Music Choice

Just as a suggestion, try Johnny Cash.  Especially his earliest work on Sun Records and his latest work on the American label.  Sam Phillips and Rick Rubin had similar production styles in that they recognized Johnny Cash's talent lay in his gravelly voice and the way he expresses himself and they kept the accompaniment as stripped down as possible.  "Unchained" is in my opinion (depending on my mood of course) Johnny's best song.  It's on the album of the same name. 

Another person whose music tends to be pretty stripped down to essences is Willie Nelson.  See if you can get some concert recordings rather than studio albums.  In concert he plays tunes from everyone, from old jazz standards like Blue Sky, soul music like Georgia, rockabilly like Fast Train To Georgia, and always of course with his indelible stamp.  It's good training for how to interpret a song. 

If you like the same sissified 70's folk/pop songs that I do, as it appears you do from the choices you identified, I would also like to suggest Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, John Denver and early Cat Stevens (before he got popular and went all orchestral).  I'm working on John Denver's "Grandma's Featherbed" these days.  Lots of YouTube choices for learning on that one.  Of course, showing my goofy nature, my favorite is the video of John Denver playing it with the Muppets. 

From the rock world, Neil Young is tough to beat for what you describe.  Roots rock is also good.  Anything from Chuck Berry or his contemporaries. 

Hope that helps. 

Oh, yeah, Bob Dylan is a GREAT starter for your list. 

Given that it appears you have at least similar music preferences to me, I invite you to take a look at my public songbooks.  Just go to the Public Songbook tabs and search on Zurf.  I have some simple tunes in there, and also some stretch songs.  I've adjusted a number of the songs to chords in D or G so that they can be done with open chords.

- Zurf

Never can tell with Gordon Lightfoot.  He's a mutant for sure.  He's got some crazy difficult stuff that just sounds easy (take a look at the official transcription of Sundown and the insanely difficult chords he uses to pull off that simple sounding intro), but then he's got a lot of songs like "Early Morning Rain" that fall under the Three Chords and the Truth category of songwriting. 

Besides, those nefarious B chords will insert themselves gratuitously into otherwise wholesome, straightforward, and honest songs.  Even "West Bound and Down" has a B chord (that I play as a B7 - I figure screw 'em if they can't take a joke).   Then again, Jerry Reed (God rest his soul) was unquestionably a mutant. 

You can bet Johnny Cash didn't play B chords!  I've got an MTV Unplugged album he did with Willie Nelson where he jokes around about looking at his watch during the F#m part on one of Willie's songs. 

- Zurf

Cheers Zurf,
Your pretty spot on with cjoice of music, most of the artists you lisy I enjoy although I have never listened to them indepth.  I'll see what I can find. 
There's some good stuff in your songbook too!
THanks

Cat Stevens has a lot of fine acoustic music. I have some of his tunes in my fat book. I worked out all his chords to "Morning Has Broken" but I believe they sound better on keyboard but they are playable on guitar.  I also have "Peace train","Father and Son", "Moon Shadow and others.I'll help if I can.
What tunes are you looking for?
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