Can We Still Play The Music We Love?

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

I was listening to some old Ray Price records today. It struck me how old-fashioned the lyrics must sound to today's youth. They must wonder how it could be sung with a straight face.

And yet it was! I learned to play steel to those tunes. We always tried to get that simple classic sound. Never quite did it, but we knew what we were shooting for.

Today, where can you even try to play like that? The audiences have changed. Chances are, only 10% of a "general public" audience would understand and appreciate the "heart of your sleeve" lyrics and presentation of classic country music.

Does anyone still do it?

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Bobby Lee (a.k.a. b0b) - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
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Jack Ritter · From: Enid, Oklahoma, USA

howdy,bob
yes,i still get to play the good ole classic country and for me, that is the only kind of country!!!i play every wednesday nite at the american legion for the ridgerunner band and have a good crowd about every nite
also play for the country pride band and play at the enid moose lodge and have great crowds and these people all love to 2 step,waltz,and schottisch, besides 50's rock. new years eve we had 350 to 400 there . and we had a blast!!!but you are right---the young crowds have changed. they don't know what they are missing.
let's keep it country and never let it die!!
thanx

Jack Ritter
Enid,okla
d10 zum,d10 carter-bbox-hilton vp-n-1000-n112 dd-3 delay-peterson tuner--and other stuff

Darryl Hattenhauer · From: Phoenix, Arizona, USA

bOb,

It seems that, like the kids, people in general don't appreciate a very wide range of music.

Blues, jazz, and classical don't sell worth beans. And the guy in the pick-up with the bumper sticker that says "If it ain't country, it ain't music" is missing as much as the guy in the low rider with that ridiculous bass that sounds like a deepwater whale with gas. Those who like rap don't even know what music is. Neither do the people listening to the formulaic pop country that's all squeezed out of the same tube. It's as mindless as all of these political commercials.

To me as a kid in the 60s, Ray Price was a crossover artist like Ray Charles. In those days, folk, bluegrass, blues, r&b, country, gospel and jazz were all proud of their difference from the others. Yet all of those have influenced each other. Radio makes it worse by segregating music because it continues to divide music by those old categories. I tell people about Perlowin's stuff, or Bobbe doing middle eastern music five years after 9/11, or all the steelers in other countries, and they look at me like I don't know night from day. I can't get anybody to listen to western swing. It's good to see that Jack's band plays schottisch. I think some of the best stuff is played in legion halls and on indie records where most people don't hear it.

So to me, the problem is not only being able to play traditional country, but to play anything good. I wish I could find a radio station devoted to good music of all kinds--for the good times.

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"Drinking up the future, and living down the past"--unknown singer in Phoenix

[This message was edited by Darryl Hattenhauer on 06 May 2006 at 06:46 PM.]

Larry Strawn · From: Golden Valley, Arizona, R.I.P.

b0b,
We still play mostly Classic Country, pick and choose on some of the new stuff.

If it's just the wife and I doing a duo at a Veteran or Fraternal org. we can play just about what we want to. [love those shuffels, and two steps]

If we take the whole band and play what I call a Commercial Bar, well then things are a little different. Makes me glad we don't do that to often anymore.

Larry

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"Fessy" S/D 12, 8/6 Hilton Pedal, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

Bill Terry · From: Bastrop, TX

I play with several different Austin area singer/songwriters pretty regularly, and none of them do any 'new' material other than their own. Generally, it's Merle Haggard, Ray Price, Johnny Bush, Hank Williams, etc. They just don't do top-40 radio stuff, and yet they stay busy.

I will say that the Central Texas area offers a lot of places to play where people appreciate classic country, that's probably not true everywhere.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

I like and play a lot of different styles of music, and do get to play a lot of the stuff I love - country, blues, bluegrass, jazz, rockabilly, Americana/folk-rock, and so on. But you're right - I live and perform a lot in a college town, and they expect edgier lyrics and attitude, and also a lot of original tunes. Blues, rockabilly, and so on are no problem - there's a built-in audience for that. But for country, I find Buck, Dwight, and especially Merle an easier sell. But if we Burrito-ize a Ray Price shuffle, it works - by this, I mean the lyrics are sung harder and twangier, and we play more aggressively. We sneak these into a more Americana context gig, and they go over fine.

