My cousin thinks I should revisit my fascination with country music. By that I think he means I should reconsider it. I’m curious to know why he thinks that, but I do have a theory or two.
I used to have a major hang up about country music. I didn’t want to associate myself with that, even though its all I listened to when I was a little kid. I got into hard music and it helped define my frame of mind up through college. Once I moved to Athens, it was college music. And I’ve been here for a long time now. I still like some hard music and I love to listen to college radio, but damn, there are a ton of name droppers and people who define themselves by who they’ve seen and how many shows they go to. Maybe that type of thing has helped to push me to listen to the old country music I listened to when I was little. After all, no one is dropping names about those shows cause most of the artists are frikkin dead. And now that there is no social pressure to avoid anything country related, its easier to appreciate the music. And that sense of nostalgia is really nice.
That’s just a theory though.
#1 by the tipsy one on 1/9/2005 - 8:36 pm
It’s just an interesting way you look at it. If you don’t have that much experience in the genre, you should know that country music might be the biggest cesspool of name droppers in music. Period. Personally, I get a bit leery of people who “like” country music and that’s not a knock at you as I am sure your’s is genuine. I thought it was an interesting turn, although the subject matter of most older country music isn’t that far removed from alot of the heavy music you talked about earlier. But who are you listening to? Johnny Cash? Everyone does. I think you might really enjoy listening to Gram Parsons, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Hank Sr. and the 3rd, and you really might like the Charlie Rich and Jerry Lee Lewis country efforts. Just wondering what and where that came from. That is all.
#2 by Chris Driggers on 1/9/2005 - 9:31 pm
The nice thing is that none of my friends listen to this kind of music, so even if I had some names to drop, who would give a shit?
I’ve been listening to Johnny Cash, sure, because he’s damn good. Funny story: I went into a bar after I moved back to Athens. Johnny Cash was recently deceased. I used to go into this bar and play Johnny on the Jukebox every weekend. Never a word from the bartender. Now, after he’s dead, someone comes in, plays a song of his, and the bartender flips out on the guy. He basically accuses him of jumping on the bandwagon after Johnny Cash died, but was kind of a bitch about it.
Why get leery of people? I’m sure it is the same reason I get leery of folks in Athens talking about some local band trying to sound cool. Maybe it’s trendy to like country now. I dunno. I was in Erie for three years pretty far removed from any kind of music scene so I’m still a little out of touch.
I’ve listened to Gram Parsons, not so much the Burrito Brothers, but the Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo was pretty good. There are a couple of channels on Sirius that play some really good stuff, like the ones you mentioned and others. It’s nice to put it on those channels and hear some music I haven’t heard in years.
Do you remember Farley Taylor? He had a late night show on WTVY that my dad would sometimes help him pick out music for. I went over to his place one time and visited his trailer. He had a damn tractor trailer in his backyard full of boxes of records. Old country, gospel, and bluegrass records. It was fun to sift through all those. I wish I could see them now, I might even know some of the artists.
I guess I approach music differently than some. I’m not trying to study it or understand where every artist is getting their influences. Sometimes it’s fun to just listen to the music, and for me, Counry music is the easiest genre to do that with.
#3 by the tipsy one on 1/9/2005 - 10:05 pm
Bottom line is that it is fine. I wouldn’t necessarily say that Gram is “country” or anything like that, I just suggested it as good. I just wondered where you got the whole country thing as it seems so far out of the realm for you. That’s me anyway. Of course, I remember the Taylor Made Opry, son. With a moon pie and an RC cola. My grandad used to listen to it every Saturday night from 7-midnight. I think they still do it, with his grandson or something. I don’t know. John Henry’s favorite tunes? Charley Pride’s “Great Speckled Bird” and Hank Sr.’s “Old Log Train”. My own personal favorites…”Backing that Truck to Birmingham” and nearly anything by the late great Red Sovine. Also, “To Late to Bring Pretty Flowers” might quite be the zenith of mid to late 60′s country music. Unless it was recorded in the ’70′s. I am not sure nor do I know who did it. Just the song about mama and how he never went to see her, but how he wishes he would have more, because now that she’s gone, there will be no more biscuits or greens at mama’s house on Sunday. I just teared up there thinking about it. Not knocking you at all though, by all means, if you like it, get after it. I do.
#4 by Chris Driggers on 1/9/2005 - 11:32 pm
Moon Pies, RC, and Daddy Bucks cane syrup. I remember that while dad was working at the radio station, we had cases of that stuff. Literally cases of moon pies. Man that was awesome.
#5 by Al Newton on 5/19/2006 - 9:24 pm
I remember it too. Riding around on the dirt roads of Southwest Georgia on a Saturday night. We never went home before they played “Pretty Flowers”.
#6 by Sherry Illescas on 3/20/2011 - 9:21 am
I’m trying to plan a funeral and I need to find a copy of the song “Pretty Flowers” by Farley Taylor. Can anyone help?