4 I The Behrend Beacon
f Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion , or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging fhe freedom of speech, or of the press; or the
, right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. - The First Ammendment to the U.S. Constitution
Point and Counterpoint: Country Music
By Christopher FaFuria
On September 12. 2003. .America lust mure than just
a music legend. It lost an entire genre ol music, w hich
has plummeted into the world ol consumerism and
commercialism that was blatantly avoided by the
genre's forefathers. As Johnny Cash lay dying on his
hospital bed on that unforgettable fall da\. the world
watched as generations of country musicians bade
farewell to the final installment of authentic country
Garth Brooks released his debut album in April of
1989. If the C.E.O. of Capitol Records knew anything
about the roots and evolution of true country music, he
would not have let any copy of the selt-titled album hit
the shelves. Album after album. Brooks, along with
acts such as Alabama and Brooks and Dunn, collec
tively devolved country music from grass roots, basic
country music to a more poppy, consumer friendly
pathetic sound.
Shooter Jennings, son of country icon Waylon
Jennings, said. "Garth turned country into this big
explosion onstage, more about the show than about the
music.”
What Jennings was describing w as the mam bacteria
that began to spread, consuming every acceptable facet
of country music in its path. When artists such as
Cash, Jennings, and Hank Williams ran the stage, the
genre was dedicated to putting out the type of rugged,
shoot from the hip style that was run by guitars, ban
jos, and, of course, fiddles. Nowadays, artists such as
Kenny Chesney (I had to swallow my pride to mention
that name) and Rascal Flatts hare added 12-year old
choir -boy vocals and soft, love-sappy. Backstreet
Boys-esque lyrics.
One main aspect that would bar e Cash and Jennings
rolling in their graves is the way Brooks and other
country acts today have altered the method of live per
formances. If you were to take a survey of the demo
graphics of the average Rascal Flatts concert, you
would find middle-aged women, teenage chicks, and
men who are only there out of being forced by their
companion. At the one Rascal Flatts concert 1 attend
ed (hey, an ex-girlfriend made me go). 1 was honestly
shocked that back-up dancers didn't appear on the set.
To get to the roots of country music, you need to
explore a world that has been neglected by modern
media, due to its artistic simplicity and basic aestheti-
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cism. Country musicians used to cut immediately to
the chase instead of singing around it. Furthermore,
\ou will ne\er hear a release by Johnny Cash that has
to do with ins pickup truck or his redneck lifestyle
(thanks Alan Jackson 1 ).
On the contrary, the passion and directness that
came Iroiu Hank Williams and Cash's lyrics is highly
evident. "Soon vour sugar-daddies will all be
gone/You l! wake up some cold day and find you're
alonc/You’ll call to me but I'm gonna tell you: ‘Bye.
bye. bye./When I turn around and walk away, you'll
crv. ciA. ci \." Johnny Cash really cut to the point.
"Your cheatin' heart w ill make you weep/You'll cry
and cry and try to sleep/But sleep won't come the
whole night through/Your cheatin' heart will tell on
you." You can feel the pain and anguish in Hank
Williams' Ivrics
Now let's compare these original lyrics to modern
country lyrics: "I'm gonna stand on a rooftop, climb up
a mountaintop/Baby. scream and shout/1 wanna sing it
on the radio, show it on a video/Baby, leave no doubt.”
Are you serious'.' Reading these lyrics, you cannot
detect the eenre.
"Riding up and down Broadway/On my old stud
Leroy/And the girls say/Save a horse, ride a cowboy.”
This isn't a country music song. It's an anthem dedi
cated to an unauthentic. disposable form of pop music
with a touch of cowbov hat.
For those country music listeners who are into love
songs and mindless hits about being a redneck and liv
ing in a trailer, pick up
Gretchen Wilson's cd. I’m
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\ 4
sure you’ll get a good
three hours out of it before
another disposable eoun
try-pop aet will surface.
For those of you who have
not forgotten the origin of
genuine music, fire up
your record needles and
throw on "Live at Folsom
Country Prison,’’ and
enjoy authenticity.
