Just wondering, what type of music is your main thing?

[tot_Ou_tard]

Unfortunately, a lot of what passes for country music is neither.

tung

I absolutely agree.

There's a big of a market for country pablum so a lot of bland goo gets made that is caught up in flag-waving and "gee shucks aren't we wonderful people" kitsch. There also seems to be an addiction to over-production in country.

But the raw sound and tropes of the genre are just begging for someone to do them justice.

Just because a style in drowning in crap doesn't mean that as musical vocabulary it is inherently junk.

[Robert****]

That overproduced country stuff we hear on the radio is most of the time not even country music. It's often plain pop music, disguised as country by adding a steel guitar or a fiddle, and getting the singer to do the typical yodel voice.

[tunghaichuan***]

Yep, that's what I was getting at. Thank you for articulating it better than me.

A big problem with music in general is that the mass-produced variety is made to appeal to everyone, but ultimately appeals to no one as it is so bland.

tung

That overproduced country stuff we hear on the radio is most of the time not even country music. It's often plain pop music, disguised as country by adding a steel guitar or a fiddle, and getting the singer to do the typical yodel voice.

[tunghaichuan***]

tot,

Check out Chris Knight for some great country.

Here is a little sample:



There are more videos on YouTube.

I also like Steve Earle. His politics turn a lot of people off, but I like his music. Also anyone who records an anti-gun song in Nashville gets my respect. I'm surprised he can walk with balls that big. :

I absolutely agree.

There's a big of a market for country pablum so a lot of bland goo gets made that is caught up in flag-waving and "gee shucks aren't we wonderful people" kitsch. There also seems to be an addiction to over-production in country.

But the raw sound and tropes of the genre are just begging for someone to do them justice.

Just because a style in drowning in crap doesn't mean that as musical vocabulary it is inherently junk.

Agree 100%

tung

[Brian Krashpad]

I have my punk leanings definitely, that directly descend from my taste for early 60's (I said early not late) Beatles and Stones, which descended from Chuck Berry and the like, etc. When I developed my own taste for music (mid high school when I went hi-fi) and was really into it, that was one of the main veins I tapped from. . The above of course leads into The Clash, early Elvis Costello, the Ramones, etc., along with a bunch of college rock/alternative that may have been played on Seattle, SF or LA stations back in the 80s and 90s. That vein also has its garage band roots (kinks, etc.) and that broadens things again leading to grunge, ska, reggae, etc.

All of the above is true of me as well. There used to be a great illustration called the "roots of garage rock" or something like that on Little Steven's Underground Garage, but I can't find it any more, that encapsulated of lot of the rock I like.

My main rule or aesthetic is KISS-- "keep it simple, stupid." I like direct stuff. So it can be garage, or Brit Invasion, or some of the less crazy psychedelic stuff, or ska (especially early ska from the 60's), or indie rock or punk rock, old school country (Hank WIlliams, Patsy Cline, etc.), folk, roots or country-rock, so long as the lyrics don't get too pretentious, the songs don't get too long, and the production values don't squeeze the life out of the performance, I'll probably like it.

I can appreciate some jazz, and blues, but in general I wanna be rocked. I will at times listen to classical (mainly baroque and early classical), and world music, and especially like Celtic (even moreso when rocked up a la Pogues, Flogging Molly, etc.).

Things I generally don't like: "dance" music/disco, most rap, anything with "competition guitaring" especially the instrumental stuff (generally totally uninterested in people like Vai, Satriani, Yngwie, EVH, etc.), most modern metal/hard rock/rap rock, hardcore (especially anything with cookie monster vox), most prog, modern pop.

[Spudman***]

You're deluded Spud

Don't worry, there's time before you die to grok good country.

Only an alien would recognize that.

I grew up on old country. Played it all my formative years in many honky tonks and while I was happy to be gigging I was unhappy because the music was depressing. I still love some Ray Conniff, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Reed etc. But it's never my go to music. It's mainly for sentimental reasons that I tolerate it. However, this weekend I'm pretty sure I'll be having dinner with Willie Nelson before his show. I can tolerate Willie pretty easily.

[piebaldpython***]

Slide guitar blues......from Robert Johnson to Bonnie Raitt....if it slides on top of boogie beat or a bump-and-grind vibe, I'm there....no doubt.

Let's see, on top of the above comes the Southern Rock thing along with Texas Blues and all those great guitarists.

Oh, Stephen Stills too. One of the truly underrated guitarists who can play really awesome stuff when he wants too.

