What is it about new Country?

[Joe Drivdahl]

That could very well be the case, T. All I have to listen to is our little FM station here in town who plays top 40 stuff. Then we have a religious AM station who really doesn't even play music. I have CMT and RFD. We have a few local bands, but they are mostly kids playing their stuff (some of which I like better than new country).

Regardless, I have no way to hear anything really. I live a sheltered life I guess so I concede to those of you who are more in the know. I do know that a friend of mine and I have written a couple of songs that I like better than most things I hear on the radio.

Joe

[Theresa Galbraith]

lol

[Theresa Galbraith]

You can buy CD's Mark Chestnut lastest , good songwriters. Good picking!

[Joe Drivdahl]

Well I might just do that, Theresa. I like Mark Chestnut. You say there are three steel players on it?

I always felt bad for Mark after he did "Friends in Low Places" at the same time as Garth Brooks, but Garth got his released first. Mark's version didn't do much even though it was better (IMPO).

Joe

[Theresa Galbraith]

No, Paul is playing on Mark's CD.
Thanks

[Chip Fossa]

I'm half-way thru this elongated topic.

So - pardon me, for budding in; and possibly screwing up.

But my good friend, Dave Mudgget is right-on the dime about Boston.

I bought(stole)my first steel(Emmons-S10p/p)from one of my most beloved friends, Ned Crockett, a long-liner. Ned hit hard times. As most fisherman do. He hated to give it up. But he knew, or at least felt, that the Emmons would be in good hands - with me.

This deal went down in the winter. Next Cape Cod summer season always brings hope.

That was the summer of my content. I met John Macy.

John was playing steel with an unbelievable (at this time)group; "John Lincoln Wright & The Sour Mash Boys".

You all know John here on the Forum.

Anyway ----- This was back in 1971-73.

Thanks, John - you showed great stuff, and gave me encouragement. I'll never forget.

Oh yeah, and BTW - John Lincoln Wright - was short in stature - just 5'3" - but had a voice and charisma that was monumental; and, oh yeah, holy crap, JLW was from Maine. I don't even know if he's still around. But this man wrote country songs that would knock your socks off. I mean it. He would blow away all those jerks on any of those feeble TV competitions.

Ask JM. He knows.

John Macy, singlehandedly shoved me in the right direction. John turned me on to Doug Jernigan and Curly Chalker. I knew nothing about steel. I had an Emmons E9 - but John said "don't worry, you will get it."

And later I found out John was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas - Buddy Holly country, too.

Here's the point - as Dave was getting at - there are many among us, who live our lives, far and wide.

There are these pockets all over the country, where it's going down. You just have to seek it out.

[Dave Mudgett]

You can take it however you want to. It was meant as a joke, sort of playing off the "Everyone-who-lives-in-this-country-should-speak-English" proposal which seems to be popular at the moment.

Joe, your devil smiley fooled me.

But there's no harm in exchanging opinions, as long as everyone understands the "live and let live" premise.

Of course, I agree. I think the "live and let live" thing is far from universal here, however. A fair number of discussions on this forum get pretty carried away with extreme personal negativity towards people the writers have never even met. I guess the operant conditional on my comment is "If the shoe fits".

Chip - definitely - seek and you shall find. The other side is that "Chance favors the prepared mind" (Pasteur) and "If you expect cr@p, that's probably all you're gonna find." (Mudgett).

[Buck Grantham]

If you don't play what the young people like you're out . That's the reason I play a lot of steel shows ,because I can play real traditional country and western swing. And I'm going to stick to it as long as I can play and pick up a D10 steel and a good amp. Real country is where it,s at for me....

[Joe Drivdahl]

*** DELETED ***

[Theresa Galbraith]

"Honky Tonk Attitude"

[Jim Strawser]

:)I cant agree more, but if you are tired of the "cookie cutter" country western, ya'll might wanna surf over to W. C Edgar's website. He sings the traditional ballad country way and he plays a damn fine steel guitar too! Try it, you will be glad you did!!!

http://www.wcedgar.com/Home_Page.html

[Joe Drivdahl]

Jim,

Yup. Thats the stuff. I love it! Is the rest of his album as good as "Close up the Honky Tonks?"

Thats Good Stuff!

Thank you.

Joe

[Lee Barber]

b]"POP GOES THE COUNTRY"[/b] Remember Ralph Emery he brought us a lot of fine new talents, he met & introduced new and old starts for years in the country scene then between September 7, 1974 and January 1, 1982[1]. Originally hosted by Ralph Emery, the series was recorded at the Grand Ole Opry and featured comedy sketches, performances by and interviews with country music singers, both established celebrities and up and coming singers and musicians. In 1980, Tom T. Hall replaced Emery as the host, and the show was moved from the Opry house to the Gaslight Theater of the Opryland theme park. In the final year of the series, comedian Jim Varney (you remember Hey Vern) hosted the show.
That to me is where it started. Satellite radio is where I go to hear real country on the radio, Or plug in an old cassette or CD. I just bought some of Billie Jo Spears the other day.
I miss the old music the guy's I play with always ask me to sing something less than 40 years old.
I tell them Ray Price is still singing & I know he did one of these lately.

