I'm not really a fan of country music, but there are exceptions to just about every genre. Mine are Lyle Lovett, Neko Case and Johnny Cash. I'm sure there's more out there that I'd like, but It's like any style of music in that it's really hard for the beginner to sort out the wheat from the chaff.
I come from the other side of things. People ask me what kind of music I like.. I say "anything but rap". I listened to country non-stop while going to college and quite a bit afterwards
but mabye I need to do like grataku posted on page 1 of this tread and find a rap mix CD & listen for a while.
However I whole heartedly agree there are good songs & bad songs in ANY genre. And I do find myself partial to the older country.. Johny Cash, Alabama and Nitty-gritty dirt Band. Good recordings of which (tometimes ANY recordings) are hard to find.
but mabye I need to do like grataku posted on page 1 of this tread and find a rap mix CD & listen for a while.
However I whole heartedly agree there are good songs & bad songs in ANY genre. And I do find myself partial to the older country.. Johny Cash, Alabama and Nitty-gritty dirt Band. Good recordings of which (tometimes ANY recordings) are hard to find.
Pinkmouse,
Interesting article. While frequently forced to listen to Country music at work ( majority rules ) , I couldn't help but notice that most of the songs dealt with very depressing topics. All day long it's a constant barrage of "my wife ran off", "booze ruined my life", and of course "I'm dirt poor (but happy)".
My breaking point came when a song came on that went something like "The doctor looked at the x-rays and gave me the bad news."
Funny thing is, these musicians are living a fabulous life singing songs about how miserable they are.
Interesting article. While frequently forced to listen to Country music at work ( majority rules ) , I couldn't help but notice that most of the songs dealt with very depressing topics. All day long it's a constant barrage of "my wife ran off", "booze ruined my life", and of course "I'm dirt poor (but happy)".
My breaking point came when a song came on that went something like "The doctor looked at the x-rays and gave me the bad news."
Funny thing is, these musicians are living a fabulous life singing songs about how miserable they are.
Sorry for butting in. But 5th Element threw me with, " hate badly recorded stuff ie old stuff so wouldnt want any of that."
What the Beatles and Beach Boys did is as well recorded as anything today. Perhaps better. And I don't even like those bands. Listen to an early Stones album on a Thorens TD-150 with original arm (not some Rega junk) and it makes just about anything today sound dead. The music sounds like something humans would do. Come to think of it, everything today sounds dead. It's something seriously wrong when people praise the sterile and completely lifeless sound of Naim or Mark Levinson. Music lovers the world over lost big time to "hi-fi."
As for country, there's virtually none today. CMT and the "country music" establishment, who tried to burry Johnny Cash long before he was dead, made sure of that.
What the Beatles and Beach Boys did is as well recorded as anything today. Perhaps better. And I don't even like those bands. Listen to an early Stones album on a Thorens TD-150 with original arm (not some Rega junk) and it makes just about anything today sound dead. The music sounds like something humans would do. Come to think of it, everything today sounds dead. It's something seriously wrong when people praise the sterile and completely lifeless sound of Naim or Mark Levinson. Music lovers the world over lost big time to "hi-fi."
As for country, there's virtually none today. CMT and the "country music" establishment, who tried to burry Johnny Cash long before he was dead, made sure of that.
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I guess I'm one of the strange ones in music.
I enjoy older country music about 1980 and older the Hershaw Hawkins, George Jones ect...todays country all sound alike. No Heart, No Soul. I also like Classic Rock..Deep Purple, Led Zepplin,
The Who..once again the new stuff has no Soul...I like older Blues..Jimmi Hendrix, Robin Trower. I also like the Physcodelics Electric Prunes, Strawberry Alarmclock and of course Rock and Roll
Chuck Berry, Jan and Dean, The Cadilacs....
I have a hard time believing or hearing any Heart and Soul in todays music. Most move from Genre to Genre following Money.
....Or maybe I'm just getting OLD.
