Newsweek Slams Country Music's Progress
Well, well, well. One man at Newsweek doesn't like a Rodney Atkins song, and now we're all supposed to think country ain't what it used to be? Thanks for your opinion, Steve Tuttle, but you are in the minority. So I'll take your rant -- and I'll raise you one.
You say you turn bright red with shame every time Atkins' "Watching You" comes on. You say Garth Brooks was the final nail in the honky-tonk coffin. And you jump to the conclusion that country music has somehow lost its outlaw charm. Well, guess what? That could very well be a good thing. With the precarious state our nation's in, why in the world would country fans want songs about senseless killings, prison life and heavy drinking? And why must you (and a handful of others like you) assume that music loved by moms driving to Target in their minivans is bad. Do you have something against Target? Minivans? Or Moms?
You also seem to take issue with of those hot bodies on the ACM Awards. That just makes me wonder if you'd prefer that only ugly people sing country music. The fact that singers have long, flowing blond hair and deep golden tans is irrelevant. They can sing, write music, play instruments and look good doing so. Is that really so wrong?
This "strange, alien land" you describe may be foreign to you. But you know what it is to me? Progress. I agree that today's country music isn't like yesterday's, and I'm quite happy about how far we've come. Go ahead and pine for the old days. You freely admit you have a way of mindlessly clinging to the past, so go on then. And while it's important to remember and honor the legends, just spare the new generation of country fans the long-winded speeches about the good old days.
©2008 Country Music Television, Inc., a Viacom company. A division of
greatdivide says:
You go girlfriend! SNAP SNAP!
Tom says:
The truth is country ain’t what it used to be. But then again it wasn’t the same in the 70’s as it was in the 50’s. I believe that if the outlaw movement in country told us one thing it’s that you can make music differently and still be country. Rodney Atkins is a great artist. Personally I can relate to most all of his songs. To me that is what makes country music great.
Oceana says:
There are all kinds of country music out there — traditionalists like George Strait and Alan Jackson, outlaws like Gary Allan and Shooter Jennings, and progressive country like Keith Urban Taylor Swift. I think there’s room for everybody and I love the variety.
hotelmotel says:
I agree with Alison’s point that there is little reason to think music that appeals to soccer moms driving to Target is “bad.” Or certainly little reason to think it will be worse than music appealing to drunks in a bar, starstruck teenage girls, crowds at arenas, or what not.
But we can assume certain things: music designed to appeal to parents toting kids in minivans probably won’t be interested in pushing the envelope or doing anything cutting edge, probably will have to ignore topics that radio advertisers dont like or that moms think are inappropriate for the ears of children, et cetera. It will have to be catchy and hook driven.
Basically, music for soccer moms is background music: its purpose is to relieve a bit of the misery that driving often brings. That’s certainly a legitimate purpose, but if country music goes down that road, its going down a road in which it cannot produce music that requires the listner to pay attention or think for a second.
And that kind of music is going to get slammed by critics, who, after all, are paid to listen to music closely.
A prime example is “Its America” by Rodney Atkins. The song is a bunch of unrelated feel-good images designed to invoke patriotic and nostalgic feelings. But its mindless patriotism. It has to be - because Atkins is appealing to listeners who can’t be bothered to think about the music (not their fault, they have to pay attention to the road).
Atkins appeals to listeners who want music they “can relate to” rather than music that places demands on them. IT serves a purpose, but a limited purpose.
TxAGG says:
Newsweek can shove it. They are probably the same ones that think that country’s going straight the Hell now that Jessica Simpson’s been booted.
greatdivide says:
This has to be my favorite Newsweek article of all time
Jill Hammer says:
Rodney Atkins sings about real life. The gun could be symbolic for how every father feels when he watches his daughter walk out the door with the horney 16 year old he used to be. His songs are honest and true to life. He should be praised for that, not shamed!
hotelmotel says:
Like Jill Hammer, I think Rodney Atkins deserves praise for “sing[ing] about real life.” But that isn’t enough. You have to have good songs about real life, and Atkins has bad songs about real life : cloying, insipid, background music at best. And sometimes too precious to really be about ‘real life;’ in fact, they are often stylized versons of real life, at best.
solongsowrong says:
Gee Alison, so funny to see you rant. Now maybe you’ll understand why some of us get upset with you when you go on and on about Pop Country as if it’s the only form of Country music out there. As clueless as that writer is, you also demonstrate to me how biased you are, and out of touch you are with the rest of the Country music scene.
