shorterer wrote:If John Bonham simply didn't listen to enough Tommy Johnson or Blind Willie Mctell, that's his doing.

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Re: Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

Postby HotRats » 23 Apr 2021, 09:32

Dr. Baron wrote:I finished the first episode this morning and it’s pretty excellent. It’s mostly about the record business in the 50s, viewed through the prism of Starday Records, the upstart indie that gave George Jones his start.

The episodes are pretty long and I think the guy could use an editor—not because they are too long to contain too much detail, but because the episode is a bit like a run on sentence, with no clear thesis and lots of loose threads left hanging. I assume it’ll all come together over the arc of the season and it doesn’t bother me because I’m hungry for all the information. I learned quite a lot and heard a few great records I’ve never heard.


I've had this podcast sat in my list for ages but I've never actually listened to one until now.

I normally like this kind of thing, but like you, I find it a somewhat relentless onslaught of information. He could definitely do with slowing down a bit too.

I normally listen to podcasts when I'm out for an evening walk, but this one is too intense. It's like having a walk whilst preparing for a history test!

I'll persevere though.

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Re: Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

Postby BARON CORNY DOG » 23 Apr 2021, 13:30

It may be worth checking out the first series, where each episode is mostly about one subject and more clearly tells a tale about that subject. The first episode for this season was a bit like drinking from a firehose. Sometimes I got lost with the names of people involved in a label, but I'm not interested in retaining that information anyway. I'm happy to get the big picture so I let them whiz by.
take5_d_shorterer wrote:If John Bonham simply didn't listen to enough Tommy Johnson or Blind Willie Mctell, that's his doing.

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Re: Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

Postby Spock! » 23 Apr 2021, 23:56

Thanks for the heads up Dr. Baron.



I've started from the very beginning, so have played the Ernest Tubbs & The Pill episodes so far. Very informative - I don't know much about country music and don't think I've ever heard any ET before, though I do have a Loretta Lynn album. Shall continue to delve, great to listen to while doing some rather mundane jobs.
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Re: Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

Postby BARON CORNY DOG » 02 Jun 2021, 15:50

He's since said that the first three episodes are meant to be sort of an introduction, or a forward in a book. The second and third episodes were about the Nashville studio system, the ascendancy of a core group of session men, the ascendancy of Owen Bradley as Nashville's essential man, and debunking myths about Chet Atkins. They were slightly less dense and had more of a conventional narrative. The George Jones content begins with Episode 4, which I'm about halfway through. The episode is focused on "White Lightning" and begins with a lesson about moonshine and America's history with temperance movements and prohibition.
take5_d_shorterer wrote:If John Bonham simply didn't listen to enough Tommy Johnson or Blind Willie Mctell, that's his doing.

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Re: Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

Postby Spock! » 02 Jun 2021, 20:54

I recently completed the first series, found it most interesting and entertaining.

Will be starting series two as soon as I work it into my timetable. Unfortunately, for the next week it's unlikely I'll have an activity to do that will let me listen to it properly, hopefully after that I'll be able to work it in.



Thanks again!
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Re: Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

Postby Rorschach » 03 Jun 2021, 08:46

I found the website a bit confusing.
Anyway, I've subscribed and downloaded the first episode of season 1 so I'll listen to it when I go to the gym at lunchtime.
Bugger off.

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Re: Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

Postby Rorschach » 03 Jun 2021, 13:55

Well, I listened to it. It had lots of interesting stuff but I found the punchline to the central story a bit of a let-down. No-one got killed!

The bit about the 'Texas defence law' was interesting.
Bugger off.

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Re: Cocaine & Rhinestones is back (Warning: George Jones Content)

Postby Rorschach » 08 Jun 2021, 07:12

Rorschach wrote:Well, I listened to it. It had lots of interesting stuff but I found the punchline to the central story a bit of a let-down. No-one got killed!


Be careful what you wish for! I just listened to the third episode about Spade Cooley and it was harrowing.
I know many things have changed since then and it was at the extreme end of the abuse women have to suffer at the hands of men, but it still seemed sickeningly representative of so much of what's always been wrong with the world.

Not for the faint hearted.
Bugger off.


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