Music
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There seems to be a good selection of great tunes coming out on Country radio, these days.
On the fun side is the recent release of "Good Directions", by Billy Currington. A great, clean, day-dreaming, kind of song. But not one that is typical of the teen-ager type. It's great for us "older folks", too.
Then there's the "buddy" song, that has more of the good friend/brotherly type of friendship theme. "You Find Out Who Your Friends Are", by Tracy Lawrence. The lead line is traded off with several other big name, male, country artists. It's good stuff.
Then there's "A Different World", by Bucky Covington. It's in the same vain as Tim McGraw's "Back When". But I remember the world the way it was in those songs, also, so the mean a lot to me. Another of my favorites that's like these two, is "I Go Back", by Kenny Chesney.
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One of the reasons that I said that I "converted" to country music was because you often hear songs of patriotism, family, faith and God. It's interesting to note that two popular songs on the radio, these days, is "Anyway", my Martina McBride, and "Me and God" by Josh Turner. I liked "Long Black Train" from the beginning, and now Josh has given us another winner about faith.
My purchashing has pretty much gone to what I can get on iTunes. In a way, it's a shame. Because you don't come across those gems that you do if you buy the whole album. For example, "Just Between God and Me" on one of Terri Clarke's albums. (I'm manning a booth at the county fair as I write this. I don't have access to my CDs, to refresh my memory.) Also, "God Doesn't Make Mistakes", by Carolyn Dawn Johnson. A couple of goodies.
You can find tracks from albums if you search the album/artist name, and search for a specific album. Then you get the tracks that are on it, and not just the hits that are pushed on the radio or on iTunes.
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Just as I was getting home, the station that I listen to was playing "Alisa Lies". I don't know where the DJ got the story from, but he said that a school teacher played that song for her class, and asked them what the song was about.
Seven children came forward and said that they were victims of abuse, and two of them were removed from their homes.
I hope that this was a good thing. Talk about the power of music!
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I have discovered the wonder of using one of those prepaid iTunes gift cards.
I bought one for myself, and started downloading some old favorites. Mostly stuff from the late '60s and '70s. I did manage to download a couple of current Country songs. It was fun.
The only disapointment was when I couldn't find some of the old songs that I used to love, like "Admiral Halsey/Uncle Albert". iTunes doesn't have that one. I also couldn't find Emerson, Lake and Palmer's version of "Fanfare for the Common Man". They had classical versions, but no the rock one.
They do have "The Ballad of the Green Beret", but not by SSgt Barry Sadler. Dolly Parton recorded it? I can't imagine how that sounds in her squeaky high voice.
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As I said below, I switched to Country music because I find nothing appealing about was is happening in Rock music, since the '80s. Also, Country music does speak about God, family, and patriotism.
I was a bit dismayed when Alan Jackson came out with "Its Five o'Clock Somewhere". My reaction was, "Great. All we need is another stupid redneck song." I had walked off a job once, and I got in trouble for it.
I also have no love for Gretchen Wilson. As far as I'm concerned, her music sounds too much like it is written by "white trash".
I could have handled it if she would have quit with "Redneck Woman". "I'm Only Here for the Party", "Home Wrecker", and her other songs have an attitude that I just can't stomach. They're just as bad as Rap as far as value of lyrics goes.
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Even after we had moved to Wyoming, I was still a Rocker. The people in Saratoga, Wyoming, refer to their town as "radio free Saratoga", because very little, if any, radio signals can be picked up there. It's not too different out here in Medicine Bow, either. We are 60 miles from either Rawlins, or Laramie. Rawlins' radio station is one of those typical small town stations that plays a mix of everything, with a little too much of modern rock.
Oddly enough, there was a musical connection to the town of Saratoga. When Montgomery Gentry came out with "My Town", there were already whispers going around that the sawmill was going to close. After that happened, lots of kids left the school, because of moving families, and the town hasn't had a whole lot of good fortune since then.
Laramie has a good choice of stations, but it is difficult to get out here in the sticks, except for the Country station. Which is the first reason that I started to listen to Country music.
The second reason is that while I was working at the now defunct sawmill in Saratoga, we had a shuttle bus to get us to and from work. Of course the shuttle driver had the Country station on. My oldest daughter, Danielle, was also listening to Country music.
I heard a lot of songs about family, faith, and a lot of patriotic music. Stuff that you won't hear on any Rock and Roll station. That's what caught my attention, and I've been a convert ever since. Besides, modern Rock was leaving me cold. There isn't a whole lot that I find to like about groups such as Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, or Evenessence. The most modern group that I like is Hootie and the Blowfish. I don't find anything attractive about Hip-Hop - either the music or the culture. And the lyrics to Rap have nothing that I'd want to fill my head with over and over.