Hag is Back

Merle Haggard is releasing an album on his new label, Hag Records. He says he had to form a new label because, oh my gosh, the music industry won't get behind him. Sigh. The music industry can bite my butt.

I love the quote from his label's president, Tom Thacker, "The major [record labels] are doing an excellent job of killing the country music genre. They discovered sex and formula. Pablum records sell, and as a result, with very few exceptions, they've abandoned the music that spoke to so many people." I had to look up the work Pablum. Evidently it's a tasteless baby-food that requires no chewing. Great word, man!

What's funny about this quote, "they discovered sex and formula," is that country music has always had sex in it. It was just under the covers, around the corner, on the edges, subtle, or sometimes not so subtle. I think what he means by "they discovered sex" is that they have figured out how to pound it out into a Faith Hill/Shania Twain mold, which is just the country version of the whole Brittany/Christina travesty. Oh well, sex sales. Hell, I buy it too. I just try to buy stuff that does not insult my intelligence.

Anyway, looks like I'll be picking this one up when I get my Lyle album tomorrow!