Jason Aldean Just Admitted to the Dumbing Down of Modern Country
I was just telling Jason Aldean that he needs to keep his mouth shut for his own good, and this is why. Aldean’s cup runneth over with haphazard notions, and he’s been a virtual cornucopia of bad quotes ever since he released his latest record, They Don’t Know. Funny how the title of the record implies the stupidity of others, while all Aldean has done since releasing it is sow stupidity himself in numerous interviews.
His latest gaff pretty much spells out the problem with his music, and the music of many of his modern Bro-Country cohorts. Jason Aldean admits that he assumes a stupid audience that doesn’t want to think, and panders to this dumbed-down mindset through his music—while at the same time calling out folks for how “They don’t know” about the rural mindset and way of life.
“You have to always be conscious of the songs. I never want the songs to be too songwriterly or too clever,” Jason Aldean said to The Guardian in a recent interview. “I think you do have to make it, to some extent, black and white. The song has to say what it means and it means what it says. If you try to get too tricky with the lyrics, it gets confusing. You don’t have to listen to it five or six times to really get it. If it’s something I have to go back and listen to over and over again to figure what it says, it’s too much work for me and it’s too much work for the listener.”
That never stopped Kris Kristofferson, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, or Roger Miller from writing #1 country songs. If it wasn’t for cleverness, none of them would have ever had a career.
This quote from Jason Aldean proves that modern country is purposely seeking out material that is dumbed down, and in turn is likely dumbing down the audience that’s tuning it to listen. That’s why the concerns about the content of country songs goes beyond musical tastes or concerns of quality. Ultimately it becomes a much deeper cultural issue.
Jason Aldean also turned some heads with his quotes on the state of rock music.
“There’s not any cool rock bands any more,” he states. “All those guys we go watch now were big back then. That’s a reason why Guns N Roses can go on tour this year and sell out every night. They’re badass, but there’s not bands like that no more. There’s a void in rock’n’roll music that a lot of us have filled.”
Yet there is a whole slew of Southern rock bands that have been making lots of noise in country lately, specifically Whiskey Myers who just released a new album produced by Dave Cobb, and Blackberry Smoke who has a highly-anticipated album coming out in early October. When Blackberry Smoke released their last album Holding All The Roses in February 2015, it hit #1 on the Country Albums chart—the first independently-released album to do so in the modern era. Apparently Jason Aldean wasn’t paying attention.
It’s probably expecting a little to much from Jason Aldean for him to say something smart or thought-provoking in an interview (Songwriterly? Really?). But at the same time, his honesty about the songs he selects for his albums is pretty concrete verification that artists like him truly look to pander to the lowest common denominator, and purposely avoid material that may uplift or challenge their fans.
September 15, 2016 @ 7:54 am
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
September 15, 2016 @ 8:00 am
Same thing you learn in any mass comm class. No news here
September 15, 2016 @ 8:42 am
One thing I was told in songwriting seminars – from top notch Nashville staff songwriter/mentors back in 2001 – was to write country song lyrics at an 8th grade level to make it more easy for listeners to understand the song. It was said that if a particular sentence or phrase tripped the listener, they wouldn’t be able to pay attention to the rest of the song. I believe the same idea is perpetuated in greeting card prose.
September 15, 2016 @ 10:31 am
”It was said that if a particular sentence or phrase tripped the listener, they wouldn’t be able to pay attention to the rest of the song. I believe the same idea is perpetuated in greeting card prose.”
exactly…..you can’t afford to trip up or distract your listener if you are writing commercial tunes. you’ve got 3 minutes to deliver the message and you don’t want them scratching their heads for 15 or 20 seconds of that . This is what makes a Kacey Musgraves so bloody good !
September 15, 2016 @ 11:32 am
“The House That Built Me”, “The Dance”, “The Chair”, “whiskey Lullaby” and a million more #1 songs proves the exact opposite to be true. All songs that require actual LISTENING.
Next!
September 15, 2016 @ 11:36 am
Also, songs that are clever don’t necessarily mean they contain flowery imagery or college level vocabulary. Guy Clark was the master of simplicity in his lyrics, all while crafting a song that could change your whole damn perspective on life. Aldean’s version of simple is appealing to the hormones and hobbies of junior high boys. Huge difference!
September 15, 2016 @ 1:05 pm
I disagree Hayley . The songs you mention are ALL very strong songs of substance and VERY clearly and conversationally written . Yes , they have a measure of clever and that is what gives them a freshness -a new way of saying what’s already been said -but they are still all highly accessible and don’t distract in the least with over-produced arrangemenst , ” flowery ” phrases or buried vocals. THIS is why they work on commercial radio
September 15, 2016 @ 2:23 pm
There’s a HUGE difference between lyrics that are clear and concise, and lyrics written to appeal to the understanding of an 8TH GRADER. The songs that I listed were examples of how “simple” lyric structures DO NOT Jeopardize their adult themed, heart felt stories. The idea that country fans aren’t capable of “getting” anything beyond, “Burnin’ It Down” for example, is insulting to the genre, SONGWRITERS, and the fans mentioned, and is the exact mindset that is ruining our music.
