I have a blog that I update rarely. I got inspired yesterday and wrote this:
AM Country Radio Immersion Therapy: Day One (http://www.halfheartedfanatic.com/2014/02/am-country-radio-immersion-therapy-day.html)
QuoteWhen I found out that this AM-only radio can only pick up one station, I recognized it as an opportunity to challenge my snobbery on two fronts at once.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rc_V3oO6ywI/Uwzvm3ll4kI/AAAAAAAAKdU/daVfsJ9TIPQ/s320/silvertone-5017-tube-radio-tweaked.jpg)
The post has been pretty much ignored so far, so I thought I'd ply for some attention here.
I'd stick to your snobbery. That needs handing in at the nearest police station
I can't believe they play "Highway Patrol" on AM country radio these days!
We have a couple of FM country stations up here where I live that I generally avoid like the plague. Because I can't listen to most "contemporary country" (and thankfully, Junior Brown doesn't fall into that category) for more than a few seconds before I want to run screaming down the street with my balls in a fruit picker's pail.
But I do like a lot of the more traditional country music, including most of the pantheon listed in your blog post. And I'm liking more of it, lately - especially some of country/old-timey music from the Twenties and Thirties.
btw, that's a perty slick radio you've inherited there... 8)
This station claims not to play any "cookie-cutter corporate country." But it's not necessarily old-timey or pantheon stuff. And some of it just doesn't sound country to me at all.
Right now they're playing Linda Ronstadt's version of
Poor Pitiful Me (written by Warren Zevon). Somehow, I liked this song more once I realized that the first line describes a suicide attempt.
Quote from: Flash Harry on February 26, 2014, 04:26:19 PMI'd stick to your snobbery. That needs handing in at the nearest police station
What would they do with it?
One of the TV channels in the UK is called Sky Showcase and they play a lot of Country music on it. I find it fascinating to watch, it's so bad it's good and addictive . . . I wonder what's on there now ::)
Now
this is a good song -- discovered on my country station.
I love country music as much as any other type of music. Its like any other genre. 5% is great. The rest is crap.
Quote from: IanR on February 26, 2014, 07:20:25 PMI love country music as much as any other type of music. Its like any other genre. 5% is great. The rest is crap.
Exactly. I've depended too much on elitist curation though. I'm kind of enjoying having to filter through the crap myself.
Quote from: Johnny Cash "Sunday Morning Breakfast"Well, I woke up Sunday morning
With no way to hold my head that didn't hurt
And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad
So I had one more for dessert
Holy crap! Who is this by? Can't find on Google -- which I thought could find the lyrics to any song:
QuoteA redneck with a paycheck is a mighty dangerous man.
A redneck with a paycheck is a train wreck with a long neck in his hand.
Those two lines have made this exercise worthwhile.
My advice is that if you see the terms: "country music" and "Grammy award" used to describe any music, then it is automatically crap.
That still leaves a lot left.
Recently, I've been listening to:
Willie Nelson
Lucinda Williams
The Little Willies
Brad Paisly (although he may have a Grammy)
Dixie Chicks
Johnny Cash
Beccy Cole
Kasey Chambers
Guy Clark
kd Lang
Lyle Lovett
Steve Earle
Townes Van Zandt
Chris Smither
Busby Marou
Hey, hey, groovers, ain't nothing wrong with a bit of country!! Early Dolly Parton albums are superb, does Hank Williams come under the country banner? Dunno, but it's great. Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, fantastic, so much of the old country too, yeah, yeah, yeah. Now, Country and Western on the other hand, is where it can go a bit shit... :D
henwrench
Quote from: henwrench on February 27, 2014, 02:26:21 AMHey, hey, groovers, ain't nothing wrong with a bit of country!! Early Dolly Parton albums are superb, does Hank Williams come under the country banner? Dunno, but it's great. Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, fantastic, so much of the old country too, yeah, yeah, yeah. Now, Country and Western on the other hand, is where it can go a bit shit... :D
henwrench
If you read the blog, that's the same point Ted makes. I like Country music too - there's good and bad in every genre. The point I trying to make is the sometimes the bad is good :)
I really liked the Subway/Maths blog Ted, not least because my daughter is a maths whizz and had a Saturday job at Subway waiting tables and washing up . . .
The rule of listening to music I have .....is if it sounds good it must be good! ;D
Quote from: Ted on February 26, 2014, 08:41:28 PMQuote from: IanR on February 26, 2014, 07:20:25 PMI love country music as much as any other type of music. Its like any other genre. 5% is great. The rest is crap.
Exactly......