I enjoy older country music about 1980 and older the Hershaw Hawkins, George Jones ect...todays country all sound alike. No Heart, No Soul. I also like Classic Rock..Deep Purple, Led Zepplin,
The Who..once again the new stuff has no Soul...I like older Blues..Jimmi Hendrix, Robin Trower. I also like the Physcodelics Electric Prunes, Strawberry Alarmclock and of course Rock and Roll
Chuck Berry, Jan and Dean, The Cadilacs....
I have a hard time believing or hearing any Heart and Soul in todays music. Most move from Genre to Genre following Money.
....Or maybe I'm just getting OLD.
Re: Good Music
Agreed. Huge +1 for LucindaTim Moorman said:
Raw can't be controlled, so the edges that make it interesting are eroded away for a variety of reasons.
Sometimes. I have to watch a lot of the 'mainstream' rap, especially in music videos, and it's the most formulaic c*rap I've ever seen or heard.
Maybe just more realistic, but you also have to dig for the truffles. I agree BTW.sweet said:
I have often wondered: is it the great filter of time that makes it seem as though the good (or well recorded) music is all in the past? When we think that things used to be better in the past, we're able to look back on 50-60 years of recordings (since it was possible to capture fidelity) and pick the gems. And we're comparing that to 'today.' That's a tough comparison. Maybe 10 or 20 years out we will think that the music being made in the mid 0's (is that what we will call today?) was pretty good, who knows?
I admit I'm wondering and a bit skeptical.
I would agree that it generally seems that today's recorded music doesn't have much spark or passion, and that may be because of the productiion techniques. When you had 2 tracks to record to, like in the early sixties, you had to perform for the recording. Now, it's possible (and often the case) that different parts of one song were recorded in different studios at different times by different engineers and pasted together. No wonder it doesn't sound quite like real people performing music!
Hybrid fourdoor said:
Really?! What I often don't like about country or hip hop, is the obsurdity and fakeness of the lyrics. I'm sure there's hip hop artists that want to wrap about things other than killing and *****es, but it's not fesiable for the big stars now is it. Same thing with country music, singing about their dumbass Ford F150 and how hard they work or how they love jesus. Basically they're lyrics are really really simplistic and unthoughtful. I do like the song "I got friends in low places" though
I do also like some Bonnie Rate (spelling?) songs I've heard.I somewhat dislike the sound of most of country music. Along with rock music. The worst thing in rock music is the electric guitar, esspecially guitar solos. They're too high and whinny; they almost hurt my ears. Like a dry marker on paper, or for most it would be chaulk scraping along the chaulkboard, which never bothered me. Also lyrics in rock songs are dumb. I like tool animea album and maybe some rocking stones, can't think of others. I guess I like a lot of the "soft" rock that's for old people.
Hybrid fourdoor said:It carries a way better tune than most any rap song, and todays country is so close to parrellalling modern rock or pop, or whatever popular music is called now. How can you love one, but hate the other....that new Sheryll Crow/Kid Rock song is played on both country and "mix" stations around here
Really I always found the beat of rap much more captivating then the same standard instruments playing together. Although I don't like rap too much I do like the innovative sounds/beats. Missy Elliot does this well or is it Timblerland I'm not sure. And I was really impressed by the fresh new sound in the Alchemist, 1st Infantry. He also critises the music industry in a few paridies in the album. I never heard anyone speaking there own individual mind like that in country music. Although of course I'm not exposed to it that much.
Also country music is not bad to listen to if you're in the country maybe. I noticed hip hop sounds better in the city.
Hybrid fourdoor said:
Yes this hypothesis is genreally true. That's why it generally sucks. There's a few more things you left out though.
The thing is I've heard Hip Hop artists and rock artisits songs with interesting lyrics. All I heard from country music is songs about " relationships and love and "gasp" good 'ol value." It has no thought behind it. It's all simplistic irrational beliefs; and if I want to listen to that I'll go to church. Although, I reckon first I'd have to start believing in God, like an emotionally scared doofiss. I actually like countries laid back style more than the aweful electric guitars of rock music, except for bass electric guitar which I like a lot.
