The End???

Andy Alford · Posted 10 May 2001 6:23 pm

It is so easy to cast stones but who do we blame with the state of country music?I know we do not want to look at the stars or god forbid the musicians but who has created this change from Hank Williams till now?There have been country stars and musicians who have moved away from country music and fans have bought their music.This is a move that started many years ago, so why do we think it just started?Who do you see in the mirror?We moan about the opry but the change has not been overnight.Go back to the 70s and listen to many of the top pop country songs.Country music now has grown with the pop that was grafted into it.We need to go back before Mister Fisher left the first grade if we are going to trace the beginning of the end of traditional country music.Some of those that cry today were part of the change then.This is a battle that people like Roy Acuff,E.T.and Little Roy Wiggins battled years ago.When the stars started selling in the pop market pop went the country.Look back and see the stars and musicians playing with the pop and rock that we thought was so neat then.The end of traditional country music started many many years ago.

Tom Olson · From: Spokane, WA

I look at the situation this way -- just let it go! Don't worry about the current state of "country music" or the direction it appears to be heading in.

Just keep writing, playing, buying, and listening to, the music you like. That's how the more traditional and less popular music will stay alive -- because of the individuals who keep right on goin' with the music they're interested in when most others are following the current trendy musical fad -- whatever it may be.

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

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[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 01 May 2002 at 05:32 PM.]

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Yes drums and I will add to that...

The day a young mississippi rebellioner strapped on a guitar and sang a song.

It took quite a while, but it is in its last dying breaths.

my opinion of course,

carl

Steel tryin · From: Macon, Ga.

You know the CLASSICAL MUSIC repertoire
hasn't expanded much in 200 years. Yet
large numbers of people worldwide enjoy
playing and listening to the MASTERS.
What's to complain about????????

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

In music, as with anything, you can go "too far with a good thing". Witness the "streamlined" design of automobiles today. Most of them look like melted candy bars! (Or, a hard-boiled egg sliced in half, lenghtwise.)

Glenn Austin · From: Montreal, Canada

I don't know about everybody else, but Buck Owens sures sounds a hell of a lot more rock 'n' roll than say, Bill Monroe.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Scott Camara · From: Connecticut

I have to agree with Tom Olsen in that as long as people have a love of traditional country music, it will never end – we won’t allow that to happen. Music will always evolve, and there will always be people who don’t like the direction its heading. I personally can’t stand this “new country” music. These people in the industry think they can make the Backstreet Boys wear cowboy hats and whamo – they’re a country band. This can’t discourage us though, because if there’s one thing about pop bands, it’s the fact that they NEVER LAST. It’s all about the current fads. I was at my Mothers house last week, and she was watching CMTs most requested video countdown. To my amazement, the video for Man of Constant Sorrow was #2 – more people wanted to hear an old time traditional bluegrass song than most of this “new country”. I play in a band that started as a bluegrass band made up of rock players. Now, we have a drummer, and do mostly originals that borrow from bluegrass, rock, and country swing. We used to purely acoustic, but now we do electric stuff as well, and I cant believe the amount of young kids who love it. They always dig the Dobro and the PSG, and that’s my point. People are going to get tired of this corporate country, so the best we can do is keep the traditional styles and instruments going, because it just may be the next big thing.

p.s. Sorry for the long post.

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Scott Camara
Emmons S10 p/p
McKenna Resophonic
Marrs RGS
ODE Banjo
www.rafterbats.com

Steel tryin · From: Macon, Ga.

Sorry Mike, I seemed to have missed the timeline, but as usual you MISSED my POINT!!

Andy Alford · Posted 12 May 2001 6:52 am

I am enjoying your thoughts on the subject.The End??? of popular commercial country music is a touching subject.I still miss Porter,and the Wilburn Brothers that use to be on on Sat.When I saw Uncle Josh I had to get one of those guitars he was playing.My very first 45 I bought was Pop A Top by Jim Ed Brown.I sure miss those days when George Morgan had Little Roy Wiggins playing on his new song Mr.Ting A Ling Steel Guitar Man on the opry.Then their was my first live show at age 14 Johnny Cash with the Carter Family.I remember seeing E.Tubb with Wynn Stewart singing for around 350 people in Birmingham.Those days are long gone.Now I wonder what would Hank Williams think of comerical country music today?My My My

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Carl, Whether you like Elvis and the influence he had on country music or not, you can't compare his music with the corporate crap that's being dished out today. Elvis, at least in the beginning, was real. It's a cliche, but he really did sing from the heart.

Todays music business is run by bean counters who know nothing about music.

Pete Anderson who plays guitar for Dwight Yoakham and produces all his recordings lives near me. I know him very casually. Some years back Pete told me that every time he goes into the studio, some guy from the accounting office comes down and tells him that according to their sales charts, they will sell more records if they add violins or disco drums, and therefore they want him to change the music to be more in line with what their sales charts reflected. Pete tried at first to argue that he was trying to make records with some artistic integrety, but the corporate guy couldn't care less. The only think he cared about were sales figured. Finally Pete said that since Dwight's records were selling, that changing the sound might alienate his fans and cause a drop in sales. That was the only thing that got through.

