Your Take: Resonation

It’s an interesting theory. I really hadn’t given the matter much thought although I suspect that the prevailing culture would be more of an explanation.

Look at how the ideals of feminine beauty change. Facially I think many of today’s top models are pug-ugly and many of them look like waifs

Marilyn Monroe, whom I regard as extremely attractive, would be regarded as fat by many today. I always though actress Lee Remick and singer Connie Smith were beautiful, but I’m not sure they fit the modern definition of beauty

I agree with Miss Leslie about the different type of voices because I can’t listen to singers with brass vocals its too deep for me and doesn’t sound good. But I really haven’t had a major change in the type of music I like.

As far as vocal types go, I quite like the nasal and twangy sounds <3 hehe

I definitely agree that we perceive things differently at different points in our lives. That has been the case with me. As a young child growing up in the nineties, I was raised on the contemporary country of Garth Brooks, Lorrie Morgan, LeAnn Rimes, and Faith Hill. At first, it was the signature sound of country music (fiddle and steel) that attracted me. It wasn’t until I got a bit older that I began to have a deeper appreciation for the lyrics and emotions. When I was introduced to the softer, and more traditional sounds of legends like Patsy and Loretta, I at first dismissed them as not having enough ‘oomph’ for me (Though I’m ashamed to admit that now). But as modern country becomes increasingly louder and more pop-heavy, listening to “Crazy” or “Coal Miner’s Daughter” has become a pleasant escape into tranquility for me. I eventually became increasingly interested in traditional country, and my appreciation for it continues to deepen. I’ve noticed that the emotions seem to run deeper in old classic songs. Now I really see why people say that “They just don’t make ‘em like they used to.”

Back to the instruments. In my single reviews, I have a tendency to pick on artists for not being country enough, and I suppose I probably should try not to do that. But since the country instruments were what attracted me to the genre in the first place, it saddens me to see them gradually replaced by percussion and electric guitars.

I agree. The music that I listened to growing up was defined mainly by radio, parental influence and geography. So it was pop music, classic rock and a lot of country music.

When I was in high school I developed a further interest in country music (upon spending a lot of time in the United States) which at that that time for me meant Dixie Chicks, Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks and Faith Hill. I was very unsettled and my favourite songs were tracks akin to “Wide Open Spaces”, “Better Life” and “Telluride”. Of course, when I think country music now, those are not the first names (or tracks) that spring to mind.

If I look at my currently top rated tracks on iTunes, they collectively and thematically sombre country songs: “He Stopped Loving Her Today”, “Travelin Soldier”, “Three Wooden Crosses”, “Walking After Midnight”, “If I Had Only Known”, “The Back Of Your Hand” and “Drive In Movie”. Why? I am not quite sure. However, I can all but guarantee that in three years these top rated tracks will be different and the collective the theme will be happy or frustrated, but they will certainly not be the same.

I think we all change over time. We are influenced by geography, personal relationships, tragedy, defining moments. While our fundamental tastes may remain, our broader musical preferences will change alongside us.