What is it about the Opry?

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 11 Mar 2008 10:58 am

oh yeah, I think that robert plant fellow was in a band with that Led Zeppelin guy.....their third album has some "interesting" pedal steel on it.

Joe Drivdahl · Post by **Joe Drivdahl** » 11 Mar 2008 10:58 am

I like your thinking, Dennis. I am pretty much of the same mind, although I do remember a little Rock band from the 70s called Led Zeplin whose lead singer was none other than you guess it, Robert Plant.

Jewel is from Alaska and pretty country as I understand it, but she started out in Pop music. She's alright.

joe

PS: I tried to beat you Ben, but I lost.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 11 Mar 2008 11:03 am

dave m. ...sorry, i gotta learn to just shut up more often!

Dennis Graves · Post by **Dennis Graves** » 11 Mar 2008 11:04 am

There are different types of diversity and different degrees of diversity. The diversity I see today is totally uncalled for. Send the rock and rollers on the GOO back to where they came from.
Let's hear some of that good ole "cryin in my beer" and "cheatin" tear jerkers with plenty of steel.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 11 Mar 2008 11:36 am

Its odd that the "rockers" on GOO dont appeal to rock fans....and they dont seem to appeal to country fans either...which raises a question Ive often wondered about myself. Just who are the people listening to this stuff? i guess i live a sheltered existence...

Dennis Graves · Post by **Dennis Graves** » 11 Mar 2008 12:02 pm

Ok Joe and Ben,

I have heard of Led Zeplin. Can't say that I ever listened to them.
I don't put anyone down for their type music. Most folks always called me a hillbilly for listening to country and bluegrass. I didn't care. I was and still am proud to be associated with both of them. It's music about everyday life...it's problems, ups and downs, and the good times we have also.

I like this forum.

Frankie Winberry · Post by **Frankie Winberry** » 11 Mar 2008 12:28 pm

I agree with most everything said here. The best country singers are the ones you never hear like Wesley Dennis, Daryl Sngletry, Dale Watson ect...They do'nt have a chance in hell if they are traitionalist these days though...I am like yall...who is listening to this garbage.

That reminds me does anyone know the name of Daryle Singltary's steel player. I just went to his show a few weeks back and I was impressed with his whole band, especially the steel player. Daryle Singletary is the best younger singer in the business today if you ask me. He just gets shunned by radio for singing real country music.

P Gleespen · Post by **P Gleespen** » 11 Mar 2008 1:31 pm

Ben Jones wrote:Its odd that the "rockers" on GOO dont appeal to rock fans....and they dont seem to appeal to country fans either...which raises a question Ive often wondered about myself. Just who are the people listening to this stuff? i guess i live a sheltered existence...

I think the target audience is 30or40something suburban soccer moms. Like you, I have never met anyone who actually listens to commercial country radio. I'm sure they're out there.

Actually, now that I think about it, I bet I DO know a few. My being a daddy has moved me back into the suburbs AND put me into contact with a lot of soccer moms. We just don't talk about music.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 11 Mar 2008 1:31 pm

The GOO is still a good place to visit!
Diversity is the spice of life!

Joe Drivdahl · Post by **Joe Drivdahl** » 11 Mar 2008 1:39 pm

Dennis,
You want to hear about a narrow scope? Here's me in high school. This dates me some, but what the heck? I had an 8 track tape player in my vehicle in high school and a tape box that held 12 tapes. Every one of them was Merle Haggard. 13 tapes, 12 in the box, 1 in the player. When I'd go on a date, the girl would ask, "Can't we listen to something else?" I'd say, "Sure", handing her the tape box.

I was bound and determined to learn to play like Roy Nichols and I figured the best way was to completely submerse myself in Nichols licks. Didn't work. But it was always a great joke.

joe

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 11 Mar 2008 2:47 pm

Joe,

This is a wonderful thread, and has provided much information. When I get the urge to read, I'll return to reading the great responses. I missed reading commentary about John Hughey's great steel playing behind Conway Twitty's recordings that deserve honorary mention. The combination was unbeatable.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 11 Mar 2008 3:03 pm

Bill,
I'm glad you replied to this thread. I miss John too!

