Modern Country Fans---explain Blake Shelton to me?

[wades_keys]

 

You apparently don't listen to much Outlaw Country on Sirius XM. Chet is one of their godfathers of the Grand Old Opry in certain circles and is held in very high regard.

 

Nah, I just spent the first half of my life listening to it, or listening to others listen to it LOL

 

Sure he's held in high regard. But he's also blamed for that slick nu-country production style, and many fans of outlaw country back in the day saw Chet as representing all of the things they hated about country music.

[BlueStrat]

 

Nah, I just spent the first half of my life listening to it, or listening to others listen to it LOL Sure he's held in high regard. But he's also blamed for that slick nu-country production style, and many fans of outlaw country back in the day saw Chet as representing all of the things they hated about country music.

 

 

 

Really? LIke who? I've been listening to outlaw country since 1972, and I haven't ever seen any of them slag Chet.A case could be made that Chet was the original outlaw: he was fired from several live radio shows because he wasn't commercial enough and insisted on playing his own style. He may have come to epitomize a certain commercial sound, but I have never seen anything but love for Chet in all genres of country music, outlaw included. He in fact helped get a lot of future outlaws their start. From Wiki:

 

"In 1968, Atkins had become vice president of RCA's country division. In 1987 he told Nine-O-One Network Magazine that he was "ashamed" of his promotion: "I wanted to be known as a guitarist and I know, too, that they give you titles like that in lieu of money. So beware when they want to make you vice president." He had brought Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Connie Smith, Bobby Bare, Dolly Parton, Jerry Reed and John Hartford to the label in the 1960s and inspired and helped countless others. He took a considerable risk during the mid-1960s, when the Civil Rights Movement sparked violence throughout the South by signing country music's first African-American singer Charley Pride, who sang rawer country than the smoother music Atkins had pioneered."

[wades_keys]

Probably just ignorant fans. It ain't like we had wikipedia or anything authoritative. You know what they say about opinions. But that kind of stuff I heard over and over again in dives and from rednecks. Probably ignorant.

[Vito Corleone]

Yeah, I always thought that by the time "outlaw country" came around in the 70s that old cats like Atkins were just considered part of the old guard. Not anything that competed with or threatened what they did one way or the other. I could understand those guys being upset about Kenny Rogers or Eddie Rabbitt and the "Urban Cowboy" stuff that came along a few years later, but Chet Atkins? That's like being pissed at Floyd Cramer.

[wades_keys]

 

Yeah, I always thought that by the time "outlaw country" came around in the 70s that old cats like Atkins were just considered part of the old guard. Not anything that competed with or threatened what they did one way or the other. I could understand those guys being upset about Kenny Rogers or Eddie Rabbitt and the "Urban Cowboy" stuff that came along a few years later, but Chet Atkins? That's like being pissed at Floyd Cramer.

 

But Chet had a hand in signing artists AND in the slick production style.....Guess the ignorant didn't realize he signed some outlaw artists too.

 

I was just a kid hanging out in joints, dives, and even the occasional illegal speakeasy with the old man.

[Vito Corleone]

 

But Chet had a hand in signing artists AND in the slick production style.....Guess the ignorant didn't realize he signed some outlaw artists too. I was just a kid hanging out in joints, dives, and even the occasional illegal speakeasy with the old man.

 

 

I'm surprised they knew he ran the label instead of just being a session guitarist.

[wades_keys]

 

I'm surprised they knew he ran the label instead of just being a session guitarist.

 

Seemed to be a pretty well known thing.

 

That speakeasy was a real trip. Log cabin out in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in Meade County (dry). They had video poker with cash payouts, local cops running security, huge dancefloor. Nice joint.

[vanlatte]

 

My brother worked backsatge @ Merriweather Pavillion in Columbia during the golden age (1968 - 72) and got to meet all kinds of famous people, from Hendrix to Conway Twitty. He said the country stars were always the most friendly and unassuming. The rock stars were either ambivalent, or complete assholes (especially the British ones).

 

 

So he has 11 #1 hits because he is a nice guy?

 

Not really following what your point is here...

[vanlatte]

 

{censored} you, Tim.

 

 

Lol Tim angered The Guido!

 

( not that I disagree with said Guido....)

[BlueStrat]

 

But Chet had a hand in signing artists AND in the slick production style.....

 

 

Well, sure he did. After all, that's what he was hired for. It was still a thriving business back then, but what many of us don't realize in today's music business is that back then it was the slickly produced mega-sellers that provided the development money to take chances on guys like Waylon (not considered a great singer back then) and Charlie Pride and lots of other more boundary-pushing types. Today, development deals are a thing of the past- the success of a Lady Gaga or Rhianna just leads to finding another Gaga or Rhianna. But guys like Chet used money from sales of people like George Jones and Tammy Wynette to finance Waylon and Willie, Jerry Reed (also not considered a great singer) and John Hartford. That would never happen today. Willie and Waylon, both great songwriters early on, were slow in developing to superstar status. Chet helped get them out there. Chet even helped produce Waylon's "Wanted: The Outlaws" album.

[wades_keys]

Check out 2:01 or so.

 

Eddie Van WHO?

 

[video=youtube;7Svm_Vnntyk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Svm_Vnntyk

[OldGuitarPlayer]

Chet Atkins signed Elvis Presley to RCA...the rest is history.

 

I have no idea who or what "Blake Shelton" is however he has a really cool name and from what I understand that's really most important in country music....

[TIMKEYS]

Chet Atkins signed Elvis Presley to RCA...the rest is history. I have no idea who or what "Blake Shelton" is however he has a really cool name and from what I understand that's really most important in country music....