Twangbob, i literally just took a screenshot of your comment about the pro seminars you attended, to share with my writing group. I honestly have no words for what I think of your experience, I’m in shock that THAT was the advice you were given. My group is full of multi hit Pros with dozens of #1s and a couple of Grammy nods, so I’ll be sure to follow up with their thoughts.
September 15, 2016 @ 3:17 pm
” The songs that I listed were examples of how “simple” lyric structures DO NOT Jeopardize their adult themed, heart felt stories. ”
Pretty sure we’re saying the same thing here Hayley . If you have an adult heartfelt theme to start with, you’ve probably got the makings of a good song…if you keep it conversational and ‘ simple ‘ …or at least deceptively so by the use of craft . ( ..Merle , Dolly etc.. )
September 15, 2016 @ 4:38 pm
Phew! ?
September 15, 2016 @ 8:27 am
Wow…I’m embarrassed just for having ever heard of him. What a stupid thing to say about the songs. The real sad thing is he prefers the cheap, low IQ songs, but he himself still can’t manage to write even One of those.
September 15, 2016 @ 5:43 pm
Methinks this whole thing is just an excuse to cover up the fact that he’s too lazy to make the effort to do anything with heart or soul. He seems to be saying, “Why make an effort to write anything of substance when listeners won’t like it anyway?” thereby shifting the blame to the listeners. How does he know listeners won’t appreciate such a song when he hasn’t even tried to write one? Perhaps he’s embarrassed for listeners to find out he isn’t truly capable of it. If he apparently didn’t have the intelligence to realize that some people JUST MIGHT find someone dressing up in blackface for Halloween offensive, can he blame us for questioning whether he has the ability and talent to write something “songwriterly”? If he wants people to take him seriously as an artist, now would be a good time to try to write something “songwriterly” with the bro-country wave ebbing. It might not go #1 but it might gain him some new fans.
September 15, 2016 @ 8:38 am
Newspapers are on avg written at a middle school level for a reason. Now we have songs that teach people how to spell Move.
September 15, 2016 @ 8:43 am
I will admit though, I was sort of thinking the same thing about rock as Aldean this AM (scary I know I was listening to some 90’s stuff on play-list), and wondering all the harder rocking bands had gone. And then it turns out Beach Slang is releasing a new album.
September 15, 2016 @ 9:32 am
Rock is down right now, but it’s not out. The reason it’s struggling is because as a genre, it didn’t protect its borders and it imploded. There is no radio format, and no defined sound. Aldean is right in the sense that the genre isn’t launching any new stadium acts. Country should heed the lessons of what happened to rock because it could be next.
September 15, 2016 @ 9:38 am
Totally agreed. The recent album sales of Blink etc have given me some hope, because I hope it shows radio/label exes the appetite for a return to this type of music.
September 15, 2016 @ 11:54 am
Plus, Green Day is also prepping a new album and have been fairly successful with their new single.
There actually is a very strong, underground pop-punk scene with bands like The Story So Far and State Champs that tour to pretty big crowds and have decent album sales and online support. Maybe rock can resurge to the mainstream
September 15, 2016 @ 9:05 am
That never stopped Kris Kristofferson, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, or Roger Miller from writing #1 country songs. If it wasn’t for cleverness, none of them would have ever had a career. That’s a clever quote!
September 15, 2016 @ 9:11 am
“too songwriterly” MUST become a Sturgill Simpson song now.
September 15, 2016 @ 11:39 am
I thought for sure that “songwriterly” was a typo. Was it not??? Please for the love of God, tell me that’s not the actual word that came out of his mouth.
September 15, 2016 @ 1:46 pm
what do you expect from Jason Aldean? he’s just an idiot.
September 15, 2016 @ 6:50 pm
I sent a tweet to the author of the interview to verify if, indeed, “SongwriterLY” was a typo… or the newest Bro Country Terminology. He confirmed the latter. ?
September 15, 2016 @ 9:12 am
I was having a conversation last nite with a friend about a lot of modern country..
A lot of it reminds me of the music from the hair band days, including the dumb lyrics but with a different style vocal delivery on top.
Kinda sounds like what he is looking to do.
September 16, 2016 @ 9:44 am
I also think that many artists on country radio now would have been considered Southern Rock in the 70’s and 80’s. Not just new ones. Even going back to 2000 and 2001, some country artists would Sound Southern rock. Not that anything is wrong with that. I like Southern Rock and Country.
I agree with his statement ““There’s not any cool rock bands any more,” he states. “All those guys we go watch now were big back then. That’s a reason why Guns N Roses can go on tour this year and sell out every night. They’re badass, but there’s not bands like that no more. There’s a void in rock’n’roll music that a lot of us have filled.”