The GOO is a good place!
It's still being heard on the radio and seen on TV!

Joe Miraglia · Post by **Joe Miraglia** » 11 Mar 2008 3:16 pm

I think, nostalgia plays a big part of what we like. Sometimes we close our ears to something new. Joe

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 11 Mar 2008 3:23 pm

So true Joe.
I love the old stuff!:)

Steve Schmidt · Post by **Steve Schmidt** » 11 Mar 2008 3:33 pm

I think Joe's original posting was about singers singing out of tune. This thread has seemed
to digress into what is good Country music and what isn't.
FWIW, I fell into this same trap
with what I consider to be closed thinking. Like Dave said a few posts ago, we can't go back.
For many years in the Twin Cities area I fought and scratched for the few "traditional country"
gigs there were to be had. Like all the rest of the bands, we got occasional work, maybe once
or twice a month and at no more than 50 bucks a night. The customers were 60 to 70 years old
and by 11 they went home and went to bed. That has been status quo for many of the last years.
That band disolved and that appeared to be the end of any kind of playing for me a while.

Then my very good friend Al Udeen turned me onto a new guy in town playing as many call it, rock and roll country. At first, I was a little pessimistic about it, thinking that this isn't my comfort zone.
Well, I adapted. Frankly, right now, I'm playing more than I ever have, and making way more money,
and my chops are also better than they ever have been. We are playing to full houses and the
dance floors are always packed, playing rock and roll country. We recently won the K102 Battle of the Bands contest and played at the Exel Energy Center for the Worlds Toughest Rodeo. This has opened many doors for us now. I'm converted now. I have people like Joe Nichols, Travis Tritt, Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean and many of the newer guys to thank for my new enthusiam. I am really enjoying playing and can't wait till the next gig.

All I can say is, "try it, you may like it"

steve

Joe Drivdahl · Post by **Joe Drivdahl** » 11 Mar 2008 3:34 pm

Joe Miraglia,
That is a good point. I think you are right, because I still love those old Hag tunes I had in my old '63 Chevy pickup in high school. I don't mean the standard "Branded Man/Lonesome Fugitive" type songs, but the more obscure songs that were on albums like "Hag", his "30th Album", "A Portrait of Merle Haggard", stuff like that.

Bill Hankey
Thank you for responding to my post. I met John Hughey once at a Vince Gill concert. I was with the local Jaycees at the time and we were putting on the concert so I had all access. I was there when John was tuning up. I wasn't a steel player at the time, but I introduced myself and he stuck his hand out. Seemed like a really great guy.

Steve Schmidt
I was posting when your were, so I edited this post.

I played the new stuff for a while in a band we called "Typhoyd Mary and the Bufonts", which was quite a name. I wanted to be "Geezer" as a play on words with the band "Weezer" that was so popular, but I lost out.

I can play some of the new stuff as long as I'm playing my telecaster, but man, I just don't want to play steel that way. I don't know why, I just don't. I guess I feel so strongly about it that I'd just rather not play out than play non-traditional country on my steel.

Joe

Joe Miraglia · Post by **Joe Miraglia** » 11 Mar 2008 4:00 pm

Steve, I feel the same way. New or old country music, rock and roll, its what you like to play.
Some singers I like ,some I don't.I can't like them all

. Our band plays -"Mustang Sally" I love it.I show then this old steeler can can cut it up on the steel

Joe
www.willowcreekband.com

Ron ! · Post by **Ron !** » 11 Mar 2008 4:35 pm

The only thing that i have to say about it is.....read this here topic.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... 71#1131171

I think it says it all.....don't it?

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 11 Mar 2008 4:41 pm

Back to Alison Krauss.

I have seen Union Station in concert many times.

There is no "compromising" in that music.

It is often not pure, traditional bluegrass. But so what? It's outstanding, mostly acoustic based music sung and played with a level of skill that many of us here couldn't pull off if we could reincarnate for a half dozen lifetimes to try to get it right.

