Previously unreleased: Brad Paisley close-ups I took, then lost
Brad Paisley was a good friend of Buck Owens and he performed at Buck's funeral. He is a beloved member of our Bakersfield sound extended family. I took these photos of Brad in Bakersfield California in March of 2006. Then I lost them. Today, I rediscovered them, and I'm publishing them for the first time. Let me know what you think. A Picture paints a thousand words. Here are three thousand words about Brad Paisley.
Clint Black is also a beloved member of the Bakersfield sound family. He opened the Crystal Palace with a free show
after it had been closed for a period of time in memory of Buck Owens who had just passed away a couple of weeks prior.
I took the picture of Clint Black at that opening performance. Read my story about that performance here:
Those who were there and were part of the original Bakersfield sound family and those of us who are Bakersfield-sound-
grounded artists who are part of the ongoing evolution of the Bakersfield sound are very grateful for our extended family.
Clint Black is also a beloved member of the Bakersfield sound family. He opened the Crystal Palace with a free show
after it had been closed for a period of time in memory of Buck Owens who had just passed away a couple of weeks prior.
I took the picture of Clint Black at that opening performance. Read my story about that performance here:
Those who were there and were part of the original Bakersfield sound family and those of us who are Bakersfield-sound-
grounded artists who are part of the ongoing evolution of the Bakersfield sound are very grateful for our extended family.
I’ve never been able to get into the new mainstream country. It took me almost 20 years to get into any kind of country other than Skynyrd (not country, southern rock) and maybe some Molly Hatchet (also southern rock), but as I’ve grown older I have expanded my taste in music to reach previously unexplored genres. I say that I never liked country that much growing up but in fact, the Beatle’s Rocky Raccoon was one of my favorite songs when I was a kid, and now that I can discern one musical genre from another I realize that it was a country tune all along. I remember that I used to sing it so much on the school bus that I would get request. And no I wasn’t in the habit of breaking into song like I was in some kind of 70’s version of High School Musical. (Case history starts here) The fact of the matter is that because I had been removed by my parents from the public school I was attending (1st grade), because the vice principal (Miss Syndell) was beating me everyday with a giant wooden board and whacking me on the knuckles w/ a hard wooden ruler (I was six years old) like a sadistic catholic nun, which she may have been at one time judging by her demeanor. Anyways, Long story short, my hippie parents who didn’t dig anyone (other than my father) beating on me and harshing my mellow, removed me from the school that was about a footballs field away from my house and put me in a public school (Sun Set elementary, sounds nice doesn’t it?) in another part of town. Because I lived so far from the school there was only one bus that would pick me up, the short bus. Yeah, yeah, I rode the short bus to school, and guess what, when I got off that bus at school, yes, you guessed it; the other students assumed I was retarded, and as you can imagine this created some strife in the early part of my schooling. And that’s just the beginning. Anyways, the point was the mentally disabled kids really liked when I sang them “Rocky Raccoon” (my improvised version with lyrical embellishments, in true rock star form; I believe I used to include there names in the lyrics to pump up the crowd, you know like how rock bands will add the name of the town there playing in the lyrics of there set). I’m really not just being facieses, they really liked it. So back to country and, oh yeah, sorry, Brad Paisley; the only thing I really know for sure about Paisley is that every time I try to download some music from a band from the 90’s named “Brad” (Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam, sounds kind of like Weather Report), I get a whole list of Brad Paisley songs instead. I always just assumed Paisley was part of the new country scene that I never had gotten into so I never gave it a chance, but now that I know he is down w/ Bakersfield I will give it a chance. I’m not saying I’ll like it but I’ll give it a try.
