Commentary on the American Music Awards
Erik
AMAs, this little piece hit the nail right on the head. It just makes me
wonder, though, what the author would say to those who would call him and
people like him "closed-minded" or accuse him and his ilk of being against
"evolution of the genre."
American Music Awards featured "country'' acts, not country music
By PETER COOPER
Staff Writer
published: January 14, 2001
The American Music Awards were televised last week, which meant we had the
opportunity to witness:
Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears lip-syncing (badly). If dancing is a
musical skill, why isn't Mikhail Baryshnikov ever up for a Grammy?
One of the guys from The Sopranos introducing Aerosmith as "the most
explosive force in the history of rock 'n' roll." Really, that's what he said.
3 Doors Down lead singer Brad Arnold talking like an excited, drawling
Mississippian from the podium, then singing with a pronounced European accent
from the stage.
Three performances from country radio stars, but not one note of country
music.
Let's place the first three above incidents in the "someone else's
problem"
category and think long and hard about the fourth.
Look, each of the acts did quite well:
Martina McBride was the show's most impressive performer of any genre,
delivering an open-throated, powerhouse vocal on adult rocker It's My Time.
An ever-enthusiastic Billy Gilman drew a standing ovation after nailing the
last high note on One Voice. The third "country" act, SHeDAISY, employed
heavy metal guitars and scratching, hip-hop flourishes and proved much more
believable and interesting than on last year's Country Music Association
awards.
But watching the show and calling any of these performances "country" is
like
eating a steak and calling it asparagus. We're not talking about pop-country
or progressive country or anything of the sort. A hound dog couldn't sniff
country on these folks.
Shock Goth rocker Marilyn Manson followed SHeDAISY. He was no less
country than they were.
The sucking sound you hear is Music Row execs drawing in a collective
breath before saying, "Yes, but ...":
"Yes, but, what's the harm in presenting country artists to a national
audience of youngsters in such a way that the music doesn't sound grating or
ultra-rural? The AMAs are so youth-oriented that Celine Dion's win in the
adult-contemporary category didn't even make the telecast."
Industry insiders often note the need to attract new listeners to country
music, but what we're talking about here is blatant misrepresentation.
If we attract new listeners to country music by offering them pop music, the
newbies will be none-too-impressed when they hear an Alan Jackson song. It's
like the scene from Casablanca where Captain Louis Renault asks what brought
Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) why he came to the city of Casablanca.
"I came to Casablanca for the waters," Bogart replies.
Confused, and well aware that Casablanca has no waters, Renault exclaims
that the city is smack dab in the middle of the desert. Bogart dryly answers,
"I
was misinformed."
In Nashville, we have a Country Music Association and a country music
industry. Yet we seem to blindly accept that Shania Twain's Def Leppardish
drums or Billy Gilman's Star Search-y One Voice are country, merely because
the songs are played on country radio and a portion of the retail proceeds
end up in Tennessee wallets.
"But isn't this really just a matter of innovation, like the symphonic
pop
string arrangments that sounded awfully pretty on Patsy Cline's records?
Wasn't the fuzz-toned rock guitar a good thing on Marty Robbins' Don't Worry?
Doesn't it sound good when contemporary artist Clay Davidson lets his
Southern Rock roots show?"
The difference is that Cline, Robbins, Davidson and scores of others have
successfully tweaked the genre's commonly accepted norms. Innovation in
country music sometimes means helping the tree to grow new branches.
At the AMAs, though, the tree was chopped and chipped and the roots were
removed. Then someone put an aluminum pole where the tree once was and called
it ... a tree.
The country music industry is faced with an important choice: offer some
sort
of discretion about what it promotes as "country," or allow the term to
become nothing but a catch-all phrase vaguely defined as "anything that
suburban radio listeners ages 25-54 won't immediately turn off upon hearing."
Some will still argue, "So what?" So what if country artists are allowed
enough creative elbow room to try out new sounds and influences? Wasn't
SHeDAISY just having fun by presenting a fresh new arrangment of their I
Will, But ... song?
Certainly, musicians have every right to make whatever sort of music they
choose, as evidenced by excellent recent pop albums by country legend Emmylou
Harris and ex-Nashville vocalist Shelby Lynne. Judging by the trio's AMA
performance, SHeDAISY might be a whiz-bang pop act.