I don't like all the tracks on the Alison/Robert Plant album. But I sure like their take on Rolly Salley's (a member of Chris Isaak's band) "Killing The Blues," and their interpretation of the Gene Clark song, "Through The Morning, Through The Night," from Gene's Dillard & Clark days after he left The Byrds. No compromising on that one either.A great, sad country song. And some fine steel work by Greg Leisz.

Steve Schmidt · Post by **Steve Schmidt** » 11 Mar 2008 6:14 pm

I guess a couple of other things come to mind about playing newer styles of music and to younger crowd. First, if anyone thinks this is easy stuff to play, just try it. Also I am finding that since I am playing to much youger people, (many of them could be my kids) most of them find this instrument very fascinating and end up asking all sorts of questions about it. My son plays rock guitar, but as time progresses, he is asking me more questions about it. Hey, the young are what's going to keep this instrument going. I hope in my travels that I can spark the interest in at least one person to keep the instrument going.

I'm enjoying a younger mindset. It keeps me feeling younger. (Now I wish that Zum would drop a couple of pounds)

steve

Joe Drivdahl · Post by **Joe Drivdahl** » 11 Mar 2008 6:50 pm

Mark Eaton,
I have never seen Alison and Union Station live. Man I'd like to!!! I'll bet that she'd bring goosebumps to my whole body. One thing I belive about Alison is that if I see her in concert or on a bar stool next to me, she's gonna sound the same. She has real talent because she came up the old-fashioned way. Still I can't help thinking she sold out. Sorry man, I think the world of Alison especially as an X-fiddle scratcher myself, but I can't help but think she went commercial. Do I think less of her becasue of that? Hell no. She's gotta strike when the iron is hot.

Joe

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 11 Mar 2008 7:03 pm

Dennis Graves wrote: And this Robert Plant or whatever his name is, I never heard of him until I saw him on TV with Alison Krause.

Dennis, I would guess you must have heard of a band called Led Zepelin,
sometime in the last 40 years.

Plant was the lead singer.
He was a trend setting rock singer,
and considered a living legend in rock circles.
But they also were regularly giving homage to acoustic blues on almost every album.

The bassplayer John Paul Jones is also a fine mandolin player,
and lapsteel player.
He could walk into any bluegrass festival
with a mando and dobro, and be welcomed as a picker.

It's Plant's legendary status that has brought Allison's
recent commercial success. Not her selling out.
If you hear the album it is clear them both enjoyed it.
And more power to them IMHO.

As I said 2-3 tracks on the album would
almost be nostalgia music on the GOO.

There was a time when Zep was the equivilent of
what Allison has been for Bluegrass. The best of the best in most ways.
And a survivor in a dog eat dog world.

And just so ya know I am a bluegrass player,
and play 4 instruments in bluegrass style.
gt. mando, dobro and Kay bass.
I also play other music.

And I have played mandolin with Zep's bassplayer.
I am on his web site. He likes country,olde timey and bluegrass,
but also irish, Brazilian and Argentinian and many other musics.
An extraordinary and versatile player.

I have seen Allison several times and talked with her.
her musical mind is open even if
a lot of her hardcore fans minds are not.
She will always love bluegrass, and why not,
but she likes music period.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 11 Mar 2008 7:43 pm

Hey Chris Ivey - please don't silence yourself on my account - really. You haven't said anything that bothers me at all. In fact, nobody has. How will we ever understand each other if we can't speak our minds?

I personally think that Allison Krause hasn't compromised her music in any way. She is a fantastic bluegrass singer and fiddle player, and she has done more for mainstream acceptance of bluegrass than anybody in decades. One may or may not like her collaborations with various people, including Robert Plant. But it fits in perfectly with other things she has been doing. It's just beautiful, pure music. I have never heard a bad note come out of her mouth or fiddle.

