Don't You DARE Sound Like You -- UNLESS You Sound Like Him!

[Pappy P]

Bump for Mr. Molenda.

[Ricardo.]

I can't say "yes, yes, no" with conviction or enough supporting evidence either way. But it's a state of the industry that I'm fast coming up into, and I'll say it's pretty depressing to know you're headed into the Star War's Empire of a music industry.

 

The theory that if one appreciates well-done music, and is reasonably educated in music (at least at an amateur level), one would make an effort to seek out well-done music especially with the help of so vast a tool as the internet, no?

 

If this is true, then clones and static music cannot ever be completely in control, though they can admittedly retain the majority of it.

[Fumblyfingers]

Majority rules though, and today that really translates quick to the rest being lost in the shuffle. Just recently we were talking about Kings X....

 

There is good music to be found, but you do really have to dig for it. That is the good side of what the internet has to offer.

 

Short enough for you, Scatters me old mate?

[Ricardo.]

Bump.

[vikingrat]

Originally posted by fantasticsound:

I'm getting so sick and tired of comments like the bulk of this thread.

 

Someone makes a valid statement that there's a measurable amount of crap in country music today and all of a sudden the rats come out of the sewers to feast.

 

Like all genres, there's good stuff and crap. If you don't like it, don't listen. But don't come in as a country bashing, rock, jazz, or what-have-you listening consumer and come down on music you don't like in the first place.

 

Marty's a great musician and performer, but there was a time when people complained that he was watering down country along with his contemporaries. He shouldn't throw stones in his glass house, considering his lead player, Kenny Vaughn is firmly plugged in to the A-list of session players. Marty's music and that of his contemporaries has stood the test of time and Marty still makes great music with great players (Several of whom I'm acquainted with), but despite my own loathing for certain artists and the seeming cookie-cutter-ness of the industry as a whole, as usual I can find good stuff being released. Even some of the people that are vilified while their record sales are on top have redeeming qualities in some music.

 

I don't like Big & Rich. I can't stand the whole "Cowboy Troy" thing. Shania has some good songs but I could do without the dance floor mixes. I abhor Sara Evans hyper-pitch-corrected recordings (and live performances) and the fact she's a royal PITA to work with. All that and more said of what I don't like in today's country, the following is just as true.

 

Whether or not you think Tim McGraw is a poster boy for Country Hunk sans voice, he's recorded some great songs and done them well. He's wonderful to work with, too. The same is true of Brad Paisley and Kenny Chesney. Keith Urban is a fantastic singer, musician and performer whose album delivered at least 5 great songs and the rest are good. I've mixed sound for him and can attest to the fact this guy is a consumate professional, in his vocal and instrumental prowess.

 

Frankly, I'm not a fan of the music from today's rising female stars, but Carrie Underwood has a fantastic voice that was well recorded, even if I can't stand the lyrics to Jesus Take The Wheel. She has a great future ahead. There are others who will grow and hopefully make better song choices. We'll see.

 

I don't think everyone who knocks country is ignorant of what country is and was, but I wonder how many whiners here actually listen to country or have listened to country.

 

Again, if you don't like it, say so and move on. You don't hear me going on and on of how I think rap and what passes for R&B these days both suck, ad infinitum.

If the rats comming out of the sewer thing is directed at me,that means i got under your skin and i didn't mean to.My exposore to country came from my aunt and a family that i used to live with as a young teen.Funny enough i also got exposed to alot of good guitar playing from watching hee Haw on tv years ago.You are right in that im not hard core.I also get your point about the casual passer by talking smack about something they know very little about but if its any comfort this happens with metal and prog players all the time on this forum.Everyones an expert.

[MILLO]

State of the industry? How about state of the world? Gee, gentrification, homogenization, etc. are constant processes all over the world in all aspects of life--and they become more and more commonplace. From religion to grocery shopping to music to winemaking to clothing to slang to attitudes and behaviors, to architecture, urban planning and landscaping to movies, etc... And, following fashions and trends has ALWAYS being a huge part of pop culture/music, like that Hawaiian music craze in the early 20th century in the US (was it in the 1920's?).

