The Chetboard

When I watch the million dollar band, Its so great to see such clean and happy music; not to mention all the talent in one little space!! Why dont we have more of this stuff around today with younger folk, (im 18 and a fingerpicker) all music is now is gangsters, drugs, women, and getting drunk. It makes me upset to think about it and we wonder why our society is going down the pot. If we'd get back to little things in life like good clean entertainment, and turn around back to God this country would be a different place. (sorry im not trying to be political, but i think if Chester were around he'd agree.) RIP Chet, Boots, Danny, Floyd, Gimble.

Music is more about image than music now. It used to be about the music.
Agree on pretty much everything you said!
Keep the mindset you have and you will be fine!

Eddie

Music is a reflection of our society and always has been... At least to some degree. These are just musings, but I think about when I grew up. It was Howdy Dowdy on TV. Chet and Merle on the phonograph and church on Sunday. What is it today. Violence on TV (too many shows to even mention), Rap on the ipod, and church is out of vogue. I could continue with my kids and grandkids and what their future looks like, but I'm now really getting depressed!! Thanks a lot.

I think TV and music is too busy today giving us all something to live down to.

The old TV shows like Andy Griffith, Father Know Best, etc may not have been completely realistic
but they gave people something better to aspire to. Be a good father, be good parents, be married before you have kids.

Depravity is all I see today on TV and even in country music. Disrespect and no self respect.

Indeed. I grew up in the 'Father Knows Best' era as well. Our modern culture / society has become 'ME' focused...narcissistic... entitlements, excuses, always 'someone else's fault ad nauseam. Thankfully Chet was born at the right time in history ! Although, I think he would still be the gentleman he was in today's culture.

It's all about ME

Yeah I know Chet was one of the nicest people I ever met and he had a reason to have a huge ego. But didn't.

Some of the so called stars of today could learn a lesson from the kind of person Chet was.

The recording industry has changed tremendously, too.

It had its issues back in Chet's day. He had a hard time getting the New York suits to spend more money on support and promotion of people he liked.

Still, the old ways of making "the record" and doing road promos is pretty much gone. The computerized "studio" means that anybody can record their stuff and put it out there and what is missing is the legendary producers like Chet.. The guys who would run the sessions...everybody in the same room on the same day. The producers would listen to the playback and suggest or requires a retake.

Paul said it was formulaic... there was a sameness to it and there was. They went in expecting to deliver three songs in four hours. When we lament "the good old days" we're remembering the hits and forgetting the forgettable junk. We forget having to lay out money for a full album and only really liking one or two tunes on it. So that system wasn't perfect either.

In any case, without producers, "A&R" men who matched singer to song, men with good ears to help an artist give his best we're stuck with children recording dull or jinky "songs" often with lyrics that either don't rhyme or are filled with words you don't want heard in mixed company. In the old system the producer would just say "that's garbage...we can't sell that" and that would be it.

I can't remember the last instrumental song that was a nationwide hit.
...or so it seems.

I'll shut up now

It's funny that my 4yr old daughter likes Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash. She also likes Tom&Jerry and the old Bugs Bunny and Looney tunes over the new cartoons today.
I'm already starting them on guitar playing.

Good posts from all of you. A problem is that the public have little opportunity to listen to good music, not only our kind of music, but all kinds of the fine music created through hundreds of years. A listen to radio, TV and other media subject us to nearly only one kind of sounds, the pop music of the last couple of decades and nothing else. The music is out there, but we have to search for it ourselves and not expect the money people within the music industry to present it to us. Luckily we have sites like this one.

Everything is dumbed down, the lyrics, the music, the production, the whole ball of wax. The listening audience is not as sophisticated as it once was. The lyrics are mundane and find a catchy red neck line and repeat it over and over and over. I still maintain that the majority of the public would like to hear good music, but like everything else, the loudmouths get their way.

Kids nowadays are not encouraged to learn how to play an instrument. Phil's example he is leading for his kids is the exception. They are not taught music, how to sing or play harmony, how to keep time, none of that stuff. It's too easy to get it off the computer.

But, that's progress? We might as well get used to it, but still I think we can all follow Phil's example and teach those around us. They are eager to learn.

I'd better go get a cup of coffee. Sorry for the rant.