But if country means "whatever," it really means nothing at all. It's
nothing
more than an asparagus steak, or Bogart's mythical desert seaside, and the
fan base is likely to further recede. No one goes to an Italian restaurant
hoping for tacos.
Erik
"I like George Jones, Willie and Waylon, I think Kris and Merle are songwritin'
saviors"--Cory Morrow
"God bless Texas, Country Music, Rednecks, Aggies, Taco
Cabanas, and of course, Jim Bob Jumpback!"--Nshvlbrat
Farmboy 24/7
Erik wrote in message <20010124203428...@ng-fi1.aol.com>...
> It just makes me
>wonder, though, what the author would say to those who would call him and
>people like him "closed-minded" or accuse him and his ilk of being against
>"evolution of the genre."
He would probably have a good, sound, honest explanation for them too.
SMHOME2
Sue
elen
Elen
Country Boy
Robbins & Patsy Cline and today. A lot happened in between. If the writer
took some of that into account, he'd understand what's happening now.
But my view is that there's a huge gap growing between radio and the record
labels. Each group is mainly focusing on its own self interest. Neither is
overly concerned with things like heritage, history, or tradition. The
labels want to sell their music, and the radio stations want to sell
commercials. And both groups are battling to get the attention of consumers
who are being bombarded by hundreds of messages from a variety of media
trying to get them to buy.
"Erik" <stra...@aol.comspamthis> wrote in message
news:20010124203428...@ng-fi1.aol.com...
This Velvet Glove
> ... Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears lip-syncing (badly). ...
"Believe nothing, that you're told" - Supertramp
This Velvet Glove
+- +- +- +-
elen <ele...@mediaone.net> wrote in message
news:3A6F90FC...@mediaone.net...
Clark Reid
clear now. The poor misguided fool.
At least you didn't get pompous about it.
Clark Reid
www.clarkreid.cjb.net
"Country Boy" <UDL...@prodigy.com> wrote in message
news:94ocob$5b4m$1...@newssvr06-en0.news.prodigy.com...
Balecox
overly concerned with things like heritage, history, or tradition. >>>
But some are certainly willing to keep on trying.
I probably shouldn't post this because all the Garth bashers will jump out, but
along these lines....
Tyler England Gets Help From Brooks
By JIM PATTERSON
.c The Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - For years, singer Tyler England tried to downplay his
ties to Garth Brooks, country music's biggest star.
Brooks has been England's friend since college, and England played guitar in
Brooks' band for six years. Then England left for a solo career in 1994,
determined to make it on his own.
But when his career stalled after two albums, he decided it would be better to
make it with some help from Brooks than not make it at all.
``If you can't get out of the guy's shadow, just ride on his shoulders for a
while,'' England said. ``And I guess that's kind of what I'm doing.''
His new strategy has paid off with a new album, ``Highways & Dance Halls,''
produced by Brooks, who acted as matchmaker for England and Capitol Records.
``Highways & Dance Halls'' is a fine traditional country album. The surprise is
that England and Brooks have made an album that recalls George Strait or Don
Williams, not Brooks. It even includes a song Strait recorded, ``Blame it on
Mexico.''
Particularly pleasing are a pair of songs by Bruce Robison, ``Travelin'
Soldier'' and ``She Don't Care About Me.''
``It's stone country,'' Brooks said. ``I told him it's a shame that the dance
halls aren't around like when I had my first album out, because this is a dance
hall record.''
England, who was raised in Oklahoma City, got his love of country music from
his grandfather Ed Lester, who taught him to play guitar. England met Brooks at
Oklahoma State University, and the two aspiring musicians made a pact that if
one became successful, he would help the other.
Brooks made good on the pledge in 1988 when he got a record deal with Capitol.
He hired England as his guitar player, and England became a popular sidekick.
When Brooks took a break at the end of 1994, Tyler recorded his first solo
album. ``Ty England'' was released by RCA in early 1995, garnering good reviews
and the hit single ``Should've Asked Her Faster.''
``I knew and the world knew that I probably got my record deal because I was in
Garth's band,'' England said. ``And that's cool. But from that point forward, I
wanted to try and earn as much credit as I could on my own.''
But on the road, both fans and industry insiders assumed that Brooks was paying
the bills, England said. ``So what I ended up doing is denying myself a great
friendship.
