depends on how you define country. if it is most of the pap on GAC, then yes it is horrid. but broaden it to what doesn't get played on the radio and you have a bonanza. Alison Krauss, Bobby Bare jr, Shooter Jennings, Nicklecreek, James Hand, Neko Case, Dixie Chicks, Damnations... Country can include Americana, Folk, Bluegrass, Honkey Tonk, Swing. check Lyle Lovett, Dwight Yoakum, Jessi Colter, Willie Nelson, Bob Wills, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings, Randy Travis, David Allen Coe, Robert Earl Keen jr, Hank Williams III... and you will find many more great artists from that launching point. Gillian Welch, Norah Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Josh Ritter, Old 97's, Drive By Truckers, Cowboy Junkies, Mary Gauthier, Spoon, lambchop, Junior Brown... and that is off the top of my head. check out this great link for more...
www.pastemagazine.com/
I forgot... Dumptruck, Silos, Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly...
Country Music: Misunderstood or Evil?
Moderators: StevieG, dANdeLION, lucimay
Trapper439 wrote:Chris Whitley and Johnny Cash are a credit to the genre.
When I lived in Savannah, GA, REM was revered by the locals.
Somebody is always going to be capable of making even the most ridiculous genre wonderful to listen to...
That ALMOST gives me hope for our species.
no Trap, other way 'round buddy,...somebody's ALWAYS going to be able to make sh*t out of something good.
"country music" was a direct reference to music played in "the country", in other words, roots music. that is why your first statement is true. Whitley and Cash both come from a roots tradition. that tradition is...well...bare bones. in the country, they used what they could transport easily, small instruments like fiddles and mandolins might make it, small hide tablas, tambourines. washboards. anything percussive. as different peoples came from different music traditions and landed here and their sounds expanded... okay okay, i DO go on...but, you get my drift.
you're more advanced than a cockroach,
have you ever tried explaining yourself
to one of them?
~ alan bates, the mothman prophecies
i've had this with actors before, on the set,
where they get upset about the [size of my]
trailer, and i'm always like...take my trailer,
cause... i'm from Kentucky
and that's not what we brag about.
~ george clooney, inside the actor's studio
a straight edge for legends at
the fold - searching for our
lost cities of gold. burnt tar,
gravel pits. sixteen gears switch.
Haphazard Lucy strolls by.
~ dennis r wood ~
have you ever tried explaining yourself
to one of them?
~ alan bates, the mothman prophecies
i've had this with actors before, on the set,
where they get upset about the [size of my]
trailer, and i'm always like...take my trailer,
cause... i'm from Kentucky
and that's not what we brag about.
~ george clooney, inside the actor's studio
a straight edge for legends at
the fold - searching for our
lost cities of gold. burnt tar,
gravel pits. sixteen gears switch.
Haphazard Lucy strolls by.
~ dennis r wood ~
heheh, it took sarge 3 pages before he posted on this one 
... sorry sarge, I saw the topic and imagined you being from the lone star state would have chimed in earlier (it was an old post though, eh?)
I will confess to disliking country in almost all forms. But like 'rap', every so often there comes a some that elevates itself above the ear torture I perceive these musics to be. Totally subjective! No offence...
... sorry sarge, I saw the topic and imagined you being from the lone star state would have chimed in earlier (it was an old post though, eh?)
I will confess to disliking country in almost all forms. But like 'rap', every so often there comes a some that elevates itself above the ear torture I perceive these musics to be. Totally subjective! No offence...
~...with a floating smile and a light blue sponge...~
-
DukkhaWaynhim
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 9195
- Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2003 8:35 pm
- Location: Deep in thought
Country-pop is the soundtrack to Hell.
Most of the older stuff, (the original Hank, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, some of Dolly's early work, etc.) and more current stuff with re-playable substance (Allison Krauss, the occasional Dixie Chicks song) is good. (It's somewhat subjective, but I bet 4 out of 5 dentists could probably agree on what is replayable).