Funny enough, the one thing we cannot do on a gig like this is play any modern country - our college crowd would lynch us at the mere mention of Garth Brooks. But if we want to play Hank Sr. or Merle Haggard, no problem. Neil Young or a countrified Phish tune? No problem. Skynyrd? Forget it. A total flip-flop from the local new-country southern-rock bar scene. These are people who are into Gillian Welch, Ryan Adams, Steve Earle, Old Crow Medicine Show, that sort of thing.

Now when I play out in the wilds of rural central PA to an older audience, it's more traditional. I like it all.

Darryl Hattenhauer · From: Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Yep. Texas has always been a place where people known their music, including blues, polkas, rock, swing, Tex-Mex.... Weldon Myrick, Tom Morrell, Reece Anderson, Junior Brown, Herb Steiner.... And don't even get me going on blues--Freddy King, Stevie Ray.... Austin City Limits! Bob Wills is still the king!

Jack Francis · From: Queen Creek, Arizona, USA

b0b, funny you should ask.

A few weeks ago the local newspaper here had an article about the mobile home resorts
problems with booking bands.

It seems that about half the folks coming to dances are complaining that they don't want to hear old standards, (Lawrence A-Welka etc.), they want 50', 60's rock and country.

The older folks it seems are croaking..won't be long for my peers and me either, I'd guess.

[This message was edited by Jack Francis on 07 May 2006 at 12:06 AM.]

Paul King · From: Gainesville, Texas, USA

When I play country I play the older country. I mean the Conway,Loretta,Tammy,Ray Price and others in that era. I work at a nursing home doing their maintenance and those folks are wanting people to come and play for them. They get more than their share of gospel so they want some good country. I have been able to play three times since December and they just love it. I get some friends together and we put together a few songs and jam. We take two steels, a bass guitar, rhythm guitar and drums. Occasionally there will be a lead guitarist. You want to play some good country where it is appreciated? Go play to the older folks at a nursing home and see how they love it. As far as the country music today, I hate 99% of it. Even the Grand Ole Opry is not Grand anymore IMHO.

Bob Hickish · From: Port Ludlow, Washington, USA, R.I.P.

b0b
yes ! we do , some of it is so old , its new .
I'm surprised how many young folks will listen
to us . we were even hired by a 20 something to
play a party for them & none of us will see 65
again .
figure that one !
Hick

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

"Traditional" (Old) country is all I play. We don't play to the "younger" crowd and the bandleader where I have my weekly gig (in the winter) is a Wynn Stewart fan and toured with Tommy Collins so all we do is the "old stuff". When I work with the Nasville talent - it's the older singers such as George Hamilton IV or Tommy Cash (I have a job this afternoon with Tommy Cash) so it's doing their songs which are all "old".

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Part of b0b's post referred to the lyrics of forty or so years ago, and he's right.

There's a loss of innocence everywhere, as I'm reminded when I sit down to watch an old movie on TCM. There was a naivete back then, and it was fine, because films - and music - were partly escapism. There seems to be no place for that now - it's all either mindless, or it's angst-ridden.

I rather doubt that 'The Sound of Music' would get made today, and our music charts reflect a similar cynicism.

RR

[This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 07 May 2006 at 10:11 AM.]

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Very good observation Bob. I think that music was targeted at the over 30's crowd in its time and more at the male market. Today the vast majority of country patrons are under thirty. I think that in order to play that music to the younger generation it has to be arranged and executed very well. Otherwise people will get bored. Things have changed in society. We play Americana/ New Country and some traditional. I am the one who usually arranges our traditional stuff. I insist on dynamics and harmony accurracy. Fortunately we have great players in our band.

basilh · From: United Kingdom

And what about the abundance of the word 'Gay' as in so many old songs. Such Innocence we had back then !!
Songs like "Gay Hawaiian Party"
I dread to think of the modern day connotations. !!

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David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

I can possibly find one band to play
all the music I like and can play.

My band here covers ;
Duke Elington, Bob Dylan, Aerosmith, Bob Marley,
assorted RnB and Doo wop, Hank Sr. lots of 60's phsycadelic rock, irish tunes,
even on Britany Spears...
to shut up young punters.

But it doesn't come close to playing most of what I love.

I just move from style to style over time
as opportunity allows.

