Where has country music gone.....

[Guest texas308]

There may have already been a thread about this but...what's happened to country? I don't see how they are allowed to call the trash on the radio country music. It makes me cringe....I'll just keep playing my cd's I guess, let me know when country music is back.

[Steelharp]

Because of your age, I must ask; please define what you perceive to be country. Different generations typically have a different perspective...

[Guest texas308]

My favorite country artist is George Jones. George Strait, Conway, Gary Stewart......artists along those lines I view as real country music artists. These new "artists" like sugarland for example are labeled as country and it strikes a nerve with me. Just wondering if anyone else feels the same.

[Il Duce]

im 27 but country to me is Hank Sr, George Jones, Johnny Cash. Todays mainstream ****ry is trash although there is still people playing the good stuff like Hank III, Wayne "The Train" Hankcock, and Sean Reefer.

[Steelharp]

My God; two youngsters that know the real thing. God love you. There is hope, if there's a bunch more like you.

[Guest Drewsett]

There's a few of us around. I like the old stuff too, I occasionally will branch out and listen to some new country....like George Strait. That's about as new as I like.

[Grunt67]

My favorite country artist is George Jones. George Strait, Conway, Gary Stewart......artists along those lines I view as real country music artists. These new "artists" like sugarland for example are labeled as country and it strikes a nerve with me. Just wondering if anyone else feels the same.

Wholeheartily agree. I'm still old school. Used to be Country & Western, then the

Western faded away, now Country is following suit. That old song by George Strait

& Allan Jackson, "Murder On Music Row" pretty much nailed it.

The Lebanon radio station still plays a lot of the oldies. I listen mostly to that.

98.9 FM if you can pick it up.

[Il Duce]

these two songs sum it up perfect

Has the hollow eyes like his granddad

Wearing a suit of his granddads

Just a good cover

[bajabuc]

I don't like country...now...I love playing the old stuff. But..I can't stand RAP CRAP. I wonder how many of those guys realize it's their momma they're rappin about.

[vontar]

I also agree, allot of this new stuff is not country. Give me the older country as others have said.

George Jones, Hank SR, Hank JR, johnny horton, Conway, and the list goes on and on.

If they can't sing and play acoustic that probably shouldn't be up there either.

(don't take that the wrong way, I know to reach a large crowd you need amps and everything but somepeople would sound like crap if they didn't have expert mixers tuning them up which is the point I am making)

[pitt2magic]

A bit off the subject but seeing several of you talk about Hank Sr makes me think about my grandfather. My grandpa grew up with Hank in the Montgomery area and sang with him quite a bit early in his career. Grandpa finally hung it up when Hank's mother repeated threatened to have him arrested for sneaking Hank alcohol while they were trying to keep him clean. The memories of my grandpa putting a Hank record on and singing a perfect harmony with him still makes the hair on my arms stand up.

And to get back on topic, I agree the Nashville pop music sucks, if was was going to listen to county music it would be George Strait.

[bajabuc]

Patsy Cline for me...and Eddy Arnold. Cattle Call

[Mike.357]

there is plenty of new good country music out there. You just have to go to the right radio stations to listen. And of course you are not going to find them stations on your local commercial radio.

Sirius or XM is the only way to go.

[Capbyrd]

That old song by George Strait

& Allan Jackson, "Murder On Music Row" pretty much nailed it.

I think you mean that old song by Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time.

I also agree, allot of this new stuff is not country. Give me the older country as others have said.

George Jones, Hank SR, Hank JR, johnny horton, Conway, and the list goes on and on.

If they can't sing and play acoustic that probably shouldn't be up there either.

(don't take that the wrong way, I know to reach a large crowd you need amps and everything but somepeople would sound like crap if they didn't have expert mixers tuning them up which is the point I am making)

I know that there are a lot of people that will disagree but Brad Paisley is one of the few mainstream artists these days that I still consider country. And you cannot question the man's talent. He is one of the most talented guitar players in all of music right now. I work with a lot of musicians and guitarists from every genre respect Brad's abilities.

Also, Brad tips his hat to the older fellas on all of his albums. Little Jimmy Dickens, George Jones, Bill Anderson, Dolly Parton and others have appeared on his albums. Little Jimmy introduced Brad at the Opry. Brad has his roots dug deep in the heart of REAL country music.

Brad also likes to include hymns on his albums.

I also have to tip my hat to Dierks Bentley for including the very bluegrass tune "Train Travlin'" on one of his albums. I haven't bought any of his other albums so I don't know if he did any more bluegrass or not.

