mikeandtim

Merle Haggard and Townes Van Zandt Suck

*Disclaimer*
-I actually have nothing against these men. I am just tired of them being honored as low-level deities in present-day Texas Country music for accomplishing relatively little musically or otherwise.

I went to a fairly entertaining New Year's Eve gathering at the Armadillo Palace in Houston last night. There was some dancing, good drinks, a decent gathering of attractive women, and Jesse Dayton. He and his band hammered out some great country/rock, which was well done and fun to listen to. Unfortunately, he committed the cardinal sin of the Texas Music Godfather Reference. Many times over. And he referenced Johnny Cash repeatedly. And said that he hopes they make "20" more Johnny Cash movies.

I suddenly became officially pissed off.

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up......just sing you bastard!

Who really, really cares about all these guys? Were they good? Sure- in some ways they have contributed to music and its growth and development. But stop referencing them. Write your own music, perform your own music, and be proud of your own music. It's almost as if these guys don't think anyone can do anything better than these guys did within the genre that they occupy. They are content to just emulate the same decent music over and over until it rapidly degenerates to crap status, then when people realize how bad the music is that they are listening to (since it has only devolved in the 50 years from inception) they throw out the obligatory "I listen to old Texas Country" reference to appease the crowd. As if the crowd is thinking.. "Geez, these guys suck. Do they even know where their OWN style of music came from?! At least then I could sympathize with the fact that they are trying to get people to remember Texas the way it was in the 50's, 60's, and 70's when all was right with the world!"

"This is a song about Willie Nelson.. Luckenbach, Texas.. the 4th of July.. San AnTONE.. gettin' stuck in the mud.. Lone Star and Pearl beers.. My Grandpa who taught me to fish.. the Dukes of Hazzard.. Here we go!"

(andTim vomits in mouth upon recall of having seen this scene EVERY TIME he sees a Texas Country "artist")

Country music can be good. It can have good stories. Just learn some new chords, take some lyrical chances and see what happens. After all country can be fun to dance to, to drink to, to fight to.. oh no.... I am turning into David Allan Coe. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

posted by mikeandtim @ 9:39:00 AM