Friday OT #2 - Crossing Genres

[cytor]

I have a buddy of mine that went out on all the major tours as the top pyro technique guy in the industry. He was always on the road before he retired. He worked for a lot of huge names... He said the coolest 3 people he worked with was Kid Rock, Paul McCartney, and Sheryl Crow... all really nice people towards the road crew.

He said that absolute worst person her ever met and worked for was Beyonce. She fits the Diva stereotype and treated everyone very poorly... even her band and backup dancers. He told me he would never tour with her again even if she doubled his wage.

It's interesting how 2 of the biggest names in music (Paul McCartney and Beyonce) can be so different in how they treat people despite all of their huge success.

 

[RLD4ISU]

Honestly, I can't think of a genre that doesn't have at least one song I like. My music download consists of: pop, rock, hard rock, metal, county, blue grass, rap, dance, classical, anything from big band music years up to current stuff, soundtracks, hip hop, blues, jazz, opera, instrumental, etc.

The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel is very good. But the same song sang by Disturbed? Very moving.

Not a huge fan of a few artists, though I like some of their songs. Willie Nelson and I-can-only-sing-four-notes Shania Twain.

 

[stormchaser2014]

My elementary/middle school principal said you have to like a little bit of everything. Mostly country for me, a lot of the newer stuff is trash though. Movie/tv/game soundtracks is my next favorite genre.

 

[MeanDean]

Old person weighing in.

Still love 50s/early 60s R&B, Doo-Wop and Rockabilly. Some poppier stuff too from that era.
My early youth was soundtracked with top 40 radio 1964-1972. Brit Invasion, Garage, Soul, pop. This is my wheelhouse.

About 1972 it seemed to go off the track a bit. Still liked some 70s stuff. I find I like to listen to Sirius "The Bridge" (which is 70s soft rock and singer/songwriter stuff) on Sundays. It just seems a bit more Sunday-ish though it's pretty much the same 300 songs every Sunday.

I got into some of the early new-wave/pop/punk stuff in the early 80's and really liked that.
About 1986 I mostly dropped off the face of the earth. I blame Rap Hip-Hop.

Not a huge fan of country.

Jazz is background music.

Opera and musicals are a hard no.

And whoever said "Cher" for their can-stand-ya artist. I'm 100% in your court.

 

[Cyrealist]

Old person weighing in.

Still love 50s/early 60s R&B, Doo-Wop and Rockabilly. Some poppier stuff too from that era.
My early youth was soundtracked with top 40 radio 1964-1972. Brit Invasion, Garage, Soul, pop. This is my wheelhouse.

About 1972 it seemed to go off the track a bit. Still liked some 70s stuff. I find I like to listen to Sirius "The Bridge" (which is 70s soft rock and singer/songwriter stuff) on Sundays. It just seems a bit more Sunday-ish though it's pretty much the same 300 songs every Sunday.

I got into some of the early new-wave/pop/punk stuff in the early 80's and really liked that.
About 1986 I mostly dropped off the face of the earth. I blame Rap Hip-Hop.

Not a huge fan of country.

Jazz is background music.

Opera and musicals are a hard no.

And whoever said "Cher" for their can-stand-ya artist. I'm 100% in your court.

Might be an interesting topic: favorite Sirius station(s). I usually go to Deep Tracks followed by Tom Petty Radio and Classic Vinyl. I like other types of music but I can't listen to nothing but for extended periods.

 

[Buster28]

My musical tastes are really spread around. One look through my CD and record collection (I refuse to get rid of ANY of my physical music) would confirm this. My two primary genres are country (70s - 90s) and 80s pop/rock. Also like hard rock/AOR; hair metal ('cheese rock' as we used to call it); r&b; freestyle; dance/club remixes; some specific jazz and classical; oldies; disco; new wave/modern rock/alternative; grunge; old school rap/urban; AC. What I don't listen to at all is contemporary urban/hip hop, bro country, opera, or Christian. I don't have a lot of newer stuff in any genre because there just hasn't been a lot that's caught my ear over the last decade or so. When I had my radio show on KURE (2007-2010), I greatly expanded my collection of 80s CDs, albums, 45s, and 12" singles just for the show. Eventually, I found just about everything that I ever wanted to own on a recording. The last full album I listened to was Saraya's "When The Blackbird Sings," which was released in 1991.

 

[cyclones500]

i really struggle with "country", but admittedly like Alt-country (uncle tupelo, jayhawks, Wilco, Ryan Adams, Drive By Truckers).
there is just something about the country "sound" that I find off-putting. Sturgill Simpson is a great example. i know i should like him, but his voice just says country and I can't get past it. Jason Isbell is very much on the line. His vocals don't sound as country, so he is getting a little lee-way at my house (he is a good follow on Twitter).

Your description is close to my connection/appeal for C&W.

I tend to summarize it this way --> my favorite country music is performed by artists that are (largely) considered rock 'n' roll. I like the twang/feel of country that's ragged and more rock-centric around the edges and maybe a bit more folky than it is c&w.

Pop-country sounds too "polished." I'm sure it's more "authentic" to the spirit of the genre, in the populist sense, than what I prefer, but somehow it comes off too well-calculated

So it's no surprise alt-country has appeal for me. Rooted in Guthrie, Gram Parsons, country edge of The Byrds, Nesmith side of The Monkees, some elements of Neil Young's catalog; The Long Ryders; Green on Red; and as you cited, Tupelo and Wilco (at least early-Wilco).

Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams are more folk/American/rock but there's a country element there. (And Earle definitely began in the country genre)

Sometimes, I feel too closed-minded about all that and wish I wasn't.