Murder on Music Row?
Did you know the country music award-winning recording Murder On Music Row sung by George Strait and Alan Jackson was written by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell, and was named Song of the Year at the 11th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards on October 19, 2000? That song stirred up the country music industy when Strait and Jackson collaborated on it, but it was first recorded by Bluegrass artist Larry Cordle with his band, Lonesome Standard Time. Murder On Music Row is a fantastic country tune. It doesn't sound a bit like Bluegrass, not even when sung by Cordle, who in my opinion has never been all that Bluegrassy in the first place. Yet, somehow it wins an IBMA award. Well, I believe it should be award-winning, but not Bluegrass award-winning.
Ricky Skaggs' CD titled Instrumentals was recently awarded a 2007 Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. This CD features stellar musicianship by Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder but, at best, it has four tracks that remotely resemble Bluegrass, yet it's another Bluegrass winner! Even Skaggs himself said "I'm surprised it was nominated for a Bluegrass album." So you tell me, how does it win a Best Bluegrass Album award?
BluegrassRadio.org has a slogan on their web site that says "if you plug it in or beat it with a stick, you won't hear it here." I beg to differ. I'm pretty sure I've heard some snare drums and... oh, never mind. I guess electric bass is an exception when we're talking about plugging in. We don't want to go there do we? But if you do, see my post titled Electrified Instruments in Bluegrass - The Debate Continues from May 21, 2006.
I would venture to say for every song played by BluegrassRadio.org, there must be at least five non-Bluegrass tunes played. That's where I first heard Seven Miles From Wichita by Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain. Shortly after hearing it, I was browsing around one of the discussion forums at Bluegrass Works. Somebody made a post and said "check out the new videos by Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain with Special Guest, Jim VanCleve." I replied "Seven Miles from Wichita is a great tune, but can somebody, anyone, tell me how it could even remotely be considered a Bluegrass tune?" The response? "It's radio friendly Bluegrass."
I've heard it said by many that in order to draw a younger crowd to Bluegrass festivals, and therefore ensure Bluegrass music will live on for generations to come, that we have to allow this watered-down and sometimes altogether non-existent Bluegrass content. Excuse me. Exactly what is it that we are preserving? How is it that we are preserving Bluegrass if we are changing it into something else? That's not preserving - it's replacement. In fact, by replacing Bluegrass with something else, are we not doing the exact opposite? Are we not pushing Bluegrass out of the music scene rather than preserving it?
So as not to cause any confusion, let me set the record straight. I'm not debating for a single minute whether the material produced by today's "Bluegrass" artists is "good stuff" or not. In fact, I'd be one of the first to say that some of it is fantastic material, but let's not be hoodwinked here - MUCH OF IT IS NOT BLUEGRASS! Why can't we call it what it really is? Oh, right, I forgot. Today's country is "hot country" and today's Bluegrass is turning into what we used to call country. But it's not just country that is being labeled Bluegrass these days. There are plenty of so-called Bluegrass tunes that belong in buckets other than the one labeled "country." For example, some belong in the Bob Dylan bucket. And newgrass? Don't get me started on that one!!!
Obviously, there are people that like some of this non-Bluegrass material, including me, but I don't see why we can't call it what it really is? We are just confusing newcomers to the genre. As far as using other forms of music to draw in a younger crowd I have this to say about that: if you don't like Bluegrass for what it is, that's just fine with me. Don't listen to it. You don't have to like it - no one is asking you to.
And just who is responsible for the direction Bluegrass music is taking? Is it the artists' fault for choosing to record non-Bluegrass tunes on their so-called Bluegrass CD's? Is it the consumers' fault for buying it, thus saying "I'm okay with it?" Is it IBMA's fault? Is it the fault of all these so-called Bluegrass radio stations for playing all of the non-Bluegrass material? I think the blame goes to all of the above.
It's no wonder very few people seem to have a clue as to what Bluegrass music is. If you don't know what to call it, put a Bluegrass label on it. Here's your Bluegrass sign!
Personally, I don't like the direction Bluegrass music is headed. I hope my thoughts are wrong about where I think it's going to end up. I certainly hear a lot of people complaining about what has happened to country music. I'm now beginning to hear a lot of the same comments about Bluegrass music as well. This cannot be a good thing.
Murder on Music Row? I think so!
