Country music in battle over patriotism, free speech (liberal alert)

The Tennessean ^ | 6/2/03 | CRAIG HAVIGHURST

[GailA]

American flags are everywhere as Toby Keith, center, performs Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue at the Academy of Country Music Awards last year in Los Angeles.

As thousands of country fans stream into Nashville this week for Fan Fair, the country music community is wrestling, perhaps as never before, over issues of patriotism and free speech.

[bigghurtt]

is it me, or does any1 else not consider faith ill or shani twain country?

I like hill, not twain, but I think of both as pop.

[sweetliberty]

Pine Bluff is without a doubt not the nicest place to live, however, I do like the place I'm living and it's affordable, and the best part, I have FReeper neighbors. But I usually go somewhere else to shop or whatever.

[bigghurtt]

I miss the natural state, but there is no way to do what I do there.

someday, I will retire to my beloved ozarks, though.

someday.

[Pahuanui]

I'd like to know how tolerant the rock industry is, to conservative points of view in songs.

Ask Metallica and Pantera. They seem to have done rather conspicuously well.

[narby]

''Unfortunately, there's a climate right now that probably strikes fear in the heart of singers and songwriters who don't agree with the prevailing winds,'' she says.

Kind of like the fear of a conservative trying to make a living in Hollywierd?

[2ndMostConservativeBrdMember]

"Rabble-rousing songs by Toby Keith and Darryl Worley have become smash hits."

Songs become 'smash hits' because lots of people buy them. Nuff said.

[bigghurtt]

Pantera is definitely an anomaly. A hard-core metal band that counts david alan coe among it's staunchest supporters.

Also, I think we all know about Ted Nugent. I don't know Metallica's political views, other than the Napster brouhaha.

[Zathras]

This is the same thing the SF Bay Area does all the time.
When you need a DNC spin, ask a college prof.

[2ndMostConservativeBrdMember]

I haven't lifted my ban.

[2ndMostConservativeBrdMember]

I love that song.

[sweetliberty]

I love the Ozarks too. I am not from here, but close enough. I grew up in southern Virginia and Kentucky. Lots of similarities.

[onehipdad]

The Chicks, who made an elaborate apology for Maines' Bush remark on prime-time television, dealt themselves another setback when Maines wore a homemade T-shirt during a performance broadcast on the recent Academy of Country Music Awards that was widely interpreted as a personal insult to Toby Keith.

I worked the Brooks & Dunn concert last Friday, and the MC (Kledus - ??) apologized for having to announce the the Chix would NOT be performing that evening (huge round of applause - yes, in Portland!) then went on to explain what her shirt message REALLY meant: Found Under Table, Kneeling.

Got some good belly laughs for that one...

[A Navy Vet]

Think they got a problem with those songs? Wait till Lynard Skynard's new single (I've Always Been) Red, White, and Blue gets some air play.

Chorus:
My hair's turnin' white;
My neck's always been red;
My collar's still blue;
I guess you could saaaay;
I've always been - Red, White, and Blue!

Part of last verse:
...so what are they [Hollywood] complaining about?
If they don't like it...they can get the hell out!!!

This stirring single is on the "With Love and Appreciation" CD tribute to our Troops.

[Publius6961]

''The country audience has always been intensely patriotic, but it didn't refuse to listen to dissenting voices before,'' he says.

The voices of dissent have been free to do their thing as long as I can remember.
Dissent is not the problem.
Mindless, ignorant screeching dissent is something else entirely.

And expecting no consequences for disagreeing is a childish expectation when any of us makes the choice as to when where and how we dissent.

[Pahuanui]

Also, I think we all know about Ted Nugent. I don't know Metallica's political views, other than the Napster brouhaha.

Overlooking momentarily that I think Nugent can't play his way out of a paper bag, writes puerile and derivative music and never ceases to overestimate his own talent, yes, he is conservative. Which is, most likely, not a good thing for conservatives.

As for Metallica, "Master of Puppets" and "Don't Tred on Me" come immediately to mind as fairly evident of a more conservative mindset.

[CyberCowboy777]

''That's (been) reinforced with the way the Dixie Chicks have been treated.''


by the fans of country music

[Tax-chick]

Kelly Willis and Allison Moorer come to mind.

I've got Allison Moorer's records. Hoo-ah!

[Tax-chick]

A hard-core metal band that counts david alan coe among it's staunchest supporters

Wow! David Alan Coe BTTT! Maybe the best living male vocalist in English!

[OREALLY]

music of republicans....
The democrat country fans are not going to like this !
Too bad.

[CyberCowboy777]

I missed B & D in Portland, OR?

jeez