Modern Country Music
So a couple of the young guys I work with at Borders like music as much as I do.
And we tend to have long, in-depth discussions about music.
We like different styles, but we all love music more than most people.
This confirms a theory I previously had about the freedom that men of my generation have when it comes to things like music, video games, and comics.
But the reason for this post is the following.
We have a 5 disc changer at work and very quickly, you tire of the discs that play on repeat. Well, for probably a month, I've heard the Across the Universe soundtrack easily 4 to 5 times per week. And I'm sick of it.
It doesn't help that it's shitty covers of Beatles songs.
Anyway, I mentioned to a co-worker that I was tired of it.
His response was that I should keep my mouth shut because the CD we're replacing it with is Carrie Underwood's new one.
And we had a discussion about why we hate country music.
Chiefly among the complaints given was that it sucks.
But that's not why I hate it.
I love traditional country music. I hate modern country.
And today, I was grooming myself in the mirror, thinking about this subject.
This sentence stuck in my head.
"The only difference between pop music and country these days is the amount of vocal talent."
I hate modern country music because there's simply nothing country about it.
It's slick and soulless.
And as we all know, I love soul.
But Johnny Cash had soul. He wrote songs he felt.
He didn't write singles. He wrote songs.
Willie, Waylon, Gram Parsons.
The list is long.
How is it that country music has so lost the point.
For the record, I feel the same way about soul music.
Very few modern soul singers have any soul at all.
They only seem to sing about how awesome they are or getting it on (Marvin gets a pass because even when he sang about getting it on, he had soul).
Every one of you that read this blog dislike country music for one reason or another.
Out of curiosity, what do you dislike about it?
If you like it, what do you like about it?
Sub-question: For the music you like, what is it that makes you like one song and not another?
Sound off!!
And we tend to have long, in-depth discussions about music.
We like different styles, but we all love music more than most people.
This confirms a theory I previously had about the freedom that men of my generation have when it comes to things like music, video games, and comics.
But the reason for this post is the following.
We have a 5 disc changer at work and very quickly, you tire of the discs that play on repeat. Well, for probably a month, I've heard the Across the Universe soundtrack easily 4 to 5 times per week. And I'm sick of it.
It doesn't help that it's shitty covers of Beatles songs.
Anyway, I mentioned to a co-worker that I was tired of it.
His response was that I should keep my mouth shut because the CD we're replacing it with is Carrie Underwood's new one.
And we had a discussion about why we hate country music.
Chiefly among the complaints given was that it sucks.
But that's not why I hate it.
I love traditional country music. I hate modern country.
And today, I was grooming myself in the mirror, thinking about this subject.
This sentence stuck in my head.
"The only difference between pop music and country these days is the amount of vocal talent."
I hate modern country music because there's simply nothing country about it.
It's slick and soulless.
And as we all know, I love soul.
But Johnny Cash had soul. He wrote songs he felt.
He didn't write singles. He wrote songs.
Willie, Waylon, Gram Parsons.
The list is long.
How is it that country music has so lost the point.
For the record, I feel the same way about soul music.
Very few modern soul singers have any soul at all.
They only seem to sing about how awesome they are or getting it on (Marvin gets a pass because even when he sang about getting it on, he had soul).
Every one of you that read this blog dislike country music for one reason or another.
Out of curiosity, what do you dislike about it?
If you like it, what do you like about it?
Sub-question: For the music you like, what is it that makes you like one song and not another?
Sound off!!
posted by Grant Alter at 12:57 AM
2 comments
