[jrb715]

Couldn't disagree more. I think you're not only flat out wrong, but I wonder what kind of music you think is worth listening to. 90% of what I play and sing is country music. Sure, most of what you hear on the radio isn't great, but that's just the way art usually works: it's true of movies, plays and especially of music. How much of pop is really interesting? How much of hip-hop, rap? How much of classical? I've spent a lifetime as an artist: a singer, actor, director--and that's just the way it is. But good country music is genuinely interesting and moving--and it's not just the so called edgy stuff of Sturgill Simpson or any of the peripheral artists. The best songs have a kind of wonderful compession that tell a story and the melody carries the song along with the lyrics. Much of Vince Gill's songs, Miranda Lambert's The House that Built Me or Tin Man, Kasey Musgrave's Space Cowboy, a whole bunch of Brooks and Dunn's material including Believe or It's Getting Better All the Time, Keith Urban's songs including Blue Aint Your Color, Sugarland's entire catalogue including the grammy winning Stay, more recently Kip Moore's Come Home With You, Brett Eldredge's One Mississippi or Haven't Met You, Lee Brice's Rumor or Songs in the Kitchen--and I can, and should, keep going on and on. You might not like them, but they are all interesting musically (often borrowing elements of gospel, blues or soul) and are lyrically moving, at least to me. While it is a sort of a cliche, they tell stories that take you for a ride that is much more interesting to me than something like "Uptown Funk" (though I really like Uptown Funk.)

I was pulled into country by Merle Haggard and Dolly Parton, but it's simple ignorance (in the strictest definition: lack of knowledge, understanding or education) that assumes these (along with the usual sentimental favorites of Hank Williams, Sr. Lefty Frizell, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings etc) were the only real country artists, and the only ones worth listening to. I love them all--well, not really wild about Willie Nelson (a particular favorite on AGF, maybe because of his junky guitar)--but they weren't the last real country artists. There've been many extraordinary country artists since they played: have you ever heard the O'Kanes, Keith Whitley or Gus Hardin? (as well as many forgettable artists).

As with all music, you have to hunt for the stuff that really works. But there is in fact a bunch of great songs and great music from contemporary country artists with some of the--well probably the--finest guitar work on contemporary records.