> I think you've got your head in the sand if you think that Uncle Tupelo
> was not at the helm of the current No Depression/Alt. Country ship. This
> does not mean that they are a great band or that there wasn't
> non-commercial country prior to UT, (much as one would have to admit there
> was brit-pop and skiffle prior to the Beatles -- or -- sexy Honky Tonk/R&B
> prior to Elvis Presley). But whether or not you like them we wouldn't
> have the term Alt.Country or No Depression used as it is without a few
> select bands UT, Jayhawks to name a couple.
In my best Beavis voice, I'd respond, "Uh...so what?" Uncle Tupelo wasn't at the helm of *anything*. The media made them, in retrospect, the leader of this so-called movement. Terry's point is well stated: country rock/roots rock has been around for a long damn time (as you well know) and it doesn't mean a hill of beans that a bunch of journalists who wouldn't know Commander Cody or the Scorchers from their own arses have declared UT as grand champeen of this last round of country rockers. I like UT a lot, but they weren't originators, they were simply a band the media folk latched onto. People can say it all they want, but it doesn't make it so.
> This reminds me of a teenager trying to take owenership of his favorite
> punk band or grunge band. 'I heard it first!! I heard it first". This
> really isn't relevant to the UT/Tweedy posts. I am 33 years old and have
> been listening to Hank WIlliams/Bill Monroe/Carters/Balfa Brothers/The
> Outlaws/Marshal Tucker/The Long Riders/Green on Red/Steve Earle/Dwight
> Yoakam et. al. for most of my life. Big Deal.
Big deal, indeed. I agree completely with Terry, though -- it does get awfully fucking tiresome to read the tripe about UT starting some big movement, especially when one reads the oft-repeated claims that they somehow awakened a type of music that had been dormant since Gram Parsons died. Terry isn't trying to sound like the coolest guy on the block because he's been there, done that, he's just pointing out that it's a lot of bollocks. I'm sure I'll be just as annoyed when roots rock (god, I hate the fucking alt.country tag) makes it's next mid-decade resurgence in 2005 and some annoying kid is talking about being inspired by the ghost of Whiskeytown.
On an unrelated note, it's ironic that Jim brings up Kerouac in reference to Tweedy because I'll gladly nominate Jack as the most overrated of the Beats. No one would've heard jack about Jack if Ginsberg hadn't tirelessly shopped and promoted his work. "On The Road" will always be a jackoff work compared to Ginsberg's best stuff. But that's matter for another list, I suspect <g>.
Not attacking you, Jim, you just happened to hit on a couple of my pet peeves.....
A lot hungover and a little cranky,
Dave
P.S. If this newest round of roots rock is so damned great, why are 95% of its leading lights from the previous go-round (Alejandro, Earle, Alvin, etc.)?
*** Dave Purcell, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Northern Ky Roots Music: http://w3.one.net/~newport Twangfest: http://www.twangfest.com
