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Monday, February 23, 2004 np: the afghan whigs - black love From Curb to Here: Who Stole the Soul and Why Hank Williams III Matters The last few years have seen an unfortunate trend of the deaths of some of country music's legends; Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Paycheck and so forth. Admittedly, a lot of this is just the age. All of these people were older, lucky to have survived many of their contemporaries who didn't make it out of their heyday alive. In the interim, country music has continued its slide towards a more 'commercial' format. Songs become slicker, more homogeonized and less individualistic. Gone are the distinctive voices, inflections, music sounds and lyrics that would allow listeners to peg a song to an artist from note one, chord one. The classical/jazz influenced guitar work of Willie Nelson, the instantly recognizable vocals of Johnny Cash, the country crooning and hearbreak of George Jones; not to suggest that these artists aren't still producing viable work or that their influence isn't still felt. But where Cash, Jones and Nelson were distinctive, pioneering and hit-makers in their own day, the modern Billboard country charts resembles a who's who of the next crop of also-rans. It's hard to believe that Toby Keith's Shock'n Y'all will be remembered with the same reverence as Red Headed Stranger, Live at Folsom Prison or even a more contemporary work like Emmy Lou Harris' Wrecking Ball. "Who's Your Daddy" and "American Soldier" don't have the wit, the insight, the soul of a "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down," "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" or "Always Late (With Your Kisses)." What happened is not really a surprise. Rock music has undergone the same transformation, leading to the rise of boring, Eddie Vedder sound alikes and endlessly revamped (but far from rejuvenated) pop-punk and yawn-inducing would-be-modernist lyricism. Country faces the same problem. Garth Brooks, and subsequently people like Shania Twain and Faith Hill, opened the possibility for cross-over success in a pop market. What started as an exercise in genre hopping, one that was quite obvious to Gram Parsons and his contemporaries in the Cosmic Americana scene back in the 60s, quickly turned into a mass-market deluge of second-hand pop frippery. Music is now labeled as 'country' simply because it features a steel guitar. The definitive elements of country music have all but disappeared from its major commercial face. Which brings us to Hank Williams III and how he fits into this puzzle. Immediately, when one hasn't heard Hank III, your mind drifts to the idea of someone potentially living off of the legend of his grandfather and father. His grandfather, of course, was one of the defining songwriters of country music. One finds it absolutely impossible to overemphasize the importance of his contribution to country music and ultimately to all American music. His father, on the other hand, has turned into a near parody of the very 'outlaw country' values that he shined so brightly earlier in his career. Merle Haggard, Waylong Jennings he ain't. His beaming, bearded face comes streaming across televisions every Monday night in the fall as the near unbearable phrase "Are you ready for some football" comes bellowing out of your speakers. It all just seems to serve to mock the genuine legend of his father's contribution to American culture. Hank Williams III however, seems to be plotting his own course. With only two complete albums to his name, he has already tangled with his record label rather fiercely. Having claimed that Curb Records forced him to record his debut album in a way he did not want, he has since taken his protest on the road, playing to packed shows with the phrase 'Fuck Curb' prominantly displayed on all of his guitars. Songs like "Trashville" neatly sum up his feelings about Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. His touring band features a stand-up bass player with a tall, blonde mohawk. This is modern outlaw country. There are doubts about it all the same. Is it just a coiffed image? Is Hank III the real thing? How serious can he be about the music he plays? There's no doubting his ability as a songwriter. His songs come across plain spoken and with the fiery tradition of outlaw country and rockabilly blazing inside. But all the songs about boozing, women, weed and jail time? They're very catchy and certainly embrace the roots country basics while expanding with pieces taken from genres as disparate as jazz, cajun, punk and metal. But come on. Honestly. Whenever I see a 'rebellious' band on stage, it's often that they couldn't care less about their audience. Is he as egotistical and self-aggrandizing as the rest? "All this underground stuff is going to rise up and choke this pop country shit to death!" "This one goes out to all you who come out and support live music...no matter what kind of music it is..cos that's important that you're supporting live artists." "All of the FM dial is just a wasteland..with the exception of college radio where people can still get some play.." "We're going to be back up here in 10 minutes with Assjack [ed. Williams' metal ensemble]. If you just came for the hellbilly and country half of the show...thanks a lot for coming and we appreciate you being here." The statements of a man who is out solely for himself? Hardly. Hank III comes across as rowdy, sparky, couldn't-give-a-fuck; the spitting image of outlaw country. Yet he simultaneously makes the audience feel as if they're as much a part of the rebellion as he. And how does he suffer fools? "And who are the outlaws today? Toby Keith? Fuck that..." It is doubtful that Hank III's image will ever let him cross over into any sort of mainstream success, but that's hardly the point. He's genuine, he's making distinct music and he's having one hell of a time doing it. And the best part is, he's invited us all along for the bender. posted by J. Neas | 2/23/2004 06:41:00 PM
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