Like hair bands, Mutts songs (mainly for Shania) were well written and produced. The copies and knockoffs almost abysmal. Mutts country songwriting started before Shania. He wrote 2 songs that Blackhawk cut and a song cowritten with Bryan Adams that Lonestar recorded prior to their Amazed ****.

quote:

---

Just some perspective from an old fart. Airplay 'mainstream country' music has lost its soul and has for some time. But to say prior to 1995, 1985, etc. that country was all strong fails to recognize that there has been some crappy music toward the pop side made over the years. For example, Crystal Gayle (remember the song 'Nobody'?), the BeeGees influences crap with Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton? Shania?

There has always been some mainstream country traditionalists such as George S and Allen J to keep things going. I will not include Garth Brooks in this mix for one simple reason. He is plastic. He changes his voice based on the song he is singing. He might have very well brought bro country into being but I am not sure about that.

Regardless, even though pop has infiltrated mainstream country before, the genre jumped the shark big time recently with bro country. It is mindless drivel with no soul. I recently heard a song with a disco beat with the 'artist' 'singing' about riding around in a truck, sleeping with his girl in the bed.......with a Love Boat type background. Unbelievable.

Nashville needs to burn and the industry relocated.

---

I've listened to a couple of podcasts of sturgill Simpson lately and I get the impression that those of his ilk really dislike Garth and attribute the wrong turn in country music directly to him. Although he doesn't come out and directly say it, you can certainly read between the lines.

I think of Garth as similar to a Pearl Jam or Nirvana, where they were good, but the generations of ever worsening imitators they have spawned has all but ruined a once thriving genre.

Good news everybody:

Big and Rich are playing halftime at the Liberty Bowl.

Something tells me the WVU fans are pumped.

quote:

---

I think of Garth as similar to a Pearl Jam or Nirvana, where they were good, but the generations of ever worsening imitators they have spawned has all but ruined a once thriving genre.W

---

With all due respect, I don't think Garth is anywhere on the same level as Pearl Jam or Nirvana. Just because there were so many that tried to copy what they did, should not reflect poorly on them.

Garth is/was a dewsh.

For what its worth, I don't think Sturgill could lift Max Stalling's Jock strap. Sturgill is real country, no doubt, but I've downloaded some of his music now and it just doesn't pull you in.

Max is the best

quote:

---

---

While you should be on social media as a star in general, you should probably make it relatively bland and just post what city you're in or something. Otherwise you become a target.

quote:

---

---

Yeesh...

quote:

---

I think of Garth as similar to a Pearl Jam or Nirvana, where they were good, but the generations of ever worsening imitators they have spawned has all but ruined a once thriving genre.

---

I don't know the veracity of this statement, but I will say this; nobody even came close to Nirvana's legitimacy and sound. The sad thing is that I think Cobain's rage was real.

One of the better country shows I've been to, Max Stalling at Sons of Hermann Hall:






Also, Max often has shows with this bunch, and I'd encourage you to go see them if you call yourself a country western / bluegrass fan, Blacktop Gypsy:

quote:

---

For what its worth, I don't think Sturgill could lift Max Stalling's Jock strap. Sturgill is real country, no doubt, but I've downloaded some of his music now and it just doesn't pull you in.

---

Your fist comment is silly because of the subjective nature of music, but as for the second part, wow. Pretty amazing to me that none of sturgill's stuff 'pulls you in'.

quote:

---

Like hair bands, Mutts songs (mainly for Shania) were well written and produced. The copies and knockoffs almost abysmal. Mutts country songwriting started before Shania. He wrote 2 songs that Blackhawk cut and a song cowritten with Bryan Adams that Lonestar recorded prior to their Amazed ****.

---

I had forgotten the connection to Twain, which was a little silly. I guess the above posts referenced that. I'd like to be involved in this conversation, but the more I read, the more I realize I mostly like Texas singer/songwriters, and I may not be a true country fan.

quote:

---

quote:

---

For what its worth, I don't think Sturgill could lift Max Stalling's Jock strap. Sturgill is real country, no doubt, but I've downloaded some of his music now and it just doesn't pull you in.

---

Your fist comment is silly because of the subjective nature of music, but as for the second part, wow. Pretty amazing to me that none of sturgill's stuff 'pulls you in'.

