Re: real country [was re: old 97s in Toronto]
Jon Weisberger wrote: let me commend to your attention the fine essay on "Country Music As Music" by Bill Evans, "So where is the 'country' in country music? To borrow a well-worn advertising phrase, it might be more a state of mind than any specific set of unique musical characteristics. Country musicians seem to share certain assumptions about melody, harmony, form, and performance technique that together help to shape ideas about the nature of the country sound, its boundaries and its possibilities." Interesting, but it how does one get to be called a country musician? And how does one differentiate between specific set of unique musical characteristics on one hand, and certain shared assumptions about melody, etc., on the other. Likewise the pairing of boundaries and possibilities is curious. It all seems sort of circular to me. One thing I like about that is that it nudges the reader in the direction of considering not only what those "certain assumptions" are, but how they're transmitted. And who is in authority to name what is and what is not country. But I don't quite understand this transmission thing. Especially in the age of mass media. Care to elucidate?
RE: real country [was re: old 97s in Toronto]
Boy, I'd sure like to take on this thread, and I hope to later on, but I am just getting my eyebrows over this backlog of work that's piled up... In the meantime, let me commend to your attention the fine essay on "Country Music As Music" by Bill Evans, the banjerpicking ethnomusicologist; it appears in that Country Music Hall Of Fame Encyclopedia Of Country Music that came out not too long ago. It's a good starting point for getting a handle on the stylistic contours of country music (note, please, that I say nothing about "real" g). Here's a taste: "So where is the 'country' in country music? To borrow a well-worn advertising phrase, it might be more a state of mind than any specific set of unique musical characteristics. Country musicians seem to share certain assumptions about melody, harmony, form, and performance technique that together help to shape ideas about the nature of the country sound, its boundaries and its possibilities." One thing I like about that is that it nudges the reader in the direction of considering not only what those "certain assumptions" are, but how they're transmitted. Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/