As I grew up, other music genres turned my head. Folk, Blues, Rock, Jazz, Metal, and even Classical all have their place in my heart. None however had the impact of that first kiss, Country Music.
I turned my back on the twangy Pop music that passes for Country music today. It had become more about the flamboyant factor than the talent factor. It all sounded the same. How big your belt was or how long your tassels were seemed to override the actual musical ability of the performer. Sure there were talented people performing, but they had caved to the POP music mentality that mediocrity sells. Their efforts became homogenized, pasteurized, no edge crap. With the exception of the Outlaw movement in the mid 1970s, Country music became dead to me. And it has only gotten worse. Style over substance.
For awhile the Outlaws realigned Country music with its roots. But then it too became a sad reflection of itself when all the up and comers claimed that they too were outlaws. Sorry but they weren't. Wannabes who failed to carve their own unique niche. Posers, the lot of them.
So here we are in 2020, post CMA awards show. I don't like awards shows. I figure already huge egos need no stroking from me by watching them prance in front of a camera. Anyway, so what do I read today? They did not even mention 3 country performers who passed in 2020 who represented Country Music more honestly than they ever have. John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Billy Joe Shaver were snubbed. What a bunch of thankless, self important assholes those CMA honchos are. Not even a mention. WOW!
Some current Country stars took notice. Two claim they will return their CMA membership cards. And I love Sturgill Simpson's reaction on Instagram;
“Don’t get it twisted…wouldn’t be caught dead at this tacky ass glitter and botox cake & cock pony show even if my chair had a morphine drip,”
But America loves mediocrity and this snub will pass under the bridge without notice.
Keep it 'tween the ditches .............................................
4 comments:
Back when I still had a Sirius XM subscription and listened to Outlaw Country Elizabeth Cook referred to the bland, churned out on some sort of assembly line, boring as hell mainstream pop "country" music as "chlamydia country." The term fits. It's like a disease.
I remember the early country music. On the radio it was about the song and the music; now it is the show. Hank, Waylon, Willy, Patsy Cline, Hank Snow, Rose Maddox Johnny Cash, and lets not forget Maine's Dick Curless....... Then Flat and Scruggs blue grass.
We are the last that will remember.
the Ol'Buzzard
Nan - "Pop" attached to any genre indicated music for lazy ears.
Ol'Buzzard - If we believe in the idea that "if its on the Internet, it is forever", I think all the genre's will find fans.
it's no more country music than Bach is heavy metal..pop with fiddles..if that.
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