I might argue it’s all been downhill since that first night of the Grand Old Opry on November 28, 1925 when Uncle Jimmy Thompson played the fiddle for two hours, taking requests by telephone and telegram. Though I would have to make allowances for DeFord Bailey and Uncle Dave Macon. That was real Country music.
Well-said. I think it’s the same with the Blues or Punk or whatever too - like the man said, there are not second acts in American lives.
When life has ground you down to nubs and you’re committing suicide on the installment plan, by default there is no future for you. Unless you become the pop version of yourself who (as fictional Ian Curtis curses about in 24 Hour Party People) tells people they should die when they’re 25 while you’re 30.
3 chords and the truth, poverty and alienation have made one Hell of a thru-line though.
Wow, you just said everything I wanted to say way more succinctly than I could have.
I think about the way CBGBs made the Bowery cool enough that it (CBGBs) couldn't afford to be there anymore. You are describing cultural gentrification. The only question is: what would the trajectory be sans the sharks? Or, is gentrification simply inevitable?
It's a good question, for sure. I think it's also somewhat subjective - for instance, I remember seeing an interview w/ a member of Blondie, who talked about being at CBGB after blowing up with Heart of Glass and all. Some punk curmudgeon came up to him and said something like "I heard your DISCO RECORD and it SUCKS!" and the guy said "and that's when I knew - I'd made it."
Maybe another way to put it is songs being used in commercials and such - the shameful, seemingly-inevitable Selling Out that so many of us were brought-up despising. But like, the Ramones were getting old when Cingular Wireless was using Blitzkrieg Bop - pretty sure Joey had died or would die soon, if my memory serves. They made the songs, they played the songs - what's wrong with them getting paid for the songs? Almost ten years ago now, I saw a Jaguar commercial using a Chelsea Wolfe song, and I thought "well, good for her. Get paid." Because unfortunately our society demands we get paid.
Does that mean the soul of the thing automatically goes away? Sometimes, I think it does. Is it possible to hold on to the roots and reject the market-force? I imagine so, but I suspect a lot of those guys n gals would've rather had a hot meal, a safe / warm place to sleep, and less stress than a popular song and a drug problem too. The human condition is something else...
Also for those in power harboring communist sympathies it's a popular strategy to destroy American identity from the inside out. Is it really an accident that the progression took us from Patsy Kline with strings to the underdressed illiterate crash out of the week?
Thanks for restacking this, David! I’m a country music fanatic— Honky Tonk especially— and I’m looking forward to reading more of this fellow’s essays.
Isn’t this kind of what happened to Bluegrass?
Excellent and informative. Thanks Zachariah.
I might argue it’s all been downhill since that first night of the Grand Old Opry on November 28, 1925 when Uncle Jimmy Thompson played the fiddle for two hours, taking requests by telephone and telegram. Though I would have to make allowances for DeFord Bailey and Uncle Dave Macon. That was real Country music.
Well-said. I think it’s the same with the Blues or Punk or whatever too - like the man said, there are not second acts in American lives.
When life has ground you down to nubs and you’re committing suicide on the installment plan, by default there is no future for you. Unless you become the pop version of yourself who (as fictional Ian Curtis curses about in 24 Hour Party People) tells people they should die when they’re 25 while you’re 30.
3 chords and the truth, poverty and alienation have made one Hell of a thru-line though.
Wow, you just said everything I wanted to say way more succinctly than I could have.
I think about the way CBGBs made the Bowery cool enough that it (CBGBs) couldn't afford to be there anymore. You are describing cultural gentrification. The only question is: what would the trajectory be sans the sharks? Or, is gentrification simply inevitable?
It's a good question, for sure. I think it's also somewhat subjective - for instance, I remember seeing an interview w/ a member of Blondie, who talked about being at CBGB after blowing up with Heart of Glass and all. Some punk curmudgeon came up to him and said something like "I heard your DISCO RECORD and it SUCKS!" and the guy said "and that's when I knew - I'd made it."
Maybe another way to put it is songs being used in commercials and such - the shameful, seemingly-inevitable Selling Out that so many of us were brought-up despising. But like, the Ramones were getting old when Cingular Wireless was using Blitzkrieg Bop - pretty sure Joey had died or would die soon, if my memory serves. They made the songs, they played the songs - what's wrong with them getting paid for the songs? Almost ten years ago now, I saw a Jaguar commercial using a Chelsea Wolfe song, and I thought "well, good for her. Get paid." Because unfortunately our society demands we get paid.
Does that mean the soul of the thing automatically goes away? Sometimes, I think it does. Is it possible to hold on to the roots and reject the market-force? I imagine so, but I suspect a lot of those guys n gals would've rather had a hot meal, a safe / warm place to sleep, and less stress than a popular song and a drug problem too. The human condition is something else...
https://youtu.be/IBN9uk1N2oA?si=2YjmIASqUPu-zxzL
So we'll written. Love learning about your family ties too!! How cool!
Also for those in power harboring communist sympathies it's a popular strategy to destroy American identity from the inside out. Is it really an accident that the progression took us from Patsy Kline with strings to the underdressed illiterate crash out of the week?
I was reminded of the song "Rich Men North of Richmond" by Oliver Anthony from 2023 while reading this piece -- some authenticity survives!
Sad, but it did spawn the Outlaw movement which you pointed out, and some great artists with it.
Thanks for restacking this, David! I’m a country music fanatic— Honky Tonk especially— and I’m looking forward to reading more of this fellow’s essays.
Never been a fan of the Nashville sound beyond its finest practitioners, many if which are named here. That said this Jesse Lovelock record from 2025 may be the best sound of Nashville 1965 I’ve ever heard: https://open.spotify.com/track/2Iu7arumr8KWR9F4g3GJWJ?si=Bn7CHAhzReeXMv8hy3QwNw
Fantastic article! Thanks for this! 👍