O Brother where art thou

[Jen]

Since I am new here i thought id start a bit of a discussion not sure if it has been touched on before so if it has just let me know!



Does everyone think that this movie and soundtrack kinda paved the way for bluegrass/counry music. I know in Canada it wasnt as big as it is in the states. But ever since this movie canada opened there eyes a lil more to this music genre.


Any opinons comments? [think]

[jaceyhomen]

Jen Welcome!

Country music has been around the US since the turn of the 20th century. It reached the general public in the late 20s. (There's a fascinating story of how country music came down out of the hills and into the main stream.)

Bluegrass arrived in the late 40s, a spinoff from country and spearheaded by one Bill Monroe and darn if I can think of the other guy...was it Earl Scruggs? (I'm pretty sure these rough dates and and names are right...someone smarter than me please correct them).

These music genres have always enjoyed popularity in the States, especially in certain geographic spots. O Brother... introduced bluegrass to a whole new audience, many of whom will stay fans and include bluegrass and/or country music in their
collections and concert going. It is, like jazz, a very US experience.

When I was young (a long, long time ago) country music was called hillbilly music and people with educations, the middle class, etc. scorned it as being so.....country and corny. Some probably still do, but the country/bluegrass audience is more sophisticated now and broader based.

Country music has divided itself into country rock, country pop, country blues, honkytonk country, etc. Bluegrass, too, is now acoustic, or progressive or whatever. Which is fine. Our Nickel Creek, of course, doesn't fit very well in any of these categories! They are....special!

Hope this helps. Again....welcome aboard!
Jacey

[Jen]

thanks for your views. I was just asking the question im pretty good with my music history. I just thought id get ppl discussing thats all so thanks for your input

:)

[mandoBob]

Jen
You'd get a lot of old-timers in an uproar with the wording of your question (check out the bluegrass section on the forums on www.mandolincafe.com for example...there's even a discussion about NC there), but I think I know what you mean.
In my opinion, the movie and soundtrack helped usher in a new revival of what I'll call traditional music. 5 million records sold aint too shabby!
It's good to see more people getting into quality music but these things rise and fall. It's encouraging to see good folks like Gillian Welch and old timers like Earl Scruggs to get recognition.
I for one hope it continues, but I know there are some out there who dont like the commercialization.
I bet the movie helped NC go gold, but who knows?

[jaceyhomen]

Hi again Jen...oopps sorry. I guess I told you more than you really asked for. I get carried away. Don't know why I assumed you didn't know all that blather! Was I right...or even close....with dates and names?

mandobob Thanks for the forum site tip.

[Luthier]

I think that Oh Brother did help to make bluegrass more mainstream, but I also think that the Grammy thing was a bit overblown. Don't get me wrong, the soundtrack was a very nice, honest-to-goodness country album, but I think unlikely it was the greatest country album of all-time either. It was in my opinion that Oh Brother receiving all those Grammys at one time was in a way to help reconcile for a lack of past recognition. To me, folk/bluegrass is the ONLY country music, not like that highly commercialized, unoriginal, boot-scooting b.s. that the music industry ram-rods down everyone's throats these days. I think Reba M. uses more fireworks and effects at her concerts than Pink Floyd! That's country music? I was glad to see Oh Brother get recognition (country album of the year and album of the year) because the major country radio stations gave it virtually no airplay (until after it took the awards, of course). The record companies have too much influence over what receives airplay and what becomes a hit. I think bluegrass wil have more staying power these days (I don't think it's a fad) thanks to talented artists such as Nickel Creek, Alison Krauss, ect. who have helped to bring new sounds and styles to this great form of music. Opinionated and cynical, yup! But I speak from the heart and I call it as I see it...


Regards,

Luthier

[nitejule]

i think in a way it kinda touched more of the younger teen crowd a little. i mean there is a lot of different music out there right now and teens don't really notice bluegrass alot. i like all kinds of music so that helps me a little. but i think in a way it opened peoples eyes a little.

[jaceyhomen]

Luthier Good post! I enjoyed your analysis.

I agree with you...the fireworks and special effects and all aren't country...at least the way some of us see country. We prefer traditional country, folk/country, Nickel Creek country. All that other stuff is entertainment (some of it pretty good) but certainly not country. (Off topic: I am an avid Pink Floyd fan!! I think their Shine on.... is the best piece of popular music ever written.)

Traditional country fans have to accept the fact the country is no longer a one-style genre. And all of these variations of it are here to stay, cuz they make money for the artists and for the producers. And that's the name of the game.

As long as Krauss and Loveless and some others....Montgomery Gentry most of the time (I love honky tonk)...as long as we have good old fashioned country around, you and I will be happy!

[NCFan4Ever]

Though I don't think O Brother paved the way for bluegrass, I do think they definately brought about a revival of sorts for bluegrass music. But if you actually ask me, I think that the Dixie Chicks are the ones who planted the seeds even before O Brother....I mean, when was the last time you heard a banjo in a country song before them?

On another note, has anyone heard that rap song that starts out with the dueling banjos?

[Luthier]

Just thought I'd drop a line to elaborate on some of the points I made on my last post. Yes, everyone has their own definition as to what real country music is, and it truly is a variety of styles and forms these days. I wasn't trying to exclude country greats like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, ect. in my definition of real country, but the point I was trying to make is that today's pop country is more pop than country, sounding like watered-down pop rock with a twang. A note to jaceyhomen, I myself was an avid Pink Floyd fan for years before I graduated to other styles of music. I'm originally a classicaly trained violinist but I also play bass in a rock band. Anyways, whether it's old-timey, bluegrass, newgrass or hippiegrass, it's country to me!

Regards,

Luthier

[nitejule]

LOL i love PF too!!! yeah and country is just country. i listen to all kinds of music and like a little of everything, which i am happy to say that i can do.

[ncangie]

I think O Brother, for the teens that actually saw the movie (I was probably oh, one out of 6 that did at least in my area ;) ), the soundtrack really gave us an awareness of what is out there in bluegrass/country music today. I'm more of a Celtic vein than most. I'm a really diverse person when it comes to music - I love Ms. Eclectic Celtic Loreena McKennitt, so besides Nickel Creek I haven't had much exposure to anything bluegrass until OBWAT came around.Of what I can remember from my education in country music in junior high, I remember Hank Williams. We had to listen to his stuff - wasn't bad.

I'm waiting to hear the WHAT?! :eek: reaction from the audience. :)

-Angie

[Fiddlechic Erin]

Nickel Creek and the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack are what got me into bluegrass in the first place! [noise]

[NCFan4Ever]

My parents have played bluegrass for my whole life....but I went through a stage where I thought I was too cool for bluegrass (it pains me to think of it now)...but Nickel Creek definately revived me 100%!!

[mindy]

I grew up listening to bluegrass too, then i started listening to other types of music. my dad told me about nickel creek and now i'm totally back into the bluegrass thing!!:cool:

[NCFan4Ever]

OMG I am SoOoO into bluegrass now! But I still listen to other kinds of music too....I like a little bit of everything!