RedMaZ says:
Sounds like Steve Tuttle from Newsweek magazine is just as informed, and educated as Alison is when it comes to today’s country music, just with a different outcome. He thinks it sucks, and she thinks it’s wonderful. This isn’t the first time Pop fans have disagreed about this industry. Lack of knowledge is the common thread here. Be careful of stones you through at Steve, Alison. The two of you are not that different.
Today’s Country Music is just as good if not better than ever. I can prove that all day long, however this pill called fact is a hard one for most to swallow. Ignoring it won’t make it go away. Americana/Roots music is here to stay. The history, respect, tradition, and love for today’s Country Music can’t be denied. Follow the genre and you’ll find the music. Pretty simple concept once you educate yourself.
trisha says:
I don’t know what “progressive country” is supposed to mean, but Keith Urban and Taylor Swift are pop country (and very little country at that). There are lots of silly pop country songs out there these days. Not really sure what Rodney Atkins is, but I can’t stand his songs, too country bumpkin and pandering.
HonkyTonkAngel says:
See now, you got me all flustered and I spelled my name wrong! I shall await your response RedMaZ, no doubt you’ll have one.
Carol says:
Today’s Country Music is all silly nonsense. Newsweek was right.
RedMaZ says:
Hi HTA, thanks for your reply, but this really isn’t about me. Alison is the author of these blogs(along with the other bloggers). I just reply to them. I’m not sure where the talking crap comes in. If there’s something in my reply you agree or don’t agree with that’s fine. Bring it to my attention and I’ll be glad to discuss it with you. Personally I would expect cmt, and it’s representatives to do some research on what they are blogging about, before misleading it’s readers too, but that’s not the case. However I want to thank you for recognizing my knowledge of music. I’m willing to share it too. Are you familiar with today’s Americana/Roots music?
J.R. Journey says:
I’m with you, RedMaZ - every point you made in your first post is valid.
Linda says:
I agree with the guy at Newsweek. Country needs to forget those damn sippy-cup soccer moms and get back to music with some grit. The only new artist I can stand to listen to is Jamey Johnson.
solongsowrong says:
Jamey Johnson a new artist? He’s on his third album and has been around since 02. He’s been recognized on the Roots Country charts. If he’s the only “new” artist you can stand to listen to, it sounds like you’re listening to the wrong genre of Country music. If you want to hear music with grit, stop listening to Pop Country, and seek out the Country music that’s more to your liking. I just don’t understand why people continue to listen to Country artists they don’t like, when there’s so much available in just about any style of Country you can imagine. As Red says, follow the genre and you’ll find the music.
bgmusifan says:
Thank goodness for the gritty music that is out there you just have to know where to look.
merlefan46 says:
I like more gritty lyrics like this. “He rides though the night down a lost highway through a hole he made in his vein, to a plastic place where desperate dies on a dirty street called shame by Billy Don Burns.
merlefan46 says:
Alison,
I must take issue with your on the statement “makes me wonder if you’d prefer that only ugly people sing country music”
These days if an artist isn’t good looking no matter how talented they are they won’t be getting a major label.
ken says:
Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Sugarland and Jessica Simpson would not know a country music song if it hit them in the face.
There’s hardly a song in the charts now that could be described as country.
And….don’t tell me country music has to evolve. Maybe it does but not to the extent that every single thing that makes it country has been banished from the sound. That’s what’s happened to the music and that’s why it’s lost so much.
The country charts should be re-named “The Alternative Pop Charts”
Linda says:
Hey Wrong, I don’t listen to artists I don’t like. And Jamey’s getting nominated as a new artist because his first album is unavailable, and his second was on a label that dropped him. Just because I’ve “found the music” doesn’t mean I don’t know a lot of the rest is crap.
clarence turner says:
I disagree with you about music from the good old days.My reason for disagreeing is at least back than that kind of music proved itself over the course of the last thirty,forty or even fifty years,it had staying power.It was good enough to be remembered and cherished by people like me and others.Before your ready to throw out the old and welcome whats being made today,lets give todays music another 30,40 or 50 years to see if it’s still around and loved as much as what your trying to do away with and forget from the past.I don’t think it will hold up as well as what i call the good old days.In other words what is being made today will not be thought of or remembered in the future.It will disappear like aging dinasaurs from the past.
