9.1.10

Fat Possum Records: the recording of country blues

The creation of Fat Possum Records does not seem to be anything new, but it is important from the perspective of its investigation of the untapped blues blues scene that resides in juke joint shanties of rural areas. One of the interesting elements of the decision to record these artists is the manner in which the artists respond as many of them are resistant to recording or doing something commercial that is separate from entertaining themselves. These blues artists are then something like anti-stars who shy away from fame and only want to make their own music with the addition of using money perhaps for the support of their family and community members. Indeed, many of them live unaltered lifestyles even after spreading their music and having some success in the sales of their music. These issues come with new tendencies like unorthodox ways of payment to the artists who had different priorities than most artists being brought into the public. The question of the record industry taking advantage of the artists, which is still a very relevant issue today brings up many concerns not just in racial differences, but the basic nature of each role. The music industry has developed in a way that takes all the power from the artist and the creative parties to allow those producing and selling albums to easily exploit the artists. It may not be ideal that the relationship between Fat Possum Records and the artists on the label is accompanied by a great deal of doubt and mistrust, but it seems like a step in the right direction when both parties can admit to the existence of this problem and identify the need for caution in such a fragile relationship. I think that this is positive and continued skepticism will only help make both parties more aware of their positions within the music partnership.

For me, some of the greatest results in the case of artists being recorded on Fat Possum Records is the demonstration of musical potential. Some of those artists are now able to reach a wider audience and show that there are still many who are close to the foundations of a purer blues music that is largely untainted by the over-commercialization of popular music. We can observe from these artists how penetrating blues music is as an entity in peoples lives. It can reach so many who were not involved with other sources of music. It can also have a lot more raw energy, talent, and variation than most of the music industry allows to be seen. The fact that these artists have developed their own style of blues so honest and real, not stale or contrived like the mainstream conception of blues music is extremely refreshing. People like Junior Kimbrough, T-Model Ford, RL Burnside, and Johnny Farmer are real people, with real problems, and I think this makes them true musicians. I am relieved to find that these artists can be entirely self-taught, even refusing the "aid" of would-be instructors, and still display so much potential and talent. This really confirms a lot of my own suspicions and theories about music and it encourages me to produce my own musical endeavors whether I am musically trained, have orthodox means, or not. These artists assure me that I could pursue my own artistic goals by my own means and be completely successful without concern for how much of a profit I am making or how well known I am. I find these notions and priorities to be very appealing and I maintain that these instances are evidence that justifies my own frustrations and criticisms of the music industry. I feel like music has always been derivative and always borrows heavily from itself, but that it has gotten unnecessarily worse with time. There is too much that has not been done or explored in music to be rehashing the same cliche themes and overworked genres that popular music perpetuates and exacerbates. Or why not use your inspirations and talents in a constructive way like Burnside or some of these other artists who will play covers of songs that are completely reinvented, reincarnated in a new style. This, along with pursuing your own musical ideas and innovating with original compositions displays skill and talent that is all too absent from today's dominant music trends. I admire these artists who don't succumb to others' conceptions of what blues music is or how it should be, and they live their music to play with honesty and heart that the public does not know. There are too few people in the world who take this sort of genuine and dedicated approach to what they do and they deserve the rewards most since they have shown that they can do without them.
IHRTLUHC
Jordan Severson

1 comment:

  1. Good point about the intuitive approach of these artists. It ought not be overlooked. Their "anti-star" attitude is perhaps exactly what ignited Matthew Johnson's passion.

    ReplyDelete