Some may not agree but we all have different taste in what is good. Music is an art. Not everyone likes the same art.
September 15, 2016 @ 9:17 am
He’s got a point, if I had to listen to any of his songs 5 or 6 times, I’d be way too much work for me as a listener.
September 15, 2016 @ 9:20 am
So it’s safe to say we will not hear him cover Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold? Or The auctioneer?
September 16, 2016 @ 1:48 pm
Props to you sir, (or madam) for The Auctioneer reference.
September 15, 2016 @ 9:28 am
How is that surprising from Aldean? I just reflected that I missed the sleight-of-hand humor and cleverness with the wink of eye seen in songs like Alan Jackson’s “The Talkin Song Repair Blues.” That used to be a fixture in country music. Now we have meathead country courtesy of Mr. Aldean.
September 15, 2016 @ 9:35 am
i lissened 2 jasen aldeens lassed album 2 tri 2 understand wat mayks bro kuntry so populer and this is wat hapened i wint frum bein a jenius 2 bein dummer then a roc
September 15, 2016 @ 10:31 am
please excuse my boss Dr. Doom.
We’ve been working on one of our “Four Horsemen” projects… the original idea was to use some of my old unfinished Terminator technology coupled with the warp generator I used when I went to space with Gary LeVox to fuse Doom’s intelligence and life into the exhumed body of Buck Owens… unfortunately we asked SCM Commenter of the Year Lil Dale to assist us and he accidentally switched himself… the end result is now that Doom and Dale have become one being…
It should wear off in a day or two.
September 15, 2016 @ 1:11 pm
That’s solid Gold stuff there, Luv this web page!
September 15, 2016 @ 1:16 pm
Dr Doom is Lil Dale!! Think about it, ever seen the two of them in the same room. The prosecution rests…
September 15, 2016 @ 9:44 am
And to think that early on, Aldean had some good and even great songs. Now he’s just another stupid bro-country turd with some of the worst songs in country music. Hell, he is responsible for “Burnin’ It Down”, one of the worst ever songs in country music, infiltrating rap into country with “Dirt Road Anthem”, making the equally-stupid Brantley Gilbert a star, and the uber-embarrassing “1994”. Man, if I were Joe Diffie, I’d move to Canada after hearing that song.
September 15, 2016 @ 10:36 am
‘ Hell, he is responsible for “Burnin’ It Down”, one of the worst ever songs in country music, ‘
Without a doubt , Amanda . Possibly THE worst song of any genre ..EVER . This success of this riduclously pseudo-everything song is the one that has me scratching my head about the human race each time I even think about it .
September 15, 2016 @ 5:41 pm
Rap in country isn’t something he added to country, When looking at his “rap,” It’s not much different and some of CW McCall’s classics. Sure Rap was not around as a popular genre in the mid 70’s but who’s to say that Jason didnt grow up listening to this and want to do something similar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0461zognANQ
Listen to this, from 1975, many would consider this as a classic album.
Mentions Marajuana, big tires, souped up trucks, running from the cops, ect…
We see this as classic, but maybe it’s just Classic Bro-Country.
August 4, 2017 @ 5:20 pm
There’s a huge difference between the comical, clever classics from the likes of Jerry Reed, Roger Miller, et al and the stupid “trying to be rap” crap and Bro-Country that is put out now. The classic songs are genius. Now, not so much. Pure fluff. As far as the radio? Don’t get me started. I listen to HANK-FM. Period. One awesome song after the other. I actually get excited! If I happen across “Today’s Country”, I invariably say “what is this sh*t? The main reason that I fell in love with Country to start with is that it has the best hooks in the music industry (She’s Got the Rhythm and I Got the Blues comes to mind). I LOVE listening to a song’s play on words and thinking wow, how do they come up with this stuff! I’m a HUGE Alan Jackson fan – Playin’ Possum, Don’t Rock the Jukebox… he’s the best. I could go on and on. Jason Aldean is just stupid. AND ignorant. Deadly combination.
September 15, 2016 @ 9:54 am
Bingo! That must explain why whoa-whoa-whoa and repeating the same word 20 times takes up a huge majority of the new songs lately. Blech.
September 15, 2016 @ 10:41 am
” that must explain why whoa-whoa-whoa and repeating the same word 20 times takes up a huge majority of the new songs lately. ”
You got it Golddust . Did you know that ‘chanting’ in a song is actually older than ANY U2 or Coldplay tune . In fact , chanting is older than me …..
I often picture a producer of label lackey saying …”.WTF …where’s the chanting and hand-clapping machine parst gonna go on this track ? This song sucks .””
