Country music awards

[Wolfmanbob]

An hour in and I haven't seen a mandolin yet. Nor have I seen a fiddle or a banjo.

[OU1]

Not surprising....it's not traditional country music anymore....more electric guitars than anything....I like both styles...I did tune in a couple of times specifically to try and catch a mando player at work.

[bigskygirl]

Caught a quick glimpse of a mandolin player during Darius Rucker's performance of Wagon Wheel.

[roysboy]

Not many traditional country instruments ( or songs ) ANYWHERE on the show. Strange . I mean...... being VEGAS and all.The lights were nice .

[Nick Triesch]

When I was a little kid in the 50's the country and western bands that came on early Sunday mornings seemed to play mostly electric guitars and steel pedal type of instruments. I don't remember a lot of mandolins and banjos and stuff. So maybe things have not changed all that much.

[sgarrity]

I couldn't bring myself to watch.

[Charley wild]

When I was a little kid in the 50's the country and western bands that came on early Sunday mornings seemed to play mostly electric guitars and steel pedal type of instruments. I don't remember a lot of mandolins and banjos and stuff. So maybe things have not changed all that much.

I agree, Nick. I liked electric Country a lot better then, but you are right, you didn't see any more banjos or mandolins than you do now.
I think what bothers me about new Country is the style itself is designed to be self marketing almost. It's so contrived. But I'm an oldtimer who doesn't fit the demographic the marketing is aimed at so it isn't any wonder why I don't particularly care for it.

[multidon]

The lack of mandolins and banjos did not surprise me one bit. Didnt see any pedal steel either although I only watched the last part. What did surprise me is how many artists choose Gibson acoustic guitars. I saw one Martin and one Taylor. Everything else seemed like a huge conmercial for Gibson. When did Martin fall out of favor with mainstream country artists? Not knocking Gibson acoustics its just that Martin used to be THE country guitar. Thats what the Man In Black always played!

[Caleb]

Just an observation on my part, and not because I enjoy modern country music (I don't), but there is nothing new under the sun. If one could go back to any time period, the older people were lamenting the new and praising the old. The old hymns (some) people love were once new and looked on with suspicion. What Hank Sr. and Elvis and even Bill Monroe did was new once and hated by many, mostly the older crowd. The "new country" of today will be the old of tomorrow, and the cycle will continue. There really is no argument for purity in musical forms because by their very nature they change and always have.

[mtucker]

It all sounds like it was popped out of the same cracker jacks factory. Throw a bunch of really corny dumbed-down humor, a slew of trucks, cars, and ice cold beer on Saturday night, and call it the CMA's?

:Message to Stevie Nicks, Shakira has your big Mac!

[Nick Triesch]

Well. The humor was no more corney than he haw. ImJust saying. ..

[Nick Triesch]

Seems that every past generation hates the new generations. I remember my dad hated the song runaway by del Shannon. Wanted to break the record. Only liked Benny Goodman type music. I remember those days so I try to listen to everything.

[kjcole]

Contemporary country draws strongly from the southern rock (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Bros., Marshall Tucker, etc) and southern California country rock (Byrds, Ronstad, Burrito Bros, Emmy Lou, etc), the 'outlaw' country movement (Waylon, Willie, and so on), and maybe some Bakersfield and of course garage rock king Creedance Clearwater Revival because the current country performers grew up listening to that music. Much of today's country uses the same aggressive rock drumming and feedback-driven electric guitar solos as did those classic rock bands. And let's face it, given the choice between Nashville country of the 70's and early 80's (Hank Williams, Webb Pierce, Ray Price, etc were already old country by then), and southern/outlaw/country rock, that pre-teen and teenager in the late 70's and early 80's was choosing Marshall Tucker, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Greg Allman, the Eagles, and probably the Stones. And the demographic that tunes their radio to contemporary country today grew up the same way. It's business. Some of today's country is great, some is formulaic. For me, my car radio stays on Sirius XM where I cycle among Bluegrass Junction, Outlaw Country, and Willie's Roadhouse 90% of the time. But hey, I'm old.

