Here in Ireland, there's an interesting perception. Maybe it has to do with it being a small country, and there aren't expansive multi-lane highways and interstates, but the thing is an hour trip is like a major expedition. It might also have something to do with petrol (gas) costing 1.08 a litre, so doing the math will tell you that's over 4.00 a gallon, hence the tiny cars and tiny engines, although that's changing a bit.

There's no Stuckey's, Hardee's, truck stops (OK, there's a couple), and the pleasure of the open road, although the scenery is green and gorgeous.

So putting in a bunch of CDs in the player is sort of over kill. The radio stations aren't much to sing about (now there's a songwriting theme for you), but it's what people listen to because it's there. Radio format is that it tries to be all things to all the people, and playlists are almost hysterical. There's nothing like FA, or country stations, adult contempt, or those Q or Z stations. Not yet anyway.

Texas is the only place that can say, "It's like a whole other country."

Currently, I listen to the following CDs in my car: Josh White, Jr.'s tribute CD to his father; "Before Their Time," which is a mult-cd compilation of songs about grief and recovery, but it's not sad really; it's quite beautiful and includes cuts from Carrie Newcomer, Robin Greenstein, others; David Roth's "Irreconcilable Similarities" which is, I thnk, his best work and moves me to tears; and Dylan's "Live 64" which is his best work as well. Cheers!

Arizona has it all over the rest of the world for great drives. We have incredible scenery here, and fascinating things to stop and look at along the way.

Favorite road CDs would have to include Steve Earle's "Guitar Town" - the title cut is possibly the best road song ever written.

For those clear desert nights out along the interstate, D Squared's incredibly intricate CD "Big Sky Full of Dumb Stars" makes the experience magical.

And anything, just anything, by Alaska's "Hobo Jim" Varsos.

Speaking of road tripping to radio (off topic I know), Do Sirius and XM have a folk station? How about Folk Alley on the road!

The problem with listening to music while driving on the highway is that subtle music does not come across well - I think the best is some rocking music that's good to sing along with, such as the new Jimmy Dale Gilmore cd, Jerry Jeff Walker. or Steve Goodman. It also has the benefit of keeping one awake!!
Chris

The last extended road trip I took was from Chicago to Texas and back to Chicago for a family reunion and my family rocked out to the Julips, a Chicago band that has some great roadtrip tunes, and Merle Haggard. I also wrote a funny neo-bluegrass anti-terrorist protest song on the trip that we had a blast singing, along with a few of my other songs. I love hearing my songs with my wife and two daughters singing along, the harmonies are absolutely glorious! It is only on a roadtrip where I am likely to get all of them singing together.

When I 'road trip' from here in remote west Texas to San Anton or Houston or Austin for my monthly business trips, you can be certain that I'm one of those you would pass and laugh and say "Look at that old lady singing to herself". I don't care... I sing loud and long, all the way down these Texas highways to the likes of Kate Wolf, Nancy Griffith, Eliza Gilkyson, Robert Earl Keene, Maura O'Connell, Shake Russell, and many others. There's not much else to do but get immersed in great music while you're driving these long distances.

Kate Wolf, Bill Staines, Mustards Retreat, Carrie Newcomer, Eric Bibb, Eva Cassidy, Stephen Seifert, Magpie, John McCutcheon, Nanci Griffith and a host of others keep me company on road trips. I have a long commute to the office every day and rarely listen to radio (too much talk and bad music).

My collection also includes locally performing friends and other musicians that have appeared at festivals or concerts locally, like Woods Tea Company, Phil and Ann Case, Wild Carrot, Dufus, Keith Bachman and John Crafton, to name a few.

Yes, I go through phases where Kate dominates my CD player for weeks, then I may switch around for a while. I also listen to other styles of music from classical to rock but folk dominates!!!

Before work today, Jethro Tull was my selction. Other days, it's the Peter Gabriel era of Genesis, or maybe a healthy does of Alice Cooper. How does Porcupine Tree sound? Or perhaps Caravan. GWAR anyone? Wait, I work for Folk Alley. Ooops. Maybe I should change this to Sam Bush. Or Martin Carthy. How about Laura Love? Tim O'Brien sounds pretty good too. Hey--it's all music right?

Spinal Tap's "Break Like The Wind" would have to be included, for sure.

