What about Dale Watson?

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 4 Aug 2008 6:16 am

OK, why is Dale Watson "Country?"

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 4 Aug 2008 8:44 am

Because he doesn't fuzz-up his Tele lead guitar, promently features pedal steel guitar intros, turnarounds and fills, and he doesn't need 2 or 3 harmony singers supporting every note.

Or maybe it was by choice.

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 4 Aug 2008 10:48 am

Because he is no high-quality plastic

JJ

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 4 Aug 2008 11:23 am

Ron Page wrote:Because he doesn't fuzz-up his Tele lead guitar, promently features pedal steel guitar intros, turnarounds and fills, and he doesn't need 2 or 3 harmony singers supporting every note.

Or maybe it was by choice.

That's funny, because about 11 or 12 years ago I did a week long gig, at a Casino opening, and Dale didn't have a Steel player, and most of his solos had distortion on them. Was he not "Country" that week?
It doesn't matter what instruments or arrangements he uses, or how he uses them, he will always be country.

Scott Shipley · Post by **Scott Shipley** » 4 Aug 2008 11:27 am

Ron Page wrote:Because he doesn't fuzz-up his Tele lead guitar.....

If only someone had warned Grady Martin!

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 4 Aug 2008 11:41 am

Ron ! · Post by **Ron !** » 4 Aug 2008 11:50 am

I have seen Dale several times.With and without Ricky Davis....and every time Dale only used a Phaser(shifter).And this was about the same era that you are talking about Alvin.You sure you don't have those two mixed-up by mistake?
Ricky played a black Emmons back then.

Ron

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 4 Aug 2008 11:59 am

I played a couple of times with Dale. As long as the steel is clean, all is allowed

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 4 Aug 2008 12:29 pm

I'm sure by now every one knows I'm Dales biggest fan,[just my opinion only]He's the best out there today as far as a REAL honky tonk-country singer goes,When he and Ricky are together,can't get any better,He can take a four piece band and play more real country than anyone else out there.Steel players should rally around him,You could listen to all the CD's on the top twenty whatever they are,you will hear more GREAT steel playing on just ONE of his CD's than the rest combined.DYKBC.

Dave Biller · Post by **Dave Biller** » 4 Aug 2008 1:14 pm

now hold on a second! i was on that casino gig (it was in '95 in vegas if we're talking about the same one) if you heard distortion i guarantee it wasn't coming out of OUR amps. HOWEVER, i agree with ya Alvin. i've heard a lot of cool country guitar solos that had distortion.
'who's gonna mow your grass", "don't worry","runnin kind" etc......

to answer the question "why is Dale Watson country?" i don't why, but he IS.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 4 Aug 2008 1:15 pm

Dale Watson is country because there is a clear musicological thread running between him and past greats of country music. The name "country" itself is quite arbitrary, and exists simply because people decided over a period of around 100 years that it does.

But I think there is also a clear thread between Garth Brooks and past greats of country music. He is a different branch, but country music nonetheless. Some people like him, others don't, but it's pretty obvious to me that he sings country music.

There are some modern so-called country singers where the I can barely see the thread, if it's there at all. But others see it clearly. Perhaps their "country music" center is in Hank Jr., Alabama, and a bunch of other people who are more fuzzy on my chart.

Ultimately, I think we argue way too much about this kind of stuff. I should probably just shut up, but sometimes things seem to veer off into neverland.

Of course, these are my opinions, YMMV, and all that.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 4 Aug 2008 6:02 pm

Dave,if we ALL agreed on EVERYTHING,seems that would be sort of bland.Like this post about Dale,I think he's the best thing that's come down the pike since the chromatic tuner,Some don't like him at all,They have a right to NOT like him,I have the right to Love him,makesfor good debate.DYKBC.

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 4 Aug 2008 7:41 pm

"Fuzzed up" Tele? How about Merle's own solos on "I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink"?

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 4 Aug 2008 7:47 pm

Ron Page wrote:Because he doesn't fuzz-up his Tele lead guitar, promently features pedal steel guitar intros, turnarounds and fills, and he doesn't need 2 or 3 harmony singers supporting every note.

Or maybe it was by choice.

So Toby Keith, contrary to what many folks have written here, is NOT country? Or is a fuzzed-up Les Paul different than a fuzzed-up Telecaster?

You doin' OK, Ron?

Scott Shipley · Post by **Scott Shipley** » 4 Aug 2008 7:56 pm

Well thank God nobody has ever de-countrified pedal steel guitar by using effects like fuzztone!

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 4 Aug 2008 8:55 pm

Dale can play some good footstompin' rock 'n' roll too.

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 4 Aug 2008 8:57 pm

Scott Shipley wrote:Well thank God nobody has ever de-countrified pedal steel guitar by using effects like fuzztone!

I've never used 'fuzz' when I played steel. I like to overdrive the amp instead.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 4 Aug 2008 9:07 pm

Dale sings the truth, and does it unself-consciously. He is driven by his own vision of what country music embodies, which is as authentically country as you can get - in my opinion. He's a reflection of his heroes: Jones, Haggard, Price, etc. It's obvious he's running his own show artistically, and is not afraid to say it as it is. That's why he's a hero to country fans who feel stiffed by Nashville. Fans of classic country seem to like the truth in song, and Dale delivers that in his songs. It used to be a prerequisite to speak your mind in country music; now it's a death sentence.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 5 Aug 2008 3:48 am

Toby does the samething.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 5 Aug 2008 5:35 am

I know that Toby does the same thing as Dale, but Toby does it in stadiums for 10's of thousands of people, and Dale does it in smoky ol' honkytonks for... if it's a good gig... hundreds of people.

I've never seen a life-size, stand-up cardboard cut-out of Dale Watson.

Toby has... how many buses? Dale has a Suburban.

Toby has an entourage. Dale has a band.

And if that ain't country, you can... well, you know.

Thank God there's Dale Watsons out there. There's not many, but there's some.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 5 Aug 2008 6:28 am

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 5 Aug 2008 6:33 am

I'm sure Dale wishes he was as Big and well known as Toby.

Afterall, that's what anybody wants!

I commend Dale for following his dream! Great luck!

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 5 Aug 2008 7:30 am

Dale does not wish he was as big as Toby. He prefers the setting people see him in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZjOJPmMhrM

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 5 Aug 2008 8:36 am

Yeah, I know Merle and the band use distortion. But they don't use it on anything that I would hold out as one of their most country sounding songs.

I just never have liked distortion and I don't think it's ever been a key element in country music. Electronic noise.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 5 Aug 2008 8:44 am

Yes,
Everyone likes, what they like!

Everyone buys, what they like!

God Bless the U.S.A.

Toby started out the same way Dale did. I'm sure he still loves doing those bars from time to time. "I Love This Bar" by Toby is as country as it gets!

#1hit