"Real" country is probably a bit different for anyone here as well as those
artists who say that they wish to get back to their roots and do some "real"
country. I would imagine that defining "it" would take into account an
individual's preferences, exposure to different musical styles while growing
up and any/all labels as assigned by the newsmedia or music historians.
However, the sense that I get from
performers today is that "real" country music pretty much encompasses a
timeframe from the fifties through the sixties with the likes of Hank
Williams, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, George Jones etc; ruled the charts. At
times, I have inquired what elements of that music made it "real"? I've
been told for the most part that the music was simplistic in its beauty,
being that it was devoid of heavy-handed commercialism which includes "lush"
instrumentation, pronounced drumming with a decided rural/folk-like appeal.
By that definition, I suppose we could rule out many of our lauded country
greats as being "real". I just think this term is a bit different for
everyone but that it seems to be generationally defined. If a person grew
up liking George Jones and believes that Jones epitomized country then that
will be the standard by which he/she defines all other country music.
Watson has been quoted as saying that Buck Owens and Merle Haggard were some
of his major influences. I suppose we could conclude that for Watson, the
aforementioned two are "real" country for him. However, for brevity sake,
may I add that my Grandmother (who was a bluegrass fan) once told me years
ago that Merle Haggard was just another rock-n-roll upstart. Perception is
a mighty sword.
Tera
-----Original Message-----
From: BARNARD <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: passenger side <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Saturday, January 30, 1999 10:41 AM
Subject: "real" country
>One clarification to my post on this thread yesterday:
>
>That is, in response to Todd's question, "What are people trying to say
>*today* when they contrast HNC or ND to 'real' country?," I was only
>trying to get at that contemporary usage of "real" country.
>
>I was not trying to define country, period, in other words, but rather
>that ideal of "real" country, "stone"' country, "hard" country that is in
>the vocabulary these days, usually as the right-thinking alternative to
>various unsatisfactory mixtures of country with rock and pop, etc....
>
>I was thinking of the last I saw Dale Watson, when, after a song, he
>looked around and said, "Now ain't that *real* country??" That's the
>sort of usage I was thinking of...
>
>and so forth <g>,
>--junior
>
>
>
>