September 15, 2016 @ 9:59 am
I do often wonder if a lot of the anti-intellectualism espoused by modern male country music stars stems from the fact that a lot of them are in fact very well educated, come from relatively wealthy backgrounds, yet want to appeal relatable in a genre that has historically focused on working class issues.
A completely ridiculous way to appear relatable of course, but you just imagine why those in the Nashville ivory tower might not realise that.
September 15, 2016 @ 9:59 am
Pretty sure if Conway had been singing about just straight up banging another man’s wife like it was nothing he probably wouldn’t have had the career he did.
I like a little subtlety in my country, it’s what lets me allow my kids to listen to it, too.
September 15, 2016 @ 3:47 pm
he probably could have gotten away w/ “banging another man’s wife,” every single time, because he was Conway Twitty — who is going to object?
September 15, 2016 @ 10:03 am
like that tuning s.o.b Randy said “We don’t need no fancy words. We need to practice”
September 15, 2016 @ 3:07 pm
What we need is some paying gigs! This jumping from patio to patio is ridiculous !
September 15, 2016 @ 10:06 am
I have to say he nailed the stat of rock music. I am one of those rock and country fans and it is depressing to see the state of rock. All of this horrible mellow indie electronic crap they try to pass as rock.
September 15, 2016 @ 10:12 am
Hard to believe he’s from the same state as Blackberry Smoke. Britt Turner needs to kick this guys ass.
September 15, 2016 @ 10:20 am
“There’s not any cool rock bands any more,” – Horse. Shit. Rock & Roll is alive and well, but just like country music you have to do a little digging. On the top 5 songs of Billboards ‘Rock’ chart right now are Lil’ Wayne and Coldplay… Haven’t heard of the other artists.
Tonight i’ll be banging my head at the Uncle Acid show.
Mr. Aldean turn off your radio and start discovering music.
September 15, 2016 @ 2:58 pm
Uncle Acid is the shit, slim. I love seeing them mentioned in a SCM comment section. One of the things I love about this site and the discussions following Trigger’s articles is that most of the SCM regular readers have a deep appreciation for all types of music, even if many of us are partial to one.
September 15, 2016 @ 10:23 am
Didn’t someone mention he went to a private school? How is he so stupid? He should have had a great education, but he’s an idiot!
September 15, 2016 @ 10:31 am
There probably aren’t any great bands in rock mainstream, anymore. They’re all indie and on Sirius radio! Maybe when I get the money to actually record, I’ll start my own station, with me and my favs…
September 15, 2016 @ 10:54 am
There is NOTHING I love more in a country song than a great lyric. That’s one of the reasons I love Turnpike Troubadors so much. Maybe Jason aldean doesn’t care about being clever because he doesn’t have the cranial fortitude to form a coherent sentence…
September 15, 2016 @ 11:05 am
Ha! Just pictured Aldean trying to stumble through singing Bird Hunters and Good Lord Lorrie…pretty hilarious little daydream
September 16, 2016 @ 4:45 am
Two of my favorite TT songs. And I don’t even want to think about him trying to comprehend “The Funeral.”
September 16, 2016 @ 7:04 am
I’m still picking up things from their lyrics that I didn’t notice on the first hundred or so listens. Now that I’ve connected Lorrie in so many different songs, they seem even smarter. It takes all kinds though I guess. I’m thankful that some songwriters are songwriterly.
September 15, 2016 @ 10:57 am
God forbid a songwriter might want to be “songwriterly.”
September 15, 2016 @ 1:03 pm
Or a country artist “countryly”
September 15, 2016 @ 10:59 am
Can we really say we’re surprised, however?
One trend I’ve repeatedly noticed with Aldean is that, when he’s discussing individual tracks he has cut in promos leading up to the release of any album, you never hear him talk about the lyrics. You hear him talk about melodies, hooks and how songs will translate live.
I don’t deny the latter has an importance as well. The problem is countless other mainstream artists on country radio (and other formats) think much the same way and, thus, undervalue lyrical appeal.
In contrast, when you hear another mainstream artist like Eric Church discuss his songs, he always appears most interested in the songwriting process and how specific lines moved the creative process along.
Which leads to a related point: although I personally don’t buy the notion that a vocalist can truly appreciate the art of a song by writing it one’s self as opposed to interpreting another’s…………….it nonetheless does help sort of explain why, to someone like Eric Church, he’s at ease talking about lyrics and songwriting…………………whereas with someone like Jason Aldean who seldom cuts and releases his own songs (“The Way A Night Should Feel” being the only song credited to him as a songwriter on his latest album), that’s not where his concerns and priorities lie. He’s naturally more invested in the technical songwriting and the CEO end of music’s appeal on different demographics.
*
Thus, in the end, I can’t get as worked up about this as I’d like to. Because in the grander scheme of things, this is yet another rehashed tug-of-war between art and commerce: of which we’ve always known Aldean to resemble commerce decidedly.
