The twang dichotomy Twang VS Country

[robt57]

Kind of a Blog, but help me sort this out.

How do you love Tele Twang, yet not be nuts bout country music over all.

I am a guitar player, play mostly Teles, have some Strats and other danos etc.. Like to have clean and dirty tones, have my amp set up to do both where I can, but have amps for both. Home player these days, and occasional jam sessions et al. Read wanna be? ;0

Not really, but he point of this post is to possibly sort out what I wanna be if in fact I wanna be something.

I dig the music in country mostly, but when the twang vocal style comes in I am done.

Country Swing on the other hand, example Redd's 'Home in San Antone' Twang and Steel heaven. Also Love country ballads etc..

Also, Rockabilly twang I dig big time.

I dig the twangy chicken pickin, Pedal and lap steel knocks my socks off. Country vocals, not so much. That is being polite it is more like not at all. Although a lot more gals then guys for county vocal is tolerable and some desirable to me.

Playing wise, rock, jazzy edged rock and blues, some simple country stuff, but not ever played that stuff out. Short of a quickie twangy diddle song with other folks, then back to the rockier and bluesy stuff.

I know getting my butt out and playing with folks again/more would sort this out pretty much, but I guess my expert style of procrastination is in play. The only way I get sheit done is by putting off procrastination.

 

[Slow Reflexes]

How do you love Tele Twang, yet not be nuts bout country music over all...

Twang is a guitar noise. Not so fond of it in a vocal, and especially not fond of it when the vocalist talks like a surfer or a newscaster normally.

 

[chet]

"Twag"?

What's that?

 

[robt57]

Twang is a guitar noise. Not so fond of it in a vocal, and especially not fond of it when the vocalist talks like a surfer or a newscaster normally.

I agree, except for some reason it sounds like it belongs when Dwight Oakum sings for some bizarre reason in my ears&brain. Must be that side shuffle he does just before he sings/twangs.

 

[Jack S]

The fake drawl of country singers especially the guys is something that puts me off big time, as well. It is usually not that hard to tell the difference from a southern accent and a pure country hokum drawl. Unfortunately, if you try to sing country without it nowadays, or forget to wear a cowboy hat you are often discounted as a country singer.

 

[robt57]

That makes sense, Dwight ain't putting it on. When BP does it I change the media...

 

[chet]

Johnny Cash didn't really sing with a twang in his voice and he is one of the giants of country music.

I think they have a kind of southern accent or maybe hillbilly accent in West Virginia (Brad Paisley). I know in Virginia they have an accent and would probably have a twang-ish vocal style.

 

[robt57]

I have some good Florida red neck friends that twang as well..

The only time I have heard them sing though, there was burbon or whiskey involved, so they may sound like Jim Nabors when they sing, I do know recall however.

Jim Nabors, now there is some reverse twang for singing...
But was the Gomer Pile twang just acting, or does Jim actually twang in real life?? He does hail from Alabamy

 

[Scottie]

I agree. Like you I love western swing, rockabilly, too. Riders in the Sky, Steve Earle, Nickel Creek, etc.

Growing up in the upper midwest, my folks would typically laugh at any of the country music, singing through their noses, Cash's band playing out of tune, etc. They really liked Willie Nelson later on, but he went pop.

I have quite-a-bit of Paisley and Yoakam recordings, and have liked them for years, but I can't handle most of the rest of contemp country stuff, Kenny Chesney, etc. So, I can never listen to country music radio for very long. I like some of the Alan Jackson stuff, but don't own any of it. He's a bit more traditional.

Subject-wise, most of Paisley's songs are pretty tongue-in-cheek, but the great playing is always there.

I don't know many guitarists in my area of the country that like country music, but most of them would like to get that hybrid/chicken pickin' thing down.

Went to see Greg Koch play at a clinic, and being from Wisconsin, he said basically the same thing. The guy can chicken pick with the best, but he still can't relate to pop country music.

It has become fashionable to like Johnny Cash, now that he's gone.

Y'all...

Scottie

 

[robt57]

I like some of the Alan Jackson stuff, but don't own any of it. He's a bit more traditional.

I was actually going to mention that...

Subject-wise, most of Paisley's songs are pretty tongue-in-cheek, but the great playing is always there.

I particularly like BP dirty side tone wise, I am sure I am not alone in that here...

I don't know many guitarists in my area of the country that like country music, but most of them would like to get that hybrid/chicken pickin' thing down.

