The Steel Guitar Forum

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 7:42 am**

do you like this JUNK they call country music nowdays? I don't!
I hardly ever listen to the so called country stations anymore, all they play is this "new stuff" whatever you want to call it. it all sounds the same to me, even the singers sound alike.
Give me the Possume, the Hagg, Alan Jackson, George strait, Loretta, Patty, Connie. I like the traditional country singers.
whatever happened to Darrell Singletary? now that guy had a good country voice. I reckon he was too country huh?

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84 SKH Emmons Legrand D10
session 400'rd Steelin for my Lord.

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 7:52 am**

Terry, I agree totally. I hardly ever listen to radio any more that's why I bought the portable CD player for the car. It plays CD, MP3 and WMA so I take some of my CDs and pull off what I want and burn them to CD so I can hear what I want to hear. I don't want to listen to some clown tell me their name, frequency and tricky little hype for their station. I want to hear COUNTRY MUSIC.
Gere

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 8:39 am**

After decades of "living" for traditional country music, I no longer listen to any of that "new stuff".....
I've found some great CD's coming out of Texas with "our sounds" on them and they are really great tunes; NEW, yet with great Ray Price sounds as well as other long time favorites.

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 8:51 am**

If it sounds good to me, I will listen. Doesn't matter what type of music or what they call it. Plus, what sounds good to me today may not sound good to me tomorrow, and vice versa. an example would be Alan Jackson. I have always liked him a lot, but lately he has been getting on my nerves. Even the great steel playing on his songs isn't enough to keep me tuned. Now, a week from now, I may think he is the greatest again.

Edited to remove the attitude. Sorry guys.

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Carter D10 9p/10k, NV400
[This message was edited by Richard Sinkler on 19 August 2004 at 09:52 AM.][This message was edited by Richard Sinkler on 20 August 2004 at 06:25 AM.][This message was edited by Richard Sinkler on 20 August 2004 at 06:33 AM.]

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 9:03 am**

What about the stuff that passes for "rock" these days?

As I've said before, the demographic for "New Country" is 20- to 35-year-old women. The average steel player is a 50-year-old man. Do we really expect our daughters to share our tastes in music? Having raised four girls through their teens, I just say "Get real!".

On the other hand, if you want to attract younger women (for whatever reason

), maybe you should join a New Country band and just put up with the music.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/Hotb0b.gif" width="96 height="96">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 9:23 am**

Terry,
I am most definitely traditional. I have been a Johnny Cash impersonator for about seven years, now. On top of that, I pick and sing with a couple of elderly gentlemen in an all-traditional Country, Western, Swing, Blues, and Mambo band (pretty educational for me, I might add). I love Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, and I can hardly wait to talk to Tom Brumley and Jerry Brightman again in a couple of weeks! Hank Williams (Don Helms!) is a favorite of mine, as well as Ernest Tubb, Charley Pride, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Marty Robbins, Loretta Lynn, Chet Atkins, and even the more modern Alan Jackson, Allison Krauss, and, my personal favorite, Junior Brown. I feel that it's a real shame that Junior Brown never gets invited to perform at the Convention in St. Louis or in Dallas. Sure, he's a little different with his "guit-steel" and Ernest Tubb hat, but he packs the house wherever he's at. Anyway, back to the subject; I am 24, so it makes me an "odd-ball" to love this kind of Country music, but I do not care. I feel that my generation has lost touch with reality when it comes to music, style, and decency. That's one reason I love the steel guitar so much; there is hardly anybody my age who even knows what one looks like, much less sounds like. Terry, I think this is a great topic! Thank you for tolerating my long-winded thoughts. TAKE CARE!

Yours truly,
Tay Joslin
Newbern, Tennessee
U.S.A.

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 9:50 am**

Terry, You used a pretty bold word when you were talking about the country music of today, JUNK, so that is why I am agreeing with you 100%. I never listen to what is put out today regardless of who is playing steel on the CD. I prefer the older traditional country music like Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty and some of the other artists from days gone by. What could be more pleasant than listening to John Hughey on a Conway Twitty record or Hal Rugg on a Loretta Lynn record. I might add I used to watch the Grand Ole Opry but not any more. You could see Weldon Myrick in the camera shot on nearly every song and you could hear him as well. Now the Opry is not worth seeing or hearing IMHO. I know there are some who like the Opry and that is fine and I sure hold nothing against them for that. Plain and simple it is not for me just as the country music of today is not for me.

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 9:50 am**

.[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 17 November 2004 at 08:22 PM.]

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 10:19 am**

Anybody ever try to accompany Gregorian Chant with a pedal steel guitar?

