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Related: About this forumExplaining George Jones, a 'Haunted House of a Human Being'
When I was growing up in the 90s, whenever I heard people claim to like all kinds of music, they tended to qualify it with except for country and rap. Other than sounding dumb and more than a little prejudicial, this was a superficial gloss of two genres that have plenty in common, as Ice-T once pointed out. Theyve both become solidly mainstream, but casual listeners often neglect the musics intricate social, aesthetic, and political histories. As a music nerd, I must admit that I was a country music dilettante, a mostly Hank-and-Cash fan, until only recently.
Tyler Mahan Coe, son of the outlaw country singer David Allen Coe and half of the duo behind the fun podcast Your Favorite Band Sucks, is working to set the record straight. His celebrated podcast Cocaine and Rhinestones engagingly distinguishes between country musics fact and fiction. C & Rs first season offered deep dives into the life and work of some of country musics crucial but perhaps less widely known figures: Spade Cooley, The Louvin Brothers, Ralph Mooney, and others. As Coe explains, Ive been hearing these stories all my life. As far as I can tell, this is the truth about this one.
As with many genres, country often suffers from the distorted projections and misapprehensions coming from both within and outside the community about whats real country and what isnt. Coe passionately defends his subjects against accusations of inauthenticity or reactionary posturing. There are also vivid, informed, and occasionally harrowing tales about what went on behind closed doors. Its a crash course that subtly encourages the listener to explore further. And it worksI might not be theologically on board with the sentiment of the Louvins Satan is Real record, yet it still gives me the existential shivers every time.
Season two brings the listener into the world of George Jones, aka Old Possum, aka No-Show Jones. Joness turbulent life and wrenching songsgive The Grand Tour or A Good Year for the Roses or The Window Up Above a spin to find out why hes so reveredare already pretty much canonical. But that only means that he can be an entry point into so much else.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/explaining-george-jones-a-haunted-house-of-a-human-being?ref=home
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I may have to investigate the podcast, because 35 years in E. TN meant being pretty familiar with two distinct strains of country music---what I heard on radio and TV, and what ai heard from local musicians, many of them older folks but some young
luvs2sing
(2,234 posts)We listen every now and then.
Jilly_in_VA
(10,844 posts)My brother wrote a song that's sort of well-known in some country circles (someone else tried to claim it, but that's a whole other story) and another that was recorded by Doc Watson. Hopefully he'll get some others recorded although I don't think he's trying real hard any more. Long story.
viva la
(3,763 posts)A Good Year for the Roses-
Boy, this is one man who got better looking as he got older. In the photo on this video, he looks like an unsuccessful door-to-door broom salesman.
Casady1
(2,133 posts)However the new is commercial pop with a twang. As far as rap I put two requirements to music, you either have to play an instrument or sing on key. If you can't do either then you are not a musician.
Jilly_in_VA
(10,844 posts)(whose then-teenage son loved rap) used to say that the initial C in rap was silent. I can deal with some rap, having learned a little from my grandkids, but too much of it gives me what my oldest called a "head ouch" when he was little.
Casady1
(2,133 posts)Greatest quote rap is crap. You have to be play music for it to be music.
AZSkiffyGeek
(12,576 posts)Casady1
(2,133 posts)Can you provide me a song where a rapper plays an instrument or sang a song on key. I am very open about music and my mom had a professional voice. She practiced all the time. My son is an excellent musician and he taught himself drums on guitar hero. He plays multiple instruments. My cousin graduated from Berklee school of music where you have to play 5 instruments to graduate.
It is not only rap, I don't think "vocalists" using auto tune are musicians either.
It takes years to become proficient on an instrument. You have to play music to be a musician.
Response to Casady1 (Reply #13)
AZSkiffyGeek This message was self-deleted by its author.
luvs2sing
(2,234 posts)Ugh..
Casady1
(2,133 posts)have you ever seen a rapper play an instrument or sang a song on key.
luvs2sing
(2,234 posts)Casady1
(2,133 posts)is known for his vocal presentation Have he or she sing Begin the beguine by Cole Porter. We will see if they can sing.
AZSkiffyGeek
(12,576 posts)Heres a suggestion, rather than denigrate musicians whose music you dont like, just change the station. And playing video games is not the same as playing music.
Casady1
(2,133 posts)Think they are musicians . It is their own form and one that is popular I just dont think it is musical. Prove me wrong. Playing a video game to teach yourself how to play an instrument is pretty unbelievable even you have to admit it is pretty unreal. He also plays piano, guitar and all the string instruments. When you are around really good musicians who have that musician thing you find out that they are able to go from one instrument to another and learn to play them all.
underpants
(186,450 posts)The guy with the melody didnt show up.
underpants
(186,450 posts)Yes there was big band and jazz but that was mostly in the cities. Crooners fronted the big bands and were good for movies. Everyone else with any natural musical calling (mostly self taught) played country. The Grand Ole Opry was a staple of life up and down the Mississippi and all points east and west. If you played guitar, you played country. There was no rock n roll yet.
The truth is pop aesthetics have been a part of country music since the beginning. Country without any pop elements is called folk music and, save for one or two bubbles which expanded for a few years and then popped, nearly nobody in the second half of the 20th century listened to or cared about folk music. Comparatively, country music in the same period was a hugely popular genre and lucrative industry because the truth is, its always been both informed by and informing mainstream society and culture. Finding ways to connect these things people dont know about country music to the things they do know about everything else is half the battle. Once those things start clicking into place it unlocks all kinds of doors.
Casady1
(2,133 posts)and the foundation of many great forms of music. Bing Crosby may have been a crooner but his early stuff was jazzy and he really had a great voice.
AZSkiffyGeek
(12,576 posts)Since thats your standard for musicianship
Casady1
(2,133 posts)Last edited Sun Aug 22, 2021, 08:25 PM - Edit history (1)
I said if you are a vocalist then you have to sing on key. My