My son had a gig to set up for in Detroit, so he is driving my car today. I'm using my mom's car which doesn't have XM radio. My choices for music is either CDs...which I left in my car....or the two different FM country stations.....and I am using that term very loosely.
I have been really getting into the good, old country music as of late. The mindless dribble on these pathetic FM stations is really terrible. A few months ago I probably had a different opinion. I automatically thought about Whitey Morgan's T-shirt....Fuck Pop Country and also a Facebook group called We Hate Pop Country.
The term "hate" is pretty strong and "Fuck" is definitely strong emotion about a particular subject. There are a few "pop" country singers that I actually like, Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, and Jennifer Nettles......but with the crap I've heard today, I may be tempted to change my stance on the whole pop country thing.
George Jones, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Hank Jr., Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, and others songs will live on for years and years and still have the appeal to country fans as they were the day they were released. After all they are classics, with good writing and emotional delivery.
George Jones did an interview several years ago and talked about the emergence of "Pop Country" and how they hi-jacked a genre. He felt that they needed to find their own genre and not operate under the label country. George stated that the material being recorded in Nashville was "mush".
He also said that those songs would never stand the test of time and in a few years would be forgotten about, with no hope of ever becoming a classic or relevant in the future....all I can say is preach it out George.....preach it out.
So thank God for XM radio and yes CDs...my ancient 2013 Chevy doesn't have USB capability.
Either I'm getting older or wiser.
Friday, July 22, 2016
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Loretta Lynn - Whispering Sea (Live in Studio)
It really surprised me, when my girl picked up Loretta Lynn's latest album, Full Circle. Of course I was perusing trying to find a George Jones CD...when I showed her Loretta's latest. She remarked that she really likes the song Loretta did with Wille...Lay Me Down.
Come to find out Johnny Cash's son, John Carter Cash and Loretta's daughter, Patsy Lynn Russell produced this album. They have been working on a series of releases for the past several years, this being the first of many. Whispering Sea is the very first song that Loretta ever wrote.
Also, included is some "mountain songs" which she learned from her mother, but had never recorded.
Her voice is still very strong and full of emotion. If one doesn't like "twang" this is not the one to choose.....but that makes it Loretta Lynn in my opinion.
I haven't got to the female artists on this blog up until now.....what better way to start than with who I feel to be the Queen of Country Music....Tammy may have been the first lady....but Loretta is the Queen!
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
The Man in Black
Johnny Cash, the man in black.
From the cotton fields of Arkansas to Sun Records at Memphis and eventually the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
In 1950 Cash joined the Air Force for four years. His training took him to San Antonio, Texas where he met Vivian Liberto who would become his first wife in 1954.
While in the service he honed his singing somewhat. Upon his return to the States, he traveled to San Antonio and married Vivian, together they returned to Memphis. Johnny worked by day as an appliance salesman, and took lessons at a local broadcasting school in hope of getting some kind of work in radio.
During this time he met guitarist Luther Perkins and bassist Marshall Grant, together they started playing small gigs as "Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two". Eventually working up the nerve Cash auditioned for Sam Phillips at Sun Records, the same Sun that had just put Elvis on the map.
Phillips didn't like what he was hearing initially and Johnny returned with a couple of new songs, Hey Porter and Cry, Cry, Cry, both did reasonably well. Cash's next record, Folsom Prison Blues went to #5 and I Walk the Line went to #1.....and the rest is history as they say.
Battling all the same demons that so many performers waged war with-drugs, alcohol, and the pressures of the road Johnny Cash persevered in spite of himself.
Deemed Rockabilly in his early years...Cash always perceived himself as Country-rooted in Gospel.
Johnny seemed to be a natural crossover, into pop and not so much on the rock charts but many of rock's greats looked up to him and were inspired by the music he was making. Cash is a lot like Pabst Blue Ribbon beer....downhome and redneck but appeals to the hipsters....even today.
Cash like so many of the traditional country singers became disillusioned with the "Nashville Sound" and all the trappings of so called country radio. He was one of the few that told Nashville to piss off and he was going to make his music the way he wanted to....and he did.
Joining up with Willie, Waylon, and Kris seemed like a natural progression.....Cash was deemed an outlaw way before the advent of the HIghwaymen. It's funny my girl, Linda, said that when she and her sister played house....Johnny Cash was Linda's imaginary husband....imagine someone born in 1972 picking Johnny over many of the teen heart-throbs of the day to be her husband.....I guess she likes a man in black.