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 10:27 am**

I feel that it's a real shame that Junior Brown never gets invited to perform at the Convention in St. Louis or in Dallas. Sure, he's a little different with his "guit-steel" and Ernest Tubb hat, but he packs the house wherever he's at

Tay, please don't assume that he, or anyone for that matter, has "not been invited" to play at these shows. For all we know, they may have a standing invitation, but guys like Jr. Brown are, as you say, packing them in by the thousands and are not necessarily interested in playing at steel guitar shows right now. It's not everyone's idea of a good time, as much as we might love to have them there...

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 10:59 am**

Mr. Jim,
You're absolutely right! I was wrong in suggesting that Junior Brown never gets invited to perform at the steel shows. However, it would give the steel guitar family a much needed shot-in-the-arm if he were to perform occasionally. I have seen him in Memphis twice, and the diversity of the audience in unreal! To cater to everyone, he will start off by playing the "Bonanza" instrumental, and then come to a pause and fire-up Jimi Hendrix's "Foxey Lady". What a riot! I feel that Junior does that to show the non-Country fans that you can still (or should I say "steel") have a blast with Country music. As far as Jimi Hendrix at a steel show, I doubt that would be appropriate. As far as Junior Brown at a steel show, the liberal media would have to take a peek at what the steel guitar is all about: TRADITION! Thanks again, Mr. Jim!

Yours truly,
Tay Joslin
Newbern, Tennessee
U.S.A.

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 11:06 am**

Well, Tay, Joe Wright has indeed played some Hendrix at steel guitar shows. He can get away with it... in small doses. But he is also a master of programming and knows that he MUST immediately follow it with a Ray Price shuffle, to keep people from walking out de do'!

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 11:12 am**

.[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 17 November 2004 at 08:22 PM.]

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 11:35 am**

It's all about money, boys. Much of the time, if you happen to be channel surfing and not watching which channel you're on, you'll think you're watching a rock video, only to discover you're on CMT. In addition to the invasion of young 'rock oriented' singers/groups, we also have a new generation of disc jockeys who wouldn't know traditional country music if it french kissed them...these are the same guys who wouldn't play Leann Womacks' "Here Comes Never Again, Again", saying she was TOO country...same thing happened to Sara Evans. The voices are still out there...Joe Nichols has an awesome 'country' voice as does Brad Paisley. No, I don't listen to todays 'country' radio. If you offered me a million bucks cash to name you the #1 song, I'd just still be broke. Compromises have to be made..I understand that...but I'll leave that up to whoever gives a rats rear. As for you Richard out there in Fremont or wherever, your attitude stinks like the Moffett cattle lot in Manteca.

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 12:06 pm**

I am big time tradional. However when I was younger, I played whatever the gig called for. I didn't like it, but I did what I was payed to do. I will say, playing different styles improved my playing. Today, if it ain't tradional, I ain't going. My idea of rock and roll is if you play "Waltz Across Texas " a little too fast. Jody.[This message was edited by Jody Sanders on 19 August 2004 at 01:08 PM.]

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 1:45 pm**

Traditional country for me is Jimmy Rogers, and sometimes with Louis Armstrong anf Kid Ory on a cut, when horns were still country.
New Orleans country.

There are so many "country traditions", it's hard to even fit a lable on one,
and call it tradtional.

If BIll Monroe or Mother Maybell didn't have it played in the band, it ain't traditional.

If Chet diidn't produce it it ain't country.[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 19 August 2004 at 02:47 PM.]

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 3:05 pm**

Jody,

I've been traditional country now for longer than I can remember and you said it a lot better than I could have .

I'm with you ( Jody ) 100 % and all the rest of the posters here that feel as I do about traditional country .

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 3:07 pm**

Honestly? I love traditional country. I am a huge fan of Hank, Bob Wills, Marty Robbins, and many others. However, right now my CD collection numbers somewhere just over 500 at last count. I also listen to Classical, Romantic, post-modern classical, contemporary classical, bluegrass, folk (especially the South American variety), popular country, alternative country, jazz, swing, fusion and probably many more genres and sub genres. Right now, because I am new to steel, I am listening to lots of Bob Wills, Junior Brown, Radney Foster, and Alan Jackson - when I want to listen to country that is.

I don't just love traditional country music. I just plain love music. And, yes I have Big & Rich's CD too and I'm proud of it >

Don

Edit: BTW, haven't we discussed this one before

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"When you come to a fork in the road, take it! ~ Yogi Berra

[This message was edited by Don Joslin on 19 August 2004 at 04:31 PM.][This message was edited by Don Joslin on 19 August 2004 at 04:32 PM.]

