Just What Is Considered Traditional Country

Glenn Austin · Post by **Glenn Austin** » 8 Jan 2002 9:09 am

The thread on live music in Nashville has left me wondering the following.

What exactly, is traditional country music? I've heard a lot of Ray Price with an orchestra and strings. A lot of the faster Buck Owens tunes sound rock n roll to me. Johnny Cash? Patsy Cline? Bill Monroe? Hank Williams...

I would be interested to hear what people consider as traditional country music. As a music lover, I have a hard time categorizing music that I like.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 8 Jan 2002 9:23 am

Glenn, I'm not sure that anyone knows for sure.....from all that's been posted about it, it seems to depend upon which "decade" you were first exposed! www.genejones.com P.S. I didn't like Ray Price with orchestra and strings (apparently no one else did either).[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 08 January 2002 at 09:26 AM.]

Pat Burns · Post by **Pat Burns** » 8 Jan 2002 9:24 am

..Glenn, I'll bet when you were a kid you used to throw rocks at hornets' nests..

(there's no such thing as traditional country music)

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 8 Jan 2002 9:26 am

I know it when I hear it!

Glenn Austin · Post by **Glenn Austin** » 8 Jan 2002 9:29 am

So I should let sleeping dogs lie? To me there are 2 types of music.

1) Good Music
2) Marilyn Manson

[This message was edited by Glenn Austin on 08 January 2002 at 09:35 AM.]

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 8 Jan 2002 9:39 am

Glenn,
I think you know what it is

Theresa
I agree with Gene

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 8 Jan 2002 10:04 am

What's Traditional Country??? Oh, a wiseguy, eh?

How about this; it's the Country that came before New Country! Glenn you knew what you were getting into with this question didn't you? Reminds me of a question I've been meaning to ask: If I play a song on my pedal-steel's C6th neck and don't use any pedals or knee-levers in the whole song, am I playing pedal-steel or non-pedal-steel? HA! [This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 08 January 2002 at 10:06 AM.]

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 8 Jan 2002 11:23 am

Depends. Do you slant the bar?

Traditional country (seriously) is somewhat defined by what isn't there. There is no distorted guitar. The drums don't play the melody. As soon as you add a distorted guitar or "kick-ass" drums, you have moved away from traditional country.

JMHO.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (E7, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)

John Paul Jones · Post by **John Paul Jones** » 8 Jan 2002 11:24 am

Traditional Country Music is what ever YOU think it is!

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John Paul Jones

GFI U-12
Evans FET500 amp
ART T2 effects
HM-4 harmony machine

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 8 Jan 2002 11:26 am

Jim's point is well taken. Reminds me of the riddle:

"If you have a dog with four legs and a tail, and you decide to call the tail a leg, how many legs does the dog have?"

The answer of course is still four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg!"
www.genejones.com

Andy Alford · Post by **Andy Alford** » 8 Jan 2002 11:33 am

Hank Williams

Roy Acuff

E.Tubb

Buck Owens

Hank Snow

Faron Young

Wilburn Brothers

Webb Pierce

George Jones

George Morgan

These stars along with others helped define traditional country music.

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 8 Jan 2002 11:34 am

Why, Lester "Roadhog" Moran and the Cadillac Cowboys, of course! Did you really have to ask!?!

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

"Ya'll be on your best behavor, we got those nice folks from Mercury Records here tonight"

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 8 Jan 2002 11:59 am

Quote: "Traditional music is whatever you think it is."

Wrong

!! Traditional Country music is what you THINK it is...There are many of us that KNOW what it is.

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CJC

bob drawbaugh · Post by **bob drawbaugh** » 8 Jan 2002 12:32 pm

Glenn if you have to ask you must be a Marilyn Manson fan.

Glenn Austin · Post by **Glenn Austin** » 8 Jan 2002 12:45 pm

No I'm not to big on Marilyn Manson, He doesn't have a steel player in his band!

That should read "it doesn't have a steel player in its band".[This message was edited by Glenn Austin on 08 January 2002 at 01:01 PM.]

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 8 Jan 2002 1:01 pm

I think Bobby Lee's pretty much nailed it.

Don Walters · Post by **Don Walters** » 8 Jan 2002 3:21 pm

I didn't like Ray Price with orchestra and strings (apparently no one else did either).

Wasn't For The Good Times RP's biggest hit??

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Don Walters
Carter D-10, 8p/6k
Session 500 with Lemay Mod

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 8 Jan 2002 3:42 pm

Don,
You blew my theory! Theresa

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 8 Jan 2002 3:58 pm

Don & anyone else offended by my comment....

It's a great song, as well as most of the other material on that two-album set. What I should have said was how much better it would have been sounded (to me and many others who have expressed similar comments) if it had been recorded with less orchestration and with a more traditional Price arrangement. www.genejones.com

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 8 Jan 2002 4:06 pm

Wellll Awlllright Glenn.

Glad to see there's someone else who loves the ole Roadhog. I thought so much of him that I kinda named a Cocker Spaniel I had after him. For the AKC regigistration, I named him LESTER the ROADDOG MORON (that's right, moron). Best dog I ever owned. He wore a spiked leather collar and had a mohawk haircut. Boy I miss him

.

Edited to correct spelling errors this darn computer makes. Guess it had one too many brewskies.

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Carter D10 9p/10k
Richard Sinkler

[This message was edited by Richard Sinkler on 08 January 2002 at 04:08 PM.]

Tim Harr · Post by **Tim Harr** » 8 Jan 2002 4:38 pm

Hey Roadhog fans......
I was in the Johnny Mack Brown High School Class of '87

I played in the Marching Band: Pedal Steel Guitar and don't forget out 1985 Homecoming Game half-time show opener....'A Johhny Crash Medley'

Wellll Awlrighttttt....mighty fine ..indeeed...

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 8 Jan 2002 5:14 pm

There really is a Johnny Mack Brown High School?

erik · Post by **erik** » 8 Jan 2002 5:28 pm

THIS is an interesting topic that has never been explored. That's why i keep coming back.

To answer:
One good defining aspect of most true "Country" music is the way the bass bounces between the root note and fifth tone in succeeding progression.

Jason Stillwell · Post by **Jason Stillwell** » 8 Jan 2002 7:47 pm

Back to the topic--Traditional COUNTRY music is music played to a COUNTRY beat with COUNTRY instrumentation and possibly even sung by a COUNTRY singer. Like Dale Watson, it's the Real Deal.

Don Walters · Post by **Don Walters** » 8 Jan 2002 10:19 pm

how much better it would have been sounded (to me and many others who have expressed similar comments) if it had been recorded with less orchestration and with a more traditional Price arrangement

Gene, I agree with that statement totally. But obviously, the buying public doesn't have our insight or taste!