Ms. Feathers says:
I’m not a huge fan of Rodney Atkins - I do think his songs skew toward the homogeneous middle and sound a lot like so many other songs. And his “America” song is just another rhyming string of images that don’t really say anything. I’ll bet if rap artist “Flo-Rida” wrote a song called “That’s America” it would be VERY different but EQUALLY valid. Rodney’s version of America is not everybody’s.
Personally, I became a country fan during the “sippy cup” years precisely because many of those songs were things I could relate directly to. HOWEVER, the more I listened, the more I got bored w/ the “sippy cups” and wanted something deeper, richer and more thoughtful. I don’t mind a bit of grit, but we should have grit for grit’s sake, just like we shouldn’t have sippy cups for sippy cups’ sake.
VARIETY is what I love about Country Music. There are certain varieties that I don’t like, but I like that they’re there.
When you read an article in Newsweek, *consider the source*!! These people are so far out of touch with what’s really going on “out here in the real world”. Has Mr. Tuttle spent any time in a Nashville recording studio? Or maybe Gruen Hall in TX, or in the passenger seat of a long-haul trucker? Or wedged between the Target bags in the back of my Honda Odyssey?
Making these kinds of Sweeping Generalizations just proves he knows very little whereof he speaks. I’d love to be a fly on the wall if Mr. Tuttle and our own RedMaZ were trapped in an elevator for a few hours and the only entertainment was Red’s freshly-charged iPod! LOL
Ms. Feathers says:
Meant to say at the end of 2nd paragraph….
“… we SHOULDN’T have grit for grit’s sake…” Sorry!
Tenn says:
I really don’t understand what these complainers are complaining about - all kinds of country music artists are out there singing and playing their hearts out - buy their cd’s and go to their concerts, all types of music have their own awards anyway - I just don’t get it,constant complainers just make you feel like you have gum on your shoe - I enjoy all kinds of music pop country to bluegrass - celebrate people while we can - now here’s an album to buy - first solo cd from Sara Watkins!
Trailer says:
What Newsweek said…
solongsowrong says:
That’s great Linda, but my point is though, why does anyone need to worry and complain about what soccer moms listen to, when there is so much Country music available. Let them have their music and you listen to yours. No one has to get back to music with grit, because it never left. 90% of the Country genres out there, are as good, if not better than they ever were. It just makes it sound like you are lumping all Country music into one generalized ball, because of a handful of artist that are being promoted on commercial radio.
solongsowrong says:
What Tenn said!
merlefan46 says:
If you want gritty songs look up Dale Watson,Billy Don Burns,Wayne The Train Hancock, Hank 3’s country stuff. Miss Leslie and her jukejointers, Justin Trevino Hayes Carll, Jim Lauerdale and I could name them all day.
Mike K says:
“But you know what it is to me? Progress. I agree that today’s country music isn’t like yesterday’s, and I’m quite happy about how far we’ve come.”
Let’s see how far we’ve come.
Winners of ACM Awards in 1970 (First year for Entertainer of the Year)
EOY-Merle Haggard
Male Vocalist-Merle Haggard
Female Vocalist-Lynn Anderson
Single-For the Good Times, Ray Price
Album-For the Good Times, Ray Price
2009
EOY-Carrie Underwood
Male Vocalist-Brad Paisley
Female Vocalist-Carrie Underwood
Single-You’re Gonna Miss This, Trace Adkins
Album-Fearless, Taylor Swift
Progress? Please.
Always Right says:
Alison,
Progress? HA!
Music loved by moms going to Target in their minivans IS bad:
I’m not female.
I’m not a parent.
I don’t have a minivan.
Quit being so selfish Alison.
And yes, I prefer ugly people to sing country music. Afterall, it IS about the music, right?
Always Right says:
Last time I checked it wasn’t called “country attractiveness.”
Andrew says:
You’re dead wrong on this Alison. More of people like Jamey Johnson and Miss Leslie and less of those like Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift would be much better for country music.
Shotgun says:
I think it’s a shame that the only thing Alison and Steve Tuttle would agree on is the undesirable nature of the cultural pool that gives rise to trends in modern country music.
Music changes as the culture does, and one of the greatest things about rural Americans has been the way we resist change and idealize “the old ways” or “traditionalism.” It is this sort of cultural morass that has helped preserve the Christian and libertarian heritage of our fathers.
Artificially market only the songs meant to promote the “touchy-feely” or mindless patriotism, or what-have-you…and you’re only serving to artifically promote those aspects of the prospective culture you wish to maintain and foster.