Generally I do listen to everything though. Like I said I just haven't been exposed to much country music. I usually like between 2-5 songs from about 80% of the albums I hear. I usually just listen to what people around me listen to.
vpharris said:
I never thought of that. There is a lot of good music in the past. Sometimes I think I'm the only person my age that listens to the oldies station. Although I've noticed that they play newer and newer songs (from 70's), which I don't like, probably cause all they're listens are dying
. Also what's interesting is that a lot (maybe 30%, I never forget a tune) of the songs on the radio are remakes; as I'm always pointing out to my friend (he always seems to like the remakes), who is always spectical. Were remakes popular in the 50's or 60's?
Never really been able to get much from country. The themes don't connect with me (without being so different that they are interesting in the disconnection from me) and the music is often pedantic (without attaining any sort of pure minimalism). Most importantly I can't stand the twang sound (if that is what you call it) in a persons voice... its just an aesthetic thing but I can't take it.
But hey, that's me. Some independent / old country (Woody Guthrie kind of stuff) is kind of cool in a working-class expression kind of way but beyond that it just doesn't do much for me.
That said Johnny Cash has recorded some good stuff, Seachange was decent (though over hyped & praised, IMHO) and every once in a while something else will pop out of country that I like or even admire. (Like I just heard a Lambchop track that sounded kind of cool)
Rap has always seemed a bit more diverse to me than country. I can understand why some folks dislike it... the themes can be challenging or, just as often, stupid and a lot of the music is rather pedantic but I think there are a lot of gems out there. Also, there is some horrible rap with good/interesting production that I find enjoyable.
If you want to blow your mind, pick-up a copy of Deltron 2020. You'll never think about rap the same way again. (I mean when was the last time you heard someone rap about proton-accelerators?)
But hey, that's me. Some independent / old country (Woody Guthrie kind of stuff) is kind of cool in a working-class expression kind of way but beyond that it just doesn't do much for me.
That said Johnny Cash has recorded some good stuff, Seachange was decent (though over hyped & praised, IMHO) and every once in a while something else will pop out of country that I like or even admire. (Like I just heard a Lambchop track that sounded kind of cool)
Rap has always seemed a bit more diverse to me than country. I can understand why some folks dislike it... the themes can be challenging or, just as often, stupid and a lot of the music is rather pedantic but I think there are a lot of gems out there. Also, there is some horrible rap with good/interesting production that I find enjoyable.
If you want to blow your mind, pick-up a copy of Deltron 2020. You'll never think about rap the same way again. (I mean when was the last time you heard someone rap about proton-accelerators?)
What I would call "standard pure bred" country music is essentially a formula music.
Just so you know... the lyric is typically "image; image; image; emotion" and the beat is universally 4/4, the key is either simple major or simple minor.
As with everything there is shading and variation, but the mainstream of "country music" pretty much out through the 80s was pretty much like "communist propaganda" of the cold war - predictable and always the same.
Ya gotta realize that Cash was an "outlaw" by country standards.
So was Willie Nelson.
Come "modern times" the country old-timers passed away and the newer people started to incorporate elements of "pop rock" and rock stage production, so that what we have today is the above mentioned formula presented like "stadium rock".
Ok if you like that sort of thing.
Given all of this, and the advent of "country artists" who took serious music theory in school, newer bands and artists have broken away from the old forumula and have incorporated more complex elements into the music.
But, even so ya gotta wear the "right stuff" and look the right way, and pretty much sing about "country stuff"... to qualify for a place in the mainstream country - don't confuse "alt country" people for country. Don't confuse "bluegrass" or "new-grass" for country either.
