1st Gen. Lunch Table - General Discussion

Man, I know you're not serious, but if that's honestly "outlaw country", I'm a penguin with tyrannosaurus arms and a 4-way iron hanging out my ass in a V-shape.

What Toby Keith does isn't music, so it can't be outlaw country. The vast majority of his songs demonstrate him talking, sometimes melodically, over people playing instruments that sound over-produced/no soul, and Toby throwing an occasional run on the last word of the last word for each verse. He used to almost sing, back in the 90s, if you listen to songs like Upstairs Downtown as one potential example, but same deal in those pretty much. Mostly talking, and a little run on the end of a couple lines per verse.

There's plenty of people doing outlaw country out there. Toby ain't one of them. He doesn't deserve the fame based on what he's had produced, he's manufactured talent.

 

Naw. His early albums were good. And his voice had more vibrato than most other "popular" music singers. That guy could sing.

Kane Brown cannot sing. That is an example of a manufactured talent.

 

I don't disagree with you: TK's earlier albums were not bad, and he actually sang most of the time. His hits were more in the vein of "Shoulda been a cowboy", which I've heard on the radio too many damn times to enjoy at this point, but it's pop country, and that's what happens with pop country, and "A little less talk and a lot more action" which was fun rock-country, almost modern honky tonk, super fun. It as on-par with a lot of other pop country artists at the time, he was leading up the pack.

The guy has the ability to sing. But he did this weird curveball where everything he churned out from about the 2000s forward was him pretty much melodically talking out pro-patriotic, pro-gluttony, it's-ok-to-self-deprecate crap like "Courtesy of the red white & blue", "Beer for my horses", "As good as I once was", "I love this bar". He should've stuck to ballads and country rock, like the tracks I referenced above. It's the main reason I call him "manufactured talent". We know he has vocal talent, then he goes and does crap like most of what he's put out since '03ish.

 

I didn't say Toby Keith was outlaw country. Lol

Why do you wish you didn't hate him?

 

Anyone listen to Paul Cauthen? One of the few "country" singers I've been listening to lately.

 

I don't like to "hate" any music. I mean, unless Kenny G is involved or the genre has "smooth" in the title.

Ah, I took it as implied when you quoted me here, to reply what you see.

​

 

From what you know about me, does it fucking seem like I listen to Toby Keith?
FFS man

I love hating music that I hate. Like top 40 pop and techno and most cuntry and modern hip hop.

I'm a rocker.

 

I could see you sneaking away with guilty pleasure to the bathroom an rubbing one out to 'Shoulda been a cowboy".

 

@shifty` just yesterday in public forum here I said "Fuck Nashville, Memphis is where the good music came from."
Like Johnny Cash and Elvis and rockabilly in general. That says it all.

 

Outlaw country is the guilty pleasure. Next to hair metal.

 

I think he writes lyrics well-- even if not everyone appreciates the content. I do; I like catchy tunes with "a little extra meaning" lyrics that obey rhyme and music structure. I think, once that first album hit big, he did right to choose a persona he could live in-- instead of trying to do a safe sophomore album and being pigeonholed as something he's not, another bubblegum singer that has to do what his record label says.

Also, his voice didn't hold up. I perceive, having seen him in concert, that he can hold that vibrato through a song or two, then it falls apart. I think the change in vocals is what he could do to keep doing.

I think he's pretty far to the right in his politics and, for a guy whose writing suggests advanced intellect, he doesn't lean very hard into education. But. He chose to lean into American patriotism (about the same time The Chicks were getting cancelled by the same swath of potential fan base). And was bright enough to see, his fan base wants what he gives. Nothing wrong with commercial success, in exchange for giving people what they want.

And, he's no slouch at writing music either. I've tried playing, 'Shoulda Been a Cowboy' on guitar, and there's a lot going on. Finally, apart from "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue", I love those others you listed.

I also love about Toby, he regularly participates in entertaining U.S. troops. Kind of a back in the day entertainer thing, but a significant morale booster for most. I'd be pleased to see more politicians do this than do. Anyway, I don't find his patriotism for show only. So while I don't always agree with his sentiments, I appreciate where he's coming from.

You might say, I see his perspective, even though some of his songs are silly.

*If anything in this post seems to reference anything else, I'm about to spend an hour sitting waiting for an airplane. I'll work to consolidate my thoughts on related matter, and post up.

 

Still trying to fathom why you came from left field with Toby Keith on your mind of all things??? Couldn't be further from what you quoted me saying

 

Look, I know and one or two of these other heathens are like me, in that you'll see a phrase on here and INSTANTLY think of a song. Often times we can't help but link it. If you see me posting a song in a reply, it's usually directly related to something someone said. Music sits in little pockets in my brain, the same way strawberry seeds nestle in the pockets of colons in people with Diverticulosis.

