Monday, July 17, 2006
Patriotic Country Music
Well, no, I didn't start listening to country music. It's funny that someone like me who can listen to blues, rock, heavy metal, death metal, techno, pop, alternative, new wave, ska, punk, rap, hip hop and jazz - finds most country music not to my liking. If you go back to when I was growing up, I could stand old school country like Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. I even remember Buck Owens playing a nasty guitar on Hee-Haw along with that fellar who played the banjo...Roy Clark. It's that older stuff that contains elements of the blues that draws me to...well...not hate it. However, with the advent of "New Country" or whatever the hell Garth Brooks brought with him...or whatever they call all these idiots in skin tight muscle shirts that they're passing off as country...it made me not appreciate country just a little more. I want my male country music artists to be someone you'd be afraid to go outside with to discuss a matter. Not some clean shaven pansy who buys $300 shirts from Neiman Marcus. Frankly, these new male country artists fronting as badasses make me laugh, with Toby Keith being the obvious exception. Anyway, you may have seen this piece already on Comedy Central but it's pretty funny. Let me be clear about this - I'm ALL FOR country musicians being patriotic and wrapping themselves in the flag. Anyone who knows me knows my thoughts on the current state of the mideast. And even though I don't buy country artist's music, I'm fine with the patriotic sentiment in alot of their work and I back the ClearChannel (eveil empire) decision to restrict airplay from any artist they choose...they do own the stations. Ooops, I just thought of something...I do own 2 Charlie Daniels LPs. For you younger folks, LPs were these big black vinyl....oh, nevermind. Anyway, even though I'm down with the politics of a lot of country music artists, this clip is funny even though they're making fun of people like Toby Keith. It drags on and on, but the best line comes right around the 50 second mark. You can stop it after 1:00 unless you feel compelled to watch the rest of it. You won't believe how the ficticious singer finishes the line "Eagles are bald, so am I, If you're from Europe.........". I almost pee'd myself.
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6 comments:
People are going to get tired of reading about us agreeing on stuff but...
As our suddenly absent poster Herman Ze German would say, "Zere es no country music." And anymore, he'd be right.
I think real, what you called "old school," country music is still being played. It's just that it's not being played where many folks can hear it. And that means mainstream radio or CMT.
As with most of the trash that streams across the airwaves, the music machine executives are to blame.
It started with bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, and to a lesser degree the Allman Brothers Band. It was called "Southern Rock."
Charlie Daniels really bridged the gap between southern rock and country beyond what the aforementioned groups did and the crossover had begun in earnest.
Charlie, as you will recall in his song "In America," a patriotic country song if there ever was one, reminds the listeners "go ahead and lay a hand on a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and I think you're gonna finally understand."
Well, after that the floodgates opened for every cowboy hat wearin SOB with half a voice to be promoted as the next best thing in "country" music. Hank Williams Jr. being the most obvious exception. Cause Hank does things Hank's way no matter what label you try to attach to him.
So now we end up with country singer of the week it seems. And the hugely popular Kenny Chesney has more in common with Jimmy Buffet than he does with Merle Haggard. Know why? Cause that's what the record companies think they can sell. That's it, no more, no less.
So yeah you got Jerry Douglas, and Bela Fleck, and Mark O'Connor as the three preeminent country pickers on the planet but everybody wants to see Garth Brooks, or Big & Rich.
So let these new Southern Rockers (they sure as hell ain't country stars) sing patriotic songs all they want. It's probably a record executive who asked them to write it anyway.
And what about these girls the Chixie Dicks? They're good musicians but they need to leave their political points of view to themselves. As Frank Zappa once said, "Shut up and play your guitar." It's OK to oppose the war in Iraq just shut up about it when the neighbors kid is coming home in a box.
On to Buck Owens and then I'll quit. Buck Owens once said he'd never sing anything but a country song. And his first hit was written by Chuck Berry! When asked about this ole Buck countered, "I don't care what stations play that kind of music. I don't care what kind of people listen to that kind of music. When I sing it it's a country song." Unfortuntely that is not true with any of today's "country" artists.
Fan- Check out the album Blue Country Heart by Jorma Kaukonen (yes his main band is Hot Tuna and he was part of Jefferson Airplane at one time) there might be hope for you and "country" music yet!
This might not be considered "country", but it's close. Also close to home for me......http://www.blue-grass.org/festival/
BB- Hell yeah Bluegrass counts. It's way more country than the junk you hear on the radio!!
If you like that one up your way check out this one down my way: http://gettysburgbluegrass.com/gb_artists.cfm
They have 2 a year, one in May and another in August or Sept.
Just to see Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys is worth it. But I noticed the Seldom Scene is coming to this one. They have been the preeminent bluegrass band in Washington DC for upwards of 30 years. And if Mike Auldrege is still playing the dobro for them, well hearing him play is quite a treat.
If memory serves me, they've had Allison Krause, Ricky Skaggs, and Earl Scruggs in previous years.
Let's face it, the guys/girls who can really play play bluegrass. Some might do other things too but if you can pick at all the only way to see how good you are is a little bluegrass head-cutting jam.
Herman ze german,
You mean Mr Big??
i saw him sing once.....and once was more than enough. he kind of made an ass out of himself...or a "butt"
Your website has a useful information for beginners like me.
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