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 4:16 pm**

To Jim Phelps:
My personal regards if the comment on tradition rubbed you the wrong way, but consider the fact that there are a lot of steel players out of work right now because the "Clear Channel Country" movement has decided for it's audience that a steel guitar is too twangy. So, as a result, "twang" is now looked down upon in Nashville. If you have ever attended a steel guitar show, you already know that most of the performers play either Country, Western Swing, a little Jazz, a little Blues, and/or a little Hawaiian. Those genres all have one thing in common: they are the sounds of yesteryear, which in turn constitutes tradition. I love Junior Brown, but he pushes the envelope when it comes to playing the steel guitar; that's great! He's doing all of us a huge favor and probably doesn't even know it. Tradition is the topic here, and that's what the few and proud of us are here to uphold. Tradition should never be taken offensively. Music is merely a domino effect; everything spawns from a previous factor. In conclusion (back me up here Jim Cohen and Don Joslin), tradition always needs a few more delegates, so join us, step up to the plate, and let's all go to bat for the sake of tradition. Was that too sickening? Well, so be it. Thank you for listening to my beef, and now back to you, liberal media. Just remember: "Twang is good!"

Yours truly,
Tay Joslin
Newbern, Tennessee
U.S.A.

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 4:39 pm**

tradition always needs a few more delegates

With all due respect, I must disagree. The steel guitar's problem is that there are too many players adhering to tradition. We need more Robert Randolphs and Susan Alcorns and Chas Smiths who are breaking with tradition and creating new and different music with our instrument.

I'd like to relate a few incidents. The first was that I went to a local jazz radio station with an armload of LPs including Minors Allowed. Doug and Bucky, Steel Guitar Jazz, and Maurice Anderson's Sextet Sessions with Tom Morrell. I told the program director I'd donate them to the station if he would occasionaly play some of them on the air. The man practically threw me out of his office. He explained to me as if I was a child that his station did not play country and western music. I tried to tell him that these were not country and western records, but he refused to even listen.

The other 2 concerned my "Firebird Suite" CD. I attempted to make contact with 2 different college music professors to tell them about the CD and how I had transcribed classical music for the steel. Both refused to even listen to the CD. They "knew" without hearing it that I interpreted the music country style, because as far as they were concerned, that's the only kind of music the steel is capable of playing.

I also got the same reaction from a well known jazz guitarist when I attempted to befriend him.

I don't blame these people for their ignorance. I blame those players who cannot see past the latest Nashville licks, and who subscribe to the "if it ain't country it ain't music" mentality.

Tradition has it's place, but this insistance that we all have to slavishly adhere to it is what's killing our instrument.

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 5:06 pm**

Regarding the issue of whether it's right or wrong to insist that the psg should be thought of in a "traditional" vein, I have absolutely no opinion on one way or the other.

However, I don't understand the general school of thought that says, "we (steel players) as a group should promote our instrument by making it more mainstream, or popular, or whatever, etc. etc."

I'm not saying that school of thought is a bad thing or a good thing. I just don't understand what's to gain by it. Is it because the psg is in danger of extinction? That doesn't seem likely to me.

For example, the bagpipes are not exactly what I would call "mainstream," but they're FAR from becoming extinct. Moreover, I'd say that the bagpipes have been hopelessly and irretreivably pigeon-holed as a "traditional" instrument (I don't often hear them in mainstream or popular music -- or hardly any music for that matter). Yet, I expect that bagpipes will be around for quite some time to come.

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 5:19 pm**

.[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 17 November 2004 at 08:22 PM.]

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 5:21 pm**

"As far as Jimi Hendrix at a steel show, I doubt that would be appropriate."

Tay,
I would think not. I am sure there is some rule about the dead attending the convention.

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 6:20 pm**

It's sad but true, I don't like trad. country, or new country SONGS. I love the instrumentation and musicianship and talent, but the songs just don't move me . I do love the sound of steel, which is why I'm here. 60's 70's country rock is what I lean to. Please don't hate me!

Posted: **19 Aug 2004 6:22 pm**

, Keep your steel tuned R.L.Jones [This message was edited by R. L. Jones on 21 August 2004 at 06:05 PM.][This message was edited by R. L. Jones on 22 August 2004 at 07:22 AM.][This message was edited by R. L. Jones on 22 August 2004 at 07:23 AM.][This message was edited by R. L. Jones on 22 August 2004 at 06:34 PM.][This message was edited by R. L. Jones on 26 August 2004 at 11:45 AM.]

The Steel Guitar Forum

Be honest, are you traditional Country or-------

Be honest, are you traditional Country or-------