...speaking as a former Big Time Music Critic, one-time editor of COUNTRY MUSIC MAGAZINE, contributor to the Oxford University Press COUNTRY MUSIC: A CULTURAL AD STYLISTIC HISTORY, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COUNTRY MUSIC and other books on the subject, COUNTRY MUSIC MAGAZINE, ROLLING STONE, ESQUIRE and many other assorted magazines, and the author of THE OUTLAWS: REVOLUTION IN COUNTRY MUSIC, the landmark WHITE BOYS SINGING THE BLUS, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ROCK AND ROLL, WILLIE: A BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIE NELSON, "ghost" author for Hank Williams Jr.'s LIVING PROOF (and the hit television movie from the book) and Travis Tritt's TEN FEET TALL AND BULLETPROOF...okay...have I proved my bonafides in country music?...this guy's about as talented as a colostomy bag.
Every word he writes, every note he sings, every move he makes on stage (like that fist there, finger point there, cutie pie), even the Ray-Bans, black t-shirts and leather jacket he wears, he has stolen from his betters.
Eric Church is emblematic of everything that has gone so desperately wrong with country music. Church is — at best — a second-rate talent , a derivative of derivatives, a "songwriter" who lacks the talent and the touch, not fit to lick dog feces off Willie Nelson's boots and, as a singer, is totally devoid of originality, sincerity, and — let's be honest here— any vocal skill that rises to even the level of Shania Twain, who is pretty much in the basement around here.
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As far as his "principled stance," I have sat in on many, maybe, maybe more than 100, meetings between artists — and I use the term loosely here — and their management and PR people. I can just hear how this meeting went. "Now Eric, we got some good buzz, some good facetime, when you came out against the NRA. Man, Rachel Maddow was right down there on her knees for you! But, you're cooling off, man, like Hillary Clinton on the second bottle of Chardonnay. YOU GOTTA DO SOMETHING, MAN! I mean, smash the state Antifa we're still with her something! Go out there and slam the peckerheads who listen to this whining crap anyway. Maybe do a duet with Lena Dunham.Let's be honest, Eric. There's only so long you can ride an homage song to Bruce Springsteen. I mean, the video with Lena in her underwear is BOOM! gold! C'mon Eric...work with us here...
