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What’s Wrong with Country Music Today?
Pajamas Media ^ | 05/20/2014 | Chris Queen

Posted on 05/20/2014 8:58:16 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

I’ve complained about the state of modern mainstream country music for a long time now. And clearly, I’m not alone. Singer-songwriter Collin Raye, one of the top country artists throughout the ’90s, recently took to Fox News to air his grievances at the state of country music today.

As a platinum-selling country music artist and, more importantly, a lifelong fan of the genre, I’d like to send out this heartfelt plea to the gatekeepers of the industry:

Enough already.

I’d like to think that I am expressing what nearly every artist, musician and songwriter (with perhaps a few exceptions) is thinking when I contend that the Bro’ Country phenomenon must cease.

It has had its run for better or worse and it’s time for Nashville to get back to producing, and more importantly promoting, good singers singing real songs. It’s time for country music to find its identity again before it is lost forever.

[...]

Disposable, forgettable music has been the order of the day for quite a while now and it’s time for that to stop.

Our beautiful, time-honored genre, has devolved from lines like, “I’d trade all of my tomorrows for one single yesterday … holding Bobby’s body next to mine,” and “a canvas covered cabin, in a crowded labor camp stand out in this memory I revive. Cause my Daddy raised a family there with two hard working hands….and tried to feed my Momma’s hungry eyes,” down to “Can I get a Yee Haw?”

And the aforementioned Truck! “Come on slide them jeans on up in my truck! Let’s get down and dirty in muh truck, doggone it I just get off riding in muh truck, I love ya honey, but not as much as muh truck!” Oh and we can’t leave out the beautiful prose about partying in a field or pasture.

He goes on to lay the blame at the feet of the label honchos rather than at the artists or songwriters. “They have the power and ability to make a commitment to make records that keep the legacy of country music alive, and reclaim a great genre’s identity.”

Raye has a point. Here’s Exhibit A: “Cruise,” by Florida-Georgia Line, which spent an astounding 21 weeks at #1 on Billboards Hot Country Songs chart.

Modern country music has become so formulaic that some wags devised a web-based Bro Country Song Inspiration Generator. For the most part, the poetry and beauty that have been hallmarks of the genre for so long are missing from mainstream country today, with a handful of exceptions, such as Zac Brown Band, The Band Perry, and Miranda Lambert.

The real Nashville could take a cue or two from the fictional Nashville. Most of the songs on the hit ABC series fit the mold of the country songwriting tradition - heartfelt and often poetic. And, though actors who just happen to sing populate the cast (with some of the best Southern accents in the business, I might add), these folks know how to interpret a song well.

Take Sam Palladio, who plays up-and-coming songwriter Gunnar Scott. The British actor/singer wraps his amazing voice around “It Ain’t Yours To Throw Away,” a beautiful tune co-written (in real life) by the great Pam Tillis:

In another clip from a concert special, members of the cast perform “A Life That’s Good,” which has become an unofficial anthem for the show, along with the songwriters:

Collin Raye has a point. If industry executives treated their talent as artists rather than as commodities and their music as art rather than as products, country music would improve. The next Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Dolly Parton are out there for discovery, but they’re taking a backseat to the “Bro Country” movement. I’m afraid one day we’ll look back at these last couple of years as a low point in country music.


TOPICS: Music/Entertainment; Society; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: closedshop; countrymusic; monopoly; musicbusiness
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To: SeekAndFind

I’m a city boy, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and I love a lot of classic country music— Carter Family, Bill Monroe, Hank Williams, Bob Wills, Delmore Brothers, Patsy Cline— stuff that today usually gets called “Americana.” Contemporary country music, not so much, but I do like Rosanne Cash, Patty Loveless, Alison Krauss and Lucinda Williams.


81 posted on 05/20/2014 10:41:52 AM PDT by Lurking Libertarian (Non sub homine, sed sub Deo et lege)
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To: Dick Vomer
One of the first "crossover" records-- Jimmie Rodgers backed by Louis Armstrong(!) on "Blue Yodel No. 9" (1930). Great (as always) singing by Rogers, the true originator of "outlaw country" (listen to the lyrics), and a stunning (as always) jazz trumpet solo from Armstrong.
82 posted on 05/20/2014 10:48:35 AM PDT by Lurking Libertarian (Non sub homine, sed sub Deo et lege)
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To: Morgana

PATSY CLINE DIED!?!


83 posted on 05/20/2014 10:51:01 AM PDT by teeman8r (Armageddon won't be pretty, but it's not like it's the end of the world.)
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To: RedStateRocker

I’m not saying I could do any better but frankly, I don’t bother turning on the radio most of the time and haven’t purchased music for about 5 years.

That is not good for the industry.


84 posted on 05/20/2014 10:56:49 AM PDT by dangerdoc
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To: SeekAndFind
I am still amazed at this video. It was world record lipDub in Grand Rapids, to entire song, "American Pie".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPjjZCO67WI
85 posted on 05/20/2014 11:09:28 AM PDT by TomGuy
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To: BeadCounter
Well, I was attempting to be sarcastically funny about Alan Jackson, considering the lyrics of that particular song, which belies the ongoing invasion of liberal asshats on Nashville to make a cycnical buck wearing freshly bought boots under their Stetsons while praising lord Obama's war against us bitter clingers- the very people who are, by in large, country music fans.