Whether in the car or at home, my only criterion is music worth listening to. My favorites are Dar Williams and Patty Griffin, but I also listen to Tracy Grammar & Dave Carter, John Gorka, Richard Shindell, Damien Rice, among others. Mostly compilations, but some studio CDs. The Jayhawks are great too, though not folk (not sure what it is, if it matters).

The essential CD for any drive is Stan Rogers' posthumously released "From Coffeehouse to Concerthall." Every song on this album is a gem. My personal favourite is Track 2, Pharisee. It is available from Fogarty's Cove.

Northeast Ohio is home to one of the busiest commuting corridors in the country (Canton to Akron to Cleveland), and I do a lot of driving. I like Richard Shindell, but Somewhere Near Patterson makes me cry, so it's dangerous while I'm driving. On my train trip out to Oregon a couple of years back, Dave Carter & Tracy Grammar's Drum, Hat, Buddha was unbelievably perfect (but it also makes me cry). Right now, my CD player (and it's in the trunk, so I don't change things out very often) is home to Norah Jones, Suzanne Vega, Mustard's Retreat, Chris Stamey, a free CD I got when I joined WXPN, and Dean Martin (who does an "unusual" cover of Gentle On My Mind).

I don't listen to anything. I haven't owned a car with a radio or player since 1975.

So what 8-tracks did you listen to?

8-tracks? What are those?

While winding through the Wabash or Wildcat valleys on my way to wherever I need to go in rural Indiana, I like to listen to Steve Earle (Yes, I know. Electric folk?)

Alternately, If I'm feeling mellow, ANYTHING by Emmylou Harris.

"...winding though the Wabash or Wildcat valleys in rural Indiana..." thrills my heart and inspires my imagination, especially since it's a million miles from where I am, literally and literally, sitting here in surburban New Jersey finishing a project centering on the interface of three databases ensuring each record has correct usernames. Ugh! Get me on the road! I want to be a roustabout! (Can I do that -- a grown woman of 53???!!!!)

Ooops! Last post -- forgot to change my surname -- I'm back to myself with Penny Stanton after 10 years of being with Mr. T. 'Don't know how to change it in this record though -- have to do it manually each time (sigh).

No one mentioned Gordon Lightfoot. I remember a road trip - to Canada, as a matter of fact to Massey Hall to see Mr. Lightfoot, and as soon as we crossed the border we switched from Dave Mallet to Gordon Lightfoot. Driving on the 401 listening to "Sixteen Miles to Seven Lakes" and "Redwood Hill" (and singing along at the top of our lungs) was pretty cool. Even though I don't speak to the person I took that particular road trip with anymore, I remember that part of it.

I used to be a big road tripper, and each trip got its own soundtrack of sorts.

The summer I drove from Syracuse to Denver to work for the Forest Service, I distinctly remember having Bonnie Raitt's 'Give It Up, ' 'Sweet Forgiveness,' and her first one; Albert Collins 'Frozen Alive' and 'Ice Pickin''; and a couple Kate Wolf tapes...'Back Roads' and 'Close To You.'

The summer I drove from my home in Saranac Lake, NY to Cape Breton, I had to bring along some Cape Breton fiddle music - Jackie Dunn, and Buddy MacMaster - but I also had three hours of the Aretha Franklin box set [Atlantic years]; Lucy Kaplansky's 'The Tide,' Peter Ostroushko's 'Heart of the Heartland' and Greg Brown's 'One More Goodnight Kiss' and 'Poet Game.'

Between '93-2000 - there were many, many trips from the Adirondacks to Boston via VT & NH -- some of the music that sticks out from those trips include: Joe Price 'Iowa Crawl'; Radoslav Lorkovic 'Clear & Cold'; Lucinda Williams 'Car Wheels On A Gravel Road' and her first one; Kelly Joe Phelps 'Lead Me On'; Putumayo's 'Laura Love Collection'; Dave Alvin 'King of California', The Essential Mississippi John Hurt; a couple Morphine recordings; and an Elmore James cassette that I picked up for $5 at a gas station.

If I was going on a road trip tomorrow, I'd probably grab: The Greencards 'Weather & Water', Abigail Washburn 'Song of the Traveling Daughter', Eliza Gilkyson 'Land of Milk and Honey' and 'Paradise Hotel', Emmylou Harris 'Spyboy' and at least one Kate Wolf CD.

