"When I was a teenager in the 1970s, my father, uncles, and friends often referred to what we now call ‘Country Music’ as ‘Country and Western.’ I’ve always wondered—what became of the ‘Western’ part of the genre’s name?"
I think the Western part is still alive and kicking when you see the preponderance of cowboy boots and Stetsons on stage but the title has just faded from fashion, country now being shorthand for country and western or C&W. Of course this question leeches into the eternal question of what is americana which I reckon has a great deal of C&W in its heritage, the outlaws, no Depression, Alt Country, Cowpunk. In the end they're all just labels.
@paul-kerr Western is an important part of the whole history of country music. It was Western Swing that brought Western to country in the late 1920s both musically and sartorially. It's blend of New Orleans jazz, blues, country, swing and German polkas developed in the states of Texas and Oklahoma and left a legacy that echoes to this day, not just through Bob Wills but Asleep At The Wheel and Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airman. Commercial cowboy songs go back to the singing cowboys of the 1930s and 1940s who mixed country, pop and sounds of the day with garish and heavily stylised outfits, but the legacy of cowboy songs goes back to the 1800s folk songs filtered through Gene Autry, Marty Robbins and on to artists like Ian Tyson, Michael Martin Murphy, and Corb Lund.
@martinjohnson I agree with all of that but the original question was regarding the label of Country and Western and while the likes of Lund and Asleep At The Wheel are still celebrating the traditional western aspect they seem to be in the minority these days. You might enjoy a listen to Edinburgh's Sam Shackleton whose new album, Scottish Cowboy Ballads explores the migration of songs across the Atlantic. https://sorley.bandcamp.com/track/i-ride-an-auld-paint-3
Did anyone watch the recent Country Music Awards? It was pretty grim stuff. About the only standout artist was Chris Stapleton, who stood head and shoulders above the rest of them. Brandi Carlile was OK (but seems to be morphing into a blonde version of K.D Lang) and the rest of it was generic 'country' pap. I don't get what the fuss is about Luke Combs?! Can anyone enlighten me?
I've often told anyone who would listen (if you've heard this before forgive me AUK pals) but I loathe (not too strong a word) 'country and western'. My dad was a huge fan - his record collection was vast and he used to play it regularly. Friday nights/Saturday nights/Sunday mornings often over a glass or three of whisky and ginger ale (I loathe that too but for different reasons). Don Williams, Marty Robins, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Tom T Hall et al all on his (pretty swish for a solid working class family) Rotel amplifier and turntable with carefully matched Wharfedale speakers. Now in those days it wasn't possible for a son to like his father's music - that would never do. One simply had to rebel. When I became able to fund my own musical habits purchasing glam rock, prog rock and eventually punk offerings the divide was writ ever larger.
Sadly my dad died relatively early many years ago and I was bereft because I loved him dearly. I didn't listen to any music for some months. But eventually the urge for musical satisfaction reappeared and I started exploring new stuff. That's when I discovered 'alt.country' as we used to call it. That twangy steel guitar type stuff really did have a place in my heart. It was my dad's stuff but reimagined, as it were, with as the name suggested an alternative slant. Maybe there was something in that after all. Who knew?
I'd still class myself as someone who dislikes 'country music' to a large extent. What we now term country is often that sort of 'country pop' (or 'country pap' in my house) in which they all seem to sing in the same voice with the same intonation about the same things. Ugh.
But - here's the but - each to their own and fortunately the term 'americana' covers all sorts of bases. Room for all I'd say
@paul-villers Let us not forget, Paul, that the Dead covered Marty Robbins’ “Big Iron” and “El Paso”. Your Dad was on to something.
And then there's stuff like this...
@paul-kerr Hard country and its ability to mix real pathos and unbelievable cringeworthy sentimentality
