country music post

[anotheranon]

I've never really liked country music.

As a teenaged music snob I had an absolute abhorrence of it - there was just something too gosh darn earnest "mom and apple pie" about it for my gloomy gothy self to digest.

My opinion of it has softened somewhat: I like the fact that the Dixie Chicks told off our Commander and Thief (though I admittedly know little about their music), and I enjoyed some of Johnny Cash's music from "Walk the Line" ("Ring of Fire" particularly sticks in my head). But, there's still something else about the whole country music vibe that I've never liked, never been comfortable with, but never really been able to put a finger on or describe, because after all, apart from teenage angst there's nothing that awful about moms or apple pies...

Then I ran across this post by a Serbian country music fan transplanted to the U.S. who describes the music from an "outsider" perspective, and I think he might be on to something: traditional country music is written by and for "good ole boys", anxiously macho and tediously aching for the "good ole days" when men were men and women were either long-suffering mamas and wives or mean mistreatin' hussies who leave, taking the dog with them, or some such. What's there for me to identify with?

I'm not explaining this well, read the pile of lyrics over at the link and see if the gist of what blather I'm trying to cough up here makes sense :P'

Another jump lands you at this critique of country line dancing, which I've never participated in so I can't really confirm or deny the writer's findings (though I did attend a kick-ass rave that was held at a country/western bar after hours.... but that's a different story).

Tired now.

Comments

mostly tangenting

[geekchick]

You might find Rednecks and Bluenecks an interesting read. It's not earthshattering unless you think that all country artists are automatically good ol' Republican boys (they're not; listen to Rodney Crowell or James McMurtry, to pick a couple of examples that aren't the Dixie Chicks) but I thought it was an interesting read.

I used to say I couldn't stand any country music, but long years of exposure to and enjoyment of folk music have let me appreciate it a bit. Not all of it -- if there's going to be any boots in asses involving Toby Keith, it's gonna be mine in his -- but there are some really good artists out there. And Johnny Cash has always kicked ass. =)

Re: mostly tangenting

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the book recommendation :) It's nice to know that the stereotypes aren't true across the board!

Re: Johnny Cash: I give the guy mad props for embracing the creative even though it was way after his generation - he covered NIN and Depeche Mode which most people his age would never have touched, and he did them well!

Re: mostly tangenting

[geekchick]

Re: the book, the author writes for Entertainment Weekly, so it's full o'snark. ;) And going back to Amazon, they showed me this, which looks like it has potential to be interesting (although probably in an "I'll look for it at the library" sort of way).