``I didn't do a duet with him, even though he asked me for each of my albums. I
didn't open his shows, even though he invited me to do every show he did after
I left.''
Now England recognizes the mistakes he made.
``The idea that I turned down so much exposure, and then got no credit for it,
discouraged me greatly. It also made me feel really stupid. You know, how dumb
could I have been?''
England was dropped by RCA when his second album, ``Two Ways to Fall,'' didn't
sell.
``I moved back home to Oklahoma three years ago feeling fully defeated,'' he
said. ``I got the newspaper, and I searched high and low for a profession I
could ... be passionate about. For three months I searched. I found nothing
that I wanted to do.''
Again, he got a call from Brooks.
``Garth called me and he said, `Buddy, I feel like you haven't had the chance
you deserve to have. And if you want it, I want you to have it. And I'll try
and help you get it.'''
Brooks helped England get signed to Capitol; England asked him to produce the
album. Brooks thought about it for two weeks - and then agreed.
England has made some changes: He's using Tyler instead of Ty to avoid
confusion with Ty Herndon. He's singing in a lower register. And the music is
harder country.
``The magic of Garth Brooks as my producer was simply, he knew things about me
from years past,'' England said. ``Garth's probably the only guy in the world
that knows that the first song I ever sang with him was `Listen to the Radio'
by Don Williams. He knew what my niche was, and he knew what my comfort zone
was. He let me just sit in the middle of it.''
First single ``I Drove Her to Dallas'' will be the indicator whether ``Highways
& Dance Halls'' will revive England's career.
``Boy, do I ever feel the pressure,'' he said. ``I just turned 37. I've done
this since I was 26. So this is my profession. And still, I'm trying to decide
if I'm going to make it in here or not. It's tough for me to face up to the
fact that I could have to go find another way to provide for my family.
``Thank God, Garth called, that's all I can say.''
Balecox
http://members.aol.com/catradhtem/satan.htm
http://members.tripod.com/hturTehT/
http://web.infoave.net/~rkanderson/spectrum/red/weird_al/trolls/stan.htm
Country Boy
"Clark Reid" <clar...@xtra.co.nz> wrote in message
news:ATQb6.815$4a.16...@news.xtra.co.nz...
> Oh I see, it's just that the writer doesn't understand... it all becomes
> clear now. The poor misguided fool.
>
> At least you didn't get pompous about it.
>
I'm learning. Or you're getting used to me.
What background does this writer have in country music? Do you know? Or
do you think his writing should not be challenged because you agree with it?
Country Boy
"Balecox" <bal...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010125053828...@ng-ch1.aol.com...
> >>> Neither is
> overly concerned with things like heritage, history, or tradition. >>>
>
> But some are certainly willing to keep on trying.
>
I agree.
This Velvet Glove
of lies)?
+- +- +- +-news:20010125054027...@ng-ch1.aol.com...
[SPAM-SNIP!]
Clark Reid
there was a misunderstanding... you simply jumped in, deciding because you
don't agree with him, that he must have some level of misunderstanding. I
thought that was both arrogant and pompous.
It is quite possible the writer had a firm and total understanding of the
situation and drew his own conclusions.
You disagree with that, that's fine, your entitled to, BUT to just jump in
and say "what the writer doesn't understand" was a bit bolshy. I didn't see
that he had written enough for you to gauge any level of understanding about
him. In my view he seemed to understand things quite well. While not
agreeing with everything, I still didn't find him in any way ignorant.
Clark Reid
www.clarkreid.cjb.net
"Country Boy" <UDL...@prodigy.com> wrote in message
news:94qsp1$74u8$1...@newssvr05-en0.news.prodigy.com...
Balecox
of lies)?<<<
http://members.aol.com/catradhtem/satan.htm
http://members.tripod.com/hturTehT/
http://web.infoave.net/~rkanderson/spectrum/red/weird_al/trolls/stan.htm
Ritaloves3
>Date: 1/26/01 7:30 AM Eastern Standard Time
>
>http://members.aol.com/catradhtem/satan.htm
>
>http://members.tripod.com/hturTehT/
>
>http://web.infoave.net/~rkanderson/spectrum/red/weird_al/trolls/stan.htm
Enough already, Balecox! We get the message.
Balecox
<<<
You will never get any message....
