Country Music (not a slam or complaint)

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

This is not a slam or a complaint, just an observation.

I took a pistol to a gunsmith friend of mine to get a trigger job and he said if I had time he would do it while I waited, it took about an hour. He had a Blake Shelton, (at least he said it was Blake Shelton), marathon going on with his player. After about forty five minutes I asked him, if he heard an instrumental of the songs playing could he tell one song from another? He said, nope!

Neither could I!
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You can observe a lot just by looking

Dennis Lee · From: Forest Grove, Oregon, USA

Sadly, this is true. That's why I'm not really up on new performers. Don't mean to be critical, but to my ear it's "same - same" with little really standing out anymore. Classic country had some great writers and performers.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Last night I chanced to flip thro' a channel on which the words "country music" were echoed repeatedly........

This bunch of unkempt, dirty looking performers was what one might see while walking into you local foundry or machine shop. This is NOT to belittle hard working foundry workers or machinists but rather, they work in dank, dirty environments, with sweat and grime on their faces.........and this is what we saw on prime time television.

It's hard any more to admit that I'm in any way associated with 'country music'.

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

The entertainment business is not about making great music and making great films, it's about making money. In the corporate world, going for the safe and sure thing is the preferred method. There was a recent series of posts about a negative review of a Jason Aldean concert and what was noted was, the concert was not about music, but about product placement and selling products.

In the film world, I was recently at the theater looking at the trailers for the up and coming features and each action feature looked like each other, to the point where, seen one, seen them all. From a corporate perspective, today, unlike the "old days", the ticket sales only account for 20% of the movie's gross. The rest comes from reselling the film, product placements and product sales.

Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

What little steel I heard was buried deep in the mix. Unrecognizable!

When I hear an instrumental of a Jim Reeves song I can instantly name it. I could just as easily say, Faron Young, Marty Robbins, Loretta Lynn, Etc.

Are there many instrumental versions of new country songs? There used to be lots by folks like, Chet Atkins, Nashville Brass, Floyd Cramer, Boston Pops.
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You can observe a lot just by looking

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

In order to play "TODAY'S COUNTRY MUSIC"...........
a lead guitars need only to play on one string, likely the first strings, very loud and treble, with a half dozen affects boxes on the floor.

When it comes to steel guitar, the pedal player need only to place the bar on the current chord fret and mash the "A" and "B" pedals furiously.

That's my take. Oh Well

Jerome Hawkes · From: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA

people are too lazy to go out there and find the GREAT music that is still being made today - they just turn on the local country/pop/rock station and get fed the dribble that is played - which are all sandwiched between car lot ads and vitamin cure alls. my prediction is the demise of terrestrial radio within the next 10 years that may solve this. the country music industry just happens to have found a cash cow in this new 'Redneck Rock' phase and they are gonna ride it for all its worth.
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Don R Brown · From: Rochester, New York, USA

My preference is the "old stuff" by far, but I do enjoy more than JUST that. I can't count how many times I have been poking buttons on the truck radio, or watching "Nashville" on TV, and will turn to the wife and say "Man, I like that song, but how in the world can you even THINK to call it "country"?

And then there are far more songs which I don't care for at all, no matter WHAT they call them.

Kevin Lichtsinn · From: Minnesota, USA

Don Barnhardt · From: North Carolina, USA

There's just not much music of any kind anymore. The sad thing is that the younger generations are missing so much. We old timers can still listen to and appreciate oldies be it country, rock, bigband, hawaiian or what ever from our collections or youtube. For the most part what we hear on radio these days is just garbage.

Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

rpetersen · From: Iowa

Had a good friend tell me the other day that his son is now in a band - and stated they are very good - Asked him if they played any Country, to which he stated - I can only think of one country song they play, but don't recall the name, just that I know it was played by the Marshall Tucker Band!!!! Rolling Eyes

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Ron Petersen

Steven Finley · From: California, USA

Well.....Go Ray,

Expose the derelicts!!!!
Right on, right on, right on.

I am currently learning jazz so I can distance
myself from the term country music. How much talent
does it take to look like you haven't had a bath in 6 months?

