Recently there was a comment thread on this blog about the merits of country music. The question came up of whether the “country’ is in the song or the treatment of the song.

In other words, can you take a pop or rock song and turn it into a country song just by using different instruments? Or is there some fundamental quality in the construction of a country song that transcends its musical treatment?

I lean toward the former explanation. I think country music as it is commonly understood has everything to do with instruments, production and vocals. Add a slide guitar and a southern twang to just about anything and you have a country song.

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