General Music Chat

Actually, I think they DO appreciate my picking material that suits me...& i'm quite happy with my fan base, here at the local level. They seem to like what I'm doing, anyway, or they wouldn't keep coming back.

phil if U R giging regularly ,UR right.

To be honest, I haven't gigged "regularly" for a cpl yrs. When I gig these days, though, I still pull in 3/4 to a full house, generally speaking. There have been a cpl disapointments, but that was due to weather & last-minute gigs where the info didn't get out.

We're gonna start up an open mic that we had run successfully for about 17 years or so, until the owners started fidgiting with the times & such. i'm really looking forward to that, cuz I get to play so many kinds of music - everything from country to classic rock to blues & some originals, both on guitar & bass. YAY! I was PO'd that they stopped running it last year, but U think they've come to thier senses!

Hell, you don't even hear LEAD GUITAR on rock music anymore.

Yeah you do. You just gotta know where to listen

I'll grant you Craig - there's a big difference between commercial rock and what I usually listen to. The musicianship in commercial rock started to die when Curt Cobain jumped on the scene. I'll grant you - those guys suck compared to Nashville studio musicians. I'm well aware of the talent level required to be a studio musician.

But proficiency in the instruments has been making a comeback lately. Bands like Alter Bridge and Avenged Sevenfold are bringing the guitar solo back.

I listen to progressive rock and metal most of the time, and the musicianship that is at work there is far more impressive than anything being done in Country..

I listen to progressive rock and metal most of the time, and the musicianship that is at work there is far more impressive than anything being done in Country..

Dude... apples and oranges.

"I listen to progressive rock and metal most of the time, and the musicianship that is at work there is far more impressive than anything being done in Country.."
I might say it's "as good as," but I'd hesitate to pan the country musician, myself. There are some MONSTER players in the genre.

I am making the rounds on my "Apology Tour" of internet forums.

I think I pi$$ed off segments of forum peeps almost every where I went yesterday. My bad.

Although I made far too many diggs at country music, I still admire the degree of skill the studio guys have. I have always felt that way.

I stand by the cookie cutter trendy lyric comments. Not only mine but others.

I saw Rascal Flatts in concert. (Free pass} They were a bunch of drama queens. Dancing around the stage, holding one long crappy guitar note for what appeared to me to be forever. And the audience cheered and cheered at his nothingness of musicianship, simply because they were taken back by his brilliant command of "Guitar Faces".

On the other hand, to be fair, I went to see FleetWood Mac. (Free pass) They should have called it the "Linsey guitar swinging jumping jack show". He played friggin NOTHING interesting. He swung his guitar over his head for about 3 minutes, to the cheers and adulation of some, while banging the strings every time it came around. It wasn't even good showmanship.

I think most lyrics suck in all venues of music. Just as was previously pointed out by someone else. I simply HEAR more of them in country. But that is the fault of the Nashville marketing machine. So country folks, I really don't mean to slam you.

You guys are being unfairly judgemental, out of habit. Nothing more.

When country artists write cheesy, funny lyrics... generally, that is what they are looking to do. Make people laugh, or grin, or say a "Hell yeah". Much of what you are criticising is Party music to country fans. Like the Rock anthem... "I'm on a Highway to Hell" it's designed to evoke a "Hell yeah!" fists pumped in the air. It's no different for Country fans, just a different carrot, being put out there for them.

And trashing ballads?

That's -MY- bread and butter. I usually keep it simple and memorable, and I write it for the MASSES. I can write avant garde, off the wall sh*t too, on ly to one day look forward to a fan base, that would be 1/100th of what it could be, and I could be an artsy snob over it, looking down at the simpletons, who write music that is accessible to everyone, and think I was better than everyone else... but...

F*ck that.

I WANT my music to reach lots of people! I LOVE that most of my music is generally loved by everyone. From 9 to 90, I have generations of people singing the same songs I've written. And especially where ballads are concerned, I love that! Ballads are the comfort food of music. Easily understandable, accessible, memorable... it UNDERSTANDS what you've been through, and easily evokes emotion in you. You can trash something recognizable and comfortable all you want, but those of us who have mothers that love us, would disagree. We don't have to hate the world, and every other genre of music... We have someone we could always depend on... someone recognizable that was always there... Someone that meant.... HOME. The world could f*ck us up , every way come Sunday, but "HOME" was always there... Always understanding... Always embracing... Always accepting of us, and ready to take us in and get us back into fighting shape again.

THAT is what ballads are. - HOME

That is what simple, comforting songs are. - HOME

Everyone deep inside, wants a home. A place that always welcomes us, and cares about us. Only the most selfish a**holes would say F*CK YOU to their own mothers.

And that's effectively what a few of you are doing!

So, you don't want or need a mother, or a place called HOME?

That's just the way you've come to deal with your miserable existence.

Some of us, still believe in "home".

I owe apologies myself there Slacker G, What I meant by over rated is the litttle saying something about don't try this at home. I don't mean to sound condisending but it sounded a little arrogant to me! I think your a hell of a good picker though! I was doing something I don't often do these day's PWSI that stands for posting while slightly intoxicated, LOL. Anyway there are a lot of great players on here and that is why I enjoy this forum so much because there are a lot of folks on here that are pretty sharp. 90% of them are way smarter than this old mullet wearin guitar pickin REDNECK.