From the cotton fields of Arkansas to Sun Records at Memphis and eventually the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
In 1950 Cash joined the Air Force for four years. His training took him to San Antonio, Texas where he met Vivian Liberto who would become his first wife in 1954.
While in the service he honed his singing somewhat. Upon his return to the States, he traveled to San Antonio and married Vivian, together they returned to Memphis. Johnny worked by day as an appliance salesman, and took lessons at a local broadcasting school in hope of getting some kind of work in radio.
During this time he met guitarist Luther Perkins and bassist Marshall Grant, together they started playing small gigs as "Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two". Eventually working up the nerve Cash auditioned for Sam Phillips at Sun Records, the same Sun that had just put Elvis on the map.
Phillips didn't like what he was hearing initially and Johnny returned with a couple of new songs, Hey Porter and Cry, Cry, Cry, both did reasonably well. Cash's next record, Folsom Prison Blues went to #5 and I Walk the Line went to #1.....and the rest is history as they say.
Battling all the same demons that so many performers waged war with-drugs, alcohol, and the pressures of the road Johnny Cash persevered in spite of himself.
Deemed Rockabilly in his early years...Cash always perceived himself as Country-rooted in Gospel.
Johnny seemed to be a natural crossover, into pop and not so much on the rock charts but many of rock's greats looked up to him and were inspired by the music he was making. Cash is a lot like Pabst Blue Ribbon beer....downhome and redneck but appeals to the hipsters....even today.
Cash like so many of the traditional country singers became disillusioned with the "Nashville Sound" and all the trappings of so called country radio. He was one of the few that told Nashville to piss off and he was going to make his music the way he wanted to....and he did.
Joining up with Willie, Waylon, and Kris seemed like a natural progression.....Cash was deemed an outlaw way before the advent of the HIghwaymen. It's funny my girl, Linda, said that when she and her sister played house....Johnny Cash was Linda's imaginary husband....imagine someone born in 1972 picking Johnny over many of the teen heart-throbs of the day to be her husband.....I guess she likes a man in black.
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
WAYLON JENNINGS
Another of the greats, Waylon Jennings. It amazes me that so many of the great country singers were simply born with a God-given talent, and they recognized that talent and just went for it. Waylon was always fascinated with the guitar and his momma taught him a few basic chords and he went from there. After winning some local talent competitions Waylon started doing DJ work and began to sing some jingles and later played and sang on local TV stations.
Eventually he would meet Buddy Holly and began playing bass for Buddy. Yes, Waylon did give up his seat on that fateful flight to the Big Bopper aka J.P. Richardson, who incidentally wrote "White Lightning", George Jones first big hit. I think most of you know that the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens died in that crash.
The death of Holly haunted Jennings for the rest of his life, and added to the demons that he chased with booze and drugs.
Waylon didn't like the "Nashville Establishment" where an artist was expected to dress a certain way, sing a certain way, use the studio band and sometimes orchestra....Jennings like his ole friend Willie balked at the demands of Nashville and moved on to do music his way.
After suffering an illness and hospitalized Waylon changed mangers, kept his beginnings of a beard at the urging of his new manager and never looked back. His new manager negotiated new, more lucrative contracts, and more creative control over his own music. One of the original outlaws of country music.....the term "outlaw" comes from Waylon, Willie, and Johnny Cash basically telling the Nashville Establishment to piss-off.
Eventually he would meet Buddy Holly and began playing bass for Buddy. Yes, Waylon did give up his seat on that fateful flight to the Big Bopper aka J.P. Richardson, who incidentally wrote "White Lightning", George Jones first big hit. I think most of you know that the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens died in that crash.
The death of Holly haunted Jennings for the rest of his life, and added to the demons that he chased with booze and drugs.
Waylon didn't like the "Nashville Establishment" where an artist was expected to dress a certain way, sing a certain way, use the studio band and sometimes orchestra....Jennings like his ole friend Willie balked at the demands of Nashville and moved on to do music his way.
After suffering an illness and hospitalized Waylon changed mangers, kept his beginnings of a beard at the urging of his new manager and never looked back. His new manager negotiated new, more lucrative contracts, and more creative control over his own music. One of the original outlaws of country music.....the term "outlaw" comes from Waylon, Willie, and Johnny Cash basically telling the Nashville Establishment to piss-off.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)