Still, I personally think he has a better track record at choosing deeper cuts for each of his albums compared to the majority of his A-list country radio peers. He’s certainly inferior to Eric Church, Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton without question, as well as more recent Tim McGraw and pre-“Black” Dierks Bentley. But he is also well superior to Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Carrie Underwood (though I believe she’s easily capable to produce far superior albums than she is now), Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney (at least in more recent years), Brantley Gilbert, Chris Young and Blake Shelton when it comes to stacking his albums with tracks that at least have some earnest air of reflection and emotional appeal.
Gauging by his quote, it’s a shame he doesn’t give the general listening public enough credit: as I genuinely think he is greatly underestimating its thirst for even more.
September 15, 2016 @ 11:48 am
You’ve really come a long way in your appreciation for Eric Church these days!! LOL
September 15, 2016 @ 12:55 pm
He’s earned it.
Maybe he could still turn around and release another befuddling album that panders to machismo types. But I’ve been genuinely impressed in how he has conducted himself since his chaotic-though-not-bad “The Outsiders” era and the self-entitled interviews in the former half of that era.
Since then, I feel like he has struck a more humble note. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s a father now or maybe did a lot of self-reflection, but his recent actions have been very refreshing to accompany his music: whether it be performing a solo show in Salt Lake City anyway when his band was out with the flu, or reaching out to McKinley James “Mickey” Smay and why he has been the face of his current era in the album photograph and videos, or his fond dedications to veterans of the genre.
Eric Church used to piss me off, but I give credit where it is due and he has improved remarkably over these past several years. Let’s hope this is the new normal with him.
September 15, 2016 @ 2:30 pm
I’ve always thought he was a lil MISUNDERSTOOD and people took some overreaction to things he’s said. I really like all his albums. My wife really likes him too so it helps, but I haven’t grown tired of his discography.
I actually am going to try and get tickets tomorrow for the new tour.
I’ve seen him with some awesome opening acts: Chris Stapleton, Brandy Clark, Dwight Yoakam, Drive By Truckers, and the Lone Bellow.
I’ve always left wanting more, even though last time I saw him he played 2 1/2 hours..
I am pretty happy he is going it alone this time with the two sets.
Another point: He has been pretty stellar at a lot of the tribute shows I’ve see. Greg Alman, Kris K, etc. John Lennon
He also played alone, acoustic, opening for George Straight a few shows in the stadiums..
I know he isn’t true country as some would like, but the roots and appreciation are there.
I am glad you keep your mind open and allow people to change it when warranted!!
Great trait!
September 15, 2016 @ 8:06 pm
I saw him at a Waylon tribute show last July, and besides forgetting his line to Luckenbach, he kicked ass
September 16, 2016 @ 5:41 am
Did you say Dwight Yoakam opened for Eric Church???!!!!# Tell me that you are joking….right ???!!!! Eric Church might and I emphasize might…..be ok to carry Dwight guitar case, maybe…
September 16, 2016 @ 6:40 am
Eric Church used to piss me off, but I give credit where it is due
Bingo. Before Mr. Misunderstood, there were some songs of his that I liked (e.g., Creepin’), but for the most part, I found his persona to be off-putting. With that album, he has won me over to an extent. I think it’s a solid album.
To Kevin Smith’s issue, I would just say that’s showbiz. Eric Church is a much bigger draw than Dwight.
September 15, 2016 @ 11:01 am
“You have to always be conscious of the songs. I never want the songs to be too songwriterly or too clever,” Jason Aldean said to The Guardian in a recent interview. “I think you do have to make it, to some extent, black and white. The song has to say what it means and it means what it says. If you try to get too tricky with the lyrics, it gets confusing. You don’t have to listen to it five or six times to really get it. If it’s something I have to go back and listen to over and over again to figure what it says, it’s too much work for me and it’s too much work for the listener.”
I’m gonna go against the grain here and say that I completely agree with what Aldean says here and I believe any experienced , hardworking songwriter will tell you the same . BUT , what Aldean doesn’t say is that if its a substance -driven and universal message to start with, THAT aspect of the song will do the ‘ heavy lifting ‘ It doesn’t have to be too ‘ songwriterly ‘ to be good and worth saying . Look at Merle’s catalogue . It’s riddled with timely, extremely conversational lyric of substance and delivered so that a listener isn’t wondering for a second about what he meant . That was part of Merle’s innate genius as a songwriter . Hank had the same approach but actually managed to sneak a bit more ‘ clever’ in there a lot of the time . But not distractedly so whatsoever .And the same could be said for many many ‘ commercial’ songwriters . There is a lot of crafting that goes into a great , timeless ‘ standard ‘ and most of it is ( and should be ) undetected by a listener . The elements of craft , however , are useless and a distraction themselves if there’s no HEART at the centre of the operation. If there’s no point in writing it , there’s no point in crafting it to the nth degree which is what MOST radio stuff is doing to what they call ‘ songs’ . Throw all of the ‘beats’ and handclaps and chanting and rapping and BANJOS you want into that track but unless there’s a song buried under all of that bullshit you’re just putting a necklace on a pig . IT’S STILL JUST A PIG ( No offense to pig lovers ).
