What Is So Bad About Modern Country?

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Hmm.. well there is Dale Watson, he's under 40, so he's kinda modern ain't he?

Personally I guess it's all a matter of taste, and I'd rather have Korn, Limp Bizkit or Lou Reid's early 1970s album of white noise (yep a four Lp set with each side featuring just over 16 minutes of white noise, tape hiss feedback tuneless drones)than listen to Garth, or Twain.
I do wonder what's going to evolve out of the current country music to create the next ten years of country chart hits!

John Steele · From: Renfrew, Ontario, Canada

To specifically address the original question, although I like some of the newer stuff, I do notice that it is all designed for people with short attention spans.
Look at the actual construction of the tunes... Sure, you can sit up all night learning BE's beautiful 4-bar phrases and intros, but go to a gig and see where you can fit on in ! Good luck. There aren't many tunes that require even 2-bar fills anymore. I can't think of many lick with any substance that are only 1/2 a measure long... and that's all the time you've got these days!
How about solos? Imho, the solo time(s) have been cut drastically. You rarely if ever hear an entire solo that isn't chopped/shared, (perhaps because modern consumers have the attention span of a gnat).
Singers rule, instrumentalists can go climb a tree. That sucks.
Commercialism is a big factor. Then there's the audio vs. video thing.
I don't care if I ever see a "music video", but I'm definitely in the minority there.
Anyone who disagrees with the contention that modern audiences have a shorter attention span will be required to sit through several showings of Garth's video "Ain't goin' down till the sun comes up". Commercial pandering and videographer's masturbation at it's finest.
Musically, I think there are huge differences. Whether or not it's "Bad" is a matter of personal interpretation.
One other quick point: I have learned recently that there is some really good material on new country cd's that you will never hear on the radio. My favourite example is Clint Black. Nothing of his on the radio ever turned my crank, but I've since learned through a friend who has alot of his cd's that there's alot of great and worthwhile stuff buried on his cd's that never see the light of day... for whatever reason.
-John

RJP · From: Bel Air, MD USA

I'll agree with you on Clint Black's best work not making it to the airwaves. His other works are the reason why he's my favorite male performer.

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

A fellow asked me one time, why I refused to debate. My answer to him is not pertinent to this thread.

But I have a question for each of you. Has one single opinion been changed by all the aruguments pro and con?.

What I see is those who have NO problem with what is being played today stating there case over an over again versus those who have a real problem with what is being played to day stating there case over and over.

It ain't gonna change. Time marches on. It always has. It is NOT the producers folks. Very respectfully, it isn't. In this thread the cons have it clearly. But in the world out there the pros are so far ahead, there is simply NO match.

"Country" is dying. It has been since the day Elvis strapped a guitar around his neck. The kids simply do NOT like real country music. The producers have not one tinkers... to do with this. They are simply following and catering to the buyers who dearly love Garth, Shania, Faith, Martina, ad infinitim. They are idols to 100's of millions of loyal fans.

For those of you who love true traditional country music, drink in as much as you can. It is NOT long for this world. The kids which make up tomorrow and MOST older folks today, just don lack it bubba

God bless you all

carl

Terry in H-town · From: Katy, Texas USA

I guess there is really nothing wrong with a lot of "Modern Country" for everything has it's place. The problem I have with it is that here in Houston we have ont 1, not 2, but THREE major market stations that continue to play only the top 10 songs day in and day out. If I am lucky they just might toss in a tune from a few years back.
There are 2 great stations (one north of me and one south of me) that mix it up and get out some "real" country but their signal is so weak that I can only get them in my truck.
I believe that a lot of the problem is the program director. What's easy?... 2 or 3 CD's.
What $ells?...All I ask is for a little more mix and a lot less repetition. These days it's all about the $$$$. Nothing brings a smile to my face as much as driving down the road and having "I fall to pieces" pop on out of the blue. I like the new but I love the old.

Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

Carl ,I humbly disagree with you on Country being dead or dying since Elvis strapped on a Guitar...It was never stronger than it was in the 60's and 70's if it was then I must have dreamed the good living I made with my music. The doo wop Alan Freed era rock-a-billy and country co-existed and intermingled with all benefiting...Real Country music isn't dying it's just not being produced to todays market like the modern stuff is.If you witnessed the packed house standing Ovation Merle Haggard recieved on last nights Opry,You could see for your self that the people who love what country Music was are still alive and wanting... With that spark it won't die..It may never be the same but it won't die until all the people who still and will perform it do....JMHO

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CJC

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Well, John Steele made some good points, and Carl is not entirely off base either. I think that what is happening (for the first time) is that what they call "Country" today is being targeted at the younger generation. Now, I know that there's a few of us here that liked Country as youngsters, but by and large, it was always the 25 and older generation that really supported it. Nowadays though, I think the bulk of the sales are made to 12-18 year-olds. Yes, Country music is evolving, but it's just going to take another "craze" like "British", or "Motown", or "Disco" to pull the kids away from "Urban Country", and to another direction.

I think that the first "Urban Country" group to really get the young audiences attention was Alabama. There were other "Urban Country" groups before that, but Alabama was the first to sell up in the millions, and this is when the "Classic Country Sound" really started to fade. (Not that the process hadn't begun years before, with "Countrypolitan" artists like Ray Price and Patsy Cline.) This current trend has been going on for a couple of decades now...a long time for a single style to remain popular. The only thing for sure is, sometime it will change...when is anybody's guess. Will we "get back to basics" then? That depends on how many real Country fans are left!

David Pennybaker · From: Conroe, TX USA

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