As I dive deeper into Country, I realize that there are hidden doors that I didn't know existed. I know Price pretty well and so appreciate your deeper analysis. I'm glad that when i first heard For the Good times back when it was a hit, that I listened intently and didn't turn the dial!
Thanks so much - appreciate the kind words. Price is an artist that casts a wide net, in my opinion, drawing admirers with varying tastes in country music.
Some of my earliest memories are of a radio on top of the refrigerator and my mother dancing around the kitchen to the songs of Ray Price. She especially liked “Make the World Go Away”, and to this day when I hear it I remember the young woman she once was. Thanks again for you perspective.
Thank so much for this! I’ve not listened to much country and this album is definitely worth exploring after sampling the videos and reading your thoughts. Appreciate the intro
I echo what Andrew said! Rather daring to compare Price to Sinatra (as the country Frank), but danged if that's not spot on! Price did have a focus on diction (and purposeful phrasing, I'm guessing, for which Frank was famously known), with what also seems like a similar tenor.
My dad's focus on jazz was about the only other genre I grew up with, as I, of course, was consumed by rock since age 8 in '64 ('cause The Beatles)!
When Mom managed a country singer (Dale McBride) from the mid-'70s thru his untimely death in '91, I had a chance to listen to him, as well as focus more on country singers when I worked in retail records from about '77-'82. I'm delighted to see you mention (and even lean on) artists' record companies...that's MY ultimate frame of reference, as I think you know. With the decades that Willie, say, has been Columbia's country kingpin (well, several have!), it's interesting to note his years on RCA, as well!
Thanks for this, Robert! I dig your forays into country!
Thanks so much. The similarity between Price and Sinatra becomes more pronounced once Price embraced the pop side of country. Bringing up purposeful phrasing is a very astute observation - bang on!
I've been lucky to score a few of Willie Nelson's records on RCA and think he (like Waylon too) did good work in the more sanitized structure of the Nashville Sound. I admit a bit of bias as that kind of music was a big part of the sounds on which I was raised, however, but I still stand by that point of view.
Labels are such a big part of my framework on music and always like to bring it up as context.
I enjoy writing about country music - I hope to put together an essay soon on Jerry Reed who I find fascinating in that he was both a jokester ('Amos Moses' is epic) and deeply thoughtful ('A Thing Called Love' I feel very personally). In many ways, he embodied even more pronounced opposites than Roger Miller.
Studying Sinatra's phrasing is an engrossing endeavor (and infinitely satisfying), knowing that he began wanting to "copy" Tommy Dorsey's and Harry James' horns! Plus, I used to sing a lot of Frank in karaoke, as well as several years performing at nursing homes, singing over Sinatra instrumental karaoke discs on a home machine (for pretty good money....til Covid)!
That would be an interesting look at Reed, I'm guessing....yeah, I think Miller was much more interested in the goofy side of country.
This part right here: “country is a sophisticated art form, as American as jazz and at its best when focused on our collective stories, both good and bad.”
For years, I didn’t think I liked country music. But when I took time to listen, I discovered that I liked it quite a bit. Some great stories in these songs.
I knew very little about Price before reading your post today and listening to some of the tracks. Thanks for broadening my perspective.
As I dive deeper into Country, I realize that there are hidden doors that I didn't know existed. I know Price pretty well and so appreciate your deeper analysis. I'm glad that when i first heard For the Good times back when it was a hit, that I listened intently and didn't turn the dial!
Thanks so much - appreciate the kind words. Price is an artist that casts a wide net, in my opinion, drawing admirers with varying tastes in country music.
Some of my earliest memories are of a radio on top of the refrigerator and my mother dancing around the kitchen to the songs of Ray Price. She especially liked “Make the World Go Away”, and to this day when I hear it I remember the young woman she once was. Thanks again for you perspective.
'Make the World Go Away' is such an evocative song! Thanks for the reading and for the kind words.
Thank so much for this! I’ve not listened to much country and this album is definitely worth exploring after sampling the videos and reading your thoughts. Appreciate the intro
Thanks so much - enjoy the listening!
I echo what Andrew said! Rather daring to compare Price to Sinatra (as the country Frank), but danged if that's not spot on! Price did have a focus on diction (and purposeful phrasing, I'm guessing, for which Frank was famously known), with what also seems like a similar tenor.
My dad's focus on jazz was about the only other genre I grew up with, as I, of course, was consumed by rock since age 8 in '64 ('cause The Beatles)!
When Mom managed a country singer (Dale McBride) from the mid-'70s thru his untimely death in '91, I had a chance to listen to him, as well as focus more on country singers when I worked in retail records from about '77-'82. I'm delighted to see you mention (and even lean on) artists' record companies...that's MY ultimate frame of reference, as I think you know. With the decades that Willie, say, has been Columbia's country kingpin (well, several have!), it's interesting to note his years on RCA, as well!
Thanks for this, Robert! I dig your forays into country!
Thanks so much. The similarity between Price and Sinatra becomes more pronounced once Price embraced the pop side of country. Bringing up purposeful phrasing is a very astute observation - bang on!
I've been lucky to score a few of Willie Nelson's records on RCA and think he (like Waylon too) did good work in the more sanitized structure of the Nashville Sound. I admit a bit of bias as that kind of music was a big part of the sounds on which I was raised, however, but I still stand by that point of view.
Labels are such a big part of my framework on music and always like to bring it up as context.
I enjoy writing about country music - I hope to put together an essay soon on Jerry Reed who I find fascinating in that he was both a jokester ('Amos Moses' is epic) and deeply thoughtful ('A Thing Called Love' I feel very personally). In many ways, he embodied even more pronounced opposites than Roger Miller.
Studying Sinatra's phrasing is an engrossing endeavor (and infinitely satisfying), knowing that he began wanting to "copy" Tommy Dorsey's and Harry James' horns! Plus, I used to sing a lot of Frank in karaoke, as well as several years performing at nursing homes, singing over Sinatra instrumental karaoke discs on a home machine (for pretty good money....til Covid)!
That would be an interesting look at Reed, I'm guessing....yeah, I think Miller was much more interested in the goofy side of country.
This part right here: “country is a sophisticated art form, as American as jazz and at its best when focused on our collective stories, both good and bad.”
For years, I didn’t think I liked country music. But when I took time to listen, I discovered that I liked it quite a bit. Some great stories in these songs.
I knew very little about Price before reading your post today and listening to some of the tracks. Thanks for broadening my perspective.
You're very welcome - glad you liked the piece!