D. Lawrence
foreigner.
Clark Reid <clar...@xtra.co.nz> wrote in message
news:6D9c6.1085$4a.42...@news.xtra.co.nz...
Clark Reid
arrogant indignancy
Clark Reid
www.clarkreid.cjb.net
"D. Lawrence" <D.Law...@lawrencesmail.com> wrote in message
news:94suht$cq1o$1...@newssvr06-en0.news.prodigy.com...
Funk Soul Brother
Funk Soul Brother
> >>>Enough already, Balecox! We get the message.
> <<<
>
> You will never get any message....
"Straw man" arguement.
Stan - http://stansqncrs.8m.com/
"I don't care, what you say, Nothing's gonna change me anyway" - owsley
+- +- +- +-
"Rope the Moon" - John Michael Montgomery
http://darkside.4mg.com/
"If you believe, they put a man on the Moon" - R.E.M.
"[somebody found the Moon]" - Smash Mouth
+- +- +- +-
Balecox
Balecox
Funk Soul Brother
and spam -
> And as all blacks shuddered, Stan changed his name to: "Funk Soul Brother"
"Straw man" arguement. My name is still Stan Rosenthal and that won't
change.
> [SPAM-SNIP!]
Your "Close, Personal Friend",
Stan - http://stansqncrs.8m.com/
"I, could never be Neil Armstrong, I'd be the last man on the Moon" - SR-71
Funk Soul Brother
Country Boy
today isn't like it was 40 years ago, and you think he had a total grip on
the situation? I think he is doing what a lot of people seem to be doing
today: They ignore the fact that 40 years have passed. They ignore that
during that time, we had all kinds of similar things happen, including a fad
called "Urban Cowboy." The pop performers on that show had nothing in
common with the pop performers 40 years ago too. Except that the girls
still screamed for them. Yet he didn't make a big deal about that. In fact,
he seemed to approve of how the pop and rock acts have changed. But he
wants the country acts to stay stuck in the past. The fact that you don't
see his omission of 40 years of history as a problem indicates to me that
you share some of his ignorance.
"Clark Reid" <clar...@xtra.co.nz> wrote in message
news:6D9c6.1085$4a.42...@news.xtra.co.nz...
Funk Soul Brother
> ... including a fad
> called "Urban Cowboy."
'Living Like John Travolta' - Cledus T. Judd
Balecox
today isn't like it was 40 years ago, and you think he had a total grip on
the situation? <<<
For the record...I don't think Peter Cooper has a clue about country
history....Patsi
Funk Soul Brother
> For the record...I don't think Peter Cooper has a clue about country
> history....Patsi
For the record, I couldn't care less what Patsi thinks.
Stan,
http://stansqncrs.8m.com/
alesia & jeff
>Enough already, Balecox! We get the message.
>
But Rita, if you truly had gotten the message, you would be a much
more considerate person instead of the lying, trolling, evil, hateful
stupid bitch you are now.
Therefore, I don't think you got the message. I just think that it
bothers you to see the truth about your boyfriend exposed to the
world.
http://members.aol.com/catradhtem/satan.htm
http://members.tripod.com/hturT
http://web.infoave.net/~rkanderson/spectrum/red/weird_al/trolls/stan
alesia & jeff
>The patsy for the "vast right-wing conspiracy" continues to spam - [SNIP!]
>
>
alesia & jeff
Living like Stanley Rosenthal. Trolling newsgroups, sharing a studio
apartment with his mom, living on cheetos and bean dip while not
having a clue.
Funk Soul Brother
+- +- +- +-
alesia & jeff <nob...@home.right.now> wrote in message
news:t74pf4...@corp.supernews.com...
mslinda
Whadya expect? Stupid bitch *always* crawls into bed with the schmucks.
Linda C.
Funk Soul Brother
"Straw man" arguements/attacks.
Funk Soul Brother
>
> Linda C.
You certainly do.
Funk Soul Brother
> Living like Stanley Rosenthal. Trolling newsgroups, sharing a studio
> apartment with his mom, living on cheetos and bean dip while not
> having a clue.
"Straw man" arguements/attacks.
> http://members.aol.com/catradhtem/satan.htm
>
> http://members.tripod.com/hturT
>
> http://web.infoave.net/~rkanderson/spectrum/red/weird_al/trolls/stan
If it were true, you wouldn't need to repeat it.