 

you need three names in texas:thu:

[Vito Corleone]

I have no idea who or what "Blake Shelton" is however he has a really cool name and from what I understand that's really most important in country music....

 

All these country guys ALWAYS seem to have great sounding country names. I often wonder how many of them are made up. I mean, if your name is Dwight Yoakam, what the {censored} ELSE are you going to do with your life besides sing country songs.....

[BlueStrat]

 

All these country guys ALWAYS seem to have great sounding country names. I often wonder how many of them are made up. I mean, if your name is Dwight Yoakam, what the {censored} ELSE are you going to do with your life besides sing country songs.....

 

 

Become an artificial inseminator for livestock?

[race81]

To the OP..........speaking as a person who has drank beer backstage, listen to soundcheck, and seen the man perform, dont judge his talent by the one tv performance. He has a great voice for country music, and has a traditional type of upbringing. The clip I watched of the voice also was not with his band....not that it matters that much. But I believe is the combonation of his skill, attitude, and marketing pitch that makes the total sell.

[Iowaguy]

[Piano Whore]

Haven't you heard?? Every major studio in Nashville has the "Twangulator" vocal FX software plug-in. A singer from New Yawk or the Bronx? No matter! Pipe the vocals thru the Twangulator and voila- instant twang! Sorry, can't find the link.

[Nijyo]

 

I mentored a kid who is a great singer who went to Nashville and got interest from a production group who worked with some big names, but they told the kid he had to work on his singing accent (it wasn't "country" enough) and develop a backstory about growing up poor in the country. The producers use autotune and everything else the rest of the music biz uses. It's really no different than producing a Lady Gaga or a Jay Z, except they use fiddles and steel guitars.

 

 

Gene Simmons' show a few seasons ago featured one of them big name glam rock^H^H^H^H^H country rock folks who came in to talk to some young country band he was producing. He said exactly this. He said he liked what they did, but in order to meet expectations, they needed to "hick it up".

[Nijyo]

 

About the only country accent I'm positive is real is Reba McEntire. I guess it's OK to fake a real thick country drawl if it helps sell your act/recordings. Many genres of music have a signature element whether it's growling, or mumbling or attempting to sound "hip". Each to his own.

 

 

The "Pearl Jam drawl" and the "Godsmack Constipation" are two similar phenomenon in rock.

[wardjames]

 

About the only country accent I'm positive is real is Reba McEntire. I guess it's OK to fake a real thick country drawl if it helps sell your act/recordings. Many genres of music have a signature element whether it's growling, or mumbling or attempting to sound "hip". Each to his own.

 

 

That fake {censored} always works against you in the long run. George Strait and Alan Jackson's accents are authentic...but Garth doesn't really have one, and it never hurt him, and he certainly never "hicked" it up. Gary Allan's a surfer from La Mirada, and he's done fine not acting like he's from the deep south. You've got to find a path to being accessible to mainstream audiences, but being fake isn't a good way to do it in the long run.

[TIMKEYS]

 

That fake {censored} always works against you in the long run. George Strait and Alan Jackson's accents are authentic...but Garth doesn't really have one, and it never hurt him, and he certainly never "hicked" it up. Gary Allan's a surfer from La Mirada, and he's done fine not acting like he's from the deep south. You've got to find a path to being accessible to mainstream audiences, but being fake isn't a good way to do it in the long run.

 

 

Garth is and okie.

[Vito Corleone]

 

Garth is and okie.

 

 

Is "Okie" used to describe anyone from Oklahoma? I thought it was primarily a derogatory term used to describe the poor migrants who came to California after the Dust Bowl. There were still a lot of "Okies" when I was growing up in the farmlands of the Central Valley. Or at least 2nd generation "Okies". Merle Haggard was one of these, hence him being an "Okie From Muskogee". His parents were from Oklahoma. Merle is from Bakersfield.

[TIMKEYS]

 

Is "Okie" used to describe anyone from Oklahoma? I thought it was primarily a derogatory term used to describe the poor migrants who came to California after the Dust Bowl. There were still a lot of "Okies" when I was growing up in the farmlands of the Central Valley. Or at least 2nd generation "Okies". Merle Haggard was one of these, hence him being an "Okie From Muskogee". His parents were from Oklahoma. Merle is from Bakersfield.

 

 

We love OK here in texas ,,, the fact that OK sucks is the only reason why texas just doesnt drift out in to the gulf of mexico.

[Vito Corleone]

 

Let me say at the outset that I LOVE country music. But I HATE modern pop country for the most part. All of those guys are interchangeable as far as singing goes, IMO. It's funny, too, because modern country prides itself in being "honest"music for "real folks", but it's as plastic and contrived as any pop music ever thought of being. Guys like Steve Earl, David Alan Coe, Chris Knight, Cody Canada, and tons of others have been shut out because they don't sound like Blake/Toby/Kenny/Jason/Zac/Tim etc and they don't write sappy songs or songs built around a bumper sticker. It's a hoot, too. I mentored a kid who is a great singer who went to Nashville and got interest from a production group who worked with some big names, but they told the kid he had to work on his singing accent (it wasn't "country" enough) and develop a backstory about growing up poor in the country.

 

 

I think one of the problems with a lot of music (and maybe America in general) is nobody has any REAL stories anymore. What is there to sing about? Gospel and The Blues were born out of the stories of slavery and oppression. Country music was written by people who were poor and struggling. Soul, Hip-Hop and Rap out of life in the inner cities. A lot of 60s/70s rock was the music of kids dealing with the prospect of being drafted to be used as cannon-fodder for a war that wasn't in our national interest. What's the real suffering to write about today? That things "ain't as good as they used to be?" "My parents' generation borrowed against my Social Security?" Yeah, that sucks I guess, but that's not really the stuff true ART is made of, ya know?