True enough, but Chesney isn't the only country singer to consistently recycle many of the same themes. A lot of singers - including many of the "legends," repeatedly did this. Merle Haggard, George Jones, and others constantly went back to the same themes. And the Johnny Cash series produced by Rick Rubin became as predictable as any Kenny Chesney record, though that certainly didn't stop the critics from praising it. Perhaps consistently recycling the same themes is not such an impediment to great music.
If a singer wants to be a "star," could the singer get away without recycling the same themes? It seems that part of being a star is having a "brand," and part of having a brand almost always seems to be about consistency. Maybe consistency can come in forms other than themes for songs, but I don't know. I suspect record buyers expect a certain kind of music from Hank III, from Kenny Chesney, from Zac Brown, from Jamey Johnson, from Suny Ledford, from whomever. And if so, it seems that these singers will have to deliver somewhat if they are to keep their fans.
Moreover, is the recycling issue even limited to country "stars?" It seems as if novelists, actors/actresses, and other "artistic" individuals ("highbrow" and "lowbrow") who attract a large audience/readership based in large part on their name all frequently recycle similar themes. Philip Roth, Jackson Pollack, Claude Monet, and on and on.
I know some artists do make a habit of exploring different themes, styles, et cetera. But in popular music, it seems that this often tends to happen after their star has faded. In any case, I think Chesney is fitting into a time-honored practice by consistently exploring the same, admittedly cliched, themes.
I agree with you for the most part, (second) anonymous... but I've got to have something to make fun of, you know. If Kenny would just continue to change up the format for a single or two every record (like he did with You and Tequila), his career wouldn't seem so stale.
I'm the second anonymous and I am glad that farcethemusic makes fun of Kenny Chesney (and everyone else, too)! I do think a change of pace would be good for Chesney, and I also enjoyed "You And Tequila." The new song, "Reality," is a bit of a rehash and I find it boring. I hope Chesney sticks around for a few more years, though, so farcethemusic can continue to make fun of him. And I hope Gary LeVox keeps popping up in awkward photographs...
Thank you for always putting into words what I am thinking!
ReplyDeleteHaha, love it.
ReplyDeleteTrue enough, but Chesney isn't the only country singer to consistently recycle many of the same themes. A lot of singers - including many of the "legends," repeatedly did this. Merle Haggard, George Jones, and others constantly went back to the same themes. And the Johnny Cash series produced by Rick Rubin became as predictable as any Kenny Chesney record, though that certainly didn't stop the critics from praising it. Perhaps consistently recycling the same themes is not such an impediment to great music.
ReplyDeleteIf a singer wants to be a "star," could the singer get away without recycling the same themes? It seems that part of being a star is having a "brand," and part of having a brand almost always seems to be about consistency. Maybe consistency can come in forms other than themes for songs, but I don't know. I suspect record buyers expect a certain kind of music from Hank III, from Kenny Chesney, from Zac Brown, from Jamey Johnson, from Suny Ledford, from whomever. And if so, it seems that these singers will have to deliver somewhat if they are to keep their fans.
Moreover, is the recycling issue even limited to country "stars?" It seems as if novelists, actors/actresses, and other "artistic" individuals ("highbrow" and "lowbrow") who attract a large audience/readership based in large part on their name all frequently recycle similar themes. Philip Roth, Jackson Pollack, Claude Monet, and on and on.
I know some artists do make a habit of exploring different themes, styles, et cetera. But in popular music, it seems that this often tends to happen after their star has faded. In any case, I think Chesney is fitting into a time-honored practice by consistently exploring the same, admittedly cliched, themes.
I agree with you for the most part, (second) anonymous... but I've got to have something to make fun of, you know. If Kenny would just continue to change up the format for a single or two every record (like he did with You and Tequila), his career wouldn't seem so stale.
ReplyDeleteI'm the second anonymous and I am glad that farcethemusic makes fun of Kenny Chesney (and everyone else, too)! I do think a change of pace would be good for Chesney, and I also enjoyed "You And Tequila." The new song, "Reality," is a bit of a rehash and I find it boring. I hope Chesney sticks around for a few more years, though, so farcethemusic can continue to make fun of him. And I hope Gary LeVox keeps popping up in awkward photographs...
ReplyDelete