Agree
And thanks for reminding me about your blog.... been a while since I read it ...I do remember the math problem tho ... I found the formula excessively complicated ;D
Quote from: IanR on February 26, 2014, 07:20:25 PMI love country music as much as any other type of music. Its like any other genre. 5% is great. The rest is crap.
Quote from: Hilary on February 27, 2014, 03:03:07 AMI like Country music too - there's good and bad in every genre.
I disagree. I don't think that any music is bad. It's all good. It's just that we all have different tastes, so what one person likes, another person will hate. I can't stand most of the new country music. But I don't think it's "bad" music. Millions of people love it so it must be good. It's just not for me. I do like a lot of the older country music though (Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Glen Campbell, Roy Clark, Skeeter Davis, Johnny Horton, etc.). When I was growing up in the sixties, the local pop and rock radio stations would include a fair bit of country as well as other genres in their playlists, and I liked a lot of the country music that they played. Not to the point that I'd buy any of their records perhaps, but I enjoyed listening when it came on the radio.
It's the same with any kind of art. Are there "bad" paintings? No, because no matter how awful a painting looks to me or you, there's always going to be a large number of people who think it's wonderful. There are countless paintings hanging in museums and galleries, worth ridiculous amounts of money, that I wouldn't pay two cents for. They just don't appeal to me. But that doesn't make them bad paintings. I've also seen some amateur paintings that I really liked a lot. It's the same with sculpture, films, literature, theatre, and any other form of art. It's all good, whether I happen to like it or not.
I think I'll add Classic Country to the list of festival suggestions for future consideration.
Here's a Carter Family classic from 1928, updated by the Haden Triplets:
They sing like angels. And the original ain't half-bad either...:)
Quote from: 64Guitars on February 27, 2014, 10:33:55 AMQuote from: IanR on February 26, 2014, 07:20:25 PMI love country music as much as any other type of music. Its like any other genre. 5% is great. The rest is crap.
Quote from: Hilary on February 27, 2014, 03:03:07 AMI like Country music too - there's good and bad in every genre.
I disagree. I don't think that any music is bad. It's all good. It's just that we all have different tastes, so what one person likes, another person will hate. I can't stand most of the new country music. But I don't think it's "bad" music. Millions of people love it so it must be good. It's just not for me. I do like a lot of the older country music though (Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Glen Campbell, Roy Clark, Skeeter Davis, Johnny Horton, etc.). When I was growing up in the sixties, the local pop and rock radio stations would include a fair bit of country as well as other genres in their playlists, and I liked a lot of the country music that they played. Not to the point that I'd buy any of their records perhaps, but I enjoyed listening when it came on the radio.
It's the same with any kind of art. Are there "bad" paintings? No, because no matter how awful a painting looks to me or you, there's always going to be a large number of people who think it's wonderful. There are countless paintings hanging in museums and galleries, worth ridiculous amounts of money, that I wouldn't pay two cents for. They just don't appeal to me. But that doesn't make them bad paintings. I've also seen some amateur paintings that I really liked a lot. It's the same with sculpture, films, literature, theatre, and any other form of art. It's all good, whether I happen to like it or not.
I think I'll add Classic Country to the list of festival suggestions for future consideration.
I stand corrected, it's all shades of green . . .
Isn't the term Country music almost a little outdated now, since the 'Cookie-cutter corporation Country' has grown in popularity any credible music that was Country, Folk, Bluegrass etc now seems to be labelled as Americana.
I like First Aid Kit, they are swedish girl group influenced by Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris etc and they have been labelled as Americana, seems wrong somehow.
I now wrongly associate Country with the crap sugar coated toss that you hear everywhere when in reality there is a lot of good stuff out there from young artists who no longer seem to be labelled Country when traditionally they should be.
Music is fashion...............
I must say I totally agree with 64's comment. I happen to like most styles of music (even some rap, The Roots & Dey La Soul come to mind) but there are many examples from all styles that I don't care for, it's all a matter of taste in my opinion..I have a great respect for the creative process and I think that's evident in all forms of art, even if I think it's crap! I think we should add current pop/country as a fest choice or maybe a songs you hate fest. I think it would be a fun challenge to take a Tune you dislike and turn it into something different. It might just open some minds a little.
Judge On!
Quote from: Burtog on February 27, 2014, 11:19:12 AMIsn't the term Country music almost a little outdated now, since the 'Cookie-cutter corporation Country' has grown in popularity any credible music that was Country, Folk, Bluegrass etc now seems to be labelled as Americana.
I like First Aid Kit, they are swedish girl group influenced by Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris etc and they have been labelled as Americana, seems wrong somehow.
