Are Big & Rich a Shape of Things to Come?
Posted 2004-07-23 When rock critics around the U.S. rush to endorse a new country act, that’s usually a bad sign for country music. That’s because it usually means that it’s not real country music. In the case of Big & Rich, though, I can see it’s a logical thing. There are some solid reasons why this unconventional debut CD enters the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 this week at No. 6. On the country albums chart, it trails only fellow Muzik Mafia member Gretchen Wilson’s chart-topping debut. What it mainly means is that it’s music that rock and pop critics and audiences can understand because Big & Rich’s work is shot through with passing hip-hop and rock and enough country cred and humor to snag a fairly wide audience. And a Skynyrd beat doesn’t hurt. This flag bearer of “country music without prejudice” — as B&R dub their movement — has sold almost 400,000 CDs in 10 weeks with virtually no radio play. CMT play and a slot on the Tim McGraw tour have spread their message. It’s not the
