Ch ch ch ch changes...

So, lately I've been listening to country music with increasing enjoyment. I've always liked some country songs, especially in the mid to late 90's when all the country crossovers started to emerge. But a couple of months ago I was house sitting and one morning, while getting ready for work, I decided to turn on MTV. I thought, hey I haven't watched MTV in forever and it's early maybe there will be some videos on... That day I realized that the M in MTV no longer stands for music (but that's for another blog).
There were no videos on, just reality shows; now don't get me wrong I love most of MTV's reality shows, but I wanted to see some videos. So I changed to channel to VH1 nothing and then I turned the channel once more and landed on CMT, there was a video on, I think it was Kenny Chesney or Brad Paisley, but that was it and enjoyed it, so much so that I continued to watch CMT that morning and the rest of the week.
You know actually while sitting here thinking back and I have to say that the first time I really watched and enjoyed CMT was that last time I was at Kristi and Randy's house in April. Kristi left to go paint the new house and I was getting ready and couldn't figure out the cable channels, I ended up watching CMT and enjoyed it so much that I left later than I thought I would. But I digress...
I recently got dish network in my bedroom and since then I've spent much of my time holed up watching the shows and channels I couldn't watch in the other parts of the house (no, not porn). And I have discovered CMT all over again. I watch the video countdown and the music insider shows. Since I don't know anything about country music, I feel like I should give it all a chance before I pick and choose who I like. I'm enjoying my new found music so much that I'm constantly writing down songs to buy on Itunes.
You might be thinking what is a black girl doing listening to country music, a couple of days ago I wouldn't have had an answer for you, but now...after thinking about it yesterday I feel it's pretty safe to say that I enjoy country music cause it's really the only true music we have left in this country.


I don't know if you've been listening to popular radio these days...but music sucks now and the industry is in desperate need of a change. At the beginning of the year I saw a small change coming, another British Invasion of the pop kind...Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen had some good songs out, but they faded and at the end of Spring I found this chick named Colbie Calliat whose album I love her one single is good but doesn't have the potential the rest of the album holds.
Don't get me wrong there are those people out there making great music(the gossip to name one), but they are few and far between, then there are the outstanding performers, but they aren't writing and most times aren't singing. So it left me with this dilemma, how was I, an avid music fan and lover, who likes all types of music going to be satisfied by half-assed ripe-offs and verse less demos? I wasn't!, my mind wandered and I stop buying whole albums, just settling for singles and soundtracks from relatively good movie musicals.
That is until this last month. I kicked up my country music buying, starting with names I've known and adding some I didn't. And I realized, the reason I enjoy country is that it's pure. It's music written from some one's heart...they may be talking about their wife and kids, or their pickup or their gun or God (yes that God) but it's pure. Some songs I take with a grain of salt knowing that they are jokes, but others are humbling and sensitive and beautiful.
That's what mainstream music is missing. I understand that the music business is a business, they are in it to make money. So if they have to give a contract to a guy who looks good without a shirt on, can dance, but barely sing they will, and he will sale millions, but it'll still be an album of crap.
You may agree with me or you may not, I'm still dreaming of the day when we have pure bands (like the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam), pure singers (like Aretha, Janis and Tina), and pure pop acts (like Michael and Prince of the 80's), but until that day I will continue to look for music that hits my heart and makes me feel the way I did when my dad played the Joe Cocker album...at home.