BTW - Led Zeppelin was an English band. The music that led to rural American string band music, and ultimately bluegrass and country music, originated in the British Isles. Led Zeppelin did occasionally make forays into more traditional English ballads and so on. Plant does not really lack credibility in this area, IMHO. I personally like that particular collaboration a lot.

I also have been listening to and playing bluegrass and country music for a while. I agree with Dennis' point about country music being about everyday problems, ups and downs, and good times. But the same can be said of blues, cajun, and lot of other styles of American roots music. A lot of these styles have permeated country music and bluegrass for a long time. I like and play them all. To me, there's no reason the Opry shouldn't feature them.

Some years ago when I was in Nashville, I went to a taping for "The American Music Shop" show at Vanderbilt, featuring Marty Stuart and Pops Staples. It was just fantastic. Marty showed tremendous respect for Pops and the strong influence he has had on American music, and obviously loves it. I'm with him 100%. I think the Opry should be about American roots music. A heavy dose of real country music and bluegrass to be sure, but don't be blind to the things that helped make those styles what they are. Hank, Bill Monroe, Jimmy Rodgers, The Delmore Brothers, and many others had many influences from other styles of American music. This stuff didn't originate out of a vacuum. Roots American music is a melting pot of styles. I think we should celebrate that - not erect purist silos around each specialized type.

Of course, these are my opinions.

Gary Walker · Post by **Gary Walker** » 11 Mar 2008 7:47 pm

Bobbe, on Saturday night whe the Opry came on NBC radio, I would have my reel to reel recorder set and would record Chet's instrumental. When Chet wasn't there, Hank Garland would fill in and play some outta sight stuff. Somewhere in my storage bins, I have a couple of reel to reel of those great moments in '57-'59. After the instrumental, I would go to my girlfriend's house and watch TV with her whole family. Those were golden times.
My, My. What happened to those days?

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 11 Mar 2008 8:04 pm

Dave Mudgett wrote: I have never heard a bad note come out of her mouth or fiddle.

I think the Opry should be about American roots music.

A heavy dose of real country music and bluegrass to be sure, but don't be blind to the things that helped make those styles what they are. Hank, Bill Monroe, Jimmy Rodgers, The Delmore Brothers, and many others had many influences from other styles of American music. This stuff didn't originate out of a vacuum. Roots American music is a melting pot of styles. I think we should celebrate that - not erect purist silos around each specialized type.

Of course, these are my opinions.

I also agree 100% it is not ONLY one thing that made country great music.
Jimmy Rogers was/is considered the godfather
or grandfather of country music by many.

Well if he'd had his druthers Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong would have done a song on the Opry stage with him.

They didn't allow that back then, and he knew it.
So it never happened.
But he DID record with Armstrong, and that says a lot.
New Orleans music and country origins together.

Jazz and country together.
It always makes me wonder why so many in each genre hate the other,
when I find that many of the best in each genre
like or play a bit of the other too.

Cousin Hank Garland (granny Donald was a Garland)
and his picker nemesis Jimmy Bryant
both are fine examples of country pickers well versed in jazz
and from this classic period of country on the GOO too.

Traditions can keep a style together,
It can also hinder it's growth.
Certain people try to break the mold of conventions.

The country music for someone in his 60-70's
is never coming back, stop complaining,
save your energy,
it ain't happening,
but some new version is happening.

If country music is about everyday lives of people
well the new country is addressing new lives.
Based from the experience of newer generations,
and face it their lives are NOTHING like your's
were at that age.

The sound back then of a few simple tube amps
and a simple consitent setup are also gone.
That IS a shame; One mic gather round guys plug
your electric guitar there.

But think of this.
Your grand daddy's HATED when the electric instruments came in.

Your Daddy's liked it OK.

But hated it when the amps got distorted a bit.
We tolerate or love that depending.

Bluegrass people walked out the 1st time a
Fender Precision replaced a Kay upright in a
traveling act. Now it's totally accepted,
even if an upright is preferred.

Times change the next generation has very different expectations and life experiences.
The music will reflect that.

Our day of influencing popular music's themes is long gone.
Not coming back.
Why cry about spilled milk?