I find it annoying to change CDs or tapes. I bought XM radio for my car and enjoy it alot. If I were to take a CDs on the road, one would be of Emmylou Harris, one would be of Van Morrison, Michelle Shocked, and Tift Merritt.

Let's see.

B-4 CDs I used to make and grab a lot of the stuff I played on the air- lotta local folks, John Gorka, Loreena McKinnett (Spelling?), Chris Smithers, and tapes of the Midnight Special (another folk show in the Chicago Market!) to see what Ray Nordstrand was playing.

Now, I grab the Nields, John Fahey, Keb Mo', Mark Dvorak, Lee Murdock, Dylan, Leadbelly or anything else that catches my fancy and has more than seven tracks- Like Linda Thrift, I don't much like changing CDs in my portable player hooked up to the cassette machine in my car. Next car: Six CD tray system!!!

Just reurned from a trip to New Orleans and had XM Radio in the car for the first time. They have a folk station(#15) and an acoustic rock station(#50). I got to hear alot of music and artist interviews while on the road, kept me interested and awake. Also had Harvey Reid, Josh Ritter, Tom Rush, Gillian Welch and DeDannan in the CD player.

When I was younger and making the trip between Atlanta and Northeast Indiana, I really used to enjoy listening to different radio stations along the way. Now, they all sound the same. If I was to build a playlist for a long trip, I almost always like to have music I can sing along to, so soundtracks and best of's are nice (between Thanksgiving and Christmas is all holiday. all the time). Also, Tracey Ullman - You Caught Me Out, R.E.M. (anything on IRS), Beatles, Barenaked Ladies, Tim O'Brien (how can anything be more perfect for a road trip than Traveler?), old John Hartford, Ricky Skaggs, Dolly's Grass is Blue, Madness, CCR.... the world is filled with so many options, and that's why it's great to be alive.

A road trip to ANYWHERE would be a pure joy (I'm a new mom of 2). However, the brief travel to and from work each day brings the best 15 min. of escape I can think of, and what's playin'?...Nickel Creek, Bruce Hornsby, Bonnie Rait, Alison Krauss also ANY compilation of Celtic dance music I can find. Off the beaten path group (world music) Deep Forest, completely unique blend of South American rhythms. P.S. Does anyone still listen to Dan Fogelberg?

Happy travels!

I listen to a lot of John Prine, Lucinda Williams, and Greg Brown.

I used to tape "Thistle & Shamrock" (NPR) each and every Saturday. Then for my short morning and afternoon commute I would catch 10 minutes or so at a time. Got to hear Fiona's show, in pieces, two times.

The tapes that got me through a particularly grueling trip from Santa Fe to Seattle were100% Dylan live, with not one acoustic number. I wanted something to push me through a couple 11pm to 4 am stretches. It had to be rough, moody, and smart.
Between boots and official releases, Dylan filled the bill.

Ry Cooder's "Paris, Texas" is a great driving song..as well as the soundtrack to "Songcatcher".

Bill Staines is with my on any serious road trip! The last long one -- Nebraska -> Montana -> Oregon ->California -> Kansas -> Florida -- was a whole lot o' Bill!

I play fiddle in a group here in Paris with Americans. We drive around a lot going to play. We always take my car because I have GPS and speak French (I am French) so I get to choose the music.
Steve Goodman, Peter Paul and Mary, and Mary Black. I also am a fan of a group from the 70s called, Seatrain which had a great fiddle player, Richard Greene. Has anyone else ever heard of them?

Here's a recent interview with Richard Greene from the Twangzine site:

http://www.twangzine.net/art/art-rg.html

I spend a great deal of time in my car for my job and I listen to alot of singer-songwriters; David Wilcox, Dougie McLean, Brooks Williams, Dar Williams, Dee Carstensen, Patty Griffin, Livingston Taylor, Laura Nyro, Nick Drake, Lucy Kaplansky - and I too am a fan of Richard Shindell. Special road trips, such as crossing the seven mile bridge to Key West, are reserved for favorites with great sing-along potential such as Eddie from Ohio!

My CD collection is kind of limited, but as far as folk music in my car, Richard Shindell-- Somewhere Near Patterson, various Nanci Griffith, various Gordon Lightfoot, and a Leo Kottke Anthology.