September 15, 2016 @ 12:50 pm
agreed, well said
hank williams sr’s entire catalog is written at the 8th grade level
it’s not the vocabulary that makes the poetry, or even the novelty of its metaphors
in country music, what makes the poetry is the detail, and the clarity of the truth
why don’t you spark me like you used to do
why do you treat me like a worn-out shoe
the details have to be precise, the situation has to be true, and the language has to be clear
and what Aldean is getting at, clumsily, is that a good country song also has to have a sharp focus, and that focus is usually a function of how focused the songwriter’s feeling about the subject is
if a songwriter doesn’t make a song with a strong and single inner emotional fuse, or backbone, the song will be diffuse and sound confused
this is the problem with a lot of Americana music I hear — it’s verbally sophisticated, and often interesting, but it sorely lacks focus and emotional clarity
the problem I have with Aldean’s music — that is, the reason it doesn’t reach me, though to be fair he’s not trying to reach a 50 year-old like me — is that the emotional focus of too many of his songs is just not that interesting
that is, I don’t *care* about “putting tattoos on this town,” or tearing up back roads with some iced down beers and a hot chick, or whatever — been there, done that, have the kids to prove it
what I care about is what Merle sang about when he was approaching 50
and he put the arrow in the middle of the target damn near every time
September 16, 2016 @ 2:07 pm
“if a songwriter doesn’t make a song with a strong and single inner emotional fuse, or backbone, the song will be diffuse and sound confused”
Prime example of that:
‘Until we start to make a move to make a few things right,
you’ll never see me wear a suit of white’
Great insight Corncaster, and Albert too.
September 15, 2016 @ 11:27 am
I blame Toby Keith for all of this ultra macho dumbed down country music. Hell, he started the rap in country thing years ago with “I Wanna Talk About Me” (also, in the top five worst songs ever.) And his record label pushes all of this crap, too.
September 15, 2016 @ 11:42 am
Thank you! Completely agree with you on Toby Keith being the Godfather of this mess.
September 15, 2016 @ 5:50 pm
Godfather? Country rap was around long before Toby Keith, Look at these lyrics from the late 80’s, not only are they from a top group, but the song was called Country Rap.
Neighbor down the roads got a cow for sale
Twenty dollars more you get the horns and tail
Saturday night we’re goanna go get drunk
Something in the road smells like a skunk.
Steel guitars rowdy bars
Redneck girls and beat-up cars
We got fatback that’s a fact
And if you don’t know that’s a country rap.
Rap came from what was called “talking Blues” and plenty of the big country stars back in the day did talking blues in their songs.
September 15, 2016 @ 6:46 pm
Obviously Godfather was meant to be a bit dramatic to show my dislike of Toby’s testosterone fueled catalog. ?
September 15, 2016 @ 7:21 pm
testosterone is good fuel — you’ll miss it when it’s gone
September 15, 2016 @ 8:49 pm
Once And For All: SPOKEN WORD IS NOT RAP!
Circa 2011:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/once-and-for-all-spoken-word-is-not-rap/
September 15, 2016 @ 12:39 pm
I Wanna Talk About Me and Red Solo Cup truly make me cringe, but don’t you think it’s kind of unfair to blame him for current state of country music?
September 15, 2016 @ 3:32 pm
When it comes to crimes against the genre don’t let Shania Twain off that easily . Pure pop , but for a song or two !
BTW , some of his songs aside , Toby sang in the ACM tribute to Glen Campbell televised here last week and I thought he blew everyone else off the stage with the emotion and control in his vocals . Listen to him sing the Haggard stuff .
September 15, 2016 @ 11:35 am
But Mr. Aldean…. Would you consider “The Grand Tour” a great song? I have listened to it more than six times trying to figure out if George jones wife took the baby and left him, or did they both die tragically in an accident at the same time? Oh well I passed the 6th replay threshold trying to figure out… Curse those songwriterly songwriters….Next!
September 15, 2016 @ 1:38 pm
The lyrics say, “She left me without mercy.” Dying in a tragic accident would not constitute mercilessly leaving someone, in my opinion.
September 15, 2016 @ 3:16 pm
I realize that but it could go either way. And sometimes that is the beauty of a song is when it can fit different points of view which is another lost art in music today.
September 15, 2016 @ 12:01 pm
The idiocracy of America continues. There are a lot of reasons for this of course, but it certainly didn’t help matter that a decade ago Country music saw numerous “artists” boasting about how proud they were to essentially be poor and dumb.
September 15, 2016 @ 12:05 pm
No wonder Sturgill doesn’t care about ACM awards when clowns like this are constantly nominated.
