Country Musicians Should Totally Pick Up Where Van Halen Left Off

Jamey Johnson’s “In Color” has stalled at the # 43 position on this week’s R&R country singles chart, just behind Emily West and Crystal Shawanda. All the critical praise in the world and $ 7 will get you a frilly mocha latte at Starbucks, but not much else these days. I’m just glad that all of the positive press and the limited radio airplay should be enough to bring Jamey’s new album to the attention of traditional country fans that still appreciate quality music.

Whitney Duncan proved on the last Nashville Star that she is as pitchy as Taylor Swift, which may actually be a good thing on Top 40 radio these days! If she’s now singing on pitch, then the album liner credits should give a nod to “Pro Tools” software…..

Lee Ann Womack is still one of the finest traditional country female voices in the business. Sadly Top 40 country radio these days seems to consider that attribute about as desirable as a communicable disease….

The biggest problem with Chet’s theory is that the fans really have no say in what gets played or goes to #1 on mainstream radio these days.

You know that feeling you get when you see some cool old footage of Loretta or Merle singing live and you think to yoursef, “Damn that was good. I’m glad I saw that.”

That’s the opposite of the feeling that the the Taylor Swift/Kellie Pickler video gave me.

Hollerin’ Ben said: “You know that feeling you get when you see some cool old footage of Loretta or Merle singing live and you think to yoursef, “Damn that was good. I’m glad I saw that.”

Ben, my personal benchmark for judging new songs — like the Jessica Simpson single, for example - is to ask myself, “Would Loretta have recorded that song? Would Tammy have recorded that song?” I think you know what the answer was in this particular case.

I think all the implied sex in that video for “Learning How to Bend” gives an unintentionally hilarious new meaning to the song’s title.

Sounds like Sugarland has either jumped the shark is about to do so in the very near future. Probably about a year from now we’ll be reading that they are breaking up because Jennifer Nettles wants to pursue a solo career.

“There’s no reason that a lot of touring country musicians can’t pick up where Van Halen left off. It’s just that they don’t want to.”

Might there be, now I’m going out on a limb on this one, a reason they don’t want to?

For example, maybe they don’t want to because that level of mindless spectacle detracts from the music, is ridiculous, and is antithetical to the sort of experience good country music produces.

Ya’know, for all of Nashville’s harping that country is about “everyday life” and that’s why all of their songs can be boring and mindless, they sure don’t take that approach to their live music. It’s always like, “hey man, let’s get a big video screen, and some props, and some other totally awesome stuff! Hey, can we shoot me out of the floor when I first come on stage? I went to some big pop rock concerts 20 years ago, before I was totally old, and I had a ton of fun! Yeah, and when we have that song about how there may be things that make us sad, but that life is still totally good anyways, because it’s the small things that matter, we can bring dancers onstage, I’ll get into a giant plastic ball and roll onto the crowd, and we’ll totally rock out! Sound good?”

damn their eyes.

There is also another really beautiful song that Rodney might put on his new cd (he was singing it in concert with Sex and Gasoline when I heard him) that is basically a bedtime story for his granddaughter (from the daughter who’s not Rosanne’s daughter) telling her about her grandmother.

I remember an interview with Sugarland in advance of their second album, and they kinda said the same things — it’s a new direction, taking risks, etc. etc. Then it didn’t seem any different to me, except they had less harmony without Kristen Hall. I was also worried because I had this idea that Hall was the songwriting brains behind the operation, but that’s obviously not the case.

Anyway, I’m not crazy about “All I Wanna Do,” either, but I thought it sounded like a Sugarland song. A weak, lyrically lazy Sugarland song, as Matt C. rightfully pointed out.

Razor said: Ben, my personal benchmark for judging new songs — like the Jessica Simpson single, for example - is to ask myself, “Would Loretta have recorded that song? Would Tammy have recorded that song?”

That’s a might bit limiting, don’t you think? Music evolves. Let it. (Hell, every single thing evolves or dies.) Two female artists decide what is and what is not good music?

And Brady, lately you seem to be too hung up on what it means when artists formally known as country singers try different forms of music. You run this country-centric blog very well and you write about country music. Should I wag my finger if you ever write about anything EXCEPT country music? Of course not. Let artists be artists and judge their work as it stands against your tastes and knowledge. If you like a song, you like it. If you dislike the music, that’s fine too but why would you wonder about Sugarland’s music before you even hear it?

Artists push us in directions different than before. You can choose to go that direction or not but at least give the artists you enjoy a chance. Don’t make them stay in a box.

