"...Johnny B. Deere..."

Here's another brain wrinkle or two on the whole "pure" country thing.

My personal early years were spent in an environment where music was, simply, music and labels weren't part of the paradigm.

Save, of course, for the actual labels on the records.

Har-har.

And while the combination of my particular generation and the geographical/sociological nature of my childhood reared me up into a fuller appreciation of pop and rock and roll than it did country, I was only marginally inclined to be dismissive of the "twangin' hokey honky tonkin'" presentation that country music seemed to offer in those years.

I mean, after all, a lot of the abuse that country music suffered in those years was self inflicted.

It's a little hard not to giggle just a bit derisively when a guy like Porter Wagoner stands there in his fully nuked Nudie designed toreador cut suit and announces, with a straight and sincere face, that the "next song we'd like to play for all you friends and neighbors is a number that I wrote...it's called 'Life Rides The Train...But Time Always Flies'..."

Those of us who laughed at that kind of stuff weren't trying to be mean spirited.

We honestly thought he was trying to be funny.

Honest.

I think it was somewhere in the mid sixties where the tide started to turn just a little in terms of the acceptance and/or rejection of country music by the masses. It was during those years that acts like Roger Miller and The Statler Brothers, among others, started showing up on the pop charts, sprinkled ever so obviously amongst the Beatles and Byrds and Beau Brummels's that were dominating the teenage airwaves of choice in those days.

My twenty buck JC Penney's transistor radio was always tuned to either WNOE or WTIX in New Orleans, both blatantly top forty stations in the day, and it didn't seem a bit odd or jarring to hear "I Feel Fine" followed by "King of The Road" followed by "Mr. Tambourine Man" followed by "Flowers On The Wall."

Admittedly, it would have been a little jarring to hear "Laugh, Laugh" followed by "Life Rides The Train, But Time Always Flies", but even then programmers had a sense of just what level of push the envelope could bear and still sell oil changes and breakfast cereals.

From that point on, I dont think you have to be a Mensa member to realize that it was inevitable that the door, so to speak, between the genres' was now open and the "friends and neighbors" would increasingly cross back and forth, sharing with one another their respective tastes and recipes.

And in the grand scheme of things, that's really a very positive thing.

Rock and rollers learned that country music was more than just some nasal pining for mama's fried chicken and a sturdy tractor and country music fans realized that you could, in fact, rock and roll all night and party every day without having your final destination pass irrevocably stamped "GOING TO HELL".

Turns out, we really could, in fact, all get along.

Think United Federation of Planets.

Then unplug "humans" and "Klingons" and plug in "rockers" and "rednecks".

Live long...and party on...

Ya'll.

"George May Like His Sour Mash...But He Don't Care Much For Pop.."

The debate has been going on for a lot of years.

If memory serves, it first bubbled up in a major way back in the 1970's when the CMA gave the Entertainer of the Year Award to that tradtionalist/purist/bedrock legend of country music...

...John Denver.

Lately, though, with the multi-generational, multi-cultural (translation: multi-platinum) success of Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban, et al, the debate is finding new legs...and voice.

As evidenced by this little nugget that I shared on the show this week:


George Jones is accusing the new crop of pop-country crossover artists of identity theft. He says “they’ve stolen our identity. That’s what I think.” Jones says they had to use some sort of established name for their kind of music, so he says they decided to use “country.” He says what they need to do is “find their own title, because they’re definitely not traditional country music.” Jones says he’s happy to see that Alan Jackson and George Strait are still out there doing “traditional country.”


I've made no secret of the fact that I grew up playing and writing pop songs, got my first guitar because I wanted to be a Beatle like every other twelve year old on the block and though I have proudly written what I think are some pretty damn good country songs (good enough to be recorded by some pretty respectable country artists), I also spent a lot of years writing pop leaning songs right there in the heart of Music City, USA.

In other words, I have no problem with what Taylor and Carrie and Keith are up to.

But here's a thing.

I agree with George.

To a point.

I think "theft" is a little strong. "Usurption" might be a better fit.

Although, with all due respect to the Tenneessee educational system, I think it not incorrect to add that "usurp" isn't a word that gets dropped a lot during the weekly breakfast meets at Pancake Pantry.

The part where George and I are eye to eye, as it were, is the part about this crop of singers and songwriters needing some sort of established name for their work.

Because the song business that prides itself on artistry and free spirited creation is nothing if not adament that everything has to have a very specific label.

I feel pretty sure that nobody set out to sneak in the garage and leave a pop music seed pod to take over while country music slept unwittingly in the night.

The pop gang simply showed up in country music because they had nowhere else to go.

Pop music, per se', is, and has been for some time, no longer "pop music". The pop charts are basically filled with dance, hip hop, etc.