It's been said before, but Johnny Cash is in a class by himself. I really dig his covers of One (U2) and Hurt (NIN), but his older classics (Ring of Fire, Folsom Prison, Man in Black, etc.) are just as good, if not better.
What's with country-pop and the stupid metaphors/similes? Are they drawn like flies to fresh cow-pie?
DW
Most of the older stuff, (the original Hank, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, some of Dolly's early work, etc.) and more current stuff with re-playable substance (Allison Krauss, the occasional Dixie Chicks song) is good. (It's somewhat subjective, but I bet 4 out of 5 dentists could probably agree on what is replayable).
It's been said before, but Johnny Cash is in a class by himself. I really dig his covers of One (U2) and Hurt (NIN), but his older classics (Ring of Fire, Folsom Prison, Man in Black, etc.) are just as good, if not better.
What's with country-pop and the stupid metaphors/similes? Are they drawn like flies to fresh cow-pie?
DW
"God is real, unless declared integer." - Unknown
-
A Gunslinger
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 8890
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 6:48 pm
- Location: Southern WI (Madison area)
sgtnull wrote:depends on how you define country. if it is most of the pap on GAC, then yes it is horrid. but broaden it to what doesn't get played on the radio and you have a bonanza. Alison Krauss, Bobby Bare jr, Shooter Jennings, Nicklecreek, James Hand, Neko Case, Dixie Chicks, Damnations... Country can include Americana, Folk, Bluegrass, Honkey Tonk, Swing. check Lyle Lovett, Dwight Yoakum, Jessi Colter, Willie Nelson, Bob Wills, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings, Randy Travis, David Allen Coe, Robert Earl Keen jr, Hank Williams III... and you will find many more great artists from that launching point. Gillian Welch, Norah Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Josh Ritter, Old 97's, Drive By Truckers, Cowboy Junkies, Mary Gauthier, Spoon, lambchop, Junior Brown... and that is off the top of my head. check out this great link for more...
www.pastemagazine.com/
I forgot... Dumptruck, Silos, Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly...
Your examples of country music are great...as is Trapper's Whitley (i am a huge fan) and Cash. The problem is Nashville.
"Country" music generated there, for the most part, is lowest common denominator bull poo, that appeals the the cliche'd idea of rural america. Not to mention the jingoism apparent in some of it!
"I use my gun whenever kindness fails"
Nashville is going through the same thing that the LA metal scene went through in '89-'91. Unfortunately, country's been stuck there for over a decade. Country is in dire need of a Nirvana-like enema.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
country music is NOT evil. what's been DONE to country music (can you say pop marketability cross-over) is evil.Phantasm wrote:As a sweeping generalisation, Country music is EVIL
matter of fact, hank williams is rolling in his grave and having hissy fits.
phantasm...see my above post where i nearly lapse into a roots music lecture...some of american "country" music CAME FROM SCOTLAND, dude. (ok, nevermind, you don't have to, i'll just reiterate)
a LOT of scots settled in the kentucky, tennessee, north carolina, and other southern regions of the U.S. and they brought fiddles and mandolins and all kinds of ballads and dulcimers and other stuff.
the music that you don't like coming out of nashville and other areas (poor buck is gone now but bakersfield, california comes to mind) is stuff that is attempting a cross-over into the pop market.
"country music" in its purest form, is VERY VERY similar to the blues, in structure and content.
of course, hank is the best progentitor i can think of as an example of this.
how many blues songs did he write? hell, nearly his entire catalog is blues.
and why, you may ask, did a soulful, R & B genius like Ray Charles make so many forays into "country" music. because it IS the blues.
once again, i submit that the music you're saying is evil is NOT country music. it's crap pop with twang on the side.
oh and PS....check out my post in the Concerts thread regarding the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in SF this coming weekend.
there are SEVERAL europeans on the schedule. billy bragg, richard thompson, and others!! why are they there? ROOTS MUSIC.
hell, even Led Zeppelin played roots music, they married celtic and blues and made rock and roll out of it!
you're more advanced than a cockroach,
have you ever tried explaining yourself
to one of them?