Yes, once I saw Johnny Hiland diddling on that gold Teleostosity I got the fever as well. I think I will stick with the James Burton extent for my ability though...

 

[chet]

Lots of us have always dug Johnny's songs like Folsom Prison Blues and others due to Luther's guitar playing as well as Cash even before he left us.

 

[ibobunot]

Playing wise, rock, jazzy edged rock and blues, some simple country stuff, but not ever played that stuff out. Short of a quickie twangy diddle song with other folks, then back to the rockier and bluesy stuff.

Delbert McClinton fits right in there a little bit country, a little bit blues...


Delbert McClinton - Two More Bottles of Wine

 

[robt57]

Delbert McClinton fits right in there a little bit country, a little bit blues...

A lot more Lowell George country if you know what I mean, with a liberal slathering of folk flavor in the icing, so to speak.

 

[Shiro]

"Twag"?

What's that?

It's twang with a stuffy nose.

 

[Scottie]

Lots of us have always dug Johnny's songs like Folsom Prison Blues and others due to Luther's guitar playing as well as Cash even before he left us.

I went through a record collecting phase back in high school, and collected as much of the Sun Records stuff as I could afford, and I discovered I liked a lot of the more primitive type country, as opposed to the over-produced stuff. And that's when I started to appreciate Johnny and the Tennessee Two, esp. from their Sun days.

Some of it was pretty good rock-a-billy, too ('Get Rhythm', etc.). Luther wasn't the greatest picker, but he was perfect for that little group.

"A little shoeshine boy
He never gets lowdown
But he's got the diriest job in town..."

Scottie

 

[robt57]

Luther wasn't the greatest picker, but he was perfect for that little group.

I have come to really appreciate a lot more guitarists that I once thought of as mediocre. Used to be for me it had to hit home all the way musically, else I would not really find myself listening.

I realize now just how much content I short changed myself of listening to. Good part is that is all still there waiting.

I am not sure if participating at the TDPRI has paid off more in construction information, or artist information.
Maybe a toss up.

 

[SatelliteOrders]

If I might break it down...

There's guitar. It's my experience that if you tell a guitar player about another hot guitar player, that guitar player will gladly take a listen and usually find something they like, even if they don't like the whole picture.

There's the greater song structure. Country tends to be more simply put together than rock, but that's not necessarily true. And either way, it's not a big thing for most.

Then there's the vocals and lyrics. When there's country I really don't like, I listen to the lyrics, and if they clearly inspired or were inspired by a bumper sticker, that's a good sign that I'll probably not like it. Travis Tritt's "Here's A Quarter - Call Someone Who Cares" is the one exception that comes to mind.

In the last days of Lala, I've put on a good amount of Emmylou Harris and Julie Miller, and while by and large I like the lyrics and the songs as a whole .... Years ago, I took Emmylou at the Ryman into the office, and a country-liking co-worker said she sounds like a chipmunk. I didn't hear it then, but I'm hearing it now, and I've said "That's enough" halfway through a lot of Harris and Miller tracks because of it.

I don't like country. I like Marty Stuart, I like Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens and Mr. Johnny Cash. I often like Emmylou Harris and I really like Buddy Miller. I used to like BR5-49. I pretty much like Merle Haggard and pretty much agree w/ him that Bob Wills is the best d*** fiddle player. I don't know that I've heard a Carter Family or Hank Williams Sr. song I did not like. But I don't as a blanket term like country. I reserve the right to pick and choose.

 

[robt57]

Twag BTW folks, is me needing a new laptop. I usually see and correct the misfires before publishing. The 'N' mostly, but a few more keys require compensation of pressure to register. The'p' too, I just had to go back and put the 'p' in compensation and pressure...

 

[robt57]

If I might break it down...

if they clearly inspired or were inspired by a bumper sticker, that's a good sign that I'll probably not like it.

That would be a Bingo for me.

 

[dented]

I'm sure I'm not alone but I listen to the music as a whole first. The I dissect the guitars, then bass, then keys, others and voices last. Sorry folks but I tune out country singing right away. I love a good chikinpickin song or B-Bender or whatever. I just can't stand the country twang thang in the singing.

Maybe you should try staying to a country blues theme and not get caught up in the "Country and Western" theme too much. Listen to Jimi's "Country Blues". And most of all have fun playing your Tele!!!!! You can get your twang other ways and be happy.

I say sit down this weekend with a beer, a shot of Jim Beam, out on the veranda, tinkering with the BBQ and let your country, bluesy, rockin', self go. With your guitar of course! Procrastinate while your having fun.