Bring Me Some Water

There are many different genres of music that were popular throughout the 80s.  I mostly listened to rock, R & B, pop, and some rap, and I always felt that country music was not my thing.  I didn't spend much time listening to it, but as I got older, country stations would pop up as I scanned the radio in my car (believe it or not, I still don't have a CD player in my current vehicle).  I'd stop on the occasional country song, mesmerized by the very "human" lyrics.  There was something very sincere and direct in the lyrics, and the instrumental factor was purely instrumental -- no overdose of synthesizers.  There were real musicians playing real stringed instruments, keyboards, and drums.

I'm often blown away by the ease in which country singers perform -- and they seem to really enjoy what they are doing.  That is what it is all about.  Making music should be about enjoying what you are doing and expressing yourself.  Too often, we get caught up in fear as musicians about "messing up."  When I see a great performance with musicians having fun, I really enjoy it, regardless of the genre.  The show "Crossroads" on CMT is an amazing program that "crosses" singers of various genres and has them perform each other's songs.  My all time favorite episode is the one with Dolly Parton and Melissa Etheridge.   When Dolly sings "Bring Me Some Water," the intensity and depth of her performance is made even better by the support of Melissa and the instrumentalists.  Everyone blends so well and gives it their all.  Awesome performance.