~ alan bates, the mothman prophecies
i've had this with actors before, on the set,
where they get upset about the [size of my]
trailer, and i'm always like...take my trailer,
cause... i'm from Kentucky
and that's not what we brag about.
~ george clooney, inside the actor's studio
a straight edge for legends at
the fold - searching for our
lost cities of gold. burnt tar,
gravel pits. sixteen gears switch.
Haphazard Lucy strolls by.
~ dennis r wood ~
have you ever tried explaining yourself
to one of them?
~ alan bates, the mothman prophecies
i've had this with actors before, on the set,
where they get upset about the [size of my]
trailer, and i'm always like...take my trailer,
cause... i'm from Kentucky
and that's not what we brag about.
~ george clooney, inside the actor's studio
a straight edge for legends at
the fold - searching for our
lost cities of gold. burnt tar,
gravel pits. sixteen gears switch.
Haphazard Lucy strolls by.
~ dennis r wood ~
-
dANdeLION
- Lord
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Speaking as a musician, bluegrass is much more difficult to play, and is more like southern rock than country, at least to my ears, which were raised on southern rock and bluegrass, as well as surf music, rock, prog and country.....danlo wrote:No! There's a big dif between country music and Bluegrass--
Dandelion don't tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion
I'm afraid there's no denying
I'm just a dandelion
a fate I don't deserve.
High priest of THOOOTP
*
* This post carries Jay's seal of approval
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion
I'm afraid there's no denying
I'm just a dandelion
a fate I don't deserve.
High priest of THOOOTP
* * This post carries Jay's seal of approval
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dANdeLION
- Lord
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- Location: In the jungle, the mighty jungle
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Funny, this is exactly the kind of prejudice I'm told to expect from the people you're insulting. When did it become so embarassing to love our country? I know it has flaws, but so did my wife, and I loved her. I just don't get this at all.Lord Foul wrote:Especially when it's 9/11-related . . . Country music making political statements is basically rednecks holding up their shotguns in the air and going "Heehaw!"
Oh, and one other thing, so I can avoid triple-posting here. Luci's post (just above) is dead on accurate. Read it, and become wise.
Dandelion don't tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion
I'm afraid there's no denying
I'm just a dandelion
a fate I don't deserve.
High priest of THOOOTP
*
* This post carries Jay's seal of approval
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion
I'm afraid there's no denying
I'm just a dandelion
a fate I don't deserve.
High priest of THOOOTP
* * This post carries Jay's seal of approval
-
Holsety
- The Gap Into Spam
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I realize this topic hasn't been posted in a while, but those I recognize (about 2/3)...particularly Bob Willssgtnull wrote:depends on how you define country. if it is most of the pap on GAC, then yes it is horrid. but broaden it to what doesn't get played on the radio and you have a bonanza. Alison Krauss, Bobby Bare jr, Shooter Jennings, Nicklecreek, James Hand, Neko Case, Dixie Chicks, Damnations... Country can include Americana, Folk, Bluegrass, Honkey Tonk, Swing. check Lyle Lovett, Dwight Yoakum, Jessi Colter, Willie Nelson, Bob Wills, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings, Randy Travis, David Allen Coe, Robert Earl Keen jr, Hank Williams III... and you will find many more great artists from that launching point. Gillian Welch, Norah Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Josh Ritter, Old 97's, Drive By Truckers, Cowboy Junkies, Mary Gauthier, Spoon, lambchop, Junior Brown... and that is off the top of my head. check out this great link for more...
www.pastemagazine.com/
I forgot... Dumptruck, Silos, Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly...
... are awesome.
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danlo
- Lord
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Country (he'd probably say hillbilly) or no Dwight brings the house down: Fast as You
fall far and well Pilots!