Wednesday 22 July 2009

Ma dawg gone left me

I hate country music. Rhinestones, whining, reactionary lyrics. That's what I thought anyway. Turns out that loads of the music I like is country - bluegrass, Appalachian stuff, some Loretta Lynn, lots of Johnny Cash and today, the Diana Jones album I bought a few days ago, Better Times Will Come. I can't pretend it's folk or any other sub-genre, despite the presence of good violins. It's country, and it's great. There, I said it.

However, I will remove my ears with a grater rather than ever listen to Country'n'Irish.

My bike looks ace now: bright blue handlebar tape, bright blue tyres, gleaming chrome and almost working brakes. Perhaps tomorrow I'll go for a ride before work. I swam today - felt pretty good until Neal appeared, did his 40 lengths in 20 minutes and still looked fresher than me. The fencing season's over until September, which is a little frustrating, though really it's too hot to put on four layers of kit, some of them metal.

6 comments:

Some Chilean Woman said...

More dawg talk...hmmm, there is a pattern...

I have a confession to make, I love The Dixie Chicks.

The Plashing Vole said...

I thought they were bland country-lite, but came to respect them for the their Bush-baiting and the grace they showed under pressure.

If we're confessing, I like Abba, the Indigo Girls and lots of other unfashionable bands…

Zoot Horn said...

Hank Williams. 'Nuff said.

However. As my, ahem, researches have shown, the compartmentalisation and segregation of American popular musical genres is an effect of early C20th marketing and airplay activities, doncha know. Check out someone like Mississippi John Hurt - he sang blues, country, spirituals and showtunes during the 1920s (sometimes in 'mixed' bands)... but he's always marketed as 'blues'. Same with country. Plenty of black and bluesy country and bluegrass bands existed before the record company execs decided that was white folks' music. So it's easy to find aspects of a despised genre you like, cos they're all marketing ploys anyway. Smash capitalism. Give the banjos back to the black guys.

The Plashing Vole said...

Sage words, Mr. Zoot. I'm slipping into Cajun and Zydeco now.

Kate said...

Voley, I heartily recommend The Be Good Tanyas, and also a compilation CD called 'Strange Country'

The Plashing Vole said...

I know of the BGTs - will check out the CD.