Nashville Anthems: Dissecting 80s & 90s Country Music
Have you always thought there was something special about 80s and 90s country music that you've never been able to put your finger on? Why does this music stand out? Well, let's don our cowboy hats, adjust our oversized belt buckles, tease that hair, and see if we can get the bottom of it, by picking apart one song at a time.
Nashville Anthems: Dissecting 80s & 90s Country Music
Dissecting "Smoky Mountain Rain" by Ronnie Milsap
We take a ride with a legend in his prime in this episode on Ronnie Milsap's 1980 classic "Smoky Mountain Rain". The connection to Elvis's "Kentucky Rain" is multifaceted and deep, but how does this song use theatrical drama to color its image of a country music cliche? And what happens when you ask Ronnie Milsap to make the thunder roll?
Here a couple of videos that are referenced in the episode:
Smoky Mountain Rain on Austin City Limits: https://youtu.be/p0ZpytVUElU?si=5K88u9cBUqbjPUGl
Source of the Elvis story: https://youtu.be/0I7v2zx6ttM?si=Jyv22w9sJ34dPhwx