The Steel Guitar Forum

Pat, I guess it was sarcasm but not at your point of view nor anyone elses...I was just admitting the futility of trying to define it, as you were. Here's a bunch of smileys for you www.genejones.com <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 12 January 2002 at 11:54 AM.]</p></FONT>

John, here's a smiley for you too!

...Thanks, Gene...

GENERALLY speaking IMO there are three kinds of "country music" that can be loosely defined chronologically:

1)Traditional Country - pre 1960 -Everything called country at that time except Evis, Buddy Holly and a few others.

2)Country Rock - 1960 to 1980 Main differences: hopped up beat, efects and intruments.

3)Modern Country - post 1980 Which is not country music at all, by any stretch of the imagination. It is simply pop-rock. AKA Crap.

b0b said it best though.

Derby SD10, MSA D10,62 Strat
64 Deluxe, Nash 400

GENERALLY SPEAKING
ooooops! double post

sgm<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Steve Miller on 13 January 2002 at 04:14 PM.]</p></FONT>

<SMALL>No pain, No gain. My personal faves include, cryin, lovin, leavin, truckin, cheatin, and , oh yeah, Drinkin.</SMALL>

GLENN!!! What about MaMa?

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Steeling is still legal in Arizona

Ernest Tubb....pure country.

<SMALL>like the music that hippie long-hair drunken drug-addict Gram Parsons played... </SMALL>

Ahhhh-take away the long hair and you could easily be talking about Hank Sr, at least in terms of his tendency for substance abuse.

Actually, Parsons was pretty stone country-at least according to Chris Hillman, who oddly enough was regarded as the most country of the two, probably because of his skill on a mandolin. I can look up the actual quote, it's in a book I have here-but it's Hillman taking exception to Parsons reputation as the father of country rock (this bothered Hillman no end.) and he says something to the order of Parsons not having any rock in him at all-He was stone Country through and through.

I imagine there's no answer to this-at least not musically. There are those that would say anything beyond a I IV V progression is not classic country, but that would leave out the aforementioned Hank Sr.

It's a generational thing. The bands my niece listens to now that call themselves Rock bands are awful. Got one good song that got 'em signed and then they're gone. Bands I used to HATE in High School are better than what's on the radio now, and they all had longer careers. She thinks Destiny's Child is better than the Supremes. Ah well-she's wrong, but you can't tell her that.

I'm sure that there's the same thing at work here. Those that grew up on Hank Sr, ET, Conway, Loretta, etc call that country. I grew up on Gram Parsons, The Byrds, NRPS, Commander Cody, Jerry Jeff Walker, Michael Murphy, and Pure Prairie League. To me they're just as country as the rest of them. Trust me, one day Garth WILL be considered classic country by a large section of the public-probably because at least he used steel and fiddles.

John

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Fulawka D-10 9&5
"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by JB Arnold on 21 January 2002 at 01:53 PM.]</p></FONT>

Pat, at the risk of being argumentative, that "schmaltzy" stuff...lush arrangements with all the strings, didn't really start in the '50s, but rather in the early '60s with songs like "Crazy" and "I Fall to Pieces". Patsy's stuff from the '50s was decidedly more "country".

I'd have to say that "traditional country" would be something on the order of: a fairly simple melody line, lyrics that the more rural (read country) folks could identify with, and using a basic rythym section of drums, bass and rythym guitar, with at least one instrument providing the fills...be it either steel, fiddle, lead guitar or perhaps piano.

Of course not only people from the country like country music, but I think that would help to label it as traditional.

Then again, on the other hand...maybe not!

Lem