Artists’ reactions to trends in radio differ, but Country artists generally want to please their audiences… and they can’t do that unless they have the opportunity to get heard on radio.

I agree totally about the “bubble-gummification” of country radio. Ever since Rascall Flats got into a Disney Movie, it’s been downhill from there. When the same demographic is mined for sales of both “Hannah Montana” and big name country acts, there’s a problem.

I rarely listen to my country radio station anymore, and have decided to change their call-letters to “WWTorCS” - What Would Toby or Carrie Sing? Altho, I do like Toby’s new one, durnit - just when I was really disliking him! LOL Also, I can’t stand songs like “guys like me” or “different world” - they’re inane and don’t inspire me. Then again, I love “Nineteen Somethin’” because I was THERE! LOL

For me, as a music fan (new to country by about 5 years), I like songs that inspire me to be a better person, or just make me feel good about life. I think fun songs are great (”Save a Horse”, “Brand New Girlfriend”, “Summertime” etc), and we should keep ‘em, but like you’ve said, too many shortcuts are taken to keep the product “homogenized”. (If it worked for him, it’ll work for me…) I feel that Country Radio (especially ClearChannel) is complicit in this because of their focus groups and surveys. Plus, they’re afraid that if the songs sound too different from each other, listeners might change the channel before they can hear the noisy car dealer ads. (no, I’m not spending my money on satellite) I’m VERY fed-up with radio conglomerates right now.

Plus, I think “Nashville, Inc.” sees it’s star on the rise as a place to do business and being in favor with a large swath of the country, and doesn’t want to take any risks. Controlling the process, from discovery of the acts to production of albums and tours, keeps things “safe”. (thank you, American Idol)

Personally, I’m a major Keith Urban fan so Jim, I loved your review of “Everybody”. Talk about “emotive singing”.

Is Keith Urban “country”?? He would say so. Dann Huff said in a recent GAC interview that Keith understands more about the genre than he (Dann) does. Country artists of every stripe and generation praise his talent and knowledge of the genre.

Is Keith’s new album more pop than country? Certainly, but that doesn’t mean I love every song just because it’s Keith. And I don’t feel that an artist on a “country” label should be contstrained by the opinions of those who wish for a resurgence of the Jones/Haggard/Jennings/Alabama era.

I think what makes Keith “country” is his ability to write about universal themes without forcing them down your throat or relying on specific personal experience to explain them. Isn’t that what most of these comments are about? Keith doesn’t have to inventory his personal posessions, or tell you where all his exes live in order to write (or effectively sing) an enjoyable or inspiring song. Very few of his songs since his 1999 solo debut have been “story” songs (or “slice of life” songs as one of you called them).

Also, Keith usually refers to himself in the songs, as opposed to telling a story about “someone else”. THAT, to me, shows “authenticity”. I despised “Jesus take the wheel”, not becuase it was hallmarky and sappy, it was and I hated it for that, too, but mainly because it was not a “personal experience” song. (heaven forbid the princess have an unplanned pregnancy) I feel that if a singer can sing a song about him/herself, then that makes the difference for authenticity’s sake.

Jim, your last comment about Keith not being an “all-ecompassing definition of the genre” is great, and the greater concept is that COUNTRY MUSIC is the broadest genre there is. It is broad enough to include Ricky Scaggs and Keith Urban, Johnny Cash and Tim McGraw, Patsy Cline and Shania Twain. From the point of view of this fan, country radio leaves a LOT to be desired. It should be reveling in the variety and boasting about all the great artists of every nuance of the genre that they play. Instead, they choose the pre-packaged, homogenized, ClearChannel-stamp-of-approval stuff and miss out on a LOT of the good stuff.

Genre definitions are arbitrary and assigned by humans, and it’s ridiculous to expect any musical style to remain contained within them.

So many people talk about how country isn’t “country” any more, but the same argument can be made (and is made) against modern pop. Over time, there occurs a shift in most musical styles, not just one.

As far as the lack of authenticity in country music, I think that’s a valid point, and when I review albums or singles, authenticity is one of the primary attributes I’m listening for.

A great deal of the decline in authenticity has to do with shifting cultural values–first, many of our parents or grandparents, who lived in rural communities, small towns, etc, have moved to more urban or suburban areas. The lives we lead now are very, very different than the lived they lead 20, 30, 40 years ago. And as our needs and lifestyles change, so does what we look for in music.

When you have kids, you don’t keep the convertible, you buy the Minivan, right?

What we’re talking about now follows the same principle and that, because music isn’t just a series of sounds we listen to, it is a social experience.

In the same way (and second) we’re living in an age of connectivity, and the social lines that used to divide us are much more difficult to find than they were previously. Gone are the days of being mentally, educationally, emotionally limited by your small town–now we have the world at our fingertips, and we encounter numerous cultures on a daily basis.

Most importantly, however, the music environment in most places around the United States does not cater to country music. There are few venues where country music is played live, so there are few places where country music is heard live (within the community), and this creates a developmental gap. Artists don’t just sit down and write a song because they are blessed with some God-given talent (although that’s a sweet sentiment). It takes a lot of practice and refinement of skill and craft, and if you don’t have a place to do that, to perform, to learn from and compete with your peers, it’s not going to happen.

So, what this leads to are semi-manufactured acts.
We demand country music, so the industry is going to provide that. At the same time, we see most potential country musicians (who think that country music is ONLY what’s on the radio) moving to Nashville–because that’s pretty much the ONLY worthwhile place to play country music (sure, there are some others, Austin, for example. But these are exceptions to the rule).

What you end up with, in these cases, is an artist who isn’t really developmentally ready, and who isn’t making the music that he or she WANTS to make, that he or she has already been making for years. You end up with an artist doing exactly the opposite of the…the genre defines the music, as opposed to the music defining the genre.

So, if you ask me, “Is Keith Urban country,” I’d say yes (if for no other reason than you cannot logically classify him as anything else–he most certainly isn’t a pop artist), but that he’s not an all-encompassing definition of the genre.

The authenticity of the older music had everything to do with heart and conviction when it was sang. Merle Haggard definitely sounded pissed off when he was singing Rainbow Stew. You could hear his envy of the people on the train when Johnny Cash sang Folsom Prison Blues. Could you hear the heartbreak in George Strait’s voice during Today My World Slipped Away? Songs must be brought to life. They must be believable what ever the subject is. It’s heart and conviction that’s missing from a lot of today’s country. The sudden influx of “overcoming obstacles” type of songs don’t have that. If they are not believable they will not be remembered no matter how well arranged they are or how well the song may have been written. Take a listen to Alan Jackson’s “Three Minute Positive Not Too Country Up-tempo Love Song”. Describes country radio pretty well.
One more thing… How did Keith Urban get classified as country?