And, like it or not, country purists, the closest cousin to country music is, in fact, pop music.

"True" country fans very likely don't own a single Rhianna CD, but I bet you my Al Gore DVD that they own at least one Beatles album.

Or even John Denver.

So, for singers like Garth and Shania and, of late, Carrie and Taylor and Keith, the almost inevitable solution to the problem of musical homelessness was to take their pop music, add some steel and/or fiddle and show up on 16th Ave's doorstep with a wish and a prayer and a demo tape.

George Jones is a classic singer of classic country songs.

But lamenting the loss of "pure" country music and petitioning for it's "return" is an exercise in futility.

And, frankly, not just a little bit disingenous.

Music, by definition, is incapable of purity.

The music family is, simply, just that.

Family.

And putting down the pop side of the brood has just the faintest resemblance to that funny, but rude, bumper sticker:

"Welcome to Nashville...now, ya'll go home..."

Can't help but wonder how many royalty dollars from "I Stopped Loving Her Today" came from "pop music" fans.

And maybe helped pay for that famous riding lawn mower, there, possum.

Not to mention one of your other biggest, classic country hits.

"White Lighnin".

Written by J.P. Richardson, who we all might remember better as The Big Bopper.

And had a hit of his own.

"Chantilly Lace".

Classic...

And pop.

"Spunky...Sassy....and Country....Ring A Bell?"

Need a favor.

Keep an open mind.

Because chances are that you are going to reject, out of hand, what I am about to tell you.

And not so much because what I'm going to tell you is right or wrong, per se', but because it, admittedly, comes a little out of left field.

Pretty much from the first moment I heard her voice and saw her perform, something seemed very familiar about Jo Dee Messina.

And it took me a little while to piece it all together in the never a dull moment amusement park that is my brain.

But I finally figured it out.

And I want to share it with you.

But, first, put your "read" brain on pause for a couple of minutes and play the video. Oh...and as you do, pay less attention to the glitz and glimmer of the production than you do the sound of Jo Dee's voice and the attitude accompanying.

Enjoy. I'll be right here when you finish.















Okay.

Here's the thing.

There is something specific about the tonal quality of her voice and the attitude she projects, not only on that song, but pretty much on every thing she does, that made me realize who it was that she reminds me of.

If she were just in her early 30's today and just starting out in the contemporary country music business, she would sound, look and act just like Jo Dee Messina.

Loretta Lynn.

See?

I told you you'd reject the idea out of hand.

But, trust me, if you pick out a handful of Loretta's sassiest stuff, give them a good and fair listen and then listen to a similar bunch of Jo Dee's material, I'll bet you an all expense paid trip to Butcher Holler that you're going to hear and see Loretta peeking out from behind Jo Dee's strut and swagger.

And it's not faint praise of Jo Dee to say that I hear Loretta's tone and timber coming out of her mouth.

Is any of this going to alter the history of country music or save the planet from the ravages of global warming?

Nah.

But, now that I see the hidden figure inside the collage of colors, I get a new kick out of enjoying Jo Dee Messina's work.

And there's one other thing I think the two very talented ladies have in common.

Ain't never gonna be nobody like Loretta Lynn.

Ditto Jo Dee.

"Wonder If He'll Make Elephants Disappear..."

During a chat with some broadcasting peers the other day, the conversation worked its way around to the difference between "contemporary" and "classic" country music.

A variety of names got tossed into the mixer from Carrie Underwood to Keith Urban, from Patsy Cline to Hank Sr before one name popped up that surprised us.

Not so much because his name popped up.

But because it made us realize that we had all, without realizing it, gotten older.

Garth Brooks.

And the realization of aging came with the realization that Garth has crossed over.

His music has been around since the early 1990's.

That makes it almost twenty years since we first heard him.

And that, my fellow country folks/fans means that Garth is no longer a contemporary country artist.

He's classic, Jerry. Country classic.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

It's just that we all seem to naturally want to gravitate away from anything that appears before us as an unmistakable roadsign that we have less miles ahead of us in the life journey that we do behind us.

So, after a few more minutes of fast footwork, loose chat and a whole messa rationalization, we had just about convinced ourselves that Garth was still relevant, still young, ergo, still entitled to check the box marked "contemporary" on his CMA Certified Preeformer Card.

Then, damned if Troyal didn't go and dash our hopes his very own self today.

By announcing his "un-retirement" and return to the performing arena.

Ready to lock, load and take on Carrie and Keith and Brad and Taylor and Toby and Blake and Miranda and open up a can of country music whup ass on em?

Not exactly.

Garth Brooks. In house artist. At a major hotel/casino

In Las Vegas.

Following in the proud tradition of Don Ho.

David Copperfield.

