Tom Petty Calls Out Contemporary Country Music

[Rickenbacker]

Mr. Petty is unhappy with current country & he let the world know it last month. Agree or disagree with him? Does he *have* to be part of the genre to have an opinion about it? (as one country artist suggests) Is he just being a curmudgeon? From the little country *I* get to hear, I agree with him. I don't think what he's saying is so outrageous at all. But several younger country artists lashed back at him for it. (Google em)


It seems classic rocker Tom Petty is no big fan of some of the artists coming out of Nashville these days. In a new interview, he says much of contemporary country reminds him of “incredibly generic” 80s rock.

Petty first took a public swipe at new country at a concert in New York in March, calling it “bad rock with [a] fiddle.”

As he explains to Rolling Stone, “I hate to generalize on a whole genre of music, but it does seem to be missing that magic element that it used to have. I’m sure there are people playing country that are doing it well, but they’re just not getting the attention that the s—tier stuff gets. But that’s the way it always is, isn’t it?”

He adds that he hopes to see country swing back around to be more in line with its roots, saying, “But I don’t really see a George Jones or a Buck Owens or any anything that fresh coming up. I’m sure there must be somebody doing it, but most of that music reminds me of rock in the middle 80s where it became incredibly generic and relied on videos. I don’t want to rail on about country because I don’t really know much about it, but that’s what it seems like to me.”


http://theboot.com/tom-petty-contemp...country-music/

[rapidfirerob]

I never cared for his music, nor country music for that matter.

[Scott Bails]

I never cared for his music, nor country music for that matter.

However, this quote:

I don’t want to rail on about country because I don’t really know much about it, but that’s what it seems like to me.

Isn't going to do him any favors.

[zravkapt]

he says much of contemporary country reminds him of “incredibly generic” 80s rock.

calling it “bad rock with [a] fiddle.”

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the same. Unfortunately, I think those very qualities are what makes today's 'country' so popular. I bet most country fans today are also Nickelback fans. There is also a noticeable rap/hip-hop influence (mainly in the lyrics).

[Birdy]

Not a huge fan of Petty's music but he hit it spot on. The popular stuff is absolutely HORRIBLE but there is a lot of stuff that's great that's in the
Alt-country genre that(of course) never gets attention. I'm talking about artists like Giant Sand, Calexico, Handsome Family, Black Heart Procession, Sadies and
hundreds more who are more in the true country vein or have nice country influences in their music. The stuff on CMT is just lapdancer's with stetsons on!!

[Digital_Man]

Well if he doesn't know that much about it then why is he so opinionated about it?

[Scott Bails]

There is also a noticeable rap/hip-hop influence (mainly in the lyrics).

More than just the lyrics. Many Country stars are getting rappers to guest on their songs. <shudders>

[trurl]

Wow, only 30 years late too!

[Rickenbacker]

Devil's advocate question - would you say 'traditional' country started to die (ie: transition to crossover pop as we know it now) as far back as the late 60s?

[spellbound]

I was in a sports bar not too long ago. The PA system was playing a local country music FM radio station. What I heard had nothing to do with country music as I remember it. It was just very bad electric three-chord rock with a little vocal twang thrown in to make it sound "country." It had never been close to a fiddle or a pedal steel guitar, or, heaven forbid, a banjo. It didn't make you feel like drinkin', as the best country blues or honky-tonk music can do. It didn't make you feel toe-tapping good, as the best country hoedown music can do. It mostly made me feel indifferent, and anxious to leave. There is good country music out there, as Birdy pointed out, just not so much in Nashvillle and not at all on contemporary country radio. Country music had a great revival in the late '60s when it was embraced by the Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco, and even Bob Dylan, among others. It just needs another kick in the pants, or, failing that, a decent burial. I can name 20 or 30 bands or artists associated with country music that I think are quite good. You won't hear them on country radio.

[trurl]

You can blame Mutt Lange... he basically just re-purposed Def Leppard songs with some fiddle added for Shania Twain

[mogrooves]

I suspect his criticism has merit, but in light of what I've heard of his music, Petty hardly seems in a position to be "calling out" anyone. I dig his radio show, though....

[Rickenbacker]

Petty hardly seems in a position to be "calling out" anyone. .

Maybe with his recent stuff, but the guy has proven himself years ago with several memorable songs. I hardly knew the people who backlashed at him, on the other hand.

