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Rednecks and Bluenecks: The Politics of Country Music
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Average Rating:  out of 12 Reviews
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Price: $25.95
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Sale: $12.09
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Manufacturer: New Press
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Number of Items: 1
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Binding: Hardcover
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Author: Chris Willman
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Publisher: New Press
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Dewey Decimal Number: 781.642073
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Publication Date: 2005-11-17
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Reading Level: 256
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Description: An up-close-and-personal take on country music's vast political discord.
"Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."—Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, March 2003
"You'll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A.
'Cuz we'll put a boot in your ass
It's the American way."—from "Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American)" by Toby Keith
On the eve of America's invasion of Iraq, the Dixie Chicks went from being the leading lights of country music to heartland pariahs, thanks to one Bush-bashing aside on a London stage. A year later, the list of entertainers stumping for Dubya consisted almost exclusively of country stars such as Brooks & Dunn, Lee Ann Womack, and Travis Tritt. How did the erstwhile music of the rural working class come to be the music of choice of the GOP?
In Rednecks and Bluenecks, Entertainment Weekly senior writer Chris Willman looks at the way country's increasing popularity and conservative drift parallel the transformation of the Democratic South into the heart of the Republican mainstream. Meanwhile, for all those Steve Earle souls trapped in Toby Keith counties, alt-country has emerged as a refuge for the loyal opposition. Written with intelligence and wit, Rednecks and Bluenecks makes clear that country and its offshoots represent a strain of American culture where a passionate political debate is taking place.
Original interviews with artists including: The Dixie Chicks, Toby Keith, Steve Earle, Brooks & Dunn, Willie Nelson, Roseanne Cash, Travis Tritt, Rodney Crowell, Kris Kristofferson, Gretchen Wilson, Lee Ann Womack, Ricky Skaggs, Linda Ronstadt, Nanci Griffith, Alan Jackson, Sara Evans, Tim McGraw, Buddy Miller, Drive By Truckers.
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Customer Reviews
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Review Summary: a provocative read, even for those not well-versed in current country chart-toppers. |
Date: 2007-03-26 |
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Details: If you're like I am, relishing the growth and triumph of the Dixie Chicks during their saga, that's one good reason to read this. And anyone surfing the 2008 electoral landscape would do well to keep an eye on the soundtrack of the heartland and beyond, not to be someone they're not, (it's been done) but to connect and bridge the emotional gulfs we find ourselves in these days. |
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Review Summary: Pickin' and Singin' and Votin' |
Date: 2006-10-12 |
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Details: I'm not a consistent country music fan -- I mostly tune in on car trips, where the 3-minute storytelling offers great help in staying awake, mile after weary mile. So there were three things that impressed me about this book.
1-It made a subject I was only tangentially interested in really interesting, mostly through the presentation of characters and personalities...
2-...because the author has such a good eye for character, paired with a good ear for language. He spots the telling detail that will summarize a person or situation neatly, and expresses it in a crisp, memorable way.
3-Yet it's also a heroic work of balance. In the volatile red vs blue, conservative vs liberal battlefield, Willman is consistently honest and yet never betrays bias -- bracingly fair.
You get a good example of all three elements right at the start, as he describes the reaction to the Dixie Chicks' controversial "anti-Bush" statement, among citizens gathered outside a performance in Greenville, SC. Just when it's tempting to stereotype a character, Willman shows how shallow and unhelpful such stereotyping is.
Buy this book because you're interested in country music or politics or some combination thereof -- but read and enjoy it for the high quality of the reporting and writing. |
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Review Summary: Superficial |
Date: 2006-10-11 |
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Details: Maybe I expected too much. When I first saw the title I jumped to conclusion that the book would be about the "politics" of the country music business, how deals really get made, etc. However, focus on the main title and think red states and blue states. It could still have been an interesting book, taking an in depth look at the relationship between the country music business and the political business. Rather, for the most part author Chris Willman, who writes for an entertainment magazine, treats us to his encyclopedic knowledge of song lyrics which directly or indirectly reflect political themes. For the country music enthusiast alone, the fan magazine flavor might have a lot of appeal. But if you've also got a serious interest in politics, forget it. |
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Review Summary: Shallow Look At The Politics Of Various Country Music Stars |
Date: 2006-07-23 |
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Details: I love music - from punk rock to bluegrass- and I am also interested in politics. So I had high expectations for this book. But, unfortunately, it turned out to be a huge disappointment. I am from the South and recognize that the political attitudes of "regular folks" in America are much more complex than the simplistic "red state" and "blue state" generalizations that the media likes to talk about. A serious study of politics and country music could explore religion, moral beliefs and economics. For example, how the entrance of fundamentalist Christianity into right wing politics has caused many low income, religious people to begin vote Republican based on "family values" issues rather than, in their own financial self-interest, as Democrats.
But instead this book turns out to a highly superficial recounting of the interviews that Willman conducted with a variety of country stars on both the right and left of the political spectrum. I am a liberal Democrat myself. But the truth is that most of the musicians, both liberal and conservative, end up looking rather silly and uninformed about the social issues that they claim to be so passionate about. Of course, it should be remembered that this bad impression may be based on the quotes Willman chose to use and perhaps the musicians would come off better if they were writing their own books. But, then again, most people already know that it is better to educate yourself on the issues rather than depend on celebrities to shape your politics. The shallow nature of the book was further highlighted by Willman's very breezy and "trying too hard to be funny" writing style. He offers hardly any of his own thoughts throughout the book and his only conclusion is that different country music stars have different political beliefs - just like the rest of us. Basically, he comes across as a mediocre celebrity magazine scribe rather than a serious writer of non-fiction.
I will give this book an extra star for it's somewhat interesting chapter on the the history of political songs in country music. But, overall, I found it be a superficial, celebrity obsessed bore that offers hardly any original insights into how country music reflects the politics of "regular folks" in America. Not worth the time! |
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Review Summary: We'll Put a Boot ... err ... never mind ... |
Date: 2006-03-12 |
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Details: I have been highly interested in the "politics of country music" ever since 9/11. When the patriotic songs started coming out (Aaron Tippin, Alan Jackson), it was pretty apolitical and pro-America. Then, the following year we had Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" and then when the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines said it was "ignorant," all bets were off. Things really picked up in spring '03 with the Dixie Chicks controversy went global following Maines' anti-Bush comments. At the same time you had Darryl Worley asking "Have You Forgotten?" and Clint Black's clunker "Iraq and Roll." For a while, there, it was quite a big deal and all eyes were on country music - a good thing, in my estimation.
Author Chris Willman captures this time exceedingly well in this excellent new book. He gets the conservatives and the liberals and everyone in between. You really get some great insight into Toby Keith. The reader realizes he's not some jingoistic warhawk. He's a patriotic Democrat, something the talk show types conveniently forget. We get the lowdown on the Dixie Chicks episode, something I was particularly interested in, being a big fan of the group and Natalie Maines in particular.
I can't say enough good things about Willman's book. Run out and get it. |
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