Hey guys,

Man,this thread winds around doesn't it. One thing I observe on this and other topics. It is when someone talks about how there is a type of music that "Doesn't exist any more" and then half the people will chime back in and go "Yeah, it sucks that every thing is like that and that kind of music is just gone and people don't know what they are missing but I went on this web site or got this such and such album, and..." Which means that it is still out there. It might not be in the mainstream but it is out there.
Mike,you mentioned Taylor Swift and how it might not be your cup of tea and that is fine. But what happens when an artist like that gets cooking, it brings money into the entire genre. We probably have more new artists coming out of Nashville right now than any other format. And that format has expanded for market share when most other forms, even Hip hop and rap have contracted in sales figures.
Of course, again, the money thing is only one arbiter of music. It's too bad their aren't more instrumentals out there but my comments come more from the consumer and the reason a lot of them don't go for instrumentals as much as other music. And sometimes things come out which is an amalgamation of multiple styles and influences. Didn't Carlos Santana have a pretty big hit a few years back with Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20. While it wasn't a total instrumental, Carlos' guitar was VERY prominate.

As far as Nashville and country I want to be clear that I don't consider it the only format. I only talk about it because that is what I live. And I didn't start out in that. I started out in rock music of the 70's and 80's. I was in a band called 24 KARAT, that was in the whole Journey, Loverboy, REO Speedwagon, era of power pop. But the styles of music changed on me. The 90's brought the desperate angst filled Seattle grunge influences. Everything musically turned atonal and every garage band in the world suddenly were stars wearing flannel. The messages in that music was so dark and negative, I couldn't take it.
That is why I went to Nashville. Groups like Alabama and Exile and singers like George Jones, Lee Greenwood, Reba, and others were on the charts with stuff I loved. That led to some more rock and soul influenced people like Travis Tritt, Garth Brooks, and where we are today.
I think the point that I am making is that all music adapts, sometimes where we don't want it to go, and sometimes elements of what we once new. But I would bet that a lot of this music is out there. We just have to find it.

MAB