---

Like I said, I've listened to it in shuffle with Lyle Lovett and Cody Canada and it doesn't do it for me. But that doesn't mean I was insulting you. I know the internet is difficult to get meaning across, but if we were sitting around a campfire, we'd be laughing at my opinions.

When I say, "pulls me in", I think of something like Creedence Clearwater Revival guitar riffs. John Fogerty locks you into a tune and you cannot pull away.

Does anybody listen to KHYI The Range? I wouldn't say I love it, but it does give me a fix and I don't have to go searching Pandora or Rhapsody. About a third of it I enjoy.

My approach or theory is a little deviant, though. Good rock and roll is so hard to come by that I covet it and won't listen to it as background music and I won't listen to it with the cacophony of my kids. I reserve it for headphones or when I'm by myself in my truck and I can blast it. So when I need background music to stream, it is country. Weird.

Was listening to Country Boy Can Survive this morning. Maybe I actually like bro country... nah. It was one thing to be in the right place at the right time like Hank and to be out in front like that. The stuff now is just contrived. Ok well maybe Hank was a little contrived, but hell.

Max is just a great guy. I used to love going to Adairs on a random weekday night and seeing him and/or Mark David Manders hanging out and playing when they felt like it.

went and saw him play my last night before deployment. contacted them ahead of time and he played a special request to surprise my wife. Max is a great musician and a great American.

All the bro country songs on the radio sound the same. Some combo of "Hey, girl, get up in my truck, in those cutoff jeans, I'll take you to the county line on a Friday night, we'll drink beer". When someone tells me they listen to that ****, I register it the same way as if someone tells me their favorite band is Nickleback or Three Doors Down.

Think it was Ray Wylie or Billy Joe Shaver that said it in a song...You call it country, I call it bad rock and roll.

Also, have any of you seen the Nashville episode of the Foo Fighter's documentary Sonic Highways? They go to Nashville to write a song about country music and it's influence but end up finding out country is dead and the end writing it about the rebels of the industry who are pushed/are pushing the envelope (Willie, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Zac Brown, just to name a few). Someone on there wrapped it up perfectly in saying in that nowadays in Nashville you either make it as a songwriter or performer, but long gone are the days of songwriters who perform.

Very good and interesting show with some great video and interviews of some the greats. Check itout OnDemand if you have HBO.

quote:

---

All the bro country songs on the radio sound the same. Some combo of "Hey, girl, get up in my truck, in those cutoff jeans, I'll take you to the county line on a Friday night, we'll drink beer". When someone tells me they listen to that ****, I register it the same way as if someone tells me their favorite band is Nickleback or Three Doors Down.

---

But I really did those things, which I imagine most of you guys from Plano didn't. So can I sing about it?

GFL hosting an awards show!!!!!

quote:

---

GFL hosting an awards show!!!!!

---

Got it recorded. Can't wait to watch it later.

Carrie Underwood opened it so I thought it would be promising. Nope.

Vince Vaughn's face is like wtf am I doing here

Still behind live but FGL wins an award at the show they are hosting.

Was that small cow on stage Kelly Clarkson???

I think she's pregnant....with calves.

Jimmie Johnson.

Great way to end the show with Hank Williams Jr.

I'm curious what mainstream country singers yall do like?

I agree most of it is tough to listen to nowadays, but some of it is more tolerable than others.

These are a few off the top of my head I listen to and enjoy:

Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Little Big Town (their harmonies are SUPERB), The Band Perry, Sugarland.

I don't like country bands/singers, I like individual songs. There isn't one band that bats anything over 60/40 with me... and most bat about 20/80. Every single mainstream country artist has songs I like, and songs I absolutely despise, with very little middle ground.

Examples:

FGL - Like: Here's to the Good Times; Despise: Sun Daze
Keith Urban - Like: Somewhere In My Car; Despise: Making Memories of Us
Tim McGraw - Like: Shotgun Rider; Despise: Back at Mama's (a lot)

And for the "widest gap" award....

Zac Brown Band - Colder Weather is one of my favorite country songs. It's a great piece of music, start to finish. Chicken Fried personifies every single thing I despise and it sends me into a blind rage just hearing it.