Slide guitar of course, can veer off into some country tunes as well and that I like.

Most other stuff holds absolutely no interest to me at all. Just doesn't.

[oldguy]

Only an alien would recognize that.

I grew up on old country. Played it all my formative years in many honky tonks and while I was happy to be gigging I was unhappy because the music was depressing. I still love some Ray Conniff, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Reed etc. But it's never my go to music. It's mainly for sentimental reasons that I tolerate it. However, this weekend I'm pretty sure I'll be having dinner with Willie Nelson before his show. I can tolerate Willie pretty easily.

Willie has written some beautiful songs. He could always keep the lyrics to the point, and at the same time use some very tasty chord changes within the song structure. "Nightlife" is one of my favorites to this day.

[ZMAN]

Blues and I will admit it, Dance/Disco.

[ibanezjunkie]

Blues and I will admit it, Dance/Disco.

how do you manage to stand it, let alone like it



well i guess we all have our own thing eh.

[pes_laul]

how do you manage to stand it, let alone like it



well i guess we all have our own thing eh.

[tunghaichuan***]

I was watching a PBS (Public Broadcasting System) show on disco a while back and there were some monster guitar and bass players in some of those bands.

Dance and disco are like any other form of music, there can be some awesome bands, some mediocre and mostly crap. But to categorically state that everything in a certain genre is bad is not only wrong, it is wrong-headed. Plus you can miss out on some great music.

Case in point:



tung

how do you manage to stand it, let alone like it



well i guess we all have our own thing eh.

[bigoldron]

I grew up on old country...I still love some Ray Conniff, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Reed etc...However, this weekend I'm pretty sure I'll be having dinner with Willie Nelson before his show. I can tolerate Willie pretty easily.

Yep, that's real country music Spud! I grew up listening to it. Also Ronnie Milsap, Roy Clark, Glen Campbell and, of course, "Willie and Waylon and the boys".

Wow, dinner with Willie. I'm jealous. : BTW, "Blues Eyes Crying in the Rain" is my favorite Willie song. :

[bigoldron]

Ron, I like me some Switchfoot too. MxPx is another group that rocks.

Can't say that I've heard of MxPx. I'll be sure to check them out! BTW, I've seen Switchfoot in concert and they put on a really good show. Also seen Pillar in concert. That was different, but good!

[hubberjub***]

I had a pretty diverse childhood. Both of my parents were music teachers. My mother was a vocalist and my father played the trumpet. I was going to see classical concerts before I could talk. They were also into older folk and my first "real" show was James Taylor. I somehow transitioned into metal. Everything from hair metal to thrash. I went to college for six years as a voice major and classical/jazz guitar major. That's when I started getting into bluegrass and jam bands. That's pretty much where I still am. I love all kinds of music but I really like the jam band scene. Everyone is really cool and I've had the opportunity to meet and play with some fantastic musicians.

[sunvalleylaw]

Can't say that I've heard of MxPx. I'll be sure to check them out! BTW, I've seen Switchfoot in concert and they put on a really good show. Also seen Pillar in concert. That was different, but good!

They are a bit punkier than Switchfoot, and more Clash/Ramones influenced/sounding, and started with more obvious Christian oriented lyrics, but now are less overt but still very positive, and I think very good performers. I hope you enjoy them!

EDIT: Tung I liked that and i like Steve Earl too. : :

[marnold***]

Funk! I totally forgot to mention that I like funk. But if I'm going to play it I'm putting down the guitar and picking up the bass.

[R_of_G]

Funk! I totally forgot to mention that I like funk. But if I'm going to play it I'm putting down the guitar and picking up the bass.

exactly!

one of the primary reason i learned bass was to bring the Funk. the capital F on-the-one Funk. i learned from one of the finest funk bass players i know. good Funk music is always an extremely enjoyable listen.

[street music]

Hey gang, been on vacation and come home to find Robert is at it again. Good question as always.
I'm not much on MOTOWN music, I love classic R&R from Beatles, Stones, CCR, to the modern day John Mellencamp stuff, Deep Purple, LED ZEP, LYN SKYN, ZZ TOP, Bonnie Raitt, to some of the great blues, True country music-not the rap artist or punk country acts, Steve Earle, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Chet Atkins, great players in the country field of music. Some bluegrass and folk type music and some americana. I think country music is turning into a kid show, it has lost a lot of the old time classic touch that use to give meaning to songs.