To me it's mostly for people who appreciate simple thoughts, presented in a simple and easy-to-digest musical form, taken as a whole. Oh, and it's mostly a lyric/singing oriented music form (as is folk, btw).
Individually there are some great songs, great performers and interesting things to be found in the genre...
Put it this way, if you listen to Thelonius Monk and Miles you probably are not a big Country fan... etc... Well, you might, but the average country fan would get that deer in headlights look if you played them Monk on your system, eh?
... it's just my point of view folks...
_-_-bear
Just so you know... the lyric is typically "image; image; image; emotion" and the beat is universally 4/4, the key is either simple major or simple minor.
As with everything there is shading and variation, but the mainstream of "country music" pretty much out through the 80s was pretty much like "communist propaganda" of the cold war - predictable and always the same.
Ya gotta realize that Cash was an "outlaw" by country standards.
So was Willie Nelson.
Come "modern times" the country old-timers passed away and the newer people started to incorporate elements of "pop rock" and rock stage production, so that what we have today is the above mentioned formula presented like "stadium rock".
Ok if you like that sort of thing.
Given all of this, and the advent of "country artists" who took serious music theory in school, newer bands and artists have broken away from the old forumula and have incorporated more complex elements into the music.
But, even so ya gotta wear the "right stuff" and look the right way, and pretty much sing about "country stuff"... to qualify for a place in the mainstream country - don't confuse "alt country" people for country. Don't confuse "bluegrass" or "new-grass" for country either.
To me it's mostly for people who appreciate simple thoughts, presented in a simple and easy-to-digest musical form, taken as a whole. Oh, and it's mostly a lyric/singing oriented music form (as is folk, btw).
Individually there are some great songs, great performers and interesting things to be found in the genre...
Put it this way, if you listen to Thelonius Monk and Miles you probably are not a big Country fan... etc... Well, you might, but the average country fan would get that deer in headlights look if you played them Monk on your system, eh?
... it's just my point of view folks...
_-_-bear
First of all, all you "i love everything except country music" are just full of crap. I just see it as such an arogant comment. Im sure there are tons of styles of music out there you've never even heard of (native indian music, death metal, funk etc) that you would also hate. what you should really say is "i listen to everything ON POP RADIO except country".
Second of all, to answer the question of the initial post, people say that, because country just isnt COOL to most groups of people. If i went around (20 year old) at school telling people i listen to country, they would mock me. If i did the same with hip-hop they would praise me. Music today is no longer about music, ITS ABOUT WHAT IS POPULAR AND COOL AT THE MOMENT AND LOCATION. I really despise that and is why i can't stand those pop stations, its all garbage formula music designed for your liking, to play on the radio 20 times a day and become the new "image" instead of the new "sound".
The music i listened to, almost exclusively, is made by bands/artists that make music THEY like, and want to make. They are not trying to please fans or sell more albums. This, is music. The rest is just an industry trying to make profit on the popular song of the day (which hasnt been country for a long time).
Second of all, to answer the question of the initial post, people say that, because country just isnt COOL to most groups of people. If i went around (20 year old) at school telling people i listen to country, they would mock me. If i did the same with hip-hop they would praise me. Music today is no longer about music, ITS ABOUT WHAT IS POPULAR AND COOL AT THE MOMENT AND LOCATION. I really despise that and is why i can't stand those pop stations, its all garbage formula music designed for your liking, to play on the radio 20 times a day and become the new "image" instead of the new "sound".
The music i listened to, almost exclusively, is made by bands/artists that make music THEY like, and want to make. They are not trying to please fans or sell more albums. This, is music. The rest is just an industry trying to make profit on the popular song of the day (which hasnt been country for a long time).
Well personally I can't stand country, not because of what others think but to my ears it sounds like crap.
My list of music types that I listen to is more quickly defined by what I hate than what I like, saying "i will listen to anything but x, x and x" is much easier than saying "i listen to x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x etc..."
I think that country music is definately an aquired taste, like Olives or Anchovies.
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