I think it would be a good idea for you folks to google the major country record labels and read their mission statements to see exactly what sort of culture they want to foster.
Either that, or you can just keep reading Alison’s blogs…they’re pretty similar statements.
Kelly says:
This deabte about music credibility has always frustrated me. I am a fan of much (not all) of the pop country music made today, but it sits in my collection with alot of not-so-commercial country music. I loved Trouble in Mind so much I had to immediately track down every Hayes Carll album I could find and recall doing the same thing when I first bought Old Crow Medicine Shows’ Big Iron World. I also own every Keith Urban album.
I am a music seeker, but realize not everyone is.
Maybe the problem is not with the type of music being made, but the (lack of) variety of music being played?
Paul says:
Most of the real country music these days does not come from Nashville, where the emphasis seems to be on pretty young things and handsome hunks.I don’t insist(or even necessarily want) that a country singer be ugly, but I do want substance to the music and I want to hear fiddles and steel guitars and for vocalists NOT to be drowned out by rock guitars.
Harry Belafonte once urged a critic to close his eyes and listen before evaluating a new performer. I suggest you do the same, Alison. If you do, even you will be forced to admit that much of what you hear on today’s country radio is pablum
solongsowrong says:
Kelly, I agree completely with your statement about the problem is not with the type of music being made, but the lack of variety of music being played.
I can understand a station only playing one format or genre, but I personally can’t stomach listening to the same artists over and over again. I support people being able to listen to what ever it is they like, but I personally feel like the music on commercial radio is being shoved down my throat, and I refuse to listen to it.
I can stream an Americana/Roots station for hours on end, and I not only don’t hear a same song played more than once during that time span, but often don’t even hear the same artist more than once. There’s way too much music available to spend time listening to only the current latest and greatest of Pop Country…. especially if you’re not happy with it.
Since I started seeking out music, instead of being miserable about what was being offered on my local Commercial stations, I’m much more happier about the music I can listen to, and think there is absolutely nothing wrong with the overall quality or state of Country music today. I refuse to put a blanket over an entire segment of music culture, because one small part of the industry, is more concerned about music for profit, over music for art.
The Newsweek reporter and Alison may be coming from totally different angles of the Pop culture side of Country music, but both need to educate themselves better on the total Country music scene, because the Roots side of Country still respects the traditions of the music.
And if you know anything about roots…. you cut them off of something… it dies.
merlefan46 says:
Look at Willie Nelson if he walked into a major label today. He would make it past the front desk. He wouldn’t fit the image of good looks etc.
Shotgun says:
All this talk about “roots” music vs. “pogressive” etc. is really the metaphorical equivalent of waiving a white surrender flag!
People, the free-markets work in cultural phenomenon as well as in business. If you start letting the big business record labels define who you are…(I.E: thinking of yourself as a “roots” listener, or a “progressive” country person,) then the music is no longer an organic expression of rural American culture…but instead is a top down attempt to manipulate people by record labels (who have a clear cultural agenda.)
As I said above, please google the mission statement of these labels and see if their desire for the culture of rural Americans is the same as what you want for your kinfolk.
Elizabeth says:
An Tony Bennett says too much drums and vocalists who scream/screech in today’s music.
solongsowrong says:
Shotgun, I looked up the mission statement of one major label, and read: “To experience the joy of advancing and applying technology for the benefit of the public.”
So what does that have to do with, say, Buddy Miller recording a record, of the music of his choice, in his home studio?
Fact of the matter is, most labels I buy Roots Country music from, are Independent labels, who are just as interested in music as art, as it is in music for profit. Since I don’t like to be manipulated into buying what someone else wants to sell me, I don’t think I’m waving a white surrender flag at all, but instead am clearly displaying that I will choose the music and artists I listen to, no matter how much promotion and publicity they use to get me to sell what I don’t want.
You’ll have to do a little better explaining your position, to make me understand what your point is.
Shotgun says:
No offense Mr. / Ms. Solongsowrong,
You didn’t read my case very carefully and so I’m not surprised you weren’t convinced.
I actually applaud your use of “small indipendent labels.” This in my mind, contributes to the competition and fosters a more organic expression of talent.
This is quite opposed to the large record labels. Which label did you look up the mission statement for? Would you like me to provide some examples of what I’m talking about? I didn’t want to overload the readers of this blog with too much information and so I merely made the suggestion to look into it.