[Banquo]

Petty has never been a follower of trends. His music and his presentation has been consistent throughout his amazingly successful career of close to 40 years. He does take risks by intentionally going in the opposite direction than what is expected. I know it's somehow hip to hate on him or some of his contemporaries such as Springsteen and Mellencamp, but most of the criticism has no merit, and usually has more to do with their politics than their craft. When TP says that he "doesn't know much" about Country, I'm sure he's referring to the business side. Petty is a musicologist and could probably tell you anything you want to know about the history of country music. Personally, I think he's right on with his comments. The genre has become so watered down in the last twenty years, especially. It's just mindless pop music with a southern drawl for tennis moms in their Acuras on their way to Whole Foods for some organic Fuji apples.

[Rickenbacker]

The genre has become so watered down in the last twenty years, especially. It's just mindless pop music with a southern drawl for tennis moms in their Acuras on their way to Whole Foods for some organic Fuji apples.

[klothos]

I understand what he's saying.
Part of me agrees with him.

Country Music squelched being traditional in the early 90s, so this shouldn't be a revelation to him.

[ChrisXymphonia]

Another different view on today's Country music (this link was posted by Gretchen Peters on her FB page earlier this week):

http://www.vulture.com/2013/09/rosen...n-problem.html

[davis]

and even the 'countrypolitan' sound.

[Rune Blackwings]

Petty has never been a follower of trends. His music and his presentation has been consistent throughout his amazingly successful career of close to 40 years. He does take risks by intentionally going in the opposite direction than what is expected. I know it's somehow hip to hate on him or some of his contemporaries such as Springsteen and Mellencamp, but most of the criticism has no merit, and usually has more to do with their politics than their craft. When TP says that he "doesn't know much" about Country, I'm sure he's referring to the business side. Petty is a musicologist and could probably tell you anything you want to know about the history of country music. Personally, I think he's right on with his comments. The genre has become so watered down in the last twenty years, especially. It's just mindless pop music with a southern drawl for tennis moms in their Acuras on their way to Whole Foods for some organic Fuji apples.

I agree with Petty, even if most of his music sounds like Byrds and Neil Young knock offs to me. My grandfather on my mom's side was huge into country-even made yearly pilgrimages to Nashville and met many of the legends of classic country western (guess what was the first stuff auctioned by my demonic aunt by the way, so none of the autographs and memoribilia are still in the family). Any resemblence of country and what is being put out today in the mainstream is purely coincidental. There is still old school country being done, but it is overshadowed by crap such as Big n Rich, Taylor Swift and such...

[Scott Bails]

My hatred for all things Taylor Swift is no secret, but why exactly is she considered to be a Country artist?

[davis]

Petty has a right to voice his opinion, same as anybody else. My wife loves some of the music he's criticizing, but she's so open-minded about music that it blows my mind (she also loves Tom Petty's music). Point being, people that like the stuff are gonna listen to it. Petty doesn't like it, so he should avoid it. pretty simple.

I do admit that, in the car with her country station on, most of the songs she gets excited about are more cringe-worthy to me. But this is a person who enjoys most of 'my' music as well. that includes anything from Nurse With Wound to Rev Peyton's Big Damn Band or Farflung to Sons of Otis.

[PeterG]

I like old fashioned country i.e. up to about 1980. I don't like new country & I've never liked Tom Petty.

[Brian Griffin]

I was in a sports bar not too long ago. The PA system was playing a local country music FM radio station. What I heard had nothing to do with country music as I remember it. It was just very bad electric three-chord rock with a little vocal twang thrown in to make it sound "country." It had never been close to a fiddle or a pedal steel guitar, or, heaven forbid, a banjo. It didn't make you feel like drinkin', as the best country blues or honky-tonk music can do. It didn't make you feel toe-tapping good, as the best country hoedown music can do. It mostly made me feel indifferent, and anxious to leave.

My girls, particularly my daughter, like current country and you are spot on - it's torture being subjected to it the few times it happens

I've tried to expose her to stuff like the NRPS, but she hasn't embraced them

Country music had a great revival in the late '60s when it was embraced by the Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco, and even Bob Dylan, among others.

If only Gram Parsons could have handled his high

BG

[Rune Blackwings]

My hatred for all things Taylor Swift is no secret, but why exactly is she considered to be a Country artist?

beats the hell out of me

[trurl]

My girls, particularly my daughter, like current country and you are spot on

Ah, and there you go- pop country has fallen prey to the same production techniques found in Disney Channel Tweener-Pop and Contemporary Christian music- extreme brick-wall limiting of everything, appalling abuse of Auto-Tune and the like. It's no surprise that those sounds would infiltrate the country scene, since there's always been a branch of country that appeals to people that, frankly, don't actually like music. It's just another branch offshoot of pop.