For some reason I recorded last year’s November County Music Awards . I don’t recall if I ever watched the show, but tonight – for lack of something more educational to do – I decided to view it.
Let it be known that I love country music. Or rather, I love what used to be country music. Watching the 2012 version of the awards, however, made me wonder if my love is now misplaced. There were no lonely acoustic guitars, no songs about Mom and apple pie, no ballads that told a tale.
Rather there was wailing, unrhymed verses, and loud background music. Eric Church, a singer I’d never heard of but who won a significant award, was hardly understandable.Carrie Underwood, who always thanks American Idol for her starmanship, looked like a cross-over artist at best and a miserable representative of country music at worst. Brad Paisley soldiered on as best he could.
I haven’t listened to country music as much lately, and perhaps the answer to “Why?” lies in the broadcast I just watched. It’s no longer distinguishable from other genres. It’s no longer “Country.” Who knew this would happen when electricity came to guitars?
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