There are a heck of a lot of CD's I would like to have (thanks to Folk Alley), but I'm going to have to purchase them slowly, otherwise I'd go broke: Some examples: Terence Martin--Sleeper, David Francey-- Waking Hour, Lori McKenna, Tony Rice, Connie Dover, Chris Smithers, Eric Bibb, and more.

I'd second Dave Carter & Tracy Grammar's CD's My favorite is still "When I Go." For fiddle music, you can't beat Alasdair Fraser. Ian Robb's new group CD JIIG is great for driving. For something louder, to stay awake, Richard Thompson! I ran off some LP cuts from some of my favorite Michael Chapman recordings and that's good to drive to as well.

"There are a heck of a lot of CD's I would like to have (thanks to Folk Alley), but I'm going to have to purchase them slowly, otherwise I'd go broke: Some examples: Terence Martin--Sleeper, David Francey-- Waking Hour"

I haven't taken it on a trip, yet, but I got the "Waking Hour" from Folk Alley and it is currently one of my two favorite CDs. I have been lending it out and am anxious to get it back, but everyone I have lent it to has become a David Francey fan. I added one of his sons to my repertoire because I could not get it out of my head.

My other current favorite is a Hank Williams collection I got recently that includes live performances and some of his recordings as "Luke The Drifter" that I had never heard before.

"I added one of his sons to my repertoire because I could not get it out of my head."

That should have neen "songs" not "sons".

It would be nice if Folk Alley gave us edit rights to our posts so that when we miss something with the preview we don't look like idiots. But. for me it is not the first time and will certainly not be the last, that something like that has happened! Oh, well!

Oh, god, please help me. That should have been "been" not "neen". HELP ME!!!!!

I feel the same way, Jack Hang in there! But here is a fitting comment on that problem -- a variation of a remark from Dr. Seuss:

"Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind!"

Or if you don't mind, it don't matter.

And as to matter, it can never be truly created or destroyed. A mind, however, can be terribly wasted.

If you want sing-a-long, I'd grab a Wolftones compilation given to me by a friend of my son. For good listening, good lyrics, & more subdued sing-a-long...Stan Rogers!

i've been groovin' on tim obrien and darrell scott's " real time" the last few days. i like it way more than tim's new one "cornbread nation" which i find way to polished. prines new one "fair and square" is getting repeated listens as well. it's a little too polished as well, but it's just so great to have john back. anything by, guy clark, anytime, anywhere works for me as well. something canadian? how about, raghu lokanathan's, "caledonia" or bob campbell's "ditchflowers" contemporary folk, yahh!

Thanks for the post about Richard Greene!

My pleasure, Pierre, he's obviously still goin' strong.

For me, the best traveling CD's have been anything by New Grass Revival, Steve Earle and Tony Rice. "Me and My Guitar" and "Cold on my Shoulder" are my favorites along with the Lightfoot compilation. Rice is one of the greatest interpreters of Lightfoot. I just finished traveling with Lufthansa and they had a great Americana station on their music selections. It is still fun to hunt for good radio as you travel. Good traveling to everyone.

I split my listening between the 6 CDs of the week or compliation CDs. On the 6 CDs of the week I put 6CDs in my changer on Sunday afternoon, and listen to them all week [short drive to work], so rarely do I get thru all of them more than one listen, at most two. This way I actually listen to all my CDs, which span the musical spectrum. NO commercial radio...ever!!!

Often I listen to compilation CDs, right now it is six REM songs that I am trying to learn to play on guitar, mando and bass, plus learn the words. So if you see some guy at the red light singing.....it could be that he's attempting to learn new songs.

If you don't have Pat Humphries (now "emma's revolution") in your CD player, you are depriving your soul of filling & your world of changing!!! I listen to her constantly. She (they... she & her partner Sandy O.) are inspiring, energizing & motiviating to do the morally right thing in the face of constant oppression. Their music is brilliant... even award-winning (their song about 9-11, "If I Give Your Name" won the John Lennon Song Writer's Contest in 2002 or 3, I believe).

Buy her music & support a truly passionate force for positive change.

www.emmasrevolution.com

I travel quite frequently, and have learned that on long road trips, especially out in the Great Plains of America, one has to have lively music. A quick look at my last "Car Music" iPod playlist contains the following songs: Shambala, Nessum dorma from Turandot, Come Go with Me, Chan Chan (Buena Vista Social Club), Jolé Blon, Beautiful Scandalous Night (Bebo Norman), The Wonder of You (Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez), and many others. I like to harmonize, so songs that sound great with harmony like The Wonder of You are usualy favorites while driving.

