Country music was great in the 20’s so why is it rubbish now?

Posted by: jcs_smith on 17 January 2007

I’ve been listening to a lot of twenties and thirties country music recordings on the Yazoo and Rounder record labels recently. It’s wonderful – fast, passionate and wildly exciting. Absolutely nothing like the mindless pap that passes for country music now. In fact it’s much closer to blues and ragtime. A lot of the country bands then used to play blues and a lot of blues singers played country songs.
The country music of the twenties and thirties is much more akin to bluegrass and western swing but the modern versions are very staid and sedate. I suppose the difference is that in the twenties the recordings were made by people in the twenties – it was basically the pop music of the day, rather than specialty music to be treated with reverence.
Posted on: 13 March 2007 by Diode100
quote:
Originally posted by ROTF:
At this rate, somebody will introduce me to great soul music - now as everybody knows I don't like soul at all - oh except for Aretha Franklin, some early Four Tops and .... oh no it's happening again. Well, I know I don't like rap or hip-hop at least.


ROTF - you might try James Carr - Dark End of the Street.

There is a book called Sweet Soul Music by the guy who wrote the brilliant Searching for Robert Johnson book (& a trilogy about Elvis), Peter Guralnick, I defy anyone to get more than two chapters in without starting to make a must listen to list !!
Posted on: 14 March 2007 by ewemon
At this rate, somebody will introduce me to great soul music - now as everybody knows I don't like soul at all - oh except for Aretha Franklin, some early Four Tops and .... oh no it's happening again. Well, I know I don't like rap or hip-hop at least.[/QUOTE]

You tell me what you like and I will give you a list to listen to.

Diode is on the right track with James Carr.
Posted on: 14 March 2007 by jayd
In addition to the many terrific artists already mentioned, I'll offer Wayne "The Train" Hancock, The Derailers, Robert Earl Keene, The Old 97s,
Willis Alan Ramsey.
Posted on: 14 March 2007 by ewemon
quote:
Originally posted by jayd:
In addition to the many terrific artists already mentioned, I'll offer Wayne "The Train" Hancock, The Derailers, Robert Earl Keene, The Old 97s,
Willis Alan Ramsey.


The Willis Alan Ramsey album is supposed to be Steve Earle's favourite album. You know the one with Capt & Tennille's hit Muskrat Love. Could never really get into it
Posted on: 14 March 2007 by jayd
quote:
Originally posted by ewemon:
The Willis Alan Ramsey album is supposed to be Steve Earle's favourite album. You know the one with Capt & Tennille's hit Muskrat Love. Could never really get into it


I saw him play live some years back, so that may tint my appreciation of him. Of the ones I listed, I listen to The Derailers most. They are true country "suits-n-boots" dudes in the old Bakersfield mold, a la Buck Owens and his Buckaroos (who I also love).
Posted on: 14 March 2007 by gary yeowell
Listen to a 'Be Good Tanyas' album, or better still here them live, and tell me country is crap. Yes old time country was more of a Bluegrass Blues mix, but now we have 'Blues' 'Bluegrass' 'Contemporary folk' and many other genres, it's not all Keith Urban!!