a once-vital form of rustic music derived from European styles of folk and dance music made by European immigrants to America. It's generally played with instruments like the mandolin, acoustic and steel guitars, fiddle and so on. It used to be about observations of the world,
life and love in its complexities. Now it's all cliched, with imagery of cowboys, macho bragadoccio, Southern
pride, small town
life, "she done him wrong", "tears in my beer", "
redneck" living, sentimental tripe like the trend-chasing "Angels
Among Us", and "family values". Oh yes, and "God bless the U.S.A." jingoism. Ever since Garth Brooks (who is a watered down Bob Seger) hit it big in the fucking PC 90s, country has been "yuppified" and formulaic. Now there boring piano ballads with cliched lyrics galore sung by lousy Richard Marx clones with cowboy hats, the generic hat acts, pretty ladies singing tunes
fit only for shopping mall opening-dedications, sexy ladies who sing corporate
pop (no, it don't impress me much) and preachy, jingoistic sentimental
crap in the aftermath of all this 9/11 business like the aw-shucks "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning". This
trash is pushed on the sheep public by corporate execs in suits.
Country music has a
rich history, having been around all through the 20th century, maybe before. It is a "root music" of rock'n'roll (along with
jazz, blues and other styles). Then in the
mid 90s country lost its vitality, absorbed influences from 70s adult contemporary acts like Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles and it's been gawlee gee money-making yee-haw
crap ever since, in other words, a pale imitation of what the genre once was. For hicks, soccer moms and yuppies. Utter puke. Whole families listen to this swill, the kids grow up and become slaves to manufactured
trash "music" and stereotypes. Sad, really sad.
