Posted on 05/16/2014 8:01:45 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd
As a platinum-selling country music artist and, more importantly, a lifelong fan of the genre, Id like to send out this heartfelt plea to the gatekeepers of the industry:
Enough already.
Id 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 its time for Nashville to get back to producing, and more importantly promoting, good singers singing real songs. Its time for country music to find its identity again before it is lost forever.
~snip~
But as someone who grew up loving and being forever affected by the true greats of country music, I simply have to offer up this plea to the Nashville country music industry to reclaim the identity and poetic greatness that once was our format. The well-written poetic word of the country song has disappeared.
~snip~
Willie Nelson once wrote in his early song, "Shotgun Willie," that you cant make a record if you aint got nothing to say. Apparently, thats not the case anymore.
Disposable, forgettable music has been the order of the day for quite a while now and its time for that to stop.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
LOL you think 40 years from now there’ll be no nostalgia for Lady Gaga.
I’ll try it out.
"blue genes"
It looks like you have DNA waaaaaaaaaayyyy too much on your mind.
“I’m waitin’ on the sunset, ‘cause yesterday ain’t over yet.”
I love those kinds of lyrics.
Why I agree with a lot if the sentiment that today’s country music has changed from traditional roots, in my book it has bridged that gap in the industry since the end of the classic rock genre.
The music is good, the bands are bringing it and it sounds a lot better than the Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, et al, or the club pop/dance crap, and Rap.
Again that is just my opinion...
There is a huge similarity between popular rap and popular country. All very formulaic. Instead of mentioning ho’s, da club, Cristal and Bently’s country mentions girls, honky-tonks, Bud/whisky and pick-up trucks. Boring. Unoriginal. It’s mass produced pablum.
Look to the alt-country genre for true artistry.
Someone told me once that if you took a music lover from the late 60’s and projected them in time to today, they would see modern country as the natural evolution of the rock and pop of those days - at least compared to all the other genre’s available today.
Check out Sons of Bill, Lucero, Jason Isbell (Southeastern was the best album written in 2013). Older alt-country such as Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Whiskeytown, Wilco, and Ryan Adams.
You may have to “tend” it a bit at first with dislikes. I listen to it for an hour or so per day and I have to dislike a song maybe every third day or so. Sometimes it will stray into more rock and roll areas or pop country areas but for the most part it has a folksy, bluesy, rural Americana country type feel.
True, but there is virtue in Country Music values. Maybe not cheating and honky tonking, but overall the lifestyle of country music fans is far superior to the culture of rap with ho’s, gangsters, greed and anger.
Outstanding list. I have a lot of those on my alt-country Pandora list. Check out Lucero and Sons of Bill.
The Old 97s are great as well. Sounds like if “The Replacements” did Country.
Dead. On. Perfect.
I don’t disagree. But the forumla for their respective audiences is exactly the same. And both of them, well, suck :-)
P.S. I hate this type of rap (there is some fantastic artistic rap but it’s exceptionally rare). I dislike pop/bubblegum country.
Indeed. LOVE the Replacements. Paul Westerberg is one of the most underrated artists ever.
Talk about looking for silver linings ... And for setting the bar low ...
When my wife and I first met 30+ years ago, she was an AC/DC and Pop Music fan. She would NOT listen to country music, period.
I was a country & western, rock & roll (50’s), and classic/southern rock fan. I actually sang in two bands that did these genres.
She finally fell in love with country listening to old Dolly, old Tanya and, my favorite, Charlie Pride. Since the late 90’s, she has really started hating country music.
The only country that I listen to in Houston, is 97.1 Country Legends! Even they sneak in some crap from Garth, etc..., but EVERYTHING ELSE SUCKS!
Garth Brooks was the beginning of the end of old fashioned country music. Every once in a while some of these new stars will have a decent song, but over all, they are not worth a bucket of warm spit! And now that George Strait is retiring, anything resembling old-style, country two-step music is DEAD on the radio.
Gruene Hall is awesome for good country music. Both national and local COUNTRY music. I love many of the local, Texas country stars. David Ball, Robert Earl Keen, etc...
To be honest, the plight of country music is the same as any other genre. But, since I have been a life-long fan of old country & western, country blues, bluegrass and western swing, it really is sad!
Kinda reminds me of the two versions of “One Night Only” in the movie “Dream Girls”.
FWIW, my absolute favorite band is “old” Genesis. But with them it was all about the music, not the lyrics. I listen to a lot of classical music when left to my own devices.
Old Crow Medicine Show - Wagon Wheel, live at the Grand Old Opry with Darius Rucker
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.