Balecox
Amd you certainly do this:
<A
HREF="http://members.aol.com/catradhtem/satan.htm">http://members.aol.com/
catradhtem/satan.htm</A>
>
> <A HREF="http://members.tripod.com/hturT">http://members.tripod.com/hturT</A>
>
> <A
HREF="http://web.infoave.net/~rkanderson/spectrum/red/weird_al/trolls/stan
">http://web.infoave.net/~rkanderson/spectrum/red/weird_al/trolls/stan</A>
alesia & jeff
alesia & jeff
>If it were true, you wouldn't have a need to repeat it.
if your strawman attack responses were true, you wouldn't feel a need
to repeat them either
alesia & jeff
>The WALL -
>> Living like Stanley Rosenthal. Trolling newsgroups, sharing a studio
>> apartment with his mom, living on cheetos and bean dip while not
>> having a clue.
>
>"Straw man" arguements/attacks.
If it were true, you wouldn't need to repeat it.
alesia & jeff
>The 'patsy' for the "vast right-wing conspiracy" -
>> For the record...I don't think Peter Cooper has a clue about country
>> history....Patsi
>
>For the record, I couldn't care less what Patsi thinks.
>
Funk Soul Brother
Stop engaging in "straw man" arguementation/attacks and I'll stop responding
by nailing you for it.
Scott
> Oh grow up. This guy writes a column saying how bad it is that country
> today isn't like it was 40 years ago, and you think he had a total grip on
> the situation? I think he is doing what a lot of people seem to be doing
> today: They ignore the fact that 40 years have passed. They ignore that
> during that time, we had all kinds of similar things happen, including a
fad
> called "Urban Cowboy." The pop performers on that show had nothing in
> common with the pop performers 40 years ago too. Except that the girls
> still screamed for them. Yet he didn't make a big deal about that. In
fact,
> he seemed to approve of how the pop and rock acts have changed. But he
> wants the country acts to stay stuck in the past. The fact that you don't
> see his omission of 40 years of history as a problem indicates to me that
> you share some of his ignorance.
That lengthy BS can be boiled down to say that 40 years passing excuses
someone for selling pop music as Country. Not so.
Country Boy
"Scott" <westsi...@yahoo.USPAMBACKcom> wrote in message
news:EZGc6.3609$467.1...@news.flash.net...
Rockabi101
Hey I'll go even further than both you guys and say that real country music
hasn't been played that much on radio since just prior to World War II.
Erik
>> today isn't like it was 40 years ago, and you think he had a total grip on
>> the situation? I think he is doing what a lot of people seem to be doing
>> today: They ignore the fact that 40 years have passed. They ignore that
>> during that time, we had all kinds of similar things happen, including a
>fad
>> called "Urban Cowboy." The pop performers on that show had nothing in
>> common with the pop performers 40 years ago too. Except that the girls
>> still screamed for them. Yet he didn't make a big deal about that. In
>fact,
>> he seemed to approve of how the pop and rock acts have changed. But he
>> wants the country acts to stay stuck in the past. The fact that you don't
>> see his omission of 40 years of history as a problem indicates to me that
>> you share some of his ignorance.
>
>
So CB, what would you say if I told you I talked to people who had been
listening to country music for the last 40 years and knew its history, and
agreed with every word of that article? Would you call *them* ignorant too?
Erik
"I like George Jones, Willie and Waylon, I think Kris and Merle are songwritin'
saviors"--Cory Morrow
"God bless Texas, Country Music, Rednecks, Aggies, Taco
Cabanas, and of course, Jim Bob Jumpback!"--Nshvlbrat
Stanley Rosenthal
> So CB, what would you say if I told you I talked to people who had been
> listening to country music for the last 40 years and knew its history, and
> agreed with every word of that article? Would you call *them* ignorant
too?
I don't know what CB would say, but I would say that you haven't "talked" to
'em, you've "stalked" 'em.
Your "Close, Personal Friend",
Country Boy
They just have an opinion. They're not presenting it as some kind of fact.
Big difference.
"Erik" <stra...@aol.comspamthis> wrote in message
news:20010129185630...@ng-mi1.aol.com...
Erik
I doubt *you* would think so if you read what they had to say.