I now wrongly associate Country with the crap sugar coated toss that you hear everywhere when in reality there is a lot of good stuff out there from young artists who no longer seem to be labelled Country when traditionally they should be.
Music is fashion...............
You've outlined the exact problem there - country music as a genre has gotten a bad name over time because of what their industry has pushed. And they've earned that "shit" label - if you listen to country music on the radio here in the US, it's a weak tea of rock, pop, and even rap with a "country" vocal twang. It's really garbage.
So because they've trashed their brand, I guess a new genre term like 'Americana' or 'alt-country' is going to be used by artists who don't want their music ignored because it's labeled "country" or especially the vile "contemporary country", that I described previously.
check out john prine, tho he writes predominantly "country" he writes great songs.
Quote from: 64Guitars on February 27, 2014, 10:33:55 AMQuote from: IanR on February 26, 2014, 07:20:25 PMI love country music as much as any other type of music. Its like any other genre. 5% is great. The rest is crap.
Quote from: Hilary on February 27, 2014, 03:03:07 AMI like Country music too - there's good and bad in every genre.
I disagree. I don't think that any music is bad. It's all good. It's just that we all have different tastes, so what one person likes, another person will hate. I can't stand most of the new country music. But I don't think it's "bad" music. Millions of people love it so it must be good. It's just not for me. I do like a lot of the older country music though (Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Glen Campbell, Roy Clark, Skeeter Davis, Johnny Horton, etc.). When I was growing up in the sixties, the local pop and rock radio stations would include a fair bit of country as well as other genres in their playlists, and I liked a lot of the country music that they played. Not to the point that I'd buy any of their records perhaps, but I enjoyed listening when it came on the radio.
It's the same with any kind of art. Are there "bad" paintings? No, because no matter how awful a painting looks to me or you, there's always going to be a large number of people who think it's wonderful. There are countless paintings hanging in museums and galleries, worth ridiculous amounts of money, that I wouldn't pay two cents for. They just don't appeal to me. But that doesn't make them bad paintings. I've also seen some amateur paintings that I really liked a lot. It's the same with sculpture, films, literature, theatre, and any other form of art. It's all good, whether I happen to like it or not.
I think I'll add Classic Country to the list of festival suggestions for future consideration.
64 Guitars,
I don't want to sound like a lawyer but do you agree or disagree? If its both, can I have some of what you were smoking at the time? ;)
Quote from: IanR on February 27, 2014, 06:46:11 PM64 Guitars,
I don't want to sound like a lawyer but do you agree or disagree?
I don't understand. ??? I thought I was pretty clear that I disagree with the description of any piece of music as "bad" or "crap". It's all good. There's a lot of music that I don't like, but that doesn't make it bad. All music is good, whether I like it or not.
Saying that I don't like a song, artist, or genre of music is quite different than saying it's crap. The latter implies that it's not fit for
anyone to listen to. But the truth is that many people get a great deal of enjoyment from listening to music that I dislike. I think it's wrong to insult those people by saying that they're listening to crap just because my tastes are different than theirs. To each his own.
Quote from: 64Guitars on February 27, 2014, 08:13:56 PMSaying that I don't like a song, artist, or genre of music is quite different than saying it's crap. The latter implies that it's not fit for anyone to listen to. But the truth is that many people get a great deal of enjoyment from listening to music that I dislike. I think it's wrong to insult those people by saying that they're listening to crap just because my tastes are different than theirs. To each his own.
Intellectually and philosophically, I agree with you, 64Guitars. But deep down in my snobbish heart, I believe there
is music that's not fit for anyone to listen to. And sometimes it's so obvious that it's hard to remember that it is subjective.
My left and right brains are at war.
Music does not serve a single purpose, and there are multiple ways in which music can be
bad: bad execution, bad in conception, and bad in intention, to name a few.
Those of us who are music creators are, ironically, detached from music in a particular way. We are more immune to the intentions and the manipulations of music. We can stand detached and think,
I know what you're trying to do there, you sonofabitch. We may even think,
I agree with what you are trying to do there, brother.Listening to this AM country radio station makes this particularly clear. Many of the songs are mere formulaic regurgitations designed (in my estimation) to make people feel good about being anti-intellectual. That is a
bad intention, in my opinion, and the music is also
bad.
My (snobbish) preference is for music that challenges and elevates my human mind -- not music that tells me to stay in my place, and rewards me for doing so.
I can't pretend to be objective just because some people like certain music when I don't, anymore than I can be objective about people who are poisoning themselves with toxic food and drugs that deliver a short-term serotonin hit. Enriching The Poison Serotonin Industrial Complex.