Siegried and Roy.

Celine Dion.

And Wayne Newton.

I'm sure the blue haired fans will be in a frenzy and the Garth Brooks Experience, complete with coupons for the all night buffet will be just boffo.

But, damn, my friends and I are much too young to feel this damn old.

"The Barn Has Bats...Ozzy Bites Their Heads Off...Tomato, Tomahto..."

What do Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson and, say, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and Justin Moore all have in common?

Well, not much.

But a little something.

They are all performers. As in offering their skills and/or talents to an audience that has paid hard earned money and gathered in some venue to witness and, hopefully, enjoy the offering of said skills and/or talents.

And while, if you’re a country fan, Alice and Marilyn might not be your cup of Mountain D or, if, of course, you’re not partial to the sounds of the country, Luke, Jason, Justin and their homies might leave you cold, I could confidently stand in front of any judge and jury in the world and make the convincing case that the only real difference between the two groups is their particular style of presenting the aforementioned skills and/or talents.

People who love Brussels Sprouts might hate okra.

And vicy versy.

But they’re both undeniably vegetables.

I only mention it because this past week or so, I’ve noticed as I do my shows (show biz glamour aside, it’s part of my job to pay attention to these kinds of things…) that the current top twenty country chart is well represented by songs, give or take a hook, similar in theme.

The joys, virtues and desirability of living the “country” life.

“Small Town USA”.

“My Big Green Tractor”.

“Bonfire”.

“Looks Like Life To Me”.

And in past, but fairly recent, weeks…

“Small Town Southern Man”

“She’s Country”

“Ladies Love Country Boys”.

Etc, etc…

Now, there’s nothing new goin’ on here.

Country music has, since its inception, been about livin’, lovin’, cryin’ and dyin’ in, well…the country.

And the more things change…

But, here’s a thing…

Times, and tastes, have changed. Country music, in the traditional definition, has evolved from a grass roots based, down home expression of that way of life played and sung for a specific segment of society that lived or live that way of life into a multi billion dollar category of show business on a par with any other category of popular music.

And I say, yee and haw.

Cause, after all, isn’t that kind of acceptance, not to mention success, part of the American dream?

Damn skippy.

Here’s where it gets a little interesting.

I’ve seen and/or read through the years interviews with both Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson in which they both, in their own ways, make no bones about the fact that what they do with their music and presentation, love em or hate em, is nothing more or less than show biz.

An act.

A persona.

An alter ego.

Alice, for example, is, in real life, Vince Furnier, a very polite, warm and engaging guy who likes to play golf.

Marilyn is a 40 year old fellow named Brian Warner who, while certainly unique, would probably be somebody you wouldn’t have a problem with if you needed a babysitter one Friday go to the movies night.

What about Luke, Justin, Jason, et al?

I haven’t had the pleasure, but I have every reason to believe that they are good and kind gentlemen who I would appreciate knowing and whose friendship I would enjoy.

Fan of irony that I am, though, I get a kick out of hearing words and music about the down home life coming from down home guys and gals who, I feel pretty sure, aren’t planning on spending the millions they hope to make with their success on a new plow for the back forty.

Name any country star who has “hit it big” in the last, say ten to twenty years, and I’m willing to bet you my Faith Hill autographed CD that not a one of them live “the simple life.”

And again, I say, more power, diesel or otherwise, to em’.

The bottom line here is, to put it country, simple.

If your kids enjoy their Nine Inch Nails along with their Keith Urban or have equal amounts of Coldplay mixed in with their Carrie Underwood on the Ipod, not to worry.

All of the aforementioned, be they from Memphis or Manhattan, are performers.

Putting on a show.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Do the rockers take it over the top sometimes?

Sure.

A little bit.

But, like Alan says…

It’s alright to be little bitty.

"Not To Worry...They Got It Covered..."

I talk a lot on the show about being a hard sell when it comes to country singers covering pop songs.

And, fair being fair, I'm equally skeptical when pop artists try to return the favor.

I think it's probably not a stretch, though, to say that more country singers aspire to go pop than the other way around.

My guess would be it's gonna be a while before Coldplay takes a crack at "Coal Miner's Daughter".

There are, of course, always exceptions to my rule of thumg because some singers understand that the trick to it is realizing it's about finding the song that fits what they already do, style wise.

Ronnie and Kix found it when they covered the B.W. Stevenson hit, "My Maria"...and Lonestar completely nailed "Walking In Memphis."

I've included a video for you here of another really good choice...the song was actually a pop hit for the group Dream Academy back in the 80's. But Jennifer and Kristian, with the help of Jake Owen and Little Big Town, turn this into a piece that crosses all the musical borders seamlessly.

Hey, nah, nah, indeed.

Enjoy.