Since my last blog posting successfully reignited the war of 1812, lets see if we can re-start another one. . .

Thesis: The indie/alterna/punk band "Gossip" (formerly "The Gossip") lets us know what the late 70s would have sounded like if Dolly Parton hadn't wasted her considerable talents (vocal) on country music.

Discuss amongst yourselves. Let the beatings begin!

;)

---

@SETIEric@qoto.org (Mastodon)

Well, Beth Ditto and Dolly Parton do have a couple of large things in common. Musically, that is.

Hey, sooner or later somebody was going to say it. I just got it out of the way so the serious discussion could start.

---

Well, Beth Ditto and Dolly Parton do have a couple of large things in common. Musically, that is.

Hey, sooner or later somebody was going to say it. I just got it out of the way so the serious discussion could start.

Neither of them are Canadian.....

---

Well, Beth Ditto and Dolly Parton do have a couple of large things in common. Musically, that is.

Hey, sooner or later somebody was going to say it. I just got it out of the way so the serious discussion could start.

Neither of them are Canadian.....

True, but we would gladly embrace them, if they decided to emigrate.

---

but we would gladly embrace them

You must have some wingspan Bill

"A man's reach should exceed his grasp" — Robert Browning

---

but we would gladly embrace them

You must have some wingspan Bill

I think the operative bit is "we."

---

Group hug everybody, group hug!

you see Eric, Canadians are basically lovers, not fighters.

---

We're good enough
We're smart enough
and dog gonnit, people like us.

Stewart Smalley (paraphrased)

America getting stinky, can i move to Canada????

everyone loves Canada....

America getting stinky, can i move to Canada????

everyone loves Canada....

Not everyone.

---

This is still the War of 1812! I was hoping to resurrect the far more important war between Country music and Rock & Roll. The war didn't end with a peace treaty, but merely a ceasefire resulting from the Donnie and Marie accord of 1976.

---

@SETIEric@qoto.org (Mastodon)

This is still the War of 1812! I was hoping to resurrect the far more important war between Country music and Rock & Roll. The war didn't end with a peace treaty, but merely a ceasefire resulting from the Donnie and Marie accord of 1976.

That would explain why Ozzy Osbourne doesn't appear on Reba McEntyre's "Reba Duets" album though.

---

This is still the War of 1812! I was hoping to resurrect the far more important war between Country music and Rock & Roll. The war didn't end with a peace treaty, but merely a ceasefire resulting from the Donnie and Marie accord of 1976.

On second thought....

It can't be much of an accord, given that "Donnie" isn't much of a rock and roller, and "Marie" isn't all that country.

---

I expected better of you Eric. Only die-hard Amerikans still think the Donnie and Marie Accord dealt with global music issues in a decisive fashion.

Clearly, they lacked the scope and authority to speak for the true people's music, as defined in the Hank Snow Manifesto (issued by Hank from his home commune in Nova Scotia in 1952). Amerikan ex-pat Rompin' Ronnie continues his glorious genre-bending music of the people, by the people to this day from his secret base in the jungles of Hog Town, as do Mississauga's favorite musical family, The Cowboy Junkies. (Our answer to the Osmands, and the Jacksons.)

Clearly, Donnie and Marie's influence is limited to their own country, if not only to Utah. Rural Utah at that. The bit west of I-15, over near Nevada, past the gas station just outside of St. George. How long will Amerika continue to prop up these false puppet regimes, denying the people the music they want?

And, by the way, we won the War of 1812. Neener neener.

---

Clearly, Donnie and Marie's influence is limited to their own country, if not only to Utah. Rural Utah at that. The bit west of I-15, over near Nevada, past the gas station just outside of St. George. How long will Amerika continue to prop up these false puppet regimes, denying the people the music they want?

I think you've greatly underestimated the influence of Donnie and Marie.

Their performances influenced many to turn away from Country and Rock and look toward Jazz, Pop, Alternative, even Hip-Hop and Classical.

The "Donnie and Marie" TV show may have even lead to a small increase in literacy as people turned off their televisions.

As for the Cowboy Junkies, they don't belong in the same category as the Osmonds or the Jacksons -- you can actually listen to the Cowboy Junkies.

---

If only it was true Ned.

Sadly, many of my generation still listen to the Osmonds, and the Jacksons (en famille and solo). It is all part of the tragic decline of western culture that has brought us to where we are today: people thinking that commercial radio stations actually play music, and that MP3s can actually reproduce it.

Our only hope lies with the brave post D&M Accord warriors who continue to make music that is kinda nice (as opposed to falling into neat marketing categories), despite the efforts of The Man to make us think that his categorized slick commercial crap is art. That is where the D&MA went wrong. It's not about Country or Rock. It's about sounding nice or sounding like (word deleted to keep moderators happy).

So here's to The Cowboy Junkies, The Ducks, Steve Earl, the Arrogant Worms, Michael Occhipinti, the Plaid Tongued Devils and even Great Big Sea and the Lee Harvey Osmonds, for keeping true art alive in these ugly times.

"In ugly times, the truest protest is beauty." - Phil Ochs

---

This is still the War of 1812! I was hoping to resurrect the far more important war between Country music and Rock & Roll. The war didn't end with a peace treaty, but merely a ceasefire resulting from the Donnie and Marie accord of 1976.

Oh that's easy! Country sucks and Rock & Roll rules! War over.


Now, if you want to start a civil war within a single genre, I love arguing with those sadly mistaken individuals who think Led Zepplin started heavy metal and properly educate them as to why Black Sabbath are the true progenitors of that type of music. :)

---

Now, if you want to start a civil war within a single genre, I love arguing with those sadly mistaken individuals who think Led Zepplin started heavy metal and properly educate them as to why Black Sabbath are the true progenitors of that type of music. :)

Excuse me, what about Steppenwolf? Did I mention that they are Canadian?

---

Now, if you want to start a civil war within a single genre, I love arguing with those sadly mistaken individuals who think Led Zepplin started heavy metal and properly educate them as to why Black Sabbath are the true progenitors of that type of music. :)

Excuse me, what about Steppenwolf? Did I mention that they are Canadian?

Steppenwolf wasn't heavy metal either. Black Sabbath technically predated them but under a previous name known as Earth (and before that, Polka Tulk). So while Steppenwolf came out in 1967 and Sabbath in 1968, they are still two different, distinct sounds. Steppenwolf, like Led Zepplin, are hard rock. This might have been "heavy" at the time, but both bands do not have the proper requirements to be called "heavy metal".

[Edit]Interestingly enough, Ozzy did what I consider to be a great cover of "Born to be Wild" - with Miss Piggy from the Muppets!

---