ACM needs to rediscover its roots

[Gary Morse]

Here I am again....probably about to burn another bridge......but I'm just so tired of political correctness.
I've been involved in some way or another with the ACM awards since 1977 when I was nominated in the Steel Player category. Over the years I've played many functions involved with the ACM as well as having played the televised portion of the awards last year with Dwight Yoakam. This year was the first time I passed on being involved with the ACM
Awards in order to have time at home with my wife and kids who I have seen very little of lately due to a heavy touring schedule.
It was a great opportunity to view the awards as opposed to being directly involved. The morning after the awards I was listening to a local Nashville country station and they were inviting people to call in and express their views on the show. One caller asked this thought provoking question......"If Nashville
is the main center of country music, why are the awards being held in Los Angeles?"
The on air personality obviously knows his history and correctly informed the caller that the ACM had been formed in California many years ago to counteract Nashville's failure to recognize many of the West Coast and Bakersfield artists, as well as many of the Texas artists. Then his co-host laughed and said,"yeah, now the ACM just turns it's back on country artists!"
I can't say that that is altogether accurate,
but there is some truth to that statement. I personally was very happy to see Brooks and Dunn win. While they are what many would call Top 40 country, they are definitely COUNTRY and they still prominently feature steel guitar, fiddle and occasionaly banjo in their music. And they still tour with steel and fiddle. In fact, they have one of the best bands in country music.
But the ACM was not formed to mirror image the CMA. What's the point? But then again,I'm still asking myself why the Golden Globe Awards even exist. I think the Oscars pretty well take care of all that needs to be awarded.
In my opinion, the ACM is missing a great opportunity to step up to the plate and rediscover it's mission. To promote country
(and western) music that is not being recognized by the CMA. That doesn't mean ignoring Nashville artists by any means. But it means being innovative and original and most of all, willing to take chances.
Some of the best artists in country music this year were PRESENTERS and not performers.
At one point Mark Chesnutt, Joe Diffie and Tracy Lawrence were presenters. Why weren't they performing? They are amongst the best in the business and all they had them do was sing a 20 second tribute to Ronnie Milsap.
And where was Pat Green? They honored Waylon Jennings during the show and praised his Outlaw rebellious past and then didn't even have the guts to put on even ONE artist from the thriving and exciting Texas scene!
How about the Derailers? How about Hank Williams III? How about ANYBODY new!!!
Country music will always be evolving. That's a given and I have no problem with it. But at what point have you crossed the line and it simply is no longer country at all? Some of the artists clearly should be on the VH-1 awards and not the ACM or CMA shows. They are very talented but they are in the wrong domain. Perhaps next year they will go for higher ratings and have Madonna and Puff Daddy on,too.
One last point. For those who are not aware of it, most of the bands this year had to "fake it" to pre-recorded tracks. What kind of crap is that? This is supposed to be a MUSIC awards folks! In fact, this is the first year in the history of the ACM show that a live house band was not used. In previous years they had a killer band made up of great players including Jay Dee Manness on steel. This year they opted for canned music instead of a live band. Pretty soon it will be like watching a Karaoke special or even worse YOU CAN BE A STAR. The artists will have a backdrop behind them and no pesky musicians with their annoying amplifiers and drums will be present to compromise their fashion show.
Well......now that I have sufficiently burned my bridges to the ACM I have to ask myself
WHO CARES? They probably don't want any more annoying steel guitars around there anyway.
They are TOO COUNTRY..........

[Joey Ace]

Thanks for saying what most of us feel Gary!

Very few that depend on the business to feed their families would speak up.

I can understand that, but is refreshing to hear a noted insider like you speak up.

I didn't watch or tape the show. That's my vote.

Joey Ace
Hamilton, Ontario

[Mike Sweeney]

Gary,
I agree with you 100%. But if you recall Mike Johnson played steel on You Can Be A Star.
The singers and musicians need to take the music back from the folks with buisness degrees that don't know anything but facts and figures. If you put a chart in front of them they would just add the numbers up because that's all they know.
Mike

[Randy Pettit]

Until the musicians start getting MBA and law degrees (or the lawyers and bean counters become performing musicians), nothing is likely to change. There will always be "music" and "business". To paraphrase the great Ray Benson about replying to a young person wishing to get into the music business, "Son, you can't have it both ways."

[J W Hock]

AH-AH ! So the spiked hair fiddle player wasn't really playing after all!

[Danny Bates]

Quote: In fact, this is the first year in the history of the ACM show that a live house band was not used.

I guess Dick Clark needed to save money!

[Sonny Jenkins]

Just my 2 cents worth as a life long country music fan with some VERY deep roots in country music,,,,,,,Nashville is willing to call anything country that wiil make'em a buck, a tradition that they learned and learned well from it founders, National Life and Accident. Most of what I saw of the awards show looked like someone forgot to flush the toilet. Like Waylon said " this outlaw bit's done got out of hand". and speaking of Waylon and Willie,,who started all this "let's see who can look the filthiest and still keep their fans" look??? They all gave us that "I'd like to thank the fans" crap. This is one fan they just lost. I've watched my last awards show and starting now, it' TRADITIONAL country from here on. Does anyone else out there remember the clean looks and smooth voices of Marty Robbins, Hank Thompson, Jim Reeves, Ray Price, the list could go on and on. Can you imagine these guys trying to look like refugees off of I-40 and hollaring/screaming words that no one could understand???? why I can remember back when EVEN Waylon and Willie looked clean and wrote and sung some good stuff. Like I said,,,just my opinion and I'm tired of the people that are out to make a buck trying to convince of what we like and don't like. (shucks, I would even like to hear some steel guitar sometimes)

[Bob Hoffnar]

I think it is pretty pathetic that guys like Pat Green and the Deraileirs are not even mentioned when it comes to mass media events. Things are very bad in a way that I don't think even our ever-popular forum curmudgeons understand.
To join in the ranks of artists that get played on the radio you need to pay massive amounts of cash to Clearchannel. What you do is set up a bank account that Clearchannel can get at and deposit money. Every song is paid for and there are different rates for different markets and all that. Clearchannel charges "advertising fees" if you want the name of the artist mentioned after the tune plays. The only people with deep enough pockets to afford to buy radio play are major labels. The label is put in a position that it must have a cross over hit in order to even begin to recoup its "investment" in radio play. I'm not sure of the rates for the country stations but for a tune to make it to national pop radio Clearchannel charges rates in the 6 figures. You will very rarely hear about those guys from the people that are forced to deal with them because they not only control radio but they also control most live venues with a larger than 800 capacity. As a matter of fact I just got word from a guy from an independent rock label that Austin TX just got taken over by Clearchannel. The only biggish rock club that they don't control is Emos. Clearchannel concerts are run very professionally but you don't get the money when the night is over.

The stink about internet radio royalty payments is all about Clearchannel and a couple other guys trying to destroy its competition. There are congressional hearings going on at the moment so doing a bit of research and then writing your congressman can be a very big help.


Bob

[J W Hock]

Amen Sonny. I have a twelve year old daughter who listens to Top Country radio, which I've always thought beats the alternative. After Wednesday night I'm not so sure anymore. There were times when I was embarassed for suggesting we watch the awards program together . Never Again !

[Earl Erb]

Quote: In fact, this is the first year in the history of the ACM show that a live house band was not used.
I guess Dick Clark needed to save money!
Danny,that's not entirely true.Dick Clark has more money than brains.They still had to pay the musicians for recording the tracks so they could do the fake job and it may have cost more for session time than it would have cost to let the band play live.

[b0b]

Moved to 'Music' section.