Bob Soron says:
> On Thu, 14 Jan 1999, Stevie Simkin wrote:
>
>> Don Yates wrote:
>>>...Still, I'd have to agree with Jon that the Garthman's
>>>primary motivation seems to be the fame of record-breaking
>>>numbers, rather than making every possible dollar that he can.
>>
>> Now if he would only put half as much effort into making
>> soulful, good country music as he puts into chasing record-breaking
>> numbers, maybe I would sit up and listen when he releases another
>> of his Godawful albums.
>
> I think *he* thinks he does.
Probably.
> That aside, though, I'm not sure he could if he wanted to. What's he going
> to say... "This is my country album"? "This is the good one"? "Here's an
> album that everyone will want to buy"? Just don't see it, I'm afraid.
I don't, either, at least not in those terms. In my opinion, there's
soulful, good country music on just about every one of his albums, so in
that sense, all he'd need to say would be "here's my new album."
In the last week or two I've heard his version of "Shameless" on the radio a
couple of times, and I'll tell you what, it still fools me; every time I
hear the kickoff, I think "oh, man, here comes a good country song," right
up until that first flat-third chord, at which point I realize what it is
<g>. He's got a crackerjack bunch of musicians - both on record (and he's
kept the same guys all along, even though they weren't A-team when he made
his first record, and by and large still aren't, which suggests a certain
degree of loyalty) and live - and knows how to cut good straighahead country
and interesting combinations of country and rock/pop/what have you. If I
had a mind to, I could go album by album and point out stuff on each and
every one of them that is more hardcore country than about half of the P2
top 10 albums all put together, by just about any standard you can think of.
The problem, from my point of view, is that he doesn't do it often enough to
suit me - but then, there are quite a few folks, including some list
favorites, who don't do that often enough to suit me, and quite a few who
don't know how, either. Like I said, that's my point of view, and I don't
care whether anyone else shares it or not; icky and bland and a lot of other
things are often in the eye of the beholder.
However, please note that I and others who seem not to see Garth as
outstandingly awful are not the ones who keep bringing him up and discussing
him; sometimes the way folks feel compelled to post about him reminds me of
"The Streak." Just don't look, y'know...
I will, though, point out that the Sovines are missing a real bet by not
covering "Papa Loved Mama." It's got Mama, trucks and drinking in it, plus
diesel-related violence to boot - and it, er, rocks.
Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/