Reply to this
Brad Paisley comment continued:
My taste in country music has expanded over the years, its evolution went something like this; Rocky Raccoon and other classic rock songs that I didn’t realize were heavily countrified then into southern rock like Lynyrd Skynyrd, some 38 special, molly hatchet, etc, then only a slight conversion into Charley Daniels’ band, Allman Bros., then (after meeting Louisiana Dave) Hank jr., some old Hank, David Allan Coe, Johnny Cash (cash rules), Willie Nelson (just a little Willie though), etc., then (after meeting Dr. B.L.T.) Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and the Bakersfield gang (still learning who they all are). Of course I listen to Public Enemy, Metallica, Slip Knot, Charley Parker, Frank Zappa, Django Reinhardt, anything Mike Patton is involved with, Al Green, and all my other eclectic musical taste are still intact, but now thanks to the Bakersfield influence I have some new jams to add to the collection. Thanks B.L.T., thanks Bakersfield.
These are lyrics I wrote last night dedicated to Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Cake and other influential bands and musicians down with the Bakersfield scene and to my quest for the true Bakersfield experience;
Somethin Merle & Buck’d Do
I’ve been all kinda places
I’ve seen all kinda things
But I never been to the streets
Of which Buck Owens sings
My Merle is lookin haggard
They call it that back east
Some call this feelin illin
But all I’m callin on is peace
Dusted off my momma’s bible
And put my Merle away
Headed out here to Cali
To steak myself a claim
Now I’m digging what I’m seein
There’s gold in that there dust
So there’s only one place I’m goin
Its Bakersfield or bust
Something old and something new
Something Merle and Buck’d do
They’d take the cake and eat it too
That’s what Merle and Buck’d do
They’d grow there hair like Motley Crue
Merle and Buck’d, I’m tellin you
Stayin true to the red, white and blue
That’s what Merle and Buck’d do
It don’t mean a thang
If it aint got that twang
Give me a rusty old microphone
And listen to me sang
I wasn’t born in Bakersfield
And I still haven’t been
But I know when I get there
I’ll’ve found myself a friend
Met jerry the Saxman and Dr. B.L.T
Said if you’re goin to Bakersfield
Then sing a song for me
I said I’d sing my songs
I’ll sing my songs for you
Down on the streets of Bakersfield
That’s what Merle and Buck’d do
Reply to this
Conrad's comments about the "new country" of the '90s-'00s rings true to me. I grew up listening to any type of music that was available to me... which meant whatever I could hear on radio/records and TV -- rock, pop, country, I even liked reruns of the old Lawrence Welk Show because I just loved music in general!
Maybe this has always been a part of country music, but it seems to me that a lot of commercialization/mainstreaming occurred starting in the '70s, with people like Barbara Mandrell and Kenny Rogers dominating with songs that could easily pass as "pop." The 1990s saw that trend explode with the likes of Shania Twain, and boybands/girlgroups like Rascal Flatts & SheDaisy. The music all seemed very "manufactured," and I consequently lost a lot of interest in country music, as it seemed to have lost its integrity. Unfortunately, the few who were trying to stay true to the country sound & lyrical content -- e.g., Dwight Yoakam -- were not able to stop the shift toward the pop-and-adult-contemporary-infused country sound.
Brad Paisley is associated with that younger crop of country artists from the past 15 years or so; however, he's an interesting dichotomy. He's actually a very talented guitarist, devoted to his craft and writing in the country genre, not just someone cashing in on country's recent popularity. I thought he got off to a promising start with his first album, which contained some ballads harkening back to the old-school country style. "We Danced" is one of my favorite country songs of all time.
I've been disappointed by what he's done since. Granted, I haven't been a devoted country listener for some time, but in recent years it seems he's done too many of those "novelty" songs. In limited amounts, those can be clever and a fun diversion, but I just feel he hasn't really carried the old-school country torch as I had hoped he would.
I suppose it's a difficult balance for artists like Paisley (and Keith Urban, who is also very talented and appreciates the country classics): they have to maintain their commercial marketability by doing whatever is popular at the moment, while trying to contribute some music that will stand the test of time and will represent why they got into country musicianship in the first place.
Reply to this