Dennis Manuel · From: Quesnel, B.C., Canada

Gosh, this topic keeps coming up and its almost like we are rewinding our tape recorders. Country music, like everything else, will forever evolve and all songs will not suit all tastes.

I may sound a little ambiguous, however, as for myself, I like music that sounds natural and real, but thats just me. I do not like the sound of distorted guitars, synths trying to sound like guitars, fake voices etc., however, someone else might.

As far as I am concerned a song is a song and the category it is stuck in depends on style and beat. For example, "Your Cheatin Heart" could be 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 timing and if a rapper gets a hold of it and does it rap style, that is exactly the category it ends up in. Geez, I hope Gaylord doesn't read this post.

It also seems a lot of traditional country music lovers do not care for drums. As far as I am concerned, drums add a lot of dynamics to the sound and if you have a bass player and a drummer that work together the energy that is created on stage is incredible. However, drums like everything else need to be properly mixed. Most times drums are the loudest instrument on stage and all other band members set their volumes around the drums. It should happen just the opposite. I have had the luxury of working with a drummer that played to the room, the other players and most important,the vocalist, what a treat. I have also worked with musicians that figured the vocalist should be backing them up, those were nights from hell.

The prior is just my two cents worth and I always try to remember a quote I once heard: The only thing that is permanent is change.

[This message was edited by Dennis Manuel on 12 May 2001 at 08:32 AM.]

Rick Collins · From: Claremont , CA USA

Now that the world is a more "visual" world music acceptance is more and more a matter of PRESENTATION.

If you really think about it, you will find that you like Buddy Emmon's not just because he is a great player; but his delivery is superb. Maurice Anderson and a handfull of other steelers also have this quality.

I do think that the honky tonk,__"You Done Me Wrong" tune is about over. More tasteful song writing, better delivery and still keeping it country is the key. I think Jim Reeves, Ray Price, and Eddie Arnold knew this; but there are not enough new singers filling the vacuum they are leaving.

We must appeal to a more discerning audience or they will spend there entertainment money elsewhere.

Rick

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

Old Polish saying:
"Change is inevitable....except,from a vending machine!"
As Johnny Cash once sang:"I don't like it,but I guess things happen that way."
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  ~ ~


  ©¿©          ars longa,


  mm         vita brevis 


-=sr€=-

[This message was edited by Smiley Roberts on 12 May 2001 at 10:20 AM.]

G Strout · From: Carabelle, Florida

Smiley ...."Amen"

Andy Alford · Posted 12 May 2001 9:50 am

Smiley,
Amen

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Steel tryin' wrote:

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

If country music is changing because a younger generation of artists nad producers have an artistic vision that encompassed new and seemingly diverse elements. (such as the introduction of the steel guitar 60 or 70 years ago) that's a natural course of evolution.

But what we are seeing today is something quite different. We are seeing no artistic vision on the part of the recording industry, but only a desire to force feed the public a salable product, with no regard for any kind of musical value.

Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

Mike: I have to agree 200%. No matter what direction music takes, SOMEBODY IS NOT GOING TO LIKE IT.

Steel tryin · From: Macon, Ga.

Touche to Bobby, These threads can take
on the nature of a FENCING MATCH. I will
say just because "REAL COUNTRY MUSIC" no longer finds much ENTERPRISING PUROPSE does not translate into the STEEL GUITAR becoming
a LUTE.

Andy Alford · Posted 13 May 2001 6:47 am

Bobby
It would be great to hear Webb again on the radio along with so many of the GREATS but except for WSM I never hear any Webb.I saw him in conert back in the early 80s.He was so very nice.I have a dollar he signed.His guitar player told him Webb they only played for 1hr.but Webb kept right on singing .He loved to perform.

Fred Murphy · From: Indianapolis, In. USA

What I think has happened to country music is that most record companys have been bought out and are being run by people who have no idea of what country music is. What is their perception of a country music singer, is likened to Lefty Frizzel, who used his voice to go from a normal voice into a falsetto and back to normal,(what I call a hound dog singer), and although he had a great talent and was uniquie in style, as was Johnny Cash and Webb Pierce,;there is no need for any more clones, especially everyone. This hound dog singing, or what is commonly called (twang), is not what defines country music, nor do I think is even desirable. What defines country music is the instruments and the way they are played, not the singers voice or style. Elvis could sing a great country song, but the music is what made it country. There was a time when you either had to have a great voice, or be very unusual in some way. Now, all that is required is that you wear a big hat and be what is perceived to be (pretty or sexy)and although I am no judge of that, it seems they are missing the mark there in a lot of instances. We need to return to the time of a great voice, such as Connie Smith, Ray Price, Jim Reeves, Johnny Bush, Ray Pennington, and Ray Pillow to name a few. Until then, I will buy no records unless there is just a steel lick on that I want to learn really bad. Another thing I would like to see, since I'm preaching about all the faults, I would like to see the credits on the outside of a CD, so I will no in advance, whether it even has a steel on it, and if so who is playing. I usually buy CDs for the music anyway, not for the singer, in these last few years, but it would be nice to enjoy a great singer along with great music, and I think that is what will have to happen if country music is to grow and continue in the future. It is defintely going downhill, the way it is being presented today, and I have lately only been buying CDs at the steel shows. End of my sermon.

Andy Alford · Posted 13 May 2001 8:47 am

Fred
I like your sermon!