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

I did something unusual today, I watched the all of the top 20 Country songs on T.V. My 23 year old daughter dropped in. She knew most of the songs. She said Durkes Bently was HOT. She especially like Raskal Flatts.
The Country Music of today is nothing like the Country Music of the past. I don't dislike the new stuff, but it does nothing for me as a musician. Most of the material sounds like the same band. Most of the time you never see that SAME band you hear on most of the hit songs. Instrumentation is totally different. Dominate lead instruments are out, in favor of rhythum guitars. Heavy drums sets with crashing cymbols are in. Tattered slopy clothes are in. Old people-over 30 are out. Dave, I have news for you, Garth Brooks is not modern country now. As a steel player, to me---to "Burrito-ize" Ray Price shuffle songs would be like turning myself into a bed wetting Communist. Then again, I don't play for a living like I used to have to.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

"Today, where can you even try to play like that? Does anyone still do it?"

Yes, as a matter of fact, I'll be doin' it this weekend, filling in for Curry Coster. The band he plays with every weekend ("Real Country") does about 98% classic '60s country music. My band ("Southern Delight") does about the same ratio, although we don't work nearly as often, only 4 or 5 dates a year.

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

Where I live, the Branson area, there is are no night clubs playing any country music. The only place you can go see a country music band is a Show in Branson. Branson Shows that feature different types of entertainment, and music, out-number country music shows ten to one. Finding musicians who can play quality Ray Price type shuffle songs is not as easy as one might assume, even in a music area like Branson. There are lots of Bluegrass fiddle players, lots of swing fiddle players, but Ray Price type fiddle players are scarce as hen's teeth. The biggest problem is finding a drummer. Every drummer I have ever met thinks playing Pray Price drums is as easy as eating a piece of cake. None of them have a clue. Drummers in this area are surrounded with big expensive cymbols and an array of tom tom drums of various sizes. These drums cost a lot, and the drummers want to make darn sure they use everything they have paid for. To these drummers more is good. More banging cymobls, more banging tom toms. What you usually get from 99.99999% of drummers when you attempt to play a Ray Price shuffle is "SWING". Swing is NOT a Ray Price shuffle. We have started asking drummers to leave everything home, except a bass drum, high hat and snare. Nothing in the world will destroy a Ray Price tune quicker than a big crashing cymbol. Ray Price type shuffle music is still happening big in Texas. In Texas, people love fiddles and steel guitars. I still have not figured out why the cops have not closed down all the Texas Dance Halls, like they have closed all the dance halls in the rest of the country. Elsewhere people are fearful of having one beer because of a host of police waiting outside. This problem does not seem to close the Dance Halls in Texas. You can still buy CD's featuring great old Ray Price songs sung by new artists. The real problem is hearing NEW ORIGINAL Ray Price type songs done in Ray Price type shuffle. This is why I recently did a CD featuring NEW ORIGINAL Ray Price type shuffles. Doing, "Crazy Arms" or "Way To Survive" to ultimate perfection is great. This type of music will never progress unless new material comes out.
I had the guts to produce, and put my money behind, NEW SHUFFLE songs. I was warned by a lot of people to not do a CD with all new Ray Price Shuffle songs. I figured this type oof music is so old it is new. Check out sound samples of my CD at www.hiltonelectronics.com One other thing, I don't blame people for not liking older country. Most of the time when I hear it played, the musicians and singers are of poor quality. They try to perform the music without a fiddle or a steel guitar. It winds up sounding really un-professional. This is just my opinion, and sometimes my opinion is not shared by the majority.

[This message was edited by Keith Hilton on 07 May 2006 at 12:25 PM.]

[This message was edited by Keith Hilton on 07 May 2006 at 12:27 PM.]

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Most of today's country IS by the same band, isn't it?

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

But can we still love the music we play?

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Bob Hickish · From: Port Ludlow, Washington, USA, R.I.P.

We Played a gig today ! and we had
folks - I'm guessing here - say 30ish !
coming up an asking for tunes that reminded
them of there Mom or Dad ! - Old Country -
we knew most of the songs ! In My opinion ! "Real
Country" is not dead ! at least in this area , so
hang in there Guys , there is a place for us , and
I think its getting bigger .

Rick Collins · From: Claremont , CA USA

The music is only about half of the picture. The presentation is at least half, if not more.

When was the last time you saw a great country band, with a great singer, and with a great presentation?

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Wow Rick. Bingo. You got it.

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

A good starting point for a country musician would be learning how to tune their instrument. I hear so many trying to play country music when they have not mastered tuning their guitar. I have almost got to the point where I would rather play Ray Price shuffles without a drummer.

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