The other day I made a confession to Beck, and it brought back the memory of a day when I just stepped beyond the pale, a moment of disturbing and transgressive behaviour.
It was 2001; I was working in an office in London at the time, so it was fairly easy for me to slip out at lunchtime and do this terrible thing. When I got back, still shaken from the enormity of what I had done, I confessed to a co-worker. She was disturbed by my story but surprisingly sympathetic. Well, she said,* it could have been worse.
*
[Spoiler]I had bought my first country music album, Lost Highway, The Best Of Hank Williams. A little while later I became a repeat offender and bought Short Sharp Shocked by Michelle Shocked. After that it just got worse.
Now, you may think that I am overstating things here, but in 2001 in respectable British circles these were the actions of a pariah – you just didn’t do that. When I told my friend L what I had done she was truly bemused and appalled. By way of trying to justify myself I played her Anchorage by Michelle Shocked. Oh yes, she said, I know that song. But it’s not Country…. That was how it was then, and to a certain extent it still is. Country is bad, and if I like it, it clearly isn’t country.
Well.
This English boy likes Country. There, I’ve said it and I’m not ashamed.
[/Spoiler]
That is truly bad, bad, bad. (:)).
You couldn’t have started with a better intro into country if you tried. Hank is universally the ‘best’ IMHO.
I like Shocked as well.
I suggest you look into the ‘Driveby Truckers’.
And, of course my all time favorite ‘Merle Haggard’ he’s a master.
BTW, my bad, bad, bad schtick is fair game for anyone. I don’t mind.
(:))
Actually, I could feel my hackles rising as I read this post - then I thought to myself, If I’m getting defensive about this, then I really am in too deep to ever get out…
It may not be said with certainty that country music was the cause of the fall of the English Empire. But it would be impossible to argue that it was not the final nail in its coffin.
It’s far from my preferred genre, but every genre has something to offer. Nothing wrong with a little bit of country, and ain’t nothing to be ashamed of especially with Hank Williams. (Michelle Shocked isn’t really what I would call “country.”) Hell, there’s even good Top 40 pop country music (see: Brad Paisley).
But, yeah, if you like Country and Michelle Shocked, surely you must be familiar with Neko Case. If not, you might enjoy her work, either solo or as Neko Case with Her Boyfriends. (The earlier albums with Her Boyfriends is more up-beat [alternative] country, and her solo work, depending on the album, explores more Americana/American-folk, indie-folk, etc.)