Ed Heins · From: Ohio, USA

While I agree with the sentiment here. I think it's interesting that I heard the same complaint in the 70s, the 80s, the 90s, etc. Unfortunately I think we are all at the age now where Sneaky Pete and Tom Brumley (playing with Ricky Nelson) sounds classic, but when he was doing it, the old time country guys were all about the death of country music. I guess I remember when disco seemed to kill "country rock" music (I couldn't do the hustle and couldn't get a date.) My biggest complaint now is that I can't hear steel in much of any country music anymore.
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Jim Robbins · From: Ontario, Canada

Singer in our band just turned me on to "Thumbin Radio" (thumbinradio.com) -- lots of great stuff if you like older country music and lots of steel.

I trust the "not a slam or complaint" is tongue in cheek, if not I'd hate to see a slam or complaint!

Mark Draycott R.I.P. · From: Portland, OR

It seems to me if the music has a banjo or fiddle in it, it is now played on "New Country" radio. I don't hear any country, but I do hear the banjo/fiddle in there.
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Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

I never said there was anything wrong with it. I asked if he heard an instrumental version, could he name which song was playing.

I made an observation that it would be difficult at best to recognize the songs in instrumental version.

Not a slam, or complaint. There is nothing wrong in making an observation, and asking a question.
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You can observe a lot just by looking

Fred Rushing · From: Odin, IL, USA

I don't care for todays country. Rarely ever crosses my dial. However, I believe the reason you can't play todays counrty instumentaly and recognize it is simple. YOU HAVE NEVER LEARNED THE WORDS TO THE TUNE.
I will bet you that most young folks that like it can sing you the words and that melody will be there. Even if it isn't MUCH of a melody.

Try to play a classic of any kind if you don't know the words. It is difficult to do. JMO

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

Greensleeves, Paramaribo, Liberty Drive, Bud's Bounce, many songs I play I don't know the words to. I don't even know the words to Wildwood Flower.

That doesn't mean a thing though.
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You can observe a lot just by looking

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Kind of on topic. I got a call last week to fill in for a steel player (who I don't know) who needed the night off. When they sent me the song/set lists, I was shocked at how much of the Jason Aldean type rap crap there was. The gig is next Friday and I committed to playing it. So, I have like 20 songs to "learn" by then. Not going to be a real fun night. Maybe there is enough "real" country to make it worth it.
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Leslie Ehrlich · From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

If I happen to hear any new country music it seems like a good many male vocalists are trying to sound like Dwight Yoakum or Randy Travis. I might be imagining things, but since those two hit the scene there haven't been many male country vocalists that I can stand listening to.
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Ian · From: San Francisco, CA

I know what you mean. Back in the day I'd listen to the most horrible stuff just to hear a steel break. Then one day I found myself listening to Rascal Flatts in the car and ... well, I don't listen to much commercial radio these days. KALX is my jam. Go terrestrial in the Bay Area at 90.7 or check out KALX.berkeley.edu on the interweb. You may even hear some steel....

Ian

Alan Tanner · From: Near Dayton, Ohio

I don't listen to much radio, except to get some news. We DO have a radio station here locally, WBZI/WEDI/WKFI that play a lot of classic stuff. They also have a Hymns From the Hills Segment daily (bluegrass gospel) and a The Banjo show, usually DJ'ed by Joe Mullens (primo banjo player) when he is not on the road. They also do a bunch of local news stuff, but they WILL announce where your band is playing. Chubby Howard is the best. He is on the air on weekends and fills in if anybody is missing. He has years and years of experience and really knows the history of the music he plays. He is an accomplished steel guitar player himself, and also hosts the local Steel Guitar Show in the fall. He plays all the classic stuff on his week end radio time. Other than that, we are stuck with the same crap as everyone else.They are on the web too and you can listen from anywhere.....http://myclassiccountry.com/
I usually listen to music I have recorded on a USB stick...both at work, in the car, and on my motorcycle. If they are waiting for me to buy their red neck noise, they are gonna starve. But they don't really care about folks in my age group....that's pretty obvious I'd say......

Clete Ritta · From: San Antonio, Texas

The only radio I listen to is KNBT 92.1 out of New Braunfels, Texas. Its not country, but a wide variety of Americana, which to me is more authentic modern country than mainstream country radio.

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