September 15, 2016 @ 12:17 pm
Gotta love those Jason Aldverbs! Wow! Sorry, that was horrible. A friend of mine said that they were dogging you pretty hard on Bobby Bones this morning.
September 15, 2016 @ 12:48 pm
“songwriterly”
If Aldean is saying that the songs shouldn’t have too many big words that the average person wouldn’t understand, I agree. Country has always found poetry in simple words.
If he means that the message of a song should be easy to understand, I also generally agree. There are instances of fantastic songwriting, however, where multiple meanings and interpretations exist, and some of these are some of the best songs ever written.
But I doubt this Bro was thinking about either of those things when he got “creative” with that word. It’s more likely he just failed at trying to sound intelligent.
September 15, 2016 @ 2:54 pm
While I do like some songs that have more than one meaning, I wouldn’t want to listen to a song that is so vague and generic that it can be applied to literally any situation that will fit, such as pseudo-inspirational songs like Fight Song or Roar.
September 15, 2016 @ 1:00 pm
This dude is basically the mainstream country music version of Brick Tamland, the weatherman from “Anchorman”..Although I think Brick is a little smarter. I bet Jason loves lamp too.
September 15, 2016 @ 1:18 pm
You know Trigg, You need to make it show whom gave whom a Plus 1, that would make this page the bestest ever!
September 15, 2016 @ 1:20 pm
Jason Aldean needs to dig deeper in rock and country. I don’t own Blackberry Smoke yet but I want to get it soon. Try listen to Harry Luge on you tube he is amazing singer. Harry is in Nashville recording music and is trying to get a record label.
September 15, 2016 @ 2:32 pm
Good on ya Jason!
September 15, 2016 @ 2:38 pm
Call me a sadist but I love listening to songs that makes me think.
September 15, 2016 @ 3:45 pm
Yeah, lines like “we drankin the same drank” aren’t too “songwriterly”. Uh, mission accomplished?
Instead of fretting over whether listeners need 5 or 6 listens to “get it”, maybe ol’ Jase should aspire to the type of songs you can hear 5 or 6 HUNDRED times and still want to turn up.
You know, more like the “songwriterly” stuff Willie Nelson wrote BY HIMSELF & that we’re still loving almost 60 years later and less like all this crap with 6 songwriting credits that we hate 60 seconds after we first hear it.
September 15, 2016 @ 3:49 pm
Ahh…the George Bush Jr. of “country”….gotta love it….lol (laughing to keep from crying……)
September 15, 2016 @ 4:34 pm
Is that really a fair comparison? Aldean’s not bombing brown people, he’s just wearing blackface. I guess that’s different enough?
September 15, 2016 @ 9:54 pm
I think camusmuse may have just meant that by using an idiotic non-existent word like “songwriterly,” it made Aldean sound Dubya-ly
September 18, 2016 @ 7:15 pm
Spot on….Wouldnt compare a musician(term used loosely) to a politician…(again term used loosely). Thanks for the clarification Bertox…..
September 18, 2016 @ 7:23 pm
Just to make clear….yeah I did compare them, but not their importance and ability to kill people….foreign and domestic…
September 15, 2016 @ 4:38 pm
Aldean is a tool of the industry. once his usefulness wears the ‘good’ songs will dry up and it will be on to the next hat in tight jeans. problem with him is that he’s believing his own hype and thinking he is in the same game as a Haggard, Nelson or Cash. he is nothing more than a footnote in a sad era of country music..
September 18, 2016 @ 7:17 pm
Just to make clear….yeah I did compare them, but not their importance and ability to kill people….foreign and domestic…
September 15, 2016 @ 5:53 pm
Very little surprises me about any of the Bromeisters any more, especially Mr. Aldean. He may have basically admitted to dumbing down country music, but he still seems to be an apologist for that same dumbing-down, while also turning it into arena-rock and rap with what passes for “twang”.
And while I may catch a lot of heat for saying this (I don’t care if I do or not), his mentioning of Guns N Roses just makes me wretch something awful. To him, they may have been a “badass band”, especially in the late 1980s when I myself was in high school; but to me they were all sonic assaults and screechy fury with no substance.
Of course, I was so out of step with my peers in high school, preferring to listen to the rock of the late 1960s and 1970s than to arena-rock and metal, which now seem to inform way too much of country music nowadays and which Aldean.and his Bro Cronies personify, but I won’t apologize for it, nor will I apologize for sharing an appreciation for the country music of that same period. Each shares the same great quality for me: a whole legacy of great songs that remain timeless even decades later. I cannot say the same for Aldean, not in the least.
September 15, 2016 @ 6:40 pm
Good grief, Aldean really ought to just change his name to Buddy Jackson and be done with it. Because let’s face it, a dancing chicken is all he is.