I also have "theme" music, for example: Oklahoma! for when I cross over the Oklahoma border; the theme song from Dances With Wolves when I'm traveling across some beautiful western scenery; or Bob Marley or Jimmy Buffet when I'm heading towards the coast.

I absolutely DEPEND on my iPod and FolkAlley.com for new and interesting music. I quite frankly despise most radio stations with their relentless and VERY annoying commercials and dull, soulless popular music that's basically on a stinking loop!

With all my best planning and care in making the perfect “road-trip mix” tape- it has always been the radio that has provided those serendipitous songs that will forever remind me of a moment in time. I will always think of the Blue Ridge Mtns when I hear Bob Seger’s “Roll Me Away”. I also remember a drive to New York City (driving a friend’s very fast sports car)- When BTO’s “Aint Seen Nothing Yet” gave me an excuse to step on the pedal a wee bit more.
As far as planned music goes, no trip is complete without Big Leg Emma-usually who I am driving to see! Entrain is another high energy band that I really enjoy.

Due to a few unfortuante incidences in the past year I do not have a stereo in the current living space(this will changes in two long weeks) so every car trip is a road trip for music. I keep a medium size box on the pasenger seat with about 30 discs in it and blindly grab on when it's time to change. I'm always happily surprised! Great Big Sea is a wonderful car band today!

My current favorite is Greg Trooper. Some of his songs are quite funny. Greg Brown's cd If I Had Known is another favorite, esp. Laughing River.

I can usually rely on John Prine to get me anywhere I want to go in the right frame of mind. But there are those occasions when I have to take Dylan with me, a great travel companion also.

Well, Stephen, and all,...I guess it depends on who you are, where you are going, and what kind of mood you are in. If I am driving west, (in the US) I like the old standards: Willy, Waylon, and the 'boys'. Even J. Denver and Glenn Cambell. No tomatoes, please. Going east through Tennessee, Va., the Carolinas, to visit the old home folks, much of the enjoyment of the trip comes from listening to Clannad, Enya, and a special tape called "Celtic Journey". Even the Chieftains are good early in the morning, when you need to wake up, along with Hair of the Dog, Anything with bagpipes and/or fiddles will do it, along with coffee, of course. But, then, everyone isn't Scotch-Irish,...so, I ceed the floor.

Why in the world would you apologize for liking Glen Campbell or John Denver?

"Gentle on My Mind" was the first LP I ever bought, and the Glen Campbell Show introduced me to John Hartford.

"Aerie" got lots of play on the old hand-me-down Phillips (an old gray box with detachable speakers on a wire rack) I inherited from my Dad when he got his first console TV/stereo.

(smile) Not apologizing, Don. I don't think anybody my age should have to. Well, at least not often. I still drag out 'Wichita Lineman' sometimes in the winter. Takes me back to my freshman college year. First time to really be away from home long enough to be homesick...and miss somebody very special.

LOVE John Denver, Glen Campbell, my old Peter, Paul & Mary stuff....

Road tunes I like on the drive from Fort Worth to Houston: Lost Tribe (Celtic music, etc.), formerly of Austin area. Selections from a Praire Home Companion (Keepers? trying to think of the name). The soundtrack from The Horse Whisperer. Beyond the Pale from around North Texas area. My dad raised us on bluegrass music, but I didn't really appreciate it until the old man passed away in 1987 (my Viet Nam veteran dad, God bless him.)

A good night to you all.

uhhh, make that "Prairie"! oops

We don't take points off for spelling, Margaret..At least we better not! I love the Lost Tribe, too. And a salute to your Dad. Maybe we served together. It wasn't the most popular thing to do at the time. But we fought for each other. And I like Ft. Worth. Okla. City, here. Tom

Tom, howdy. Part Okie here (grandmother was born up in Ardmore). I've been up to Norman a few times, but no farther....would like to see Tulsa one day and OKC (great-grandfather lived there briefly).

Off topic a little more, but my father was at Tan Son Nhut the second tour. His first few "hauls" there were related to the advisory campaign - '61-'63 roughly. He was a good ol' boy from NW Georgia.

How I wish I had his old record albums. He had a great collection.
Margaret