Ricky Skaggs' CD titled Instrumentals was recently awarded a 2007 Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. This CD features stellar musicianship by Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder but, at best, it has four tracks that remotely resemble Bluegrass, yet it's another Bluegrass winner! Even Skaggs himself said "I'm surprised it was nominated for a Bluegrass album." So you tell me, how does it win a Best Bluegrass Album award?
BluegrassRadio.org has a slogan on their web site that says "if you plug it in or beat it with a stick, you won't hear it here." I beg to differ. I'm pretty sure I've heard some snare drums and... oh, never mind. I guess electric bass is an exception when we're talking about plugging in. We don't want to go there do we? But if you do, see my post titled Electrified Instruments in Bluegrass - The Debate Continues from May 21, 2006.
I would venture to say for every song played by BluegrassRadio.org, there must be at least five non-Bluegrass tunes played. That's where I first heard Seven Miles From Wichita by Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain. Shortly after hearing it, I was browsing around one of the discussion forums at Bluegrass Works. Somebody made a post and said "check out the new videos by Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain with Special Guest, Jim VanCleve." I replied "Seven Miles from Wichita is a great tune, but can somebody, anyone, tell me how it could even remotely be considered a Bluegrass tune?" The response? "It's radio friendly Bluegrass."
I've heard it said by many that in order to draw a younger crowd to Bluegrass festivals, and therefore ensure Bluegrass music will live on for generations to come, that we have to allow this watered-down and sometimes altogether non-existent Bluegrass content. Excuse me. Exactly what is it that we are preserving? How is it that we are preserving Bluegrass if we are changing it into something else? That's not preserving - it's replacement. In fact, by replacing Bluegrass with something else, are we not doing the exact opposite? Are we not pushing Bluegrass out of the music scene rather than preserving it?
So as not to cause any confusion, let me set the record straight. I'm not debating for a single minute whether the material produced by today's "Bluegrass" artists is "good stuff" or not. In fact, I'd be one of the first to say that some of it is fantastic material, but let's not be hoodwinked here - MUCH OF IT IS NOT BLUEGRASS! Why can't we call it what it really is? Oh, right, I forgot. Today's country is "hot country" and today's Bluegrass is turning into what we used to call country. But it's not just country that is being labeled Bluegrass these days. There are plenty of so-called Bluegrass tunes that belong in buckets other than the one labeled "country." For example, some belong in the Bob Dylan bucket. And newgrass? Don't get me started on that one!!!
Obviously, there are people that like some of this non-Bluegrass material, including me, but I don't see why we can't call it what it really is? We are just confusing newcomers to the genre. As far as using other forms of music to draw in a younger crowd I have this to say about that: if you don't like Bluegrass for what it is, that's just fine with me. Don't listen to it. You don't have to like it - no one is asking you to.
And just who is responsible for the direction Bluegrass music is taking? Is it the artists' fault for choosing to record non-Bluegrass tunes on their so-called Bluegrass CD's? Is it the consumers' fault for buying it, thus saying "I'm okay with it?" Is it IBMA's fault? Is it the fault of all these so-called Bluegrass radio stations for playing all of the non-Bluegrass material? I think the blame goes to all of the above.
It's no wonder very few people seem to have a clue as to what Bluegrass music is. If you don't know what to call it, put a Bluegrass label on it. Here's your Bluegrass sign!
Personally, I don't like the direction Bluegrass music is headed. I hope my thoughts are wrong about where I think it's going to end up. I certainly hear a lot of people complaining about what has happened to country music. I'm now beginning to hear a lot of the same comments about Bluegrass music as well. This cannot be a good thing.
Murder on Music Row? I think so!
Labels: bluegrass, not bluegrass
posted by Michael Floyd at 4:18 PM
1 Comments:
Hi Mike you reary hit the nail on the head this time...Its sooo true,more and more non-Bluegrass tunes are being accepted as Bluegrass...The main reasons for this happening I believe is $$$$..Traditional Bluegrass has a small following when compared to Country or Rock.So the promoters are starting to see big $$$ in allowing non traditional Bluegrass tunes to be presented as Bluegrass.. so that they can make more money ..True I cant blame them for trying, so I guess we who support this new style of Bluegrass are realy the ones that will eventualy cause the fall of traditional Bluegrass music.Like you said "if you dont like traditional Bluegrass dont suppost it " but please dont accept this new wave Bluegrass as true Bluegrass...Thanks for reminding us of this fact Fungus
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