Brent Mason about Nashville

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 6 Jun 2009 4:38 pm

Brent talks about the change to R'n'R country music.

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/P ... nside%20S/

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 6 Jun 2009 5:52 pm

"Country has changed to 70's rock and roll" That's what I've been saying for a long time. Maybe now that Brent says it, it will be taken seriously.

If you're a new country fan, you really need to listen to this interview. It will teach you, direct from one of the most in demand session players of today, what this music really is.

More power to you Brent, you're making big bucks, and you deserve every penny of it. You are a super picker. Thanks for telling it like it really is.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 7 Jun 2009 2:41 am

Brent didn't diss any music, he more described what is happening these days and what he personally can bring to the table as the premium session player. I really like what he said about wearing many hats, and he is the prime example of that, he is a Guitar player first , genre comes after that. Oh and by the way, I have seen and heard him up close, probably too close, as he says he likes to play loud let me assure you , he can and does. Dual Twins crankin' out in a small club...

Now I would agree that "radio" country has changed but there is still some great Country Music coming out of Nashville, but it appears we will probably never hear it !

I have no problem with music growing and becoming more current, but when it has been turned around into another genre and still referred to as Country that's a problem for me and evidently many others.

Some of the new era Bluegrass bands are way different than the early era Bluegrass bands but they are great, staying in the tradition of the music, adding great players and really great vocalists. These bands actually know and respect where they come from. Kinda sad that the so called NEW country revolution didn't do the same thing and maintain the basic elements .

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 7 Jun 2009 8:43 am

Good interview. I didn't hear him diss any music either, not at all. I also don't think it's any news that a lot of this music sounds like 70s and 80s rock. But I basically agree with Tony on this:

Some of the new era Bluegrass bands are way different than the early era Bluegrass bands but they are great, staying in the tradition of the music, adding great players and really great vocalists. These bands actually know and respect where they come from. Kinda sad that the so called NEW country revolution didn't do the same thing and maintain the basic elements.

Of course, some artists have maintained the basic elements - Brad Paisley, Josh Turner, and others come to mind. But right at this time, the mainstream center of the 'new country' style seems, to me, to be headed in a direction where it will be hard to distinguish it from anything else. On the other hand, maybe it's just part of the cycle and that pendulum will swing. I hope so, because I think if it really becomes indistinguishable, it will lose its raison d'etre.

I have said this many times - follow the lead of the bluegrass folks. I think they have the right concept for the future of their music. I think it helps that a single figure - Bill Monroe - set the tone for so many decades, and his legacy has so much credibility among musicians of different styles.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 7 Jun 2009 11:02 am

Its not country. Its rock.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 7 Jun 2009 2:36 pm

I like what Brent said, being a chameleon wearing different hats!

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 7 Jun 2009 8:16 pm

"It's not country, it's rock"........ I'll have to respectfully disagree with that!

I don't care what type of music you listen to, it all evolves and country is continually evolving, just get on board and quit living in the past.....

Back in the thirties and early forties when Roy Acuff, Uncle Dave Macon, and some of those guys were the stars of the Opry, that was thought of as mainstream country music. Drums? Never in a million years! The first time Bob Wills appeared on the Opry he had to have his drummer behind a curtain I'm told. People thought that he and a little later, Ray Price, and some of those guys weren't country either as they were too "UP TOWN" for their tastes. Hell, when Ernest Tubb used an electric guitar on his records some folks thought he'd committed a mortal sin.

I'm sixty nine years old and started listening to country music in the forties, started playing in the fifties, started doing it professionally in the sixties and have always tried to keep my licks and tastes up to date and always will. When you live in the past you're just one thing OLD!!! Yeah, OLD!!! Now I think I'll go listen to a Taylor Swift CD followed by one of Buck Owens'.....It's all good!....JH in Va.

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 7 Jun 2009 9:08 pm

Jerry,

Did you listen to Brent's interview? What's interesting is that one of the top guitar players in Nashville, states plainly that what he's being required to play is 70's rock. It doesn't really matter, if a person enjoys the music or not. What's important to me is that someone from the "inside" admits that what he's playing is not country. Yes, all music evolves, but the new Nashville sound is not an evolution of country, it's simply playing rock and calling it country.

If you sing "Whole Lot A Shaking Going On" and call it gospel, is it gospel? I think not.

My whole concern is not wheather the music is good or bad. It's obvious that there's a lot of fans for the new country sound, and that's good for them. I'm just glad that Brent had the backbone to call a spade a spade. I'm sure he's studied guitar players from Chet Atkins, Leon Rhoads, to Eric Clapton, and therefore knows the difference between country and rock, and he set the record straight.

When Bill Monroe appeared on the Opry in 1939, he was first referred to as a country artist, but they soon recognized that his music was not the same as the other Opry stars, and not the same as old time Dave Macon, etc... music, so they termed it Bluegrass.

Just my obersvation, submitted with all due respect.

Scott Shipley · Post by **Scott Shipley** » 7 Jun 2009 9:23 pm

Brent Mason is a fantastic guitar player, and everything he does is always appropriate to the song. Always tasteful, but I would have a hard time labeling what he's playing as 70's Rock. Rock, maybe, probably the most accurate description, but not 70's. IMHO.

Rick, you probably know this but already but some may not. The first time Big Mon appeared on The Grand Ol Uproar in '39, he played guitar and not mandolin!

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 7 Jun 2009 10:27 pm

Rick Campbell wrote:Jerry,

Did you listen to Brent's interview? What's interesting is that one of the top guitar players in Nashville, states plainly that what he's being required to play is 70's rock.