[Joe Drivdahl]

Edward,

You know what? Pop Goes the Country with Ralph is on again on the RFD network. I catch it from time to time.

Do you live where you can hear some good music? Sweeny is pretty far south, isn't it? What about 100 miles southwest of Houston?

Joe

[Lee Barber]

No, not that far, I can get in to about any part on the south side in about 45-60 minutes. Of course they keep moving the city limits farther out. It's to Brazoria county a little place called Pearland. Pearland has almost tripled in size in the last couple of years. The City limits has moved to Fort Bend County line also, I am going to have to move.

We had some small radio stations playing the oldies, but they don't live long.
I just saw were Mickey Gilley needs our prayers. I was in his club several times before the Urban Cowboy JOKE movie hit. They could have got someone like Patrick Swayze to play that part, at least he looks more like a Texan, Dances Like one, & talks like one. Oh that’s right he is one.
I had the opportunity to go to school a couple of years with MG's daughter & son, they were in an out a couple of times. Understood their mom lived in the area.
Yes we still get some good CW music hear, but the ones that play it in most of the clubs also have to cater to the Hip Hop crowd.
The club I frequent does this, a group of younger people come in after 12 where there clubs have to close by then. I go home at this time, I say it's the music, I may just be getting old and its past my bed time.

[Joe Drivdahl]

I have a good friend who lives in Texas. He is a lot older than I am and not a steel player, but he is one heck of a good thumb picker. He lives somewhere around Gilmer, TX, near Tyler I think. They have Thumbpicker jams there sometimes and he really wants me to come down for one. I wish I could, but they are always in September which is a very hard time for me to get away. He's 81 years old now. If I don't go soon, I may never see him again.

I should have been a Texan. I think I am a Texan at heart. Bob Wills and Asleep at the Wheel are two of my favorite bands. I love that Texas swing. Can't play it, but I do love it.

Joe

[Chip Fossa]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but, "if my memory serves me well", Ralph Emory and POP GOES THE COUNTRY,
and his ilk, POPPED & BOINGED the Byrds when they debuted on the GOO; after releasing & promoting their quintissential COUNTRY, (as COUNTRY as you can get) "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo" album. DOH

And yet, from a bunch of no-good, no-nothing, lazy "hippies"! But, also, including stellar performances from the likes of Lloyd Green, Jay Dee Manness, Clarence White, John Hartford, and I think, Vassar Clemens stepped up to bat, too. If VC wasn't listed on the album cover, than I can understand that.

Poor ole' Lloyd caught a rash of venom from Emory and the boys.

They actually, or came close to, branding him a traitor.

WOW! This was the 70's I think. How moronic? How feeble? How futile? How absurd?

And Roger (Jim) Mcquinn and company were simply showing their respect for the music we all bellyache over. But, Roger, the ever undying folk ombudsman, towncrier, penned "Truck Driving-Man"; WHOOPS - "Drugstore Truck Driving Man". (there we go; forgot to get the pharmacy in there)

And this great tune nailed it. Thanks, Rog.

And so, years later, the truth has become, once again, the F*(&*&% TRUTH. No idiots like Emory can ever keep away the truth - "because what it is" - speaks for itself.

The only instrument Ralph Emory ever picked, I suspect, was his nose.

[Brint Hannay]

Correction, Chip: You mean "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man".

[Chip Fossa]

Absolutely Brint. Thank you. Sometimes my writing, even carries me away.

I'll go back and edit.

[LJ Eiffert]

I've never scene so many bitter old mad at the young. Miracle Miley must have the right Dad.What happen to all them postive role models for the Musicians and Steel Guitar? What a way to Educate the young who will pitch a rock into our glass house.Wait,that's what's wrong with respect. Sincerely in Music,Leo J.Eiffert,Jr.

[Dean Dobbins]

Lonnie Zsigray-I may be alittle late in posting this,but Dottie Jack has a new CD out called "I Can't See Texas From Here",with some great Steel work by her new Hubby Jim Loessberg on it. Also a duet with guest singer Johnny Bush.

[Dean Batye]

Hey Dean, you hit the nail on the the head, Dottie Jack and Jim has country all over that cd.If more people could hear Dottie they would love the cd.

Dean Batye
Concord, Ca.

[Johnne Lee Ables]

And that IS the bottom line...

JL

[Johnne Lee Ables]

"I think my fans will follow me into our combined old age. Real musicians and real fans stay together for a long, long time." Bonnie Raitt

[Theresa Galbraith]

I want to clarify I don't like all I hear on radio by new country artist today.

For instance, "Sugarland" I'll never understand how "All I Want To Do" went #1?
Another word for the song is the Monkey song.