Who is your favorite

[creekster]

Originally Posted by woot

I sort of dig Brad Paisley, but he's one of the very few country guys I can stand, and even he gets a bit twangy for me at times. He has insane chops and can shred like mad, and includes a lot of country rock stuff amid the more twangy tracks. He also stays away from the brainless jingoism that characterizes so much country music.

One of my best friends in college is touring with a pretty popular country act right now and he turned me on to Paisley. I'm really proud of that guy, as after so long wondering if he should, he one day up and moved to Nashville to try to live the dream, and he's doing it. He is an absolutely incredible guitar player. He's the one that taught me that shredding should be the least of a player's worries, as being able to improvise over any progression, and being able to play the exact chord that you have in your head at any given time is infinitely more useful. We used to play a game where I would play a chord with my back turned, and no matter how complex or dissonant, he would figure it out in his head in 5 seconds or less. On the mission he used to play piano arrangements out of the hymn book on his guitar by sight. Compared to him I was nothing and I've gotten a lot worse since then.

I was in a band years ago with a guitar player (I have talked about him here before) who was an amazing talent. He too followed his dream. He bounced around for a while in several bands right on the edge of the big time, then hids drug habit got out of control for a bit, and now, last I heard, he was playing in some bar badn in Montana. THis guy was amazing. Talnet doens't always prevail in the music world.

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by creekster

...but doesn't that mean that you cant really be critical of anyone's tastes?

Sure you can. If someone likes music that sucks, it's our duty to tell him, isn't it?

[creekster]

Originally Posted by il Padrino Ute

Sure you can. If someone likes music that sucks, it's our duty to tell him, isn't it?

Like the Eagles sang so many years ago: "I might be wrong, but I'm not."

[woot]

Originally Posted by creekster

COUntry may not have strayed from its roots but I think htat its roots strayed from country. A lot of what comes out of nashville now, IMO, is nothing more than pop with a steel guitar (and usually not even that now) and a pretend twang. Country was white man's blues. It is muddy waters and Robert Johnson without the syncopation and corolful imagery. It's bluegrass come out of the mountains into the plains and shares the hardness of that choice. THink of Hank Williams and compare it to Garth Brooks. Then realize that Garth Brook is considered more traditional than most country now. I really like old counrty, not so much of the new stuff.

TD and Woot, for your benefit, I am an old fart, and much of what I type really makes that obvious, but what can I do? It's what I think.

I think that's one of the reasons why I enjoy Brad Paisley. A lot of his stuff is very, very old school honky tonk type stuff. Not my cup of tea, but I respect it. It is especially impressive when mixed in with his chops. I agree that the most popular country these days is often only distinguishable from top 40 stuff because of the lead singer's fake accent.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by woot

I think that's one of the reasons why I enjoy Brad Paisley. A lot of his stuff is very, very old school honky tonk type stuff. Not my cup of tea, but I respect it. It is especially impressive when mixed in with his chops. I agree that the most popular country these days is often only distinguishable from top 40 stuff because of the lead singer's fake accent.

I like some of Paisley's stuff, too. He is better than most.

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by creekster

Like the Eagles sang so many years ago: "I might be wrong, but I'm not."

Exactly. It's hard to be humble, ya know? (And I don't even like Mac Davis)

[UteStar]

If you are all looking for classic less than mediocre 80s music, look no further than Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler.

[Venkman]

Originally Posted by woot

I sort of dig Brad Paisley, but he's one of the very few country guys I can stand, and even he gets a bit twangy for me at times. He has insane chops and can shred like mad, and includes a lot of country rock stuff amid the more twangy tracks. He also stays away from the brainless jingoism that characterizes so much country music.

As far as modern mainstream country goes, Brad Paisley and Josh Turner are the only ones that really stand out it my mind. Most of the other stuff is unimaginitive and not really country, just forgettable pop music with a little fiddle thrown in.

The best country is bluegrass. I'm partial to old time bluegrass like The Stanley Brothers and Earl Scruggs, but a little Ricky Skaggs and Allison Krauss is always good.

For real old-timey, check out Old Crow Medicine Show. It's pre-bluegrass mountain music with a little blues. Good stuff.

Or just stick with Johnny and Hank. Can't go wrong there.

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by UteStar

If you are all looking for classic less than mediocre 80s music, look no further than Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler.

I would do anything for music...but I wont do that.

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by creekster

Music as porn a la Potter Stewart, is an interesting htought, but doesn't that mean that you cant really be critical of anyone's tastes?

In judging the tastes of others, we could eschew Stewart for Learned Hand, who famously said, "Musical taste lies in the hearts of men and women. When it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it..." He actually said that, or something close to that...