Now that I think of it, the emotion I feel when I hear
bad music is very similar to what I feel when I see the huge isle in my American supermarket dedicated to two-liter plastic soda bottles. The emotion is sadness and helplessness.
Good god, people actually consume this shit. I am so grateful that I know better.FYI: It only takes two beers to get me to go on like that.
We agree to disagree and disagree to agree. I can get into some old Hee Haw episodes with Chet Atkins playing anytime.
This new country and pop music makes me want to slit my wrists though. What`s the difference between Katy Perry and Justin Bieber? Ask people that and they turtle. It`s auto-tuning lip synch crap. It`s tween music.
Anyways, this video sums up the new country. Notice every guy sings the same redneck voice?? And those great lyrics too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WySgNm8qH-I
Quote from: Gnasty on February 27, 2014, 11:14:59 PMWe agree to disagree and disagree to agree. I can get into some old Hee Haw episodes with Chet Atkins playing anytime.
This new country and pop music makes me want to slit my wrists though. What`s the difference between Katy Perry and Justin Bieber? Ask people that and they turtle. It`s auto-tuning lip synch crap. It`s tween music.
Anyways, this video sums up the new country. Notice every guy sings the same redneck voice?? And those great lyrics
Same redneck voices and there using vocoders in country music, The same has happened to country music as has happened to pop music in the UK, I blame Simon Cowell!
You'll have country boy bands next......................its happened already hasn't it?
One of those well respected old blues guys (can't remember who) once said there are only two types of music...good music and bad music. Now this I can't agree with. Yes, there are only two kinds of music. Music you like and music you don't...
henwrench
Well both 64G and the resident Hen make some good points and as Ted so eloquently put it "Intellectually and philosophically, I agree with you". And I can't really find any arguments that hold up supporting anything else than that there's only music that I like and music I don't like. But that's maybe too simple too. Most 6 year old's that play a violin do not make "good" music, but when I heard my daughters play at that age it still evoked some positive feelings :)
I think, because music is magic, other rules apply than in the rest of the universe.
Of course there can be no objective measure of good music and bad music. By definition, it can only be based upon your own personal preferences. I like some music and don't like other music. In general, I like music, I'm interested in music and support others who are as well. I think most of us are saying the same thing. So, I don't think that it makes you a snob to have music preferences - as long as you are open minded.
Cheers,
Ian
The best example I can think of to illuminate my feelings on this topic is this song. I don't think it's "good" except it has a really annoyingly "good" melody. I love/hate this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArA6eEhm41gLive version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJtPmZp7L5wHere's a rough translation:
Quote from: Geir on February 28, 2014, 06:28:44 AMThe best example I can think of to illuminate my feelings on this topic is this song. I don't think it's "good" except it has a really annoyingly "good" melody. I love/hate this song.
I've listened to and have enjoyed much music from Africa in my life. And sometimes I know that the saving grace of some songs is that I can't understand the language. It would ruin it for me to know for certain that the lyrics of my favorite mbaqanga songs were as inane as pop songs in English -- as some of them certainly must be.
I'm pretty sure the lyrics to this one boil down to, "My boss won't give me a day off."
Quote from: Geir on February 28, 2014, 05:27:46 AMMost 6 year old's that play a violin do not make "good" music, but when I heard my daughters play at that age it still evoked some positive feelings :)
I think, because music is magic, other rules apply than in the rest of the universe.
I agree with Geir, and also I think that there is a difference between listening to music and seeing and hearing
music live in front of you.
When you watch a juggler on tv juggle 10 different things, you`re not as impressed
as if he is doing it in front of you and also as we get older we get pickier.
I try not to hate any music but i guess i hate this new country and pop because i was subjected to it on loop
at one of my jobs for years and all because of one person`s seniority. And i`ll tell you, music you don`t like can seriously change one`s worth ethic and personality at a work place. Management should think of that stuff.
Okay my rant is over :)
Quote from: Gnasty on February 28, 2014, 10:11:09 AMAnd i`ll tell you, music you don`t like can seriously change one`s worth ethic and personality at a work place. Management should think of that stuff.
I agree - being forced to listen music you don't like (or as I consider it,
bad music ;) ), whether at work, dining out, or otherwise interacting with others who have their fingers on the dial and volume knob can kill your soul faster than just about anything else.
I don't know how my girlfriend deals with it.... :P ;) :D
I agree with ianr and ted.
I cannot comment on music that doesn't grab me, so I leave it alone, and do not say, this sux, except to myself. since I know many like what I do not, I leave it at that. to each their own. if it pleases you, then right fucking on!