Alan Jackson sings some great country music, though.

86 posted on 05/20/2014 11:12:58 AM PDT by TADSLOS (The Event Horizon has come and gone. Buckle up and hang on.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Johnny Horton, George Jones and excuse me for forgetting to mention any mainstays, perhaps Loretta Lynne too, if anything, country went through a real golden age with the likes of these. Numerous other artists can be mentioned but I was trying to recall the real giants post-Hank Williams.

People can talk about Waylon, Willie, Conway Twitty, they definitely have their place as well.


87 posted on 05/20/2014 11:15:51 AM PDT by BeadCounter
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To: Kenny Bunk; Revolting cat!
Wrong with "Country Music?" The fans are strangely tattooed morbidly fat people with weird hairdos who like to do drugs, ride big motorcycles dripping with fringe, and generally look like they are on their way to a felonious Hall'o'ween Party. L'il Abner on LSD and Steroids.

Sounds like the crowd at a T. Tex Edwards concert...

http://www.reverbnation.com/ttexedwards

Although his music is country, not rap, white rap, etc. unless you maybe count old white "rap" found in country songs like "One Piece At A Time", "Smoke That Cigarette", "Wabash Cannonball", etc.

o

88 posted on 05/20/2014 11:16:00 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (The new witchhunt: "Do you NOW, . . . or have you EVER , . . supported traditional marriage?")
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To: SeekAndFind

It’s formulaic. Just like wrap but with a fake twang.


89 posted on 05/20/2014 11:16:50 AM PDT by Wyatt's Torch
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To: Lurking Libertarian

I think Jimmie Rodgers was also paired up with the Dixieland Jug Blowers on a Victor recording as well.

Fascinating era, when it comes to music. So much variety, and wild-and-woolly experimentation. The musical changes between just two and three years throughout the decade of the 1920s were massive.


90 posted on 05/20/2014 11:16:51 AM PDT by greene66
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To: TomGuy

Hell, DISCO is still around.


91 posted on 05/20/2014 11:16:52 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (The new witchhunt: "Do you NOW, . . . or have you EVER , . . supported traditional marriage?")
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To: a fool in paradise

I guess you could consider “Big, Bad, John” a rap song.


92 posted on 05/20/2014 11:17:11 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Lucas McCain

Not you, but authors like the one of the original article- I mean “critics”, yeah. I loath writers who gripe about how things used to be better in general, and in regards to the arts in particular. Those who can, do, those who can’t teach, those who can’t do or even teach write criticism.

There’s plenty of good music these days, just not on mainstream radio.


93 posted on 05/20/2014 11:17:29 AM PDT by RedStateRocker (Nuke Mecca, deport all illegal aliens, abolish the IRS, DEA and ATF.)
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To: henkster

Just don’t listen to the radio. Plenty of outstanding music out there but you have to go find it as none of it is played on the radio anywhere.


94 posted on 05/20/2014 11:18:13 AM PDT by Wyatt's Torch
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To: Lurking Libertarian

Yeah. They call it Americana now.


95 posted on 05/20/2014 11:18:26 AM PDT by ifinnegan
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To: a fool in paradise

“Hell,DISCO is still around.”


Staaayiiing aliiiive !!! I actually liked disco and The BeeGees.

.


96 posted on 05/20/2014 11:18:42 AM PDT by Mears
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To: RegulatorCountry
If you want good music, country or anything else, stop being lazy and complaining and go find it. It’s there, now more than ever. Just not on the radio or television, which are push media.

BINGO!

97 posted on 05/20/2014 11:18:56 AM PDT by Wyatt's Torch
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To: Dick Vomer

Tommy must have gotten guitar lessons straight from God. Catch him every time he comes around. Transcends any label description (oh, yeah he has a great music ministry, too).


98 posted on 05/20/2014 11:21:48 AM PDT by RedStateRocker (Nuke Mecca, deport all illegal aliens, abolish the IRS, DEA and ATF.)
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To: taterjay

Garth kind of died on the second album for me.

Not counting prior to mid 80’s since I liked most of them, I also liked Mark Chesnut, Tracy Lawrence, Diamond Rio, Shenandoah, Wade Hayes, Chris Ledoux, Tracy Byrd (not watermelon crawl though), Zone Jones, Rick Trevino, Patty Loveless, Gary Stewart, old Reba, and Toby Keith (Blue Moon and before). Some of the artists, like Garth, made it on their first one or two albums then sold their soul to make pop sounding crap and dropped their country sound (Lonestar comes to mind).

Was never an outlaw fan. Traditional country and western swing for me.


99 posted on 05/20/2014 11:26:17 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: RegulatorCountry

About a decade ago I started downloading some of the old radio CW and R&R classics I used to listen to in the late 50s. The only TV station went off the air at 10:30 p.m., so the only alternative for late summer nights was SuperStation AM radio.

I have collected about 300 of the old favorites in MP3 format. Now, when I get a tad nostalgic, I just load a few of them into the audio player, lean back, relax and enjoy.


100 posted on 05/20/2014 11:29:13 AM PDT by TomGuy
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