Why so Exclusive?

Dave Boothroyd · From: Staffordshire Moorlands

I'm not trying to be provocative, but is there any other genre of music which is as exclusive as Country?
It seems that every other person mentioned on this forum gets listed by somebody as being "not true Country"
We just had a documentary on BBC about the development of Country music and it was coming up over and over again that "The powers that be in Nashville objected to:-
Honky Tonk,
Rock & Roll
Drums
The Nashville Sound
Female artists
etc. etc.
Now I have two questions.
Who are these Powers?
and why do they want to draw such a tight boundary round music from the generation of GG and ET, and rule out everything else?
Rock moves on, Jazz moves on, even Folk music moves with the times, there's a new dance genre every week.
Why is Counrty so exclusive?
Cheers
Dave

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

I don't see it as being all that exclusive to country music.I think it's partly a generational thing - in other words each generation produces a body of art and the hard core of which is revered by the cognoscenti of that generation.As time marches on new artists appear and want do create something of their own which is different (but not necessarily better) than what came before. When it's clearly NOT better - like rap music - which has effectively displaced other previous and much more musical forms in the popular marketplace,people that know the difference are gonna speak up.In the case of folk forms,tradition means everything.When a living treasure like George Jones can't get on the radio it's like a master cabinetmaker/woodcarver who apprenticed to masters before him and spent his life perfecting and preserving a certain craft only to be told that his art is no longer needed because people are now satisfied with partical board covered with shelf paper(the Dixie Chickens).
To many jazz conniseurs, the golden age of Be-Bop and the handful of artists who created it has never been equaled for innovation and pure musicianship and find Kenny G and his brand of elevator music to be sorely lacking.
On the other hand when something new comes along which has originality and musical depth such as when the Beatles came on the scene, no one could deny it and even Leonard Bernstein said the Beatles were great.
As far as the powers that be - they are and always have been lowest-common-denominator bean counters who don't want to upset the apple cart. -MJ-

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Chris Forbes · From: Beltsville, MD, USA

BWA HAA HAA!!!! that's the funniest dang thing I've seen in at least a week!!

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Hijacking the topic: for a nice review of Kenny G, do a web search on "thin white duke of puke", "woodwind weasel", "milquetoast maestro" etc

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

Jack Ruby's final words to Lee Harvey Oswald: "I said Kenny G, not Kennedy..."

Dave Van Allen · From: Doylestown, PA , US , Earth

sorry-hijacking it yet further:
Ruby and Oswald

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

this is just way to funny !

I'm laughin' here..

tp

Ron Page · From: Penn Yan, NY USA

I question what you mean by "tight boundary". Certainly, the Top-40 today is not tightly bound to that of 10 years ago. It's more akin to rock in the 70's; judging from the lead guitars, drums and even background vocals.

I think traditional music is not resistant to change, but resiliant to change within some "boundary". What I hear today is just too great a departure from what I want to hear. I call what I want to hear "traditional country", but someone always wants to know what that means. The best answer I can give is that it's Alan Jackson, not Tim McGraw.

Thanks for allowing me to clear this up once and for all.

------------------
HagFan

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

In the early days of Opry, from where I sit,
there was a "quality" of music and performer.
Not the greatest VOICES in the world........
NOT the highest skilled musicians in the world........and yet a crowd pleasing sense of pride and "Sincerity" prevailed.
After decades of building on fine talent and peformances, a program one had to qualify for, the doors were finally opened by new management to EVERYONE whether they had talent or anything else to offer.
Instead of opening an Amatuer Hour for upcoming Hip-Hoppers, Rappers, or whatever, many drifted to the greatest c/w show on earth and with those controlling the content of these programs.......the Opry was transformed into an amatuer hour that in the opinion of many loyal fans, DEGRADED the program.
As one gets older, you have time to see how
many folks too lazy to start their own avenue or venture, will prefer to move-in on the host of a successful operation and then ultimately kick the host out of the picture while altering the entire format to a near unrecognizeable feature that has little of the "original" time honored flavor.
When you had talents like Chet Atkins, Grady Martin, Leon Rhodes and countless others, and you watch them disappear only to be replaced by "less talented" individuals,
it IS rather hard to stomach. Just my HO.

Fred Shannon · From: Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas, R.I.P.

[This message was edited by Fred Shannon on 05 April 2003 at 07:32 AM.]

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

That "exclusivity" you speak of is borne by time. Continued exposure or study, in just about any field, normally leads to specialization. When we're young or inexperienced, we're a lot more likely to find many different things appealing. But gradually, through exposure, our preferences and sensibilities develop, and we usually find ourselves gravitating in one specific direction.

The old adage "Jack of all trades, master of none." is still germane today.

Don Walters · From: Saskatchewan Canada

Chas, that's priceless!!

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Wellll, if you wanna be technical, I don't think rap has really taken over everywhere.

Mainly because there's rap, old school rap, R&B, gangsta rap, girl/boy bands, hip-hop, trip-hop, and a lot of more poppy variations of these styles as well.
Lotsa whitebread stuff, Justin Timberlake, Brittney, Kylie Mynogue, Michael Jackson, Brandi (shandi, mandi, gooey, pooey, etc), lotsa stuff with earnest chicks playing the piano, sometimes I wish it were hardcore rap, as samey as it is, at least it ain't all whiney love songs.

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Oh, yeah.. a type of music more exclusive than Country?... yeah, rock and roll.

Brit Teddy Boys and Mods kicking each others butts in riots in the 1960s, riots at punk gigs in the 1970s and 1980s, heavy metal fans dissing all other bands, prog rock fans hating riff rock bands, nothing more insular and exclusive than the average rock fan.

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

The Swing Era lasted around 10 years, rap has been around over 20 years.....

Dave Boothroyd · From: Staffordshire Moorlands

So nobody really has an answer, and a lot of people just want to talk round the subject.
Very interesting. (in a viennese accent!)
Most people like to keep their music in a comfort zone, nice and familiar, nothing too new and challenging, but I've always felt that Country music people go beyong that. Getting a new sound or instrument, or lyrical topic into country seems like suggesting we add a book by John Lennon to the Bible.
Those of you who are really Country, tell me, You own this music, right? It's part of your lives, your world. It's your territory, your Country in both senses of the word.
Anthing that seem to be a threat fires up something more like patriotism than anything connected with music.
That's how it seems to me, after seeing Country musicians at first hand and a lifetime of watcyhing from a distance.
Does this strike any chords with anyone?
Me? I'm not from anywhere. I just like sounds and music, that's why I play a Steel.
Cheers
Dave

Don Walters · From: Saskatchewan Canada