It's hot as hell here too and the streets are blocked off and traffic is backed up all over the place. But people are having a big old time eating and drinking and listening to country music. People have come to Nashful for this event from all over the world, but most are from the States and Canada. There's no question that the CMA Fest is a good thing for the city and for country music.
But in the midst of all this hype and the coiffed and homogenized stars and the electrified and synthesized instruments and the wired and facebooked crowd it's a good time to remember how this kind of music got started. The staring point would be this guy.
Most of the greats in country music have eventually covered Jimmy Rodgers songs or done tribute albums. Here's Merle Haggard's version of one of Jimmy's best known songs, "Waiting for a Train."
That last song is dedicated to all the old codgers who still have that "one rose" left in their hearts. I'm one of 'em. Are you?
the coiffed and homogenized stars and the electrified and synthesized instruments... That pretty much sums it up Dan. There seems to be more and more plain-jane, white bread, vanilla icecream, schmaltz coming out all the time. No wonder some artists are 'going rogue' and stepping away frome he machine.
ReplyDeleteblooger's at it again (but at least it's leting me put something up)
Deb
I'm one of 'em. Are you?
ReplyDeleteSorta. ;-)
Deb, Buck, and Andy: Thanks for commenting. Like Deb said, some artists are stepping away from the glitz. That's been a pattern in country music--the outlaws (Waylon, Willie, etc.) rebelled against the Nashville Sound, Randy Travis ushered in a return to traditional sounding cm in the early '80s, etc.
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