But, they’re assembled/recorded very well and teams of writers have crafted most to fit the style that radio wants and apparently the listeners/concert goers. The themes are tired but there are a lot of great hooks and melody within those assembly-line records.

Someone should add that the fakey twang delivered by some of the male vocalists is annoying as fuck, starting with Garth Brooks.

Motown gets offended when any music gets maligned. except mine. ha ha

... that fakey twang delivered by some of the male vocalists is annoying as fuck, starting with Garth Brooks.

I agree that the production on modern country is immaculate! Stunning! The best productions happening in 2024. Like in a stratosphere above what Phil Spector did. But a lot of time they're just polishing turds to perfection.

To me, the "teams of writers" are one of the problems with country music, because it waters down any one writer's genius. Nearly all of my favorite songs in life were written by one or two people who shared the same vision. Imagine what a Beethoven symphony would have sounded like with a "team of writers".

I also agree that country music has a lot of great hooks. A lot! But I don't think the melodies rise above mediocre. Not when you compare them to a rich Beatles melody, or a Bacharach melody, or any of the melodies in the Great American Songbook. (Yet modern country has way more melody than modern pop.)

Do you agree with any of that, Kel?

Apparently you’ve not been to Oklahoma.

Wrong on both of your opinions. But, you’re unable to discern why.

Comparing the output of Beatles and Bacharach to country music hit radio are we?

Certainly. Are you thinking there's something wrong about that? They're the gold standards I compare everything to.

Hey Kel, while I have your attention I want to say I've read a lot of your critiques around here, and I've come to the opinion that you're a NO-B.S. guy with amazing ears, who knows what he's talking about.

Do you think I'm wrong about that, too?

I will also say I'd tend to trust your critiques of my songs more than anyone else at the planet, and if you told me my cymbals were too loud, or something, I'd tend to think you're right.

You make me seriously consider what I'm saying before I dare disagree with you.

Certainly. Are you thinking there's something wrong about that? They're the gold standards I compare everything to.

Hey Kel, while I have your attention I want to say I've read a lot of your critiques around here, and I've come to the opinion that you're a NO-B.S. guy with amazing ears, who knows what he's talking about.

Do you think I'm wrong about that, too?

I will also say I'd tend to trust your critiques of my songs more than anyone else at the planet, and if you told me my cymbals were too loud, or something, I'd tend to think you're right.

You make me seriously consider what I'm saying before I dare disagree with you.

Personal value assigned to music, particularly of our youth...isn't determined by some greatness of the music alone.

I agree, assigning some "gold standard everything will be compared to regardless of genre" is going to make it hard to be moved by new music.

Even if it's done by the SAME artists, with 50+ more years of experience like Burt's last works with Elvis Costello collected and (re)released last year. Are you going to be able to listen to that and think it stands up to Dionne's Anyone Who Had a Heart in your memory of your life in the 60s when that was the soundtrack?

Tall order. you know?

You’d hold up AC/DC , Flatt &Scruggs, BB King, Run DMC and Chick Corea up to Beatles and Bacharach as a quality test? That’s a perfectly great way to dislike a majority of music.

It seems odd that you’d change your already rendered opinions because I question your premises on this post.

Garth was born & raised in Oklahoma.

That was a suckup

Clapton peaked with White Room.

Not even.

I calls 'em as I sees 'em. I love to compliment people when they deserve it, just as I try to point out when they are wrong (without hurting their feelings or immature name-calling.)

If you think I was sucking up to Kel, you've been ignoring how much we've been disagreeing about things. But we're both mature enough to be able to disagree without getting our feelings hurt.

Do you wear yours on your sleeve? Just asking...

Clapton didn't write White Room. He also want a prolific writer at all back then. So, I disagree with your assessment.
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The country music I think sucks, is the music from the country of Russia.

Seriously though, contemporary pop trash that sounds like it's from the worse of the 80s.

I'll take Garth Brooks over that 10 out of 10 times.

He did not have one song even in the same ballpark as White Room.

He did not have one song even in the same ballpark as White Room.

tommy emmanuelle (I believe) said he thought tears in heaven was one of the best songs ever

certainly Layla is up there

While I very much disagree with that on face value….you’re not recognizing that Clapton is an electric guitar player first….singer second….and sometimes he writes songs.

You hate people like that. Bonnie Raitt comes to mind. Who is an AMAZING songwriter….but tends to pen what 2 an album? Because she’s a singer first, slide player second….and she writes some songs….too, but respects what it means to be a GREAT songwriter enough to not bother when someone has already given her the musical blueprint she needs.

I always hated Tears in Heaven but I know a lot of folks like it.

I always hated Tears in Heaven but I know a lot of folks like it.

I used to hate Bonnie, called her Bonnie Overraitt, but I don't mind her anymore. I think what you're trying to stick on me there is imaginary.

I would like to say I agree with this, but I won't, because Al might think I'm sucking up to him.

Of course I was blown away by Layla with Duane Allman -- Clapton and Allman simply BURNING through Fender Champs cranked up to 10 -- but I never truly appreciated Layla as a song until I heard the Unplugged version. That blew my socks across the room!

Don't you think you just made the argument that it's outdated, not imaginary?

So, YOU don't think you have trouble appreciating musicians whose identity isn't primarily advertised or obviously "songwriter first"?

I mean, on some level we're in a agreement--Clapton isn't a proflic or particularly great songwriter. But, that's NOT his bag...and his playing and singing got more and more powerful until he hit the age of decline.

I love the Carpenters more than anybody here, and Three Dog Night, and Elvis the King.