*"What's the Difference?"
My brother-in-law was at a casino in Shreveport some years ago when he
ordered a Dr. Pepper. The waitress exclaimed they had Mr. Pibb and
punctuated it by saying "What's the difference?". I was reminded of
that fine rhetorical question recently during a conversation I was
having with someone about the state of affairs in our once proud local
music industry.
The person I was talking to was an old-timer. Used to work in radio as
a disc jockey in the 80's, he now works in the sports field. He was
talking about how music today confuses and perplexes him and that
upsets him because he still considers himself hip. And, from talking
to him, I could tell that he still had a good grasp of what was cool
and what was definitely not.
His main point of contention about mainstream country music was that
when he's cruising by radio stations or CMT/GAC he can't distinguish
one act from another. They sound the same, look the same etc. And,
back in his day it took no time to tell the difference between a
Haggard song or Jones song...and it could be done in the first 10
seconds. Now, everything is so formulaic that it sounds the same.
Produced by the same handful of producers using the same handful of
studio musicians. The videos are all shot by the same handful of
directors, in the same Nashville area locales and using the same
extras.
His main point of contention about Texas Music was much the same. When
it came back into flavor in the late 90's, it had an edge and was
different. Then, as has been pointed out so many times here and
elsewhere, the scene got flooded with no-talent hacks singing bad
beer-soaked GCDC poetry. People that can't write, sing, or play
squeezing out those few truly talented and innovative artists who are
doing something original. The first wave pointed to guys like Townes
Van Zandt, Guy Clark and Robert Earl keen as their inspiration. Next,
after a couple of years, a rock influence seeped in and Bruce
Springsteen's name was bandied alongside Kurt Cobain, the Toadies and
even Prince. Then, a younger wave of guys came through that pointed to
guys in the first wave as their influences and unabashedly copied
them.
As we talked through all this, the old-timer summed it up by saying
"Texas Music used to be different, but it's not anymore...a lot of it
is crap." I could only nod my head in agreement. It is something I've
pointed out over and over and over. It is now to the extent that a
casual older gentleman that follows this music has noticed.
Texas/Red Dirt has slowly slipped into a precarious ravine where
everything sounds and looks the same.
Every album seems to be produced by Mike McClure, Lloyd Maines, Walt
Wilkins or Keith Gattis for the most part. I seem to remember a time
when I could tell who's song was whose just by the first few bars.
Different techniques, different vocals etc. Yet, it's gotten to such a
point that those who still retain an original sound are copied to the
point of frustration. And, some of those who have become relatively
popular have an "original sound" only because it is so basic and
juvenile that it makes me want to rip my ears off.
The minute someone can explain the lyrical genius and sophisticated
musical stylings of Casey Donahew and Josh Abbott will be the same
minute I root for the Oklahoma Sooners and join PETA.
Seems like a lot of the folks that are making cool, new music in this
scene are playing to fifty people in a dive while the lame rip-off
artists play to packed houses full of alcohol fueled sing alongers who
don't know any better. Why do they not know any better? Because Texas
radio has become just as bad as Clear Channel and Cumulus minus a
couple of exceptions (Mandatory FM and KNBT). Listen/stream those two
stations if you want to hear cool stuff without the crap paying to
play on the narrow playlists of other "Texas" stations.
There are countless other examples that I can come up with...but I
want to hear yours...what's the difference anymore...or is there a
diference?
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