> or something else again. I haven't seen even a whisper of a desire for
> twangier, more hardcore country stuff in the coverage of the CRS that's been
> posted here - and in fact, the positive references to "outlaws" merely
> underlines the point, as the musical content of The Outlaws boom of the 70s
> consisted in large part of "breaking the rules" and "taking risks" by
> bringing more rock influences into the country mainstream.
>
Jon's probably correct when he expresses doubts that there's some great
untapped audience out here for hardcore country stuff. Maybe if John
Travolta makes a movie with a Pentium-powered electronic bull, in a Texas
dance hall, while occasionally battering a younger version of Debra
Winger, that'll spark some renewed interest in hard country, but I
wouldn't hold your breath. (Wait a minute, "Urban Cowboy" sparked an
interest in soft country. Oh well.)
As for rock influences on country, Jon's made this point before, and it's
well documented, but I'd argue that there's rock influences and then
there's rock influences. The sort of rock influences that's "corrupting"
commercial country music these days is, for the most part, banal,
done-a-million-times bar-band type junk that was cliched when the Doobies were
hacking away at it in the Seventies. Take Shania. The other day I was
reacting as I usually do when I see or hear her, gagging, and then it
came to me. I don't have a problem with her because of what she's doing to
country music; the problem involves what she's doing to rock. The same
applies to Garth Brooks. Viewed from a rock perspective, these folks are
living and breathing cliches. And they're popular as hell. So, my point?
It's easier for me to explain why this stuff turns me off, if I
do it from the perspective of a rock fan. Coming from the country side,
the main reason to have a problem with Shania (and her increasing progeny)
is her desertion of "real country," and as Jon and others have so well
argued, the notion of pure or real country music isn't unlike a
toddler's idea of Camelot.
Also, I know that Jon's rhetorical chops, with regard to rock, aren't
nearly as sharp as they are with country. <g> --
Terry Smith
np a review copy of Steve Wynn's new one. I'll report back.