September 15, 2016 @ 7:26 pm
When I read articles about Jason Aldean, I can’t help but wish Jim Lauderdale’s incredible sounding new songs from “This Changes Everything” were getting this much publicity instead.
September 15, 2016 @ 8:46 pm
Jim Lauderdale’s new album is definitely on my radar and I am sure it will get its due, but I can’t post a review or feature of every song that’s released by every cool artist. I am constantly posting positive music coverage and looking for the music folks DON’T know about to feature. I post a wide range of articles. I wish the ones about cool artists got more publicity too, but that’s not up to me, it’s up to the public. I’m doing my part.
September 16, 2016 @ 5:14 am
That wasn’t aimed at you Trigger, just saying stories about anti bro country seem to get more attention from the public and media at large sometimes than those promoting great country music.You do a great job of presenting all aspects. in other words, I’m sure the Jason Aldean and Aaron Lewis comments will get a lot of play in the media at large because they’re controversial, whereas Jim’s new album comparatively probably won’t get as much media coverage overall. My preferred way of combating bro country is to seek out the real stuff I haven’t heard of previously and support those artists with my dollars,which is why I like your site.
September 15, 2016 @ 7:38 pm
I’m a pretty big Aldean fan, but he has said some really dumb shit. At least he has admitted that modern country has become a joke.
September 15, 2016 @ 9:13 pm
List of rock/metal bands that I can think of: Blackberry Smoke, Halestorm, Evanescence, Adelita’s Way, Five Finger Death Punch. . . . you get the picture, and I listed a less popular one. Rock, like metal, like real country, like Americana (As what some people call real country nowadays when they’re in denial), like blues, are always going to be there in some form whether it’s what the mainstream wants from it or not. There will always be people who will remember it, and there always will be people who will play it. Kind of like how real country is still there whether the media wants to call the pop stuff country or not.
Jason Aldean has really pissed me off in recent years, and for someone who used to like his old stuff when it came out, I can hardly listen to that anymore. He kind of reminds me of Toby Keith when it comes to sticking with the same style for a long time. Except Aldean is even worse.
September 16, 2016 @ 2:28 am
Rock isn’t dead far from it just like every genre nowadays the best music isn’t on the radio and it takes time to find it. As for Jason Aldean I think the dude is legit mentally handicapped I’ve heard him speak and he always sounds that way. Modern Country music is embarrassing they make us all look like retarded alcoholic sex addicts driving around in jacked up trucks and partying 24/7.
September 16, 2016 @ 9:51 pm
Some of what he says makes sense. I wrote some good country songs, sent them to some local radio stations only to be told they’re too traditional and old country. Like 80s and 90s old. So I wrote a song called “the radio won’t play my country songs”
September 19, 2016 @ 9:48 am
“It’s probably expecting a little to much from Jason Aldean”
It’s probably expecting a little TOO much from Jason douchemagee Aldean…
September 19, 2016 @ 8:02 pm
no cool rock bands left huh jason?
yeah royal blood says hey
September 20, 2016 @ 8:53 am
Jason is 100% spot on about his comments. Which explains why you are so up in arms about them. Go figure!
I don’t understand how anyone could defend the state of rock music. Rock music today is DEAD. Sure there are some bands that 5 people might *swear* are great. That will ALWAYS be the case. But where are these bands on the charts? Why aren’t the playing in arenas? Check the schedule of any major arena or amphitheater and you will not see any headlining rock bands that came out in the last 10-15 years. The bottom line is there haven’t been many cool rock bands to come out since the late 80s/early 90s. Which explains the steady decline of the genre since the time, to the point where it is basically dead today. Like it or not, Jason and some other country acts are carrying the torch for rock. His shows are what you would expect for a big 80s arena rock concert. His songs feature blazing guitar tones and solos. There’s no modern act that can compare to Jason when it comes to rock n roll. He does all that while still remaining “country” enough to be played on country radio. Well done, Jason.
As for “bro country,” people from the big city will really never understand that the things you guys hate so much (tailgating, jacked up pick up trucks, girls,) are what really goes on in the country. That’s how it is. It’s not made up. But you would never know that in the big City.
September 21, 2016 @ 12:56 pm
Agree that rock is dead. Completely. All the rock music I listen to is from days past…I can’t even name a rock band now! Do they exist anymore?!?! (For the record – I know they do…just not in any form that most people are aware of). Disagree that Jason can’t be compared to any other act when it comes to rock – case in point, Eric Church – who would be a far better artist to carry the “rock and roll” torch into country (if there even is such a thing). I don’t think that singing about trucks, beer, or girls is the problem some people see with country, I personally think these references have been around for a long time in country – I think the issue is the influx of songs ONLY about these things….like it’s not bad in and of itself, but let’s switch it up sometimes??? It makes the music boring and uninteresting. Anyway, that’s my take….
September 20, 2016 @ 8:07 pm
Electrolytes!!!!