Is country music dead?

Fox News ^ | 05/16/2014 | Collin Raye

[Responsibility2nd]

As a platinum-selling country music artist and, more importantly, a lifelong fan of the genre, I’d like to send out this heartfelt plea to the gatekeepers of the industry:

Enough already.

I’d like to think that I am expressing what nearly every artist, musician and songwriter (with perhaps a few exceptions) is thinking when I contend that the Bro’ Country phenomenon must cease.

It has had its run for better or worse and it’s time for Nashville to get back to producing, and more importantly promoting, good singers singing real songs. It’s time for country music to find its identity again before it is lost forever.

~snip~

But as someone who grew up loving and being forever affected by the true greats of country music, I simply have to offer up this plea to the Nashville country music industry to reclaim the identity and poetic greatness that once was our format. The well-written poetic word of the country song has disappeared.

~snip~

Willie Nelson once wrote in his early song, "Shotgun Willie," that “you can’t make a record if you ain’t got nothing to say.” Apparently, that’s not the case anymore.

Disposable, forgettable music has been the order of the day for quite a while now and it’s time for that to stop.

[Fiji Hill]

The Outlaw Country channel has some pretty good stuff.

If you like country-western "oldies," surf over to Willie's Road House on Sirius Satellite Radio.

[DManA]

A country song has to include at least one southern town name and preferable 2 or 3.

WELL, I WAS DRUNK THE DAY MY MOM GOT OUT OF PRISON in Houston City.
AND I WENT TO PICK HER UP IN THE RAIN
BUT BEFORE I COULD GET TO THE STATION in muskogee
SHE GOT RUN NED OVER BY A DAMNED OLD TRAIN from New Orleans.

There, that’s better.

[txrefugee]

It was ruined by letting rock and roll invade country. It’s final indignity was having winners of American Idol singing their version of country.

[saminfl]

"Then one day I'll be sitting with another, and suddenly a smile will cross my face. When she asks what's so funny, I'll just tell her, another story, another time another place."

That's poetry to me.

Or, "I sold the farm to take my woman where she longed to be. We left our kin and all our friends back there in Tennessee."

I haven't listened to country in a long time.

[john316]

Call...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9eHp7JJgq8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMSWAUAKJn0&feature=kp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VExw77xJsBQ&feature=kp

[MWestMom]

There is a movement afoot in Nashville to bring together artists that don’t fit the new pop profile of country. It is being called Americana and it takes me back to old country, with a measure of blues/folk mixed in. I saw a show on PBS called Nashville 2.0 and was greatly encouraged.

Some of the artists: Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, Shovels & Rope, Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison, The Milk Carton Kids, Old Crow Medicine Show, Holly Williams, Dr. John with Dan Auerbach, Duane Eddy, John Fullbright, Stephen Stills with Richie Furay and Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale, Alabama Shakes, The Avett Brothers, Billy Bragg, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Rosanne Cash, The Civil Wars,The Mavericks and Dwight Yoakam.

Good stuff.

[greene66]

I generally don’t pay much attention to it, or any other modern music. But when I’ve heard of country music in the last few years always seems really, really strained. Almost comically so. Like an overdone litany of down-home/redneck cliches in the lyrics, and a calculatedly overdone ‘accent’ in the vocal department. Altogether it seems more than a bit farcical and more than a bit phony.

The stuff from the 1950s/60s seems so much more ‘real’ and reflective of genuine life and living. Adult and unpretentious. Even the so-called over-orchestrated material that was long the subject of derision by some country fans.

[Responsibility2nd]

Fortunately TX has a pretty good roots type country ingrained-guys like Kevin Fowler, Roger Creager, Thomas Michael Riley and Cory Morrow.

______________________________

Mega dittoes. I wish I could go to Grune Hall on Sunday....

A celebration of Americana music featuring exceptional artists of the genre. All funds raised this year will benefit the Braunfels Foundation Trust. Co-sponsored by Gruene Hall and KNBT 92.1 FM Radio New Braunfels. For more information call (830) 629-5077 or toll free from the San Antonio area at (830) 606-1601.

The 18th Annual KNBT Americana Music Jam will be held May 18th at historic Gruene Hall. All funds raised this year will benefit the Braunfels Foundation Trust.

The music begins at noon and the line-up includes top Americana musicians like Robert Earl Keen, Radney Foster, Hal Ketchum, Randy Rogers, Cody Canada & The Departed, Micky & The Motorcars and many more. This is an all-star lineup of Americana Music greats so don’t miss out. Tickets for the Americana Music Jam are on sale for $50 at Gruene Hall, gruenehall.com, or call 629-5077.

http://innewbraunfels.com/event/18th-annual-knbt-americana-music-jam-at-gruene-hall/

[luvie]

Bob Wills is an icon of what I call “hard country”!

You appreciate the really good stuff, sir! ;)

[cripplecreek]

Hell, Kid Rock is more country than most country singers these days.

[lacrew]

“It’s bubblegum pop in blue genes with an accent.”

Make that a fake or exaggerated accent.

[Tax-chick]

Collin Raye has an outstanding voice. However, I remember (being that old) that when he first became a successful country performer, people complained that he was too pop, too much like a Las Vegas lounge performer.

So it’s always something.

That said, there’s a lot of music I don’t like these days, but then, there always was.

[john316]

Sound like somethin worth a 2 hour drive...

[cuban leaf]

Lord it’s the same old tune, fiddle and guitar
Where do we take it from here?
Rhinestone suits and new shiny cars
It’s been the same way for years
We need to change

[Resolute Conservative]

It died around the late 90’s. I call that stuff today Crock (country-rock) and it sucks. All the singers are basically pop acts that could not make it and put on some pointed boots, a bandana, some tats, or plastic cowboy hat and play some off-shoot Nickelback type tune.

Old acts aside about the only semi-contemporary, good acts are Aaron Watson and Zona Jones. These goobers Keith Urbane [sic], Jason Aldean, Randy Rodgers, and the trailer park girl singers stink.

[lacrew]

I recently saw some Hee-Haw re-runs. What was considered an ordinary performance there puts today’s overproduced extravaganzas to shame.

Just a man, a stool, maybe a guitar, and a microphone.

[Lucas McCain]

I wholeheartedly agree. For most of my life I was an avid country music fan. Then Garth Brooks, almost single-handedly, killed country music.

[nhwingut]

I was never a fan of country music until 9/11 when I started listening to Toby Keith’s Angry American song. Then I became hooked. Although for the purists (who talk about Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, etc) I do understand. That music is nothing like the pop-country of today. Although, it’s what I like.

Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, etc are basically like the pop rock stars of the 70s and 80s. Then the top 40 pop stations started playing hip hop and rap so there was nowhere (but country genre) for the fan of soft pop rock. Hence country pop. IMO

[mylife]

Agreed

[ArtDodger]

30 years ago, Buck Owens had concisely complained about it.
Really, when R & R and the Brit Invasion almost killed the C & W sound, the Nashville producers went in another direction, using Chet Atkins as their 5-star general for development. It worked, they got rich but the soul of country music never recovered. Now it is just formula and investment..