The Steel Guitar Forum

Dave A. Burley · Post by **Dave A. Burley** » 4 Apr 2011 9:45 pm

Check the CMA's recent history. Steve Moore, President, started promoting rock concerts with ZZ Top and still plays trumpet in Nashville. Board member, Tim Wipperman, trumpet player in Nashville. If you research the board members of the CMA you will find a lot of rock music background. Most of them have never had anything to do with the real country music. Most are associated with the modern junk that they call country music. I have had a booth at the CMA's Fan Fair since 1999. We started to hear rumors back around 2005 about the desire of the CMA to have more rock musicians associated with the Fan Fair. Well, they have succeeded. They even changed the name to the Music Festival. Dave A. Burley

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 5 Apr 2011 4:24 am

Ben (Hi!)

I know you're right about the talented folk that participated in 'Hee Haw', but that doesn't alter its concept. Maybe it doesn't resonate with me as I grew up in Britain - that cornball humour would have been difficult to market in the UK.

If you think about it, maybe the same dichotomy applies to this ACM show - lots of talent in attendance, yet it projects an image of today's music scene that the producers are required to perpetuate.

Someone here said that Garth Brooks' recordings now sound almost 'country' compared to what's happening now - an amusing thought with an uncanny ring of truth!

Glyndon Woosley · Post by **Glyndon Woosley** » 5 Apr 2011 6:14 am

I understand the complaints. The same problem is happening in what is "called" southern gospel. While it's still labeled the same thing, the "music" is nowhere near what the label indicates. Why not label the product accurately? That way there shouldn't be any suprises.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 5 Apr 2011 9:53 am

i'm disappointed with reba's phony script reading and lack of soul. she used to be real.

Owen Barnes · Post by **Owen Barnes** » 5 Apr 2011 10:07 am

I'm so very glad I get to play with bands that consider their's "classic country music". I do have an appreciation for any talented musicians, no matter what genre, but I turned the ACM off after 20 minutes. That just tells me that the guys in the high rises in Nashville, will go any direction for the buck.

John Neff · Post by **John Neff** » 5 Apr 2011 10:12 am

Oh yeah, How about Eric Church? That guy is blazing his own trail with a new brand of awful.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 5 Apr 2011 11:49 am

when's "The Kennedys" coming on??

Barry is that the husband and wife duo, who has been around for some time?

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 5 Apr 2011 12:13 pm

Quote:
when's "The Kennedys" coming on??

Barry is that the husband and wife duo, who has been around for some time?

No, Joachim, I was referring to a special on the famous Kennedy family, (Jack, Bobby, Ted,) that was scheduled on the same night on another channel.

Larry Tracy · Post by **Larry Tracy** » 5 Apr 2011 2:05 pm

What cracks me up is all you guys who hated it turned it on in the first place. You seen the adds of who was going to be on. What did you think it was going to be like? The weird thing is 5- 10 years from now the people who like today's country music are going to be complaining how it's not like the good old country music they listened to. Who ever you like, go to their shows, buy their music and help keep the music you love going. It's a big ole' world out there.

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 5 Apr 2011 3:00 pm

Hehe, Larry very good mate -- I'm sure there was a time when even Merle was considered too modern for his own good

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 5 Apr 2011 4:00 pm

Well said, Paddy; I've suggested as much on here before now, but I was ridiculed.

I'd bet money that when Buck Owens and Merle Haggard were making those records with the twanging Telecasters (maybe forty-five or so years ago?) there was a die-hard section of the country music fraternity who declared it was all 'too much like rock and roll!'

Of course, it's all forgiven now - people have short memories!

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 5 Apr 2011 6:24 pm

Roger Rettig wrote:Well said, Paddy; I've suggested as much on here before now, but I was ridiculed.

I'd bet money that when Buck Owens and Merle Haggard were making those records with the twanging Telecasters (maybe forty-five or so years ago?) there was a die-hard section of the country music fraternity who declared it was all 'too much like rock and roll!'

Of course, it's all forgiven now - people have short memories!

The Academy Of Country Music (ACM) Awards were started, in the mid '60s, to honor Buck, Merle, Wynn Stewart, Johnny Bond, and all the "West Coast" country artist that the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards ignored.
Those "west coast" artist were a little to progressive for the Nashville crowd. Then in 1970 Merle won everything from both of them, and there really hasn't been much difference since. The ACM Award show may be a little more pop aggressive from all the years that Dick Clark produced it.

John Neff · Post by **John Neff** » 5 Apr 2011 6:42 pm

Thanks Paddy, Roger and Alvin for your perspective. Very good points. I'm not anywhere close to a classic country purist. I just think that the songs aren't there, and so many of these "artists", namely Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Sugarland, and Zac Brown are smarmy, smug, and just really suck. I will say the show was fun to laugh at because I watched it with someone who has the same kind of sense of humor as I do. Watching it by myself would have been thoroughly depressing.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 6 Apr 2011 3:53 am

Alvin:

Thanks for that perspective - it makes sense now.

John:

I didn't know it was on, but would have liked to see JT. Today's songs? I hate to generalise, but I think you're right, although with the qualification that every era has its share of good and bad - we tend to wipe the bad from our minds, and that allows us to see yesterday through rose-coloured glasses.

When I was twenty and still back home in the UK I hated country music (HW, Cash, etc) - if it hadn't been for Buck, Merle and Wynn I'd have shut it all out of my mind. It didn't hurt that James Burton was on half those records - he provided a 'bridge' for me to cautiously start to explore the country genre.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 6 Apr 2011 8:50 am

I'm not anywhere close to a classic country purist. I just think that the songs aren't there, and so many of these "artists", namely Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Sugarland, and Zac Brown are smarmy, smug, and just really suck.