[Jeff Budz]

I listen to a lot of modern country on our local station, hear TONS of mandolin, banjo and pedal steel in the hit songs. I didn't catch the awards show last night, however, so can't comment on that. IMO the songs aren't nearly as bad as the naysayers make them out to be.

[roysboy]

As a writer, I think the most telling award handed out was the album of the year award...Same Trailer Different Park..by Kasey Musgraves. If you are a fan of great melodies, incredibly fresh lyric writing , break-the-mold subject matter , infectious rhythms and NO musical pyrotechnics all offered up in smart rootsy production that always serves the singer and the song you owe it to yourself to buy this record . As the ACMs are fan- voted I'm particularly encouraged that country fans overwhelmingly chose this amazing collection as album of the year ( as did the Grammys, by the way . Fans still know a great record when they get to hear one that manages to fight its way through the garbage much of contemporary country radio seems to embrace .

[allenhopkins]

...What did surprise me is how many artists choose Gibson acoustic guitars. I saw one Martin and one Taylor. Everything else seemed like a huge conmercial for Gibson. When did Martin fall out of favor with mainstream country artists? Not knocking Gibson acoustics its just that Martin used to be THE country guitar...

Gibson's probably handing out a lot of freebies to top-line players, "product placement" to get them on TV at the awards shows etc. Used to be a bunch of Takamines showing up, but I always thought that was because they were one of the better acoustic/electrics. Gibson's got a name, they make decent guitars, mostly the lead singer's acoustic is totally buried in the mix anyway.

Go to a bluegrass festival, you don't see too many Gibson dreadnoughts, maybe a few. Some of the smaller builders showing up there: Bourgeois, Huss & Dalton, Collings, et. al. There was a period just a while ago when I was seeing more Guilds than I'd ever seen, but it was just after Fender bought the label and I thought they were probably endorsement-hunting.

Martin used to have a "no free guitars" policy, and even the big names had to buy their Martins. Don't know if that still stands; I assume the artists associated with their "signature" models get free ones, anyway.

[almeriastrings]

Martin used to have a "no free guitars" policy, and even the big names had to buy their Martins. Don't know if that still stands; I assume the artists associated with their "signature" models get free ones, anyway.

The person I know who has one told me he got the first one 'free' (number one) of the edition, but would have to buy any any after that like everyone else.

[Mandosummers]

Through the years it seems I've always been able to find something in the current country top 10 Iv'e liked. But the new hot trend of breaking into rap in the middle of a country song is a real turn off for me. Its such a gimmick and a cop out to whats popular. I have very broad musical tastes but I just loathe the monotony of that style of "music". If the "Hick Hop" trend keeps up it will do a lot more to alienate me than screaming electric guitars and no mandolins or banjos.

[Wolfmanbob]

BTW, I think that Kasey Musgraves is great. Especially as compared to whats out there right now.

[mandotrout777]

As a writer, I think the most telling award handed out was the album of the year award...Same Trailer Different Park..by Kasey Musgraves. If you are a fan of great melodies, incredibly fresh lyric writing , break-the-mold subject matter , infectious rhythms and NO musical pyrotechnics all offered up in smart rootsy production that always serves the singer and the song you owe it to yourself to buy this record . As the ACMs are fan- voted I'm particularly encouraged that country fans overwhelmingly chose this amazing collection as album of the year ( as did the Grammys, by the way . Fans still know a great record when they get to hear one that manages to fight its way through the garbage much of contemporary country radio seems to embrace .

+1

It would be nice if country would head more in this direction.

[randygwatkins]

+1

It would be nice if country would head more in this direction.

Just FYI, that award-winning album is currently on Itunes for $7.00

[kjcole]

Yes, Kasey's writing and performing are a breath of fresh air.

[multidon]

Kacey Musgraves is prominently featured in the May issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine. Really good read if you are a fan and know someone who subscribes. She plays a Gibson but it is vintage therefore she is not part of the evil product placement scheme. Here is a quote from her in the articke:

"I'm in love with the guitar I have now. I call her Janice. She's a 1957 Gibson J-45. She's the first guitar that I picked up and played and thought 'I have to have this'."

[mandotrout777]

Just FYI, that award-winning album is currently on Itunes for $7.00

I'm still old school, I guess. I bought the actual CD almost a year ago.