country music in need of a revival? - or genre clarity?

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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by funsongs » Fri Jun 06, 2014 11:58 am

In an attempt at some fair rebuttal to the writer of that 'd-bag' list... what stands out is that props are due to the songwriting talents from among that group. The marketers, or whoever you want to hold responsible for playing "crossover" songs on Country radio, are busy with the "business"...
which is to make money.

I'm a fan of some on that list: Lady A and Taylor Swift; and, as the artists they are, I don't blame then... rather, I applaud them, for writing and playing what they like. Only wish the crossover stuff wasn't being infused into the Country genre when it comes to radio, awards, etc.
I guess until there are purely separated "Americana", "Pure Country" radio stations... that'll continue to be what's part of the menu.

When I listened to this live, stripped-down set by Taylor Swift... I had a new appreciation for her story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W_278Mc0Lo

I'd call this "Americana-Pop". Stellar, clean, clear presentation and musicianship.
But still: it aint country to these ears.
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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by themichaelscott » Fri Jun 06, 2014 2:30 pm

How are Brantly Gilbert and Jason Aldean not on that list? Those are my top two. There are so many of these types of guys that can actually sing and play I will never understand why the industry (and fans for that matter) pick these "fashionable" people that consistently bomb live.

You can go to any bar on Main St in Nashville ANY time of ANY day of the week and find AMAZING vocalists. Why the need for auto tune and other studio tricks? But then again, I think almost everything these days is WAY over produced. So maybe it's just me.

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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by funsongs » Fri Jun 06, 2014 2:37 pm

themichaelscott wrote: How are Brantly Gilbert and Jason Aldean not on that list? Those are my top two.
Michael
The writer limited his list to the ten that irked him. It's the blurring (or, polluting, if you prefer)
of the genre lines. Let Country be Country; and let that other stuff be other stuff. :?
Zall-I'm-sayin.
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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by funsongs » Fri Jun 06, 2014 2:50 pm

After all the contributions here, thinking "revival" may have not been the best choice of words.
Maybe it's more like clearing-out and re-organizing a scrapbook... grouping things that sorta belong together. You know, like
John Denver singing with Placido Domingo. :lol: :shock: !!
("Genre clean-up on isle 5, please...") :lol:

Awwh... ya gotta love it...
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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by elser » Fri Jun 06, 2014 3:48 pm

My first pro gig was playing Country music when I was 18. I'm now 53 and still playing it every once in awhile. This same discussion has been going on since I first started playing it. Back then Ronnie Milsap and Alabama were the demons cause they didn't sound like Haggard and Jones. Later in the '90s it was Restless Heart and The Kentucky Headhunters.

Country music continues to evolve just like every other style of music. Should orchestral music limited to the Baroque and Romantic periods, should Jazz be limited to the music of Benny Goodman and Count Basie, should Rock be stuck in the '50s, should all R&B sound like The Temptations or Aretha Franklin? Young people coming into the business have a right to express themselves as they choose and most of them were influenced by Rock, Pop and Hip Hop as well as Country music and all those influences are coming out in their music. And it also happens to be very popular. It's progress, the opposite would be stagnation.

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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by funsongs » Fri Jun 06, 2014 4:27 pm

elser wrote: Young people coming into the business have a right to express themselves as they choose and most of them were influenced by Rock, Pop and Hip Hop as well as Country music and all those influences are coming out in their music. And it also happens to be very popular. It's progress, the opposite would be stagnation.
Not denying self-expression.
Not denying that a lot of it is good.
Not denying that it's popular.
Not denying it's keeping new growth happening.
Just sayin'... just like all those influences (and that progression of reasoning)
applied to the classics such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, etc...
ultimately blurrs and/or alters the "genre" enough to beg for a new and different classification.

Personal musical tastes can include quite a broad spectrum.
I wouldn't expect to hear a pedal-steel guitar in a symphony setting;
even though I might dig it! :?
Just an opinion and personal point of view; your mileage may vary.
Cheers. :)
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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by funsongs » Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:01 pm

2lane wrote:
themichaelscott wrote: So Peter, lets write some lyrics...eh?
At the risk of being hung out to dry...I'll start
So... continuing... aiming for completion: then off of the Cass-man for a reality check?!

Verse)
Country music use'ta be hert in lil bars
Twernt no damn raps and fuzzy git-tars
Why... that kinda song's likely already bin writ
By some 'poke chewin tabakky an needin t' spit
The only pot there's the one ya aim for
So's line dancers don't go slippin' all ov'r th' floor...

Pre-chorus)
On Fridays... if you're out drinkin' fer Fun
Expect a hitchin' post, cuz it's 19 sumpthin'

Chorus)
Now sang-us a song, a real song, Boys
Not j'st werdz spoke ov'r bunchez a'noise
Let the mellerdee soar and th' harm'neez rang
Werdz'th no tune don't mean a dern thang!"
Uh... yeh... gimme'at twang, enda fiddle'ith flair
Not some metal riff thet caint compair
Laid-back n' nice, like weez out on th' porch
Keepin time wi'the laundry, by the light of a tiki torch...

(I don't think this is working... TGIF...)
:shock: :? :geek: :o ;)
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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by RockChild56 » Fri Jun 06, 2014 6:58 pm

funsongs wrote:
2lane wrote:
themichaelscott wrote: So Peter, lets write some lyrics...eh?
At the risk of being hung out to dry...I'll start
So... continuing... aiming for completion: then off of the Cass-man for a reality check?!

Verse)
Country music use'ta be hert in lil bars
Twernt no damn raps and fuzzy git-tars
Why... that kinda song's likely already bin writ
By some 'poke chewin tabakky an needin t' spit
The only pot there's the one ya aim for
So's line dancers don't go slippin' all ov'r th' floor...

Pre-chorus)
On Fridays... if you're out drinkin' fer Fun
Expect a hitchin' post, cuz it's 19 sumpthin'

Chorus)
Now sang-us a song, a real song, Boys
Not j'st werdz spoke ov'r bunchez a'noise
Let the mellerdee soar and th' harm'neez rang
Werdz'th no tune don't mean a dern thang!"
Uh... yeh... gimme'at twang, enda fiddle'ith flair
Not some metal riff thet caint compair
Laid-back n' nice, like weez out on th' porch
Keepin time wi'the laundry, by the light of a tiki torch...

(I don't think this is working... TGIF...)
:shock: :? :geek: :o ;)
LOL I don't think it's working either.
No offense but;
I know a lot of Rednecks, Cowboys and Southerners (even a few who call themselves Hillbillies) and I have Never heard that Vernacular, Ever. Only from those who want to Mock em.

As for a revival for Country Music. Every Decade of Country Music I have heard is Vastly Different. I Loved the Country of the 50's 60's Hated the 70's (except Merle) tolerated the 80's and 90's and in the 2000's found a few things I like and a lot I don't.

Most of what you hear is Crossover Country. You have to look at the people writing it and their influences.
It's that simple.

We should be glad it isn't Completely Dead.
E J Bell

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Re: country music in need of a revival?

Post by DesireInspires » Fri Jun 06, 2014 7:42 pm

Country music is fine today. It is a changing of the guard. The old ways are dying out and the new generation is taking over. I love it!

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