Us musicians as Philby said not long ago can be really hard. Myself I prefer to know where I stand with folks so if they are a little harsh I have pretty thick skin (unless of coarse I am PWSI)

I Like just about all music I can find something good in all of it, but all music has its good and bad IMO. Like I said yesterday opinions are like assholes everyone has them and they all stink including yours truley!

Damn, Craig! & I thought I was harsh!

I have repeatedly said that there is lots of good to be found in the genre.

I also have said that there is much that I don't like about it.

"If the material doesn't reach me, I don't do it. That's pretty easy to understand, isn't it? It just ain't for me."

So...am I REALLY saying "FU" to my mom?



SORRY, MOM!!!!

LMAO

Anyway, have we answered your original 2 questions adequately, or not?

I'm still looking for where someone bashed the ballad...nope...I'm still missing it...

So...you're saying that if I don't like country, I must have a miserable existence? I don't see the correllation. Could you explain that just a LITTLE clearer?

My GOODNESS! If ppl get this riled up about it, why would they ask questions that are bound to challenge thier preconceptions in negative ways? You just want to get angry, or what? Or do you want us all to agree with you on the perfection of the country art? Ain't gonna happen!

Back in the 80's when I first started hearing Yngvie Malmsteen, Eric Johsnson, Joe Satriani. I knew I would never be that good on guitar no matter how hard I tried. Out of frustration I sold all of my gear except for my acoustic and basically quit playing for almost 2 years. I think most musicians go thru this at some point. I have seen people I have played with go thru it. During that time I did a lot of soul searching and came to the conclusion that being a musician is part of my very being Its who I am, and I made peice with the fact that I wasn't going to change the world with my music, maybe I don't have to be the best there is I learned I have to be the best I can be. So from that point on I have been in competition with myself and no one else. I think it is that way with music in general usually if you play an Yngvie song for most people it goes right over there head they don't get it. They just want to party and say Hell Yeah! give them some A.C. D.C. or Nirvana and the masses are happy they want music they can understand I don't mean for this to sound like a cop out. As musicians we should always keep raising the bar and just be the best we can be. Some will like us and some will despise us but as long as we feel like we are making progress I guess we can take solice in that. HELL YEAH!

The tag, on this post is, as are the on other ones are supposed to be humorous.

I thought it was extremely funny because all the reality shows and many others always put this tag at the beginning of their shows.

"These stunts were performed by professional stunt men. Please do not attempt to try this at home."

It most certainly wasn't intended to be arrogant, it was just me making fun of myself. and I always do that. I do not consider myself above even an inadequate musician. My philosophy is this.

Even a really unskilled musician comes up with a great lick now and then. So I can learn from any musician. Even when the lesson is "don't try that, it doesn't work."

I always let others take the ride at jams when they want to. I am always content to take a back seat and try to make them sound better by complementing what they are playing if I can, without taking away from what they are doing. When I can't, I just shut up and keep out of their way. I will always be a sideman. Not because I have to, but because I really want to.

Damn, Craig! & I thought I was harsh!

(snip)

So...am I REALLY saying "FU" to my mom?



SORRY, MOM!!!!

LMAO

LMAO!!!!


That's a little below the belt, huh?

Ooops!


I was just making a point, in a rather blunt manner. Generally, much of what we love about "mom" or "home" are the same things that ballads, and alot of SIMPLE country songs are going for... comfort... something that understands, and doesn't over-complicate things.

It made me think for a moment... "Gee, would you hate your mother too? For having those same qualities?

Anyway, have we answered your original 2 questions adequately, or not?

Well sure. You answered it when you said that "It appeals to the least common denominator" which, if I didn't know it was meant in derision, I would have agreed to some extent.

What I was unprepared for, was the outright hostility, to an entire GENRE of music! I haven't seen that since Disco, and hell... I'm even starting to appreciate that, a little more than I did, when I was more immature, and too quick to judge, rather than just appreciate stuff for what it was.

I'm still looking for where someone bashed the ballad...nope...I'm still missing it...

Our new Sid Vicious wannabe.

Keep looking, it's there. I would have knocked out Sid Vicious for half the sh*t he said too, but hell... His own mother was a drug addict, who actually bought him the smack he O.D.'ed on. With a "mom" like that, who needs an angry American to knock them on their asses? Just step back, and let their everyday life do it for you.

You just want to get angry, or what? Or do you want us all to agree with you on the perfection of the country art? Ain't gonna happen!

I just hope for FAIR assessments, and not whining ranting hate-filled diatribes, against an entire GENRE, which can no longer be boxed-up in the same package anymore than Rock and Roll can be.

In many ways, Country music is keeping the Music Industry afloat these days, and profitability still a possibility.

I have NEVER bought a country album for myself.

But I can respect good musicianship when I hear it. And I can respect music that speaks to the masses, and tries to reach people where they are in life, not purport to speak OVER them.

Hmmm,

"What I was unprepared for, was the outright hostility, to an entire GENRE of music! I haven't seen that since Disco, and hell... I'm even starting to appreciate that, a little more than I did, when I was more immature, and too quick to judge, rather than just appreciate stuff for what it was. "

Huh? You didn't like disco? I thought everyone liked disco.

Yeah, I know.... Is he being real or givin me $hit?


I'll never tell.

Howcome everybody spells errogant right except me.