Tom's Country View

This week the Big Machine Record Label announced that the planned release date for the Country tribute to Motley Crue is being delayed from July 8th to August 16th. It will feature some of the best known names in Country Music, performing countrified cover versions of Motley Crue hits. So let me try to understand this: todays' hottest country stars are paying their dues to Motley Crue by doing a covers tribute album? What the hell is the connection between these two? According to general knowledge (Wikipedia), Motely Crue is a US glam-metal band , formed in 1981 in L.A. and correctly spelled Mötley Crüe, in reference to their favorite (German) beer "Löwenbräu". Their members have spent time in prison, suffered from alcoholism, drug addiction and had countless escapades with women. All this did not keep them from becoming one of the most successful bands of all time by selling some 75 million records world wide (and 25 million in the US). Currently th...

Founded in 1967 in San Francisco and named after the Muddy Waters song " Rollin' Stone " (others quote " Like A Rolling Stone " by Bob Dylan), Rolling Stone Magazine writes about 'politics and popular culture'. It is issued bi-weekly and available in numerous international editions. As of the 70s, it has become some kind of success measure, to be on the cover of the 'Rolling Stone'. So much, that it even became the topic of the ironic Shel Silverstein / Dr. Hook song by the same name (" Cover of the Rolling Stone "). Although Rolling Stone Magazine paid some due to Country Music (in particular critic and later senior editor, Chet Flippo who provided liner notes to the milestone country albums " Wanted: The Outlaws " and Willie Nelson's " Red Headed Stranger "), its focus clearly was more on pop / rock culture. So it is a little surprising, but proof to the current mainstream success of country music,...