Wrong! What Brent said was "Recordings in Nashville kinda sound like 70's Rock records" Go back and listen to the interview again.

Jerry Hayes wrote: I don't care what type of music you listen to, it all evolves and country is continually evolving, just get on board and quit living in the past.....

I agree with jerry on music continually evolving. You either like it or you don't but you gotta get on with it and not stay stuck in the past. All the good old classic stuff is still there to enjoy.

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 7 Jun 2009 10:28 pm

Duplicate post...

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 7 Jun 2009 10:29 pm

Triplicate post...

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 8 Jun 2009 7:41 am

Yeah - as I said earlier, I agree with Brent's statement that it sounds similar to 70s (I think especially the more laid-back west-coast variety, Bob Seger, and so on) but some even 80s rock. The first time I heard Travis Tritt, I said to myself, "Geez, it's Bob Seger with fiddles and steel guitar - cool." But I agree that it's not exactly 70s or 80s rock to my ears. It's typically a bit more laid back, and some of it has maintained connections to older country music. Anybody really into classic rock like this would notice the difference immediately. But if you're not into classic rock, you might zone in on the distorted guitars and more rockin' feel and not really notice the difference. I think a lot of this is perceptual.

The other thing is - it strikes me - that country music has had a wide range of styles for a pretty long time now. There's a big difference between the hardcore honkytonk country of the 50s and 60s and the more countrypolitan sound that developed in Nashville in the 60s. Seems to me that someone doing a lot of studio work would have to be able to be a chameleon to a large extent. I don't see that as negative in any way - quite to the contrary. Look at guys like Hank Garland, who played zillions of country sessions but was also one of the planet's finest jazz guitarists (and also one of my absolute favorite guitarists ever, bar none).

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 8 Jun 2009 10:10 am

Ok, so it sounds like Rock. Duh, music is an audio media, so what it sounds like is what it is. Play on.

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 10 Jun 2009 3:15 am

I sure an glad we have freedom here in the states. If you do not like any particular type of music you do not have to listen to it. I personally do not like country music today. I prefer the 60's and 70's country and sad to say even it is hard to find on radio today. I just do not listen to todays country. I may be living in the past in the music I like but sure not in other areas. Even church music has changed today and I do not like it either and sure do not listen to it.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 10 Jun 2009 12:05 pm

this argument's been going on since hank williams.
brent is very cool and just makes it clear that good pickers like to play, can play, and will play...what sounds good for whatever project. i'm limited to what i can play, not what i want to play. we're very lucky that psychedelic experimentation occurred...we now have a much larger tone base to draw from. there are acid tinged goose bumps that never would have occurred if jerry garcia, as one example, hadn't tried singing and playing on acid. same goes for commercial graphics...

Geoff Brown · Post by **Geoff Brown** » 18 Jun 2009 3:00 am

Country music has always had an identity "issue". It's probably the most "derivative" of all the genres. And for that reason, it's definition is open to wide interpretation (and much debate). Perhaps the term,"Americana" would have been better from the get-go, in describing the genre.

Charles French · Post by **Charles French** » 26 Jun 2009 3:54 am

Most all genre's of music have gone through the same changes. Take for instance blues or r&b, what's being labeled as blues or r&b today is far from what I perceive as such. A simple way to label genre's is like Sirius 40's-50's-60-s - Country= 40's-50's-60's etc.

Now everyones's happy.

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 26 Jun 2009 8:01 am

Charles French wrote: A simple way to label genre's is like Sirius 40's-50's-60-s - Country= 40's-50's-60's etc.

Now everyones's happy.

I see your point, but it's not really that simple. Actually, it's either country or it's not..... doesn't matter what decade it was/is played. Justin Trevino and Amber Digby are country and their music is current, lot's of new songs, but still country. You play 80's rock nowdays and call it country, but that don't make it country to anyone that knows the difference. So the timeline theory don't hold water. The best country on XM is Willie's place, but I've noticed that they are having some contamination lately.

Anyway, my point was not about genre crossover, etc... it was simply that Brent Mason stated that what he's paid to play is closer to his rock and roll teachings than country.

I do agree, we can all be happy. There's enough different sounds around to have something for everybody. We don't have to agree on everything to be friends.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 26 Jun 2009 10:28 am

Brent plays what fits the track session.

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 26 Jun 2009 11:00 am

Theresa Galbraith wrote:Brent plays what fits the track session.

I agree. That's my whole point. Brent says rock sounding guitar is what he's paid to play, as opposed to country. Hey, if that's what the producer wants, he's the boss. Do what puts the bread on the table. That's what any good session player should do. Nothing to question here.

I'm sure they hire Brent because he's good at that kind of music without much coaching. He's such a good player, I'm sure he could play good country licks too...if he feels them. I really admire and respect Brent's enormous talent, and knowledge of different kinds of music.

Joe Miraglia · Post by **Joe Miraglia** » 27 Jun 2009 11:03 am

Thats great! And all this time I thought I was playing country music on the Pedal Steel Guitar, for last 8 years with Willow Creek.Now I'm told its Rock and Roll. Move over all you rock and roll guitar players,here comes little old Joe and his pedal steel,playing ROCK AND ROLL. Joe, Ps.
Tonight I think I'll tell the band to change the name of our band , it sound too country.

wwww.willowcreekband.com

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 27 Jun 2009 6:20 pm

Yeah Joe.
Just call it the Willow Creek Stone Band and you'll be hip. Or is it hep. Oh wait, maybe it's mod. Ah, I give up. New Country. Yea, that's it.