All of that being said, Country music isn't dead or dying. Its evolving. Just like every other music genre. For the past 100 years, every genre has slowly been blending into the next. There is no way around that. And radio is commercial. They are in it to make money. That means that they have to appeal to the masses. And the masses of women and children want to hear the pop country sound that has become popular. Its nothing new. This pop country trend really got started in the 90's with people like Shania Twain. Evolution of music isn't bad. It just means that you have to work a little harder to find the music that you WANT to listen to.

[Jonnin]

Normally a metal head, but I also like the old stuff (pre 1960 or so) stuff. Everything since about 1960 or the J Cash era has been a steady decline toward rock music... and he sort of started that movement though I do like him a lot (did you know you can bang you head to JC's rusty cage remake?! Its good stuff!). These days, if you muted the singer, you could not tell the difference between mainstream rock and mainstream country -- the differenc is just the fake southern twang or lack of it from the singer. Personally, when a certain not quite good looking woman in plastic skin tight clothing took the scene, country music stopped twitching and totally died, but thats just my opinion....

Speaking of which, dunno if it counts or not but tonight on my way to see some banjo music by Steve Martin. Not quite old school but its well done.

Edited May 26, 2011 by Jonnin

[Guest bkelm18]

Don't particularly care for country music from any generation, but I do enjoy some Johnny Cash every now and then.

[Grunt67]

I think you mean that old song by Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time.

Same song, not the original artist, I don't believe. Alan & George are the only ones

I've ever heard on the radio. Point is, the song pretty much sums up what happened to

Country.

[ttocswob]

Anybody watch "The Marty Stuart Show" on RFD-TV? Saturday at 7:PM!

That helps to scratch my itch for C&W (that's Country AND Western for you neophytes!) IMO, Marty's program invokes the best of the Buck Owens and Porter Wagoner shows.

From last show:

O they say that country music's gone to town,

O'l Joe Clark has put on a cap and gown,

What's this world a-comin' to, what's a country boy to do?

O they say that country music's gone to town.

Leroy Troy, doing his best Uncle Dave Macon.

[Capbyrd]

Same song, not the original artist, I don't believe. Alan & George are the only ones

I've ever heard on the radio. Point is, the song pretty much sums up what happened to

Country.

Larry Cordle wrote the song. Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time are the original artist. George and Alan bought the rights to it. You never heard Larry on the radio because he is a bluegrass artist and its a bluegrass song.

Murder on Music Row - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Larry Cordle version is much better in my opinion.

I used to be a huge fan of Strait. But he can't write songs at all. I still respect his vocal ability but he isn't what real country is about to me. Country is a genre that comes from the heart. George's music comes from someone else's heart.

[Guest GunTroll]

Jamey Johnson is good "new" country.

Brad plays the same rifts over and over for his leads. Listen and you'll hear it. Other than that he is ok.

Urban has better guitar skills than he does song selections. Every song he puts out sucks! But , he can play.

Plenty of talent out there that doesn't make it to our local crap country stations. I've seen plenty on Broadway trying to make it.

Glad to see some III fans on board. Hancock too!

[DaveTN]

What??? You mean you guys don’t think a thug wannabe like kid rock should be hosting the CMT Music Awards?

[Il Duce]

Just so you know, so it's it's set in stone,

Kid Rock don't come from where I come from:

Yeah, it's true, he's a Yank, he ain't no son of Hank:

If you even thought so, ***-d**n, you're f**king dumb.

Hank III

[Jasongar8]

I think that most people don't have a problem with the music the new people are playing, but they have a problem with it being called country. I listen to everything from Bob Marley to Flatt and Scruggs. So I like some of the new and some of the old. I say listen to what you like and forget what they call it.

[Guest GunTroll]

I think that most people don't have a problem with the music the new people are playing, but they have a problem with it being called country. I listen to everything from Bob Marley to Flatt and Scruggs. So I like some of the new and some of the old. I say listen to what you like and forget what they call it.

So, your saying that you are a serious Rascal Flats fan and celebrate their entire collection??? Thought more of you than that!

[Grunt67]

Larry Cordle wrote the song. Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time are the original artist. George and Alan bought the rights to it. You never heard Larry on the radio because he is a bluegrass artist and its a bluegrass song.

I'll stand corrected on the original artist. Still like the Jackson/Strait version best

myself. JMO

Murder on Music Row - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Larry Cordle version is much better in my opinion.

I used to be a huge fan of Strait. But he can't write songs at all. I still respect his vocal ability but he isn't what real country is about to me. Country is a genre that comes from the heart. George's music comes from someone else's heart.

I stand corrected on the original artist. Still like the Jackson/Strait version best

myself. JMO