There has been some interesting dialogue on BGRASS-L about Steve Earle, the
new CD, and what bluegrass 'is' and what bluegrass 'is not'.
Some opinion would suggest that Mr. Earle's new CD is only bluegrass when he
is not singing.
What follows is a few clips from some of the BGRASS-L discourse that ends up
with me posing some questions to you folks in the hope that a thread will be
generated to explore this issue.
Start Clip 1
Just got home with my new copy of the Earle/McCoury album "The Mountain"
My first few passes through this CD left me disappointed. Even though
I'm a big Earle fan, he sounds like a drunk. (In other words...he sounds
like
he always did, which works fine in country rock or whatever it is he does)
He's trying too hard to be mr. downhome bluegrass man. It's ain't workin.
He
made an album of what he thought bluegrass fans would like. His lyrics are
bluegrass cliches about the deep dark mine and the old swimmin' hole, etc.
etc. Sort of reminds me of the old Hee Haw show--let's hit all the
hillbilly
hotbuttons. I like "I'm Still in Love with You" with Iris Dement.
Dixieland
sounds almost exactly like Zevon's "Roland, the Headless Thompson Gunner"
(sp?) Pilgrim just goes on forever. And forever.
That said, the McCoury boys are just superb. They really are at the
absolute top of their game. In fact...during every song I'd say to myself,
"I
wish Del would take lead..." Sigh. I'll keep listening to it just for
their
music...and I hope Mr. Earle enjoys his ride on the coattails of the
McCourys
End of Clip 1
Start of Clip 2
Re: the Steve Earle/Del McCoury project: it's SO strange to hear the McCoury
boys without Del singing lead the way only he can! I listened to it, and
kept
waiting for Del to slip in like he does with other projects he guests on
like
Bill Harrell And Friends, but it just doesn't happen like it should. This is
a
good CD, but a letdown for deep, died in the wool Del fans like me.
End of Clip 2
Start of Clip 3
For deep died in the wool Del Fans there's The Family and Mac Doc and Del.
Del does do some singing on The Mountain. Why can't Steve Earle get some
respect for recognizing bluegrass as a great music genre?
End of Clip 3
Start of Clip 4
What amazes is me is the narrow frame that Bluegrass folks are supposed
to operate in. When someone like Alison Kraus goes outside the 'box',
she is chastised. When someone like Steve Earle tries to get in the
'box', he is chastised. BUT, whatever Del McCoury does is fine. The
Nashville BG Band used the Fairfield Four and I heard criticism. John
Fogarty used the Lonesome River Band and I heard praise. Ricky Skaggs
comes back to Bluegrass and he is chastised but everyone LOVED the CD!
End of Clip 4
Start of Clip 5
Isn't it also amazing that, after going through all these threads of
chastizing, people still wonder why bluegrass hasn't grown to the degree of
popularity that it deserves. In order for the popularity to grow, you must
welcome new artists (and their fan base) in and you must use your existing
artists and take the music to new audiances. It's a wonder that bluegrass
continues to make gains.
Bluegrass can't be defined. This music was never written down with
instructions on how it had to be played and/or sung. Can you imagine Curly
Ray wondering which fiddle notes had to be played with an upstroke bow and
which with a downstroke when he learned to play bluegrass?
Bluegrass comes in the form of the interpretation of the player. That
is one thing that makes this music so great. The way the music comes out of
the instrument or the voice reflects the deep feelings the musician has for
that song (some have more than others). Of course, talent has a lot to do
with it.
The musicianship and the history associated with bluegrass has gained
much respect over the past few years. I hope there are always plenty of
open doors in this wall that seems to be surrounding the bluegrass village.
End of Clip 5
Questions
a) is Steve's new album bluegrass or does it matter at all?
b) do you buy into the fact that the reason bluegrass isn't more popular and
widespread is that there is a very narrowly held opinion of what bluegrass
is and isn't and those that are most vocal about this issue cannot agree
amongst themselves (i.e., there is no clear definition of the genre, yet
people will go to great lengths to defend their perception of the genre -
somewhat similar to the rhetoric and behaviour surrounding the abortion
issue).
c) did the McCoury's 'make' (participate in) a bluegrass album or a folk
album or an alternative country album or all three?
d) did Steve appear on a McCoury album or vice versa?
e) does any of this matter a tinker's darn?
I'd be interested in a thread on this - hope you folks would be too.
Take care,
Phil