You wrote:

Which, when read, without hesitation, brought me to Toby Keith...

I ain't as good as I once was,
but I'm as good once as I ever was
​

Now, I've got a a lot of contempt for Mr. Keith for the aforementioned reason. But, then again, probably like you, I pretty much despise most "easy listening" music styles - I think things like Ambient and some more obscure Glitch are cool - and I have an extra special rot-in-hell contempt for pop music and most Top40. Toby Keith was on that verge in the 90s. He was pretty much, like, HEY BOYS HOLD MY BEER once the 2000s rolled around, and went off the deep end, whole-hog, into pop stupidity. For the most part.

So yeah, that's about it.

 

Yeah I do the same thing, except I almost always "stay on-brand." I do have a few songs on playlists that would throw you for a loop though.
But before reading you and Sunny's posts in here today I couldn't name a single Toby Keith song or lyric. So I was thoroughly confused and further confused by you saying you wish you didn't hate the guy. Odd thing to say in so mamy ways.

Anyways I'm now tainted with knoweldge about Toby fucking Keith. Thanks a lot.

 

One minor critique on this.

First, like most pop-country singers, a great deal of his songs aren't self-written; he's hardly written any original music, instead he leans on folks to write or co-write. Unlike many pop-country singers, he opts to co-write, which is financially smart (royalties) and opens him up to awards.

A good example is here, from Shock'n Y'all. Notice the Writers column on the track list. Scotty Emerick had writing duty in the majority of those songs, with Chuck Cannon on a couple. Only two tracks were TK originals, neither of which I personally feel were that great.
Another example from 35 MPH Town. Bobby Pinson co-wrote nearly all songs. No TK originals. Emerick was back to co-write on one.

If you flip through his albums, they mostly all look like that, minus his self-titled debut, we must assume he wrote it entirely (sounds odd though). Scotty is actually an interesting guy, and there's a little blurb on he and TK over here if you wanna read it. Talks a little about their relationship and whatnot.

Don't get me wrong though ... some of my favorite mainstream country artists were wildly successful playing other people's music. Glen Campbell is a great example, he could take just about any damn song and make it a hit. The Jimmy Webb songs he recorded were huge - Wichita Lineman, Galveston, Honey Come Back, and drawing a blank on others but I know there's a couple more.

I have absurd respect for artists Kris Kristofferson - that man could not only write, but also perform, the full package. Wrote many hits for himself and others (Me & Bobby McGee, anyone?). We got to see him at the Ryman sometime around 2010ish. He was in really rough shape though, kept forgetting lyrics but would remember the music, I assumed it was CTE from all the boxing/football/rugby hits, but apparently they found it was from Lyme disease.

Anyway, getting off topic on a tangent.

Voice is a muscle. You gotta exercise it to keep it in shape, maybe it's because he stopped singing like he did on his early albums and singles

Agree. Although those first two sentences make it feel disingenuous for me, with a sprinkling of grift. But I'm being hypercritical, I know.

There's a reason it ended up in the DLC pack for Guitar Hero (2, I think?). I'm curious if he was the 1st country artist to land songs on the Guitar Hero franchise?

I feel like you kinda have to, if you want to claim support for the troops. It's a lucrative badge to wear, and I'm glad people are willing to step out there.

But I'd like to see more people behaving like Gary Sinise, who plays dozens of shows a year and does all kinds of crazy fundraising stuff. But no doubt, TK, Carrie Underwood, and Trace Adkins do a lot.[/quote][/QUOTE]

 

Does anyone know if all DC came with LSD besides the auto LSD models?

 

Not all came with a real LSD

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/whats-in-your-rear-end.42904/

 

This weirdo pulled into my driveway and did an Austin Powers turn just to leave a shitty political flyer on my door.

 

Natural gas grille, good idea?

 

WWDJD?

 

Pros: convenient, never run out of fuel
Cons: Finding a purse to match

 

@Sunnier @shifty`
My favorite comedian of all time, Greg Giraldo (RIP), roasting Toby Keith

https://youtu.be/dKlGoMZQSxc

 

As in, must trade in the man card?

 

Only kidding, do what makes you happy. I prefer wood or charcoal.

 

Nice driveway tho

 

Ok, so vs a tank of propane, only marginally less manly?

bro in law has wood fired pizza oven. I need to go one size up on him there.

 

If I was home and saw them?
Probably walk outside in just my shorts, loaded G43 in my pocket. While saying things like "hail Satan" at them to scare off any possible religious solicitors

 

I been using natural gas for decades. But make sure the grill you buy can put out adequate BTUs. My current gas grill can't grill a steak to save it's life.

 

I'd call them equals on the manliness sliding scale. By memory natural gas has less Btu's per cu/ft than propane by a wide margin. Not sure what effect that has on end use.

Someday I'll build a pizza oven. Id like to put one in a 50's pickup bed turned pizza trailer.