What Makes It Country?

[elle606]

This is definitely not country. But we're at a time when lots of people are having a tough time -- flooding, oil spills, unemployment, etc., and I thought that this might be a good inspiration, as well as a reminder of what's really important.

[elle606]

Been reading and listening online this morning. Great to see George is touring this fall. We'll all be disappointed if IGGTY is, in fact, on its way down and this week's announcement of his tour and the replay of the AOD concert doesn't give it a quick boost. But I'm glad to see that the top songs are country. I thought Hillbilly Bone and Ain't Back Yet were more rock than country. I love Carrie, but Undo It is rock. She's so talented she can do both, but let's not call it country if it isn't. Faith sang for Paul McCartney, Rascal Flatts will be on Price is Right and country stars pulled together to show Nashville and the country that when the going gets tough, they can roll up their sleeves and git 'er done. Like Michael Bolton in the song above sings, "to move beyond the glory is the hardest part, for a hero's strength is measured by his heart". Acoustic performances, quiet donations, mega stars bailing water and mud and asking the country to help those who don't have mega bank accounts but lost so much. Alan sold his 100+ acres. Wonder where he'll go. That place was something.

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So what makes it country? I don't know the music aspects of it all, although my ear sometimes knows more than I do. But after listening to some old U2, Springsteen and Easy Rider music this past week, watching a bit of Diddy on one of the morning news shows, and spending two hours yesterday in the car listening to XM Prime Country, I've decided that country is heart and soul. It's family and work and getting by during the tough times and being there for a friend or neighbor. It's about falling in love and getting burned. It's about forgetting your troubles and doing a little drinking and dancing. It's about real life. Not social issues, not war or politics, crime or the environment, it's not about the stock market. It's about getting out of bed every morning and doing the best you can with what you've got, making mistakes, getting back up and trying again. And doing it all with a little help from family, friends and God.

Now that's country.

[icrossmyheart_x]

Elle. That brought a tear to my eye. That is the most accurate description I have heard in a long time.

[airstrait]

None of the singers listed are "rock-a-billy" I have always been a huge fan of rock-a billy and if you want to know what real rock-a-billy music is , you need to listen to certain Johnny Cash songs, Carl Perkins, Ricky Nelson, Elvis, Buddy Holly etc. Elvis, Ricky, and Buddy, etc all would be considered country singers today. Most of the so called country played today is "rock with a twang" or pure pop. Steel guitar and fiddles have been replaced rock guitar parts so I guess you could now call it "Country Rock" instead of country. The country rock of today is even harder than the old country rock of the Eagles. Sometimes when u switch over to a country station today, you'd swear u just tuned in a rock station. It's a mess!!!!!!

[elle606]

Dec 27, 2010 18:34:16 GMT -5 airstrait said:

None of the singers listed are "rock-a-billy" I have always been a huge fan of rock-a billy and if you want to know what real rock-a-billy music is , you need to listen to certain Johnny Cash songs, Carl Perkins, Ricky Nelson, Elvis, Buddy Holly etc. Elvis, Ricky, and Buddy, etc all would be considered country singers today. Most of the so called country played today is "rock with a twang" or pure pop. Steel guitar and fiddles have been replaced rock guitar parts so I guess you could now call it "Country Rock" instead of country. The country rock of today is even harder than the old country rock of the Eagles. Sometimes when u switch over to a country station today, you'd swear u just tuned in a rock station. It's a mess!!!!!!

When I first heard Hillbilly Bone and Ain't Back Yet, I thought 'that's rock'. I wouldn't even put 'country' in there. No harm in Carrie or any country singer/band trying something new, something pop or something rock, but don't call it country. What would you call (the late great) Cross Canadian Ragweed?

[casims74]

To me, one of the strongest traits of country music is assonance. Assonance happens when notes are played that work well together. If you were to graph the sound waves on a graph, more or less, they would fall in the same position on the y axis. That is oversimple, but it is sort of what makes notes work together well.

In rock and roll, you have dissonance. It is the sound of electric guitars whose notes are manipulated til they sound like they are sort of off key or the notes are sort of competing against each other. Country music is not traditionally very dissonant. Notes in country music usually dove tail. They don't conflict with each other.

There are also themes that run through country music that are traditional themes, such as nature, family, God, agriculture, simplicity, love, priorities, trains, trucks, etc.

There are some great stories and lyrics. One of my favorite things, though, is definitely the assonance.

[elle606]

Jan 14, 2011 20:15:46 GMT -5 casims74 said:

To me, one of the strongest traits of country music is assonance. Assonance happens when notes are played that work well together. If you were to graph the sound waves on a graph, more or less, they would fall in the same position on the y axis. That is oversimple, but it is sort of what makes notes work together well.

In rock and roll, you have dissonance. It is the sound of electric guitars whose notes are manipulated til they sound like they are sort of off key or the notes are sort of competing against each other. Country music is not traditionally very dissonant. Notes in country music usually dove tail. They don't conflict with each other.

There are also themes that run through country music that are traditional themes, such as nature, family, God, agriculture, simplicity, love, priorities, trains, trucks, etc.

There are some great stories and lyrics. One of my favorite things, though, is definitely the assonance.

I thought of this post when I heard Jason Aldean singing My Kinda Party on Conan or when I hear some of Ragweed's songs. I love the beautiful harmony of Lady A and the soothing melodies of songs by Don Williams, Keith Urban and George Strait.