I'll use up my me-too of the week on Terry's bit about rock influences
on country. I spoke to this after seeing the Old 97s last month,
concluding that the way out of the double-bind that has oft consumed
P2 discussion on "real country music" is to realize that except for
the few hardcore trad types (a few of whom are classed as independent
big-tent-alt-country, a few of whom are recording in Nashville),
there's very little country around now that is not heavily marked by
rock, the dominant American music of the past 40 years.
I'm highly skeptical (thanks greatly to my stay in the P2 reeducation
camps) about any assertion that the Old 97s, for instance (much less
the Wacos), are more faithful to country than Garth Brooks is, even
before their recently debated detwangification. But I'm equally
confident that the Clash/Replacements/Beatles influences in the Old
97s sound are more vital and aesthetically acute han the Journey/Billy
Joel/Eagles satanic trilogy that influences much New Country. No
contest.
It's a bit distressing to face the idea that a lot of the debate about
the future of country is actually a debate about rock, but it also
makes evident sense - esp. given the fact that none of the
back-to-roots moves of the past quarter-century seem to get enduring
support from the core country audience or any other sizeable swathe of
the population.
Carl W.