 

I don't think this is a new phenomenon. It may simply be bigger, at a larger scale, than it was before, mainly because now everything is produced and consumed at a larger scale than before.

 

And this is the same problem there's in rock music, everyone trying to cop this Mesa-like sound w/ octave-driven riffs, etc.

 

Who's to blame? Small attention span and the need for instant gratification brought forth by an overflow of information and/or products? The audiences, the music labels, corporate radio, MTV, satellite radio? Are you going to tell people to stop buying the "shit that sells" and instead buy the "good stuff"? Will then everything sound like that "good stuff"? Should everyone support individuality?

 

I've never heard anyone say: "be like everyone else, individuality is a bad thing", commercials always say "be yourself" or "express yourself". Yet, some may argue everyone dislikes being too different, like subliminally the messages are saying "be yourself by being like everyone else". Is everyone BUYING the same stuff and PLAYING and SOUNDING the same as others as a way of trying to find an individual identity? Are we all just searching for the next big thing just to copy it?

[Tedster]

I used to be a country radio DJ. For years, I could tell one artist from another.

 

No longer. Marty Stuart is right.

 

Everyone's afraid to take a chance on something that will upset the formula.

 

In the late 70s/early 80s...Willie OWNED country radio. He was all over the radio, and if it wasn't his tune, he was singing a duet with whoever's tune it was.

 

Would Willie make it as a new country artist today?

 

Not only no, but hell no.

 

But, thank god for the folks at CMT, who see beyond the "safe barriers" of country music, and bring us such cool (in my book) artists like, for instance, Kathleen Edwards.

[vikingrat]

Not to get too out there but i think i kinda get the point your making there Millo.At least in part.The ideal of the world getting smaller is kinda scary.There is a need to force everything together in one big happy bag of shit.Anything that has some rough edges better get buffed out or get the hell out of dodge.I just keep thinking Zappa.Not to derail this topic but he kinda saw this comming from a mile off.The need to dumb stuff down to get the punters into it.The whole grunge thing showed that anything could be Marketed.And it wasn't the first time.Hippeys and the rest.Just don't upset the apple cart right?

[The Geoff]

You'll just have to get your heads round the word 'INDUSTRY'.

 

The MUSIC INDUSTRY.

 

Point is, INDUSTRY only exists to MAKE PROFIT.

 

Industry only sells that which is profitable (I've stopped shouting now, sorry!).

 

If Industry finds something which has been prifitable in the past, it will pursue the vending of that or something similar in the future as it is 'proven to have been successful'.

 

Accountants run Industry, not musicians (generally).

 

The segmentation of genres in US radio promotes this stereotyping too.

 

And the Public has a cloth ear.

 

Geoff

[Bbach1]

Originally posted by Editor Boy:

And yet, homogenization continues in ALL genres.

This is true to a point. What is marketable and sells is what our senses are inundated with daily on radio and tv. However, there are great musicians of all genres out there. They are not getting the public play time but they are out there.

[Gifthorse]

I think this attitude of milking something for all its worth has been amplified in the new millenium. Computer age..

 

I would love to see someone like Junior Brown get big. He is a true monster talent that gets overlooked by many, and he doesn't check his personality at the door.

 

I have been listening to Waylon Jennings lately (we were supposed to play with Shooter Jennings like 3 weeks ago but he cancelled).

 

Waylon is awesome and he has a style.

 

I don't listen to the country stations much cuz most of it is so generic. People who cite some of this new BS country now are the equiv of someone who likes smooth jazz saying they love jazz...

[Kramer Ferrington III.]

Originally posted by MILLO:

I've never heard anyone say: "be like everyone else, individuality is a bad thing", commercials always say "be yourself" or "express yourself". Yet, some may argue everyone dislikes being too different, like subliminally the messages are saying "be yourself by being like everyone else".

Yeah, precisely. Be an individual by rushing out like thousands of others and buying this car or this shirt or this gadget.

 

That's something that I believe was pioneered by Malcolm MacLaren, the Sex Pistols' manager. He managed to turn consumerism into an act of rebellion. You couldn't really be an official rebel unless you bought the right t-shirt from him.