Thanks for posting that.
I especially like this part: >>>
Still, Anderson worries about today's country music business. "They play
it so safe," he says. "The industry is in such an
`oh-gosh-we-can't-offend-anybody' mode. I liken it to a football team that
only plays defense. Well, you can't score if you don't play offense, and
you can't score big if you don't take some chances."
In short, he says, executives, programmers, and consultants exert too much
influence on writers and performers. "Today the record companies tell the
artists who they are instead of the artists telling the record companies
who they are. I think we're losing something there. When I was starting
out, if you didn't have your own style, forget it. Today it's the
opposite."
Anderson's advice is worth pondering, and it's timely too: This week,
members of the industry meet for the annual Country Radio Seminar at
Opryland Hotel. "I remember a song I wrote for Cal Smith back in the '70s,
`The Lord Knows I'm Drinking,' " he says. "I knew we were going to run up
against some walls with that song. But I also knew in my gut that if that
song got out, people would really identify with it. It was put out, and it
became a really big song that year. I think we may be missing those kinds
of songs now."
Seems like others on this list feel the same way. <g> Still I wonder how
you get the "executives, programmers, and consultants" to listen. Seems
impossible when all they wanna do is count money.
Jim, smilin'
