Cry (or laugh) in your Beer

[wilson]

I never understood the term "alt-country". The stuff that gets labeled "alt-country" today is more grounded in traditional country music than anything coming out of Nashville. This isn't 1968 when Sweetheart of the Rodeo was alternative country music.

Excellent point, and I fully agree. That's why I kind of qualified my comment about it earlier in the thread. Ryan Adams is somehow only kind of country, but Keith Urban, he's the real deal...rrriiiiight.

[bjornolf]

Oh, please, 90% of today's country basically sounds like the rock from when I was a kid (early to mid 80's), seasoned with a TINY bit of twang. It's basically southern rock, lick the black crowes.

[wilson]

Oh, please, 90% of today's country basically sounds like the rock from when I was a kid (early to mid 80's), seasoned with a TINY bit of twang. It's basically southern rock, lick the black crowes.

I'd say you're praising the stuff far too generously. I think 90% of today's country is out-and-out shit.

[cl15876]

Oh, please, 90% of today's country basically sounds like the rock from when I was a kid (early to mid 80's), seasoned with a TINY bit of twang. It's basically southern rock, lick the black crowes.

I'd say you're praising the stuff far too generously. I think 90% of today's country is out-and-out shit.

and here I was going to bring 5 of the best country music albums to the desert island along with some Caribbean music so we could two step!!! ;)

[wilson]

Oh, please, 90% of today's country basically sounds like the rock from when I was a kid (early to mid 80's), seasoned with a TINY bit of twang. It's basically southern rock, lick the black crowes.

I'd say you're praising the stuff far too generously. I think 90% of today's country is out-and-out shit.

and here I was going to bring 5 of the best country music albums to the desert island along with some Caribbean music so we could two step!!! ;)

I don't have a problem with that at all; it's just that I think the top 5 country albums were made 15+ years ago, as they have basically quit making real country. I'm talking about Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker.
Ironically, one of the "most country" acts still around has basically been blackballed from country radio by the Hannity crowd (that'd be the Dixie Chicks).

[bjornolf]

Sorry, I wasn't trying to say that it was as good as the black crowes, I was just saying that it was more southern rock than true country. You're right, most of it isn't as good.

Have to disagree about the Dixie Chicks though. I like them, but they're not all that country either. They take the old instruments and play new age rock with it. Again, with a twang. Enya could sing their stuff. Tori Amos is as country as they are.

[bjornolf]

I should say I like their music, not I like them. I lost a LOT of respect for them when they did what they did. They waited until they were in the old world, in a country and a city where they KNEW everybody would love it, and they crapped all over the president. They NEVER thought it would get back to their fans in the states, and they had NO idea the shit storm it would produce. They stuck by their "convictions" UNTIL it started hurting their pocket books, THEN issued a weakass non-apology. As soon as the soccer moms started supporting them again, they withdrew their apology and crapped on the president AGAIN in a song. That just annoys the crap out of me. It's just (one for each dixie chick) behavior in my opinion.

Hey, people are entitled to their opinion, and they're welcome to voice that opinion. But have the balls to say it openly to the heart of your fanbase and see how they react. Then, if you REALLY believe what you said, stick to your guns, even when it hurts you where it counts. The way they handled it was just backhanded, cowardly, and all-around smarmy to me. JMHO.

I'm not a big Obama fan, but I respect him as our president and I respect the office of the president. Hey, I HOPE my opinion of him is WRONG. I HOPE he's the best president ever, deserves to be re-elected, pulls us out of this economy, gets us out of this war THE RIGHT WAY, protects us from the terrorists while addressing the torture issue, does what's right for healthcare WITHOUT destroying it completely, etc. etc., I just don't think he has it in him. But, I do NOT bad-mouth him, and I wouldn't DREAM of going to a foreign country where he's hated and bad-mouthing him knowing that everyone would cheer. That's just low in my book.

Like I said, I don't have a problem with what they said. I have a problem with how and where they said, and how they handled it afterward.

So, as I said, the Dixie Chicks' music is fine. I've just lost a LOT of respect for them over this whole situation, and I have no problem with what the "hannity" crowd has done to them. They said it, they handled it wrong, and there are consequences. That's just life. They need to be big girls and deal with it. They're all millionaires, I'm sure they'll be okey-dokey.

Like I said, just my opinion. Not trying to turn this into a political argument (more a social etiquette one). ;)

[DukieInKansas]

I liked the Dixie Chicks songs (especially the one about Earl) - but sometimes their voices hit me like fingernails on a chalk board.

Regarding their comments in London, they have the right to say anything they want. What annoyed me was that they were surprised that some (most) of their fan base did not like what they said and that they (and others for them) complained when that same fan base quit buying CDs and concert tickets. They argued that people boycotting CDs/concerts were limiting the Dixie Chicks free speech. They weren't limiting DCs free speech at all. The former fans just voiced their opinion by not buying. Those that complained about the lower sales were trying to limit the former fan's free speech. All IMHO

[bjornolf]

You said basically what I said, but so much better and more economically and more tactfully as well. I bow to your superiority.

[Johnboy]

Favorite drinking song that hasn't been mentioned: Love in Vain. I howl the Rolling Stones version from Let it Bleed.

I also favor these that have already been mentioned:
Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw,
What's the Use of Getting Sober?, and
You Don't Have to Call me Darlin'

If there's a band playing and they welcome brave amateurs to sing along, I've been known to join the band and sing one or two of Roadhouse Blues, American Pie and Use Me (Bill Withers). Oh, and Blue Suede Shoes, which my wife hates.

BTW, Sunday Morning Coming Down is a Kris Kristofferson song, but Johnny Cash did a great version of it.

[bjornolf]

You should try the Weird Al version of "American Pie", "The Saga Begins". It's HYSTERICAL. I especially like the line "the jedi I admire most, met up with Darth Maul and now he's toast, I'm still here but he's a ghost". Not to mention he works metachlorians into his lyrics. The video is funny too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-gi4Nt_xxg

[bjornolf]

This isn't weird al, but it's pretty funny, "pretty fly for a jedi" like weird al's "pretty fly for a rabbi" which was taken from offsprings "pretty fly for a white guy"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jYTvYig-Cc

Weird Al DID do "yoda" to "lola", which is pretty funny:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=810638fCvrQ