I never claimed that someone of your calibre would be waiving a white flag…but then again, you most likely woulnd’t think of yourself in terms of industry categories, but would rather think of the industry in terms of what you like or dislike. I applaud such attitudes.
Don’t get your paradigms en masse’ (what I like to call, “WallMart Paradigms.”
solongsowrong says:
Don’t know if you don’t want me to take offense to what you said, or you didn’t take offense to what I said, but it really doesn’t much matter either way… anyone who takes offense to what is said on a blog, doesn’t belong here. If you don’t want to hear what others say, you shouldn’t be expressing your views either. So for me, no offense given, no offense taken.
The mission statement I read was from Sony/BMG, who I worked for at one time, but I didn’t really need a mission statement to know what their #1 concern is. Sitting in only one meeting, it was quite obvious money, money, money is their mission. Music as art was not important. But since many won’t bother to look for themselves, and I may have been looking at the wrong statement, I would love for you to provide some other examples. A segment of the readers who you don’t want to overload, will probably skip over what you say anyhow. Probably the same segment that thinks, “Turn on the FM radio dial, good enough!”
Re-reading you post, I definitely don’t feel that I’m letting the big business record labels define who I am, nor think of myself as a strictly Roots listener. I listen to many forms of Country music, and have decided all by myself, that my ears don’t like the Pop Country. Since that is what commercial radio pushes, rather than complain about what is offered, I seek out what I like. I listen to Roots music, because that offers what I like. What I like is what defines who I am, and what I listen to. No label decided that for me.
I will admit, I have a problem with a segment of the Industry, but I have an even bigger problem with people who come on here complaining about the current state of Country music, when they don’t even bother to check for themselves what actually is out there to listen to, or won’t accept that it isn’t that big a stretch for singers like Jessica Simpson to go from one style of Pop music to another. Her version of Country, has more in commom with the music of Chesney, Sugarland, Swift, Underwood, and The Flatt Boys, than it does with the Country music of Dale Watson, Wayne Hancock, Sunny Sweeney, Sara Watkins, or the Hot Club of Cowtown. Simpson’s music is what it is, no matter how much someone thinks she doesn’t belong. It certainly isn’t Roots music, so it must be the other portion of Country…. which is Pop.
Which brings us right back to what the topic of this ridiculous blog started out complaining about….. Country music not being what it used to be. It is if you look in the right places. And if you care enough to be looking, that to me means you’re looking to fight the system, not raise a white flag in surrender.
Jake says:
While I’m can see both sides to the story. I think this argument has more to do with what era of country music all of us grew up in. Notice that the author of the Newsweek story was talking about the country music that was on when he was a kid. I have noticed that I love country music from the 1990’s because I was a kid then, and those were good days for me so I love that music more than todays.
So for me, I think the great debate on traditional vs. contempary, will never end. But all in all, I’m fine with all these changes in country music, because I’ve noticed that it seems to come full circle. Look at the past couple of decades of country music. The late 60’s had country-rock, then in the 70’s it was outlaw country which would turn into country-pop, then to neo-tradionalist in alot of the 80’s. The 90’s was a mix of alot of genres at first and then it was country-pop for the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Then if you look at around 2004, country-pop was kind of dying there for a while. Look at Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman” and “When I Think About Cheating”, while some might consider that country-pop, it definatly is not the same country-pop from the early 2000s. Now in the late 2000’s country-pop is more like the late 90’s country-pop with artists like Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood.
So I think everyone should just realize that country music as with all other genres, works full circle. People who don’t like country-pop, just take a breather, as I’m certain you will get to hear more traditonal stuff in the coming years, but as for now why not let country-pop ride the mainstream wave for a while.
solongsowrong says:
So Outlaw Country turned into Pop Country? tell that to current Outlaw artists Robert Earl Keen, Hank Williams III, Kevin Fowler, Wade Bowan, Billy Joe Shaver, David Allen Coe, Ray Wylie Hubbard, The Bottle Rockets, and Rodeo Kill. Billy Joe might even shoot, if you say that to him.
RedMaZ says:
Hi Miss Leslie!
Donna says:
Hey, again I agree with the article. Where is true country. Yes, there is room for all country….but we need some good country singers. Check out http://www.myspace.com/austinboggs he is only 20…Has a record label looking but wants him to sing pop country…..He is country…why do they have to change??
I do think is he good looking young man!!! but there are those that do want to sing country!!