Dear Editor,
During the past few weeks there have been tragic school shootings in Lancaster County, Colorado, and Montreal. All of the
shootings involved students being killed. These events were still fresh in my mind while I was reading the Beacon last Friday.
1 read the "KAOS" article and felt that it was inappropriate. I understand that "KAOS" is just a game, but I did not see the value
in constantly referring to killing. Many other words could have been used instead of killing for the article. I hope that in the
future, the Beacon will use more discretion.
Beacon Thumbs Up
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- Jack Black and LEB’s Nacho Libre
Over the past few decades, country music has
evolved from its original twangy, dog-dying
lyrics and sound. Today, country music's top
performers offer their political, religious and
emotional values to fans, which traditionally
was unheard of. Artists like Johnny Cash, Willie
Nelson and Hank Williams revolutionalized
country music in the 19605, and artists like Alan
Jackson, Kenny Chesney and Gretchen Wilson
are now doing the same by gearing their music
to today’s generation.
Changes have occurred in all forms of music
since the beginning of time; however, many
country music fans are not happy with the new
sound of their musical genre. Some have
expressed feelings towards artists like Rascal
Flatts, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban, by saying
they are not country; they are simply pop. Being
considered “pop” in the country world is possi
bly one of the biggest insults an artist can
endure, but there are signs of pop which have
unfortunately made their way into Country
Music Television (CMT). As Tim McGraw says
in his song. Back When, "I’m reading street
slang for dummies ‘cause they put pop in my
country.” However, while many artists are
singing pop songs and calling them country,
there are just as many real country musicians
today who are “ready and a-willin’” to defend
the highly criticized art form.
Just because today’s country music artists
aren’t singing in the same style, words and tunes
as artists did fifty years ago, that doesn’t neces-
Letter to the Editor
By Ashley Bressler
assistant news editor
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sarily mean they should be shunned from coun
try music all together. In today’s fast-paced,
ever-changing society, what’s wrong with a little
variety, a little change and a little diversity? In
comparison, does the mainstream American cul
ture still listen to the Beatles? No, they are idol
izing Kelly Clarkson and the Black Eyed Peas,
simply showing that as times change, so does the
music we listen to.
I listen to the popular music played on Music
Television (MTV) along with country music,
and the way I like to describe the difference
between the two genres is that “MTV music has
the life span of one month, one week a song is
good and the next week no one listens to it.
Country music is always good and never goes
out of style. A song has the lifespan of at least
fifty years. The songs sung by Cash and Nelson
are still listened to by both young and old coun
try music fans, which can make it difficult for
artists to continue recreating these classics. I feel
this is how country music becomes eternal,
through change and by conquering new bound
aries. No one would listen to country music if it
all sounded like Cash or Randy Travis; the pub
lic would grow tired of it. It is one thing to per
sonally master an individual style and it is a
completely different thing to try and mimic the
work of someone who has become associated
with a certain style.
Today’s country music artists are as passion
ate as ever, bringing real world issues to their
lyrics. Toby Keith and the Dixie Chicks have
been in the media spotlight recently, due to the
controversial topics expressed in their music,
and this is just an example of how country music
artists are now thinking. They are taking their
real lives and opinions and making them public;
just as Elvis was once criticized for shaking his
hips, these artists should be thought of as pro
gressionists, paving the way for all future coun
try music artists and fans. In retrospect, if the
World Trade Center has just been attacked,
should we really be hearing songs about the
good old days with John Deer Tractors, mama’s
home-fried chicken and trashy ex-wives? No, I
don’t think so. I’m not in anyway condoning the
Toby Keith lyrics, “We’ll put a boot in their ass.
It’s the American way.” But, I do think worldly
topics have the right to appear in country music,
as this is a “free country.” Country music has
come a long way from its original roots of the
country-western singers, so maybe a new term
should be applied to today’s songs. Just as coun
try-western songs will always have a special
place in country music history, contemporary
country music has a lot to offer to country music
lovers of all generations. At the end of the day, I
will still put on my cowboy boots and tip my hat
to whatever urban cowboy or western outlaw
decides to take the stage, speak their minds and
sing from their hearts.
Beacon Thumbs Down
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Friday, October 6, 2006
Sincerely,
John Lowrey