Funk, there’s evolution and there’s devolution. We’re seeing way too much of the latter these days. It’s OK for country music to evolve, but the elements that make it special - its heart and soul - must be preserved. We’re perilously close to losing them.

watch out! It’s code language for “we want to be bigger than country music” and means they’re trying to cross over.

Or it could mean they like many different types of music. Is that a problem?

“Or it could mean they like many different types of music. Is that a problem?”

Nope. But once they actually become a pop rock artist/band, can they stop advertising themselves as country? I don’t think change is bad, just stop calling it country, wearing a cowboy hat and proclaiming how much you love to be a part of this genre. That’s what drives me crazy. If someone wants to record a pop, rock, reggae, blues, rap album, go for it. Just don’t call it country.

Here’s another new Sugarland song performed in concert for comparison:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BpFdRLl2CaM

Regarding LeAnn…I went to see Kenny Chesney last night, mainly because I wanted to see LeAnn in concert. However, she was sick and some lame MySpace guy opened instead. Kenny tried to make up for it by singing some old songs but he couldn’t remember the words. We left early; it was pretty bad. I’m questioning the Entertainer of the Year title. Maybe spokesman of the year. The concert was one big Corona commercial!!

Baron: Here is some good instrument shredding for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OSE0xfD7oA

Ben: Smooth your wrinkled brow with:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXf-SuBbJa0

Funk said, “It’s music! There are all kinds of music. As any of us grow into our professions, I suspect we all keep learning and branching out. Why is it hard to accept in artists?”

Because country fans are tired of artists that they’ve supported and helped propel to stardom abandon them for greener (as in $$$) pastures in the pop world. And then to add insult to injury, these artists usually deny that they’re trying to cross over, which is an affront to the intelligence of country music fans.

I’m not saying that artists should never experiment or try something new. But be honest about what you’re doing, and “come home” every now and then and throw your old fans a bone by recording a real country song every now and then. Country music shouldn’t be used as a stepping stone for bigger and better things, any more than it should be the genre of last resort for those who didn’t make it in the pop world (this means you, Jessica).

I had been told my a friend about Sugarland’s hamster ball stunt a week ago or so. I thought that was a great idea. I was told the fans at the show really ate it up. That kinda fan interaction is what really separates singing stars from superstars of the stratosphere.

Would Garth Brooks have sold 120 million plus units had he not signed autographs for 23 hours at Fan Fair or leaped out into the crowd at his shows? Probably not. While Garth made some killer music, it was his devotion and interaction with the fans that made him the biggest selling artist of all time. Well, a degree in marketing didn’t hurt either.

So I say kudos to Sugarland for following in the footsteps of artists like Brooks & Dunn, Garth, Reba, and anybody else who wasn’t restricted by the format from having a big rock-styled production show.

I didn’t like the first album from Sugarland as I couldn’t stand Jennifer Nettles’ voice. Yes, she can sing, but on that album I couldn’t understand anything she was saying.

Songs like “Want To” and “Stay” converted me to their camp as she sounded really good on those songs. But “All I Want to Do” and the song linked above are making me think I’m not going to like the new album, as her singing is almost incomprehensible.

>>I’d much rather hear Simpson’s “Come On Over” than Kellie Pickler’s new ode to self-esteem.<<

Has it really come down to this? That we have to choose between the lesser of two evils — or is is the evil of two lessers? This is exactly why I turned off my radio a couple of months ago. I only listen to my own CDs, or the Classic Country and Americana channels on digital cable. I’ve had enough of the “Today’s Country” garbage.

I haven’t totally given up on Top 40 country radio, as I listen to it when I first get into my car for just long enough to select a CD to play instead…

Jessica’s single is the perfect country-pop fodder for the demographic flock of sheeple mainstream country has attracted to itself. If “Today’s/Modern Country” hasn’t yet completely fallen into the abyss of total mediocrity, its getting closer. Jessica’s catchy and commercial single has given it a little nudge towards the cliff. I don’t call it “Airhead Country” for nothing!

PS - Last night on the Opry Joe Nichols, Emily West, Kieran Kane, and Gene Watson reminded me why I love country music so much! (Thank goodness!) And Daily & Vincent tore it up on the Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree. Thank goodness for WSM online (now if only they had a higher bitrate feed for better sound quality). Note: Elizabeth Cook will be on both Tuesday Night Opry’s this coming week, but I don’t know if WSM will broadcast both online. Hmmmm…..