My Page: R. Keith Rugg

Rugged Stuff

Yes, I know it’s been a wicked long time since I last posted here on Rugged Stuff.  Even so, it’s been a much longer time since the Dixie Chicks did anything with their musical careers.  But now they’re back, two of ‘em at least, so it seemed like a good time for me to make a comeback, too.

Rugged Stuff

If you’ve got any cashola left for buying presents, now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are past, you might want to consider making a local purchase by way of everybody’s favorite hometown indie honkytonk musician slash internet humorist.

Rugged Stuff

Before they are too far into the past, I had a few comments on this year’s Country Music Association awards, which were presented earlier this month in Nashville.

Entertainer of the Year went to Taylor Swift.  While this young phenom might be just a bit too young and bubbly for my taste, I have to admit that I like her music.  A lot.  If even half of the official press material on her is true, Swift is a talent the likes of which only comes around once in a while, and she has earned her meteoric success.

Rugged Stuff

Garth is back.

Last month, Garth Brooks announced that he was coming out of retirement.  When I initially heard the news, I was pleased.  Garth is the biggest country music act that I haven’t caught in a live performance.  So I figured I was going to get another chance at him.

Rugged Stuff

“Living for the Night.”

I know, it came out onto the airwaves last spring, and George Strait is already on to his next release from his current album, the title track, “Twang.” But every time I hear “Living for the Night” on the radio, I’m struck again by what a great song it is.

In fact, I’ll rank it right up there among the best of Strait, such as the early stuff-- “Amarillo by Morning,” and “Marina Del Rey,”-- and the later, but perhaps not as acclaimed, “I Can Still Make Cheyenne,” “Run,” and “Desperately.”

Rugged Stuff

You all know I’m a big Toby Keith fan- maybe it’s that name that draws my admiration (the Keith, not the Toby…) From his debut work that got dissed at the awards, through his war-mongering-Dixie-Chicks-squabbling period, right up to modern times, I’ve maintained that he’s one of the best acts in contemporary country music.  And the unwashed masses have agreed with me, to the tune of millions and millions of dollars.

That’s why I hope ol’ Toby will take this comment with all due respect- His latest single, “American Ride,” sucks.

Rugged Stuff

While not a country music artist, David Carradine carved out his spot in country-Western arts and culture with his role as Kwai Chang Caine in the 1970s ABC television series “Kung-Fu,” in which the orphaned son of an American man and a Chinese woman, trained in the martial arts of the Shaolin monks, wanders the Old West in search of his half-brother. I can remember watching the show on the T.V. in my parents’ bedroom… because that’s the only place we could get Channel 11 from Missoula. NBC on Channel 9 from Kalispell came in on our living room set. (Other channels? We didn’t get no other stinking channels…) [more]

Rugged Stuff

Speaking of country music songs that pay tribute to alcohol, as I often do, I’d be remiss not to mention Tom T. Hall’s “I Like Beer.”

This entire song is an ode to ale, so I won’t even bother quoting any of the lines. If you’ve heard it, you’ll know what I’m talking about, and if you haven’t, then look it up… it’s worth the effort. [more]

Rugged Stuff

Back in the spring, I posted about the passing of Dan Seals, and it was the beginning of a nice correspondence with Bernie from over at Garrison, Montana, who had some memories of Dan that he shared with me, and I’d like to pass a few of his comments on to you. [more]

Rugged Stuff

I've spent several July 4th evenings over the past few years watching the Lake Tahoe South Shore fireworks, which are synchronized to a musical program broadcast on the community's local radio station. Toby Keith is the main country music contributor to the musical line-up, which is fine with me. But the radio program that I listened to this past Sunday was a great reminder of so many of the other patriotic songs in the Country and Western repertoire. [more]