I agree with that. You don't need to be a country purist to see that today's so-called country music is not honest, roots country. It's a carefully put-together mixture of pop/rock or whatever else is trending, all formulated to sell to the maximum number of people in the public. The result is: the music has no soul, the songs are lame, and most of the singers are frauds.

When I hear Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Hank, Willy, and other Real country singers I hear honesty in their voices. I can tell that they have 'lived' the stories they are telling in their songs. I don't hear much of that in today's so-called country music. I hear a product that has been designed by the Marketing Dept.

I notice that every time we complain about the phony sound of country music today some members accuse us of being 'purists' and wanting to stagnate in the old country and not move ahead... Not true. We just want real, honest music. The stuff we heard the other night does not advance country music. It erases it.

Roger, I agree that we tend to forget the bad songs from the past and only remember the good, which tends to color our perception of the past. Truth be told... there were a lot of lame hit songs in the 60s and 70s!

By the way... have you heard that Lady GaGa is up for CMA female vocalist of the year?! And Steven Tyler is up for male vocalist of the year? I wish them both the best of luck! This will really expand country music and bring it to new audiences.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 6 Apr 2011 9:23 pm

I watched it so I would have a right to express my opinion.I thought it sucked the same as most of these so-called country award shows have for at least ten to fifteen years now. These are NOT country music shows. To any that think so go ahead [you have every right to be wrong]

YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

Gary Preston · Post by **Gary Preston** » 7 Apr 2011 6:19 am

WOW i'm shocked this thread is still open !

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 7 Apr 2011 7:07 am

Doug Beaumier wrote:
I'm not anywhere close to a classic country purist. I just think that the songs aren't there, and so many of these "artists", namely Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Sugarland, and Zac Brown are smarmy, smug, and just really suck.
I agree with that. You don't need to be a country purist to see that today's so-called country music is not honest, roots country. It's a carefully put-together mixture of pop/rock or whatever else is trending, all formulated to sell to the maximum number of people in the public. The result is: the music has no soul, the songs are lame, and most of the singers are frauds.

When I hear Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Hank, Willy, and other Real country singers I hear honesty in their voices. I can tell that they have 'lived' the stories they are telling in their songs. I don't hear much of that in today's so-called country music. I hear a product that has been designed by the Marketing Dept.

I notice that every time we complain about the phony sound of country music today some members accuse us of being 'purists' and wanting to stagnate in the old country and not move ahead... Not true. We just want real, honest music. The stuff we heard the other night does not advance country music. It erases it.

Roger, I agree that we tend to forget the bad songs from the past and only remember the good, which tends to color our perception of the past. Truth be told... there were a lot of lame hit songs in the 60s and 70s!

By the way... have you heard that Lady GaGa is up for CMA female vocalist of the year?! And Steven Tyler is up for male vocalist of the year? I wish them both the best of luck! This will really expand country music and bring it to new audiences.

Doug,

Your comments are well said. I agree 100%. I've come to accept that people are going to go among with what is being fed to them via the media. That's the easy way. The sad part is that I don't think they know the difference. Being open minded is easy.... it doesn't require any thought or knowledge of the subject at hand. It's when you have to focus on details and particulars that require one to know what they're talking about.

I'm open minded about sports. I don't know one player from the other, so it's just easier to accept them all as a group. However, I can recognize the difference between Jack Greene and Brad Paisley. I think one is country and the other is pop/rock. I won't say which is which in respect of the all accepting crowd.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 7 Apr 2011 9:01 am

The common thread I see is that the real stuff comes from the guys who had to grind it out five sets a night six nights a week,trying to make fake-o pop-schlock covers into something that worked live for the paying customer,and in so doing they brought out better music.Which was then picked up and re-created for the schlock market.It's been going on for a long,long time.
Think Pat Boone covering Little Richard.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 7 Apr 2011 9:57 am

i'm with doug on the honesty thing.
that's why even reba disappoints me now.
i actually think brad paisley is an honest humble picker whether you like his sangin' or not.
most newer songs lose me in their contrived, over-wordsy stories that i can't follow. jennifer nettles makes me cringe...and why is that weird guy always with her.
modern country has cheapened the words momma, daddy and pickup trucks. they used to mean something.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 7 Apr 2011 10:17 am

Chris,I like Jennifer Nettles,NOT as a country artist,She should be doing blues or rock,What I just can't understand why she is not a single artist,Can't see what that little dude with the stupid looking hat has to do with her music,she would be so much better without him. He MUST have a hell-a-va contract or have a lot of dirt on somebody in high places. Geez. YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 7 Apr 2011 10:33 am

yeah bama...i think it has something to do with their early contract fiasco...and now she's stuck with him and their money making scheme.

LJ Eiffert · Post by **LJ Eiffert** » 7 Apr 2011 2:01 pm

Well us one little PIGEON got to fly all over that ACM after party and most of them board members didn't like it because I was (the real history of the AC&WM/ACM )there. Let me tell you my good friend " Toby Keith " on the real deal side of that after party showed all them young students how the job gets done.

Leo J.Eiffert,Jr. & his Pigeons Band.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 7 Apr 2011 2:49 pm

I'm a huge fan of Toby's, not Jennifer.....doesn't matter what I think.

Steven Finley · Post by **Steven Finley** » 8 Apr 2011 9:37 am

I never even turned it on, I refuse to
give this junk any kind of tv rateing.

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