Lord help me, I'm about to agree with Jon Weisberger *and * stick up for Billy Ray Cyrus - ain't life goofy? There are a lot of themes in country, and some seem to export more readily to rock and other genres: yer drinking songs, yer cheating songs, yer trucking songs...But there's a solid tradition in country for the song that's so over the top melodramatic it's maudlin and -that's the point-. For me the thing to do with those songs is just go there. If you believe the singer at all, give them the benefit of the doubt and go there with them and see what happens. Sometimes this is easy: George Jones w/ "He Stopped Loving Her Today". Merle with "Always Wanting You". Sometimes you're a little surprised: Lorrie Morgan w/ "A Picture of Me (Without You). Reba McEntire w/ "The Last One To Know". Sometimes you just can't believe you're listening to it and it's working, and here I'd include Billy Ray Cyrus. I'm thinking of "Some Gave All" but I'm sure there are others he's done that hit home. My point here is that those big sappy weepers are a key part of country, a *great* part of country, and there are singers who can surprise you with what they bring to a weeper. Of course, there's the "My Eyes Remained Perfectly Dry As I Reached For The Volume Knob" category of singers (for me, Garth Brooks, Lee Greenwood, Kenny Rogers, the Wilkinsons, & dozens more ...) Side note: Dale Watson valiantly sings his weepers here in Chicago even as the audience interest audibly and visibly dips. More power to him - "Ball & Chain" tears me up. Kelly K http://www.bcity.com/texasrubies http://www.bcity.com/honkytonk
