1/25/10

Track of the Week: Country Music

Country music didn't always suck. It was never perfect, you will always find crap in every genre, but the country music of today manages to be ALL crap. How did it get there?! Is it as simple as country always panders to the lowest common denominator, mix that with record exec mentality for cookie cutter products produced with the finest gear?

Or maybe old country wasn't good. Maybe there is just a nostalgia connected to the music. For example I can't hear anything by Patsy Cline without thinking about my mother doing house work when I was young.



Not to say there aren't people still making good country music. I just picked up Rosanne Cash's new album "The List". Apparently when Rosanne was 18 she went on tour with her father Johnny Cash. During a conversation about songs and songwriting, Johnny was surprised at Rosanne's lack of understanding of the country greats. So he wrote her a list of 100 essential country songs. "The List" compiles 12 of these songs, including this one, "Sea of Heartbreak" featuring Bruce Springsteen.




I love some of the voices of country music. One of my favorites is Roy Orbison. Orbison got his start in Rock and Roll, but like Johnny Cash, his heart was in country music. He had one of the most exciting voices in music. Capable of strong soaring falsetto as well as a tender baritone.



His influence can be felt today. Rock singer Chris Isaak has been mining that sound for 2 decades. Here he covers Orbison's Only The Lonely




Thats a good chunk of songs for today! Happy Monday y'all!

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