If You Want to Country It Up, It Needs More Banjo
Remember that Saturday Night Live skit from about 10 years ago, with a fictional Blue Öyster Cult in the studio and the producer who kept wanting to hear more cowbell on "(Don't Fear) the Reaper"? I feel that exact same way about the banjo. There's never enough. And even worse, when there's a song that has no banjo whatsoever, I honestly find it hard to even call a song like that country.
I probably have Keith Urban and the Dixie Chicks' Emily Robison to blame for that. Before they made modern day banjo-playing cool, I probably didn't give it much thought. But now, when I hear a new song on country radio, one of two things happens. If it has banjo, I turn it up. If it doesn't, I turn it off. I'm not trying to sound like some kind of purist. It's just a matter of personal taste. So in that on-going debate (in my head and on any website that has anything to do with loving or hating country music) over what's country and what's pop, banjo is always the answer. It doesn't have to be the main instrument, though, because a little banjo goes a long way.
Think about Taylor Swift's "Picture to Burn," Dierks Bentley's "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)," Dixie Chicks' "Goodbye Earl," Keith Urban's "Better Life," Carrie Underwood's "Songs Like This" and newcomer Josh Thompson's "Beer on the Table." I'm also fond of all-banjo instrumentals, like the kind Steve Martin plays on his last album, The Crow, and the more bluegrass side of bands like the SteelDrivers. But I'm partial to banjo tunes that are polished enough for mainstream country fans. Do you have any favorites?
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matt says:
Trust us you dont sound like a purist when you mention Taylor Swift and Keith Urban in your favorite list.
michku3 says:
A few of my favorites are already on this list: Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, and Carrie Underwood. The songs you mentioned by them are some of my favorites!
I Am Very Cute says:
why is CMT paying this very dumb blogger? My mind was spinning reading this article. I can’t believe somebody this dumb who can write a dumb article like this still got published…
English may not be my primary language and Americanism may not be my primary culture but even us here in third world country Philippines knows this is a dumb article…
elizabeth says:
OMG - what a “dumb” article.
TG says:
“I’m not trying to sound like some kind of purist” LOL!! Trust me, you don’t,no worries there!!
Shadow says:
I’m glad to see by your mentioning of The SteelDrivers and Steve Martin, that you at least finally admit that there is something other than mainstream country music out there.
But I got to say, the only debate going on about country and pop and loving or hating it, are by people like yourself who publicly refuse to admit that pop is not a genre, but an industry, and country can be, and is a part of that industry. And just by adding banjo, doesn’t automatically stop it from being pop music or suddenly country.
To answer your last question about having favorite banjo tunes? Yes, I have plenty. Also have plenty of favorite banjo artists. Check out Bela Fleck, Alison Brown, Jim Mills, Ben Eldridge, Ron Block, Ron Stewart, J.D. Crowe, Kristin Scott Benson… the list goes on and on.
merlefan49 says:
I prefer the banjo tunes of bluegrass. The banjo is the backbone of a good bluegrass band. A country band can get along without one but not in a bluegrass band
Mick says:
This blogger appears kinda dumb. A lot of ocuntry-pop has a banjo in it. But I dont think that makes it pure. There is some blluegrass that is pure. I kinda like the more modern stuff-think Dolly Parton’s acoustic bluegrass trilogy. also Daily and Vincent. A few other things come to mind. But I would never list Taylor Swift as bluegrass or pure. Neither Carrie Underwood who has a great voice. At least Keith Urban does a bit of acoustic things and I do think he is really good with his music. Maybe we should just start boycotting poor Alison.
I Am Very Cute says:
the difference between Dierks Bentley and Keith Urban from these other pop country acts is these two knows what they’re doing….
Robin says:
Wow Shadow - you just said that country is part of the “pop” industry and then tried to describe them both as seperate genre’s: “doesn’t automatically stop it from being pop music or suddenly country”
And, people want to talk about Alison being “dumb”.
Robin says:
By the way, you brilliant purist, Alison didn’t describe any of those artist as “bluegrass” (Mick), she defined a specific song of theirs that she feels represnts the country genre well (with touch of banjo) within the pop country industry.
Cassie says:
Okay first off i agree withyou that counrty music doesnt also so like true country music but thats what lets song become so big because they all dont sound the same. Second is the banjo is not a main instrument in country its the fiddle.
Paul says:
If you want to make a song more country you make fiddle and steel guitar the predominant instruments and tone down (but do not eliminate) the lead guitar removing the Skynyrd/Van Halen type of extended solos entirely.
Banjo and mandolin are optional flavorings to real country music, although essential to bluegrass. If both fiddle and steel are missing it is very difficult, but not impossible, to be country - and yes I realize that both Bobby Bare and Johnny Cash pulled it off
I like Keith Urban’s music (I also like Counbt Basie and Frank Sinatra) but he’s not country
Shadow says:
Nice try Robin, but twist words on someone else. I really don’t see a need to play that game with you. I said country CAN be a part of the pop industry.
Go play with Trotter.
gocubsgo says:
Roy Clark, anyone? He’s synonymous with banjo, for me. Probably because Hee Haw was on when I was a kid.
Robin says:
Actual Shadow - you said BOTH
“doesn’t automatically stop it from being pop music or suddenly country”
“pop music” isn’t “or” “country music” as you had previously described in your post - since pop music is an industry of all types of genres. So, you are the confused little person you always are.
The David says:
c’mon … I have to agree with the use of banjo in Country music but Swift & Underwood? I think you mean Flatt & Scruggs, maybe Roy Clark, Johnny Hartford, Jenny Blackadder and Ban-Joey .. even Donna The Buffalo! Just because it has banjo, don’t make it necessarily Country and it doesn’t HAVE to be banjo to be Country but it don’t hurt!
L says:
Hmmm…shouldn’t banjo be replaced with steel guitar throughout this article?
Shadow says:
No one will ever accuse you of being smarter than the average bear, Robin. I figure maybe you don’t read so fast, so I’ll type this slow.
Here’s the context of what I was saying, broken down so hopefully you can even understand it. It might help if you first read the article again, too:
Just by adding banjo, doesn’t automatically stop it from being pop music. And just by adding banjo, doesn’t automatically make it suddenly country.
You see, no mention of genre. Just a generic term of country used. You twisted it to say what you wanted to fight about.
Katie says:
Wow. Aside from the nut cases insulting everyone else’s intelligence…
I enjoy a little banjo, too. I don’t think it’s necessary to make a country song, and I agree that a banjo doesn’t necesarily a country song make. But it is a rather defining aspect of country, since that’s the only way any of my friends (none of whom really listen to it) can describe country.
I mean, I don’t like an overload of it, but I do like how many of the mentioned artists and songs utilize banjos. I do think it’s how people like Taylor Swift and Keith Urban show their loyalty to country music despite having “mainstream” or “pop” sounding hits.
I Am Very Cute says:
if Alison’s theory is true, then Stokes (of The Lost Trailers) & Baby Bash featuring The Lost Trailers’ All The Bad Girls is country.. hahaha
hilarious!!!!