Emily West – “That Kind of Happy”

I liked “Blue Sky” and “Rocks” much better.

but it’s not a country song

I think that’s a tough statement to make stick, unless you’re going with a purely descriptive definition of the term.

Seriously–listen to some pop music.

One user name to an IP address, please.

Just one last warning–if you post under multiple screen names, you will lose your commenting privileges.

Great Song! One you want to listen to over and over! A sure hit!

Great song! There’s no way this song isn’t country; what else would it be? It’s definitely not pop or rock, and it’s way more country than lots of crossover stuff I’ve heard played on country stations. Keep playing this song!

“‘but it’s not a country song’

I think that’s a tough statement to make stick, unless you’re going with a purely descriptive definition of the term.”

What happened to “musical delineation” being the alpha and omega of genre?

This is a nice record (and I have no problem seeing it as a country record) that I hope does well, but it doesn’t justify the rave any more than the so-so Adam Gregory record justified the rant. You don’t leave yourself much headroom, Jim.

This is a really good old fashioned honky-tonk song that been grossly over-produced.

I’m maybe a bit more progressive than the average fan when it comes to country production and experimentation (I really don’t mind pop mixes, for example), but this song is just … it’s like when Shania remixed all those songs on “Up!” and you could tell which ones were originally produced as country from the ones that weren’t: the ones that were remixed just to fit the demands of the gimmick suffered (and don’t get me started on those horrid “blue” so-called “World” mixes). Likewise, I think this song — despite it being a really good old fashioned honky-tonk song — is trying too hard, in spite of itself, to be a radio hit.

“I’m so happy I don’t need that kinda happy anymore” doesn’t quite cut it as a wrapping-it-all-up, chorus-concluding line, either.

“‘but it’s not a country song’

What happened to “musical delineation” being the alpha and omega of genre?

First of all, my fingers got a little ahead of myself. I meant to write “prescriptive” rather than “descriptive.” Sorry for any confusion.

Now, that said–musical delineation is exactly what I’m talking about. Getting from what is generally agreed upon as a pop music to this song is pretty difficult, but we can easily trace its evolution in a country context.

By no means is this traditional, and I would even agree that it’s pretty progressive, especially in terms of production and aim. But at the end of the day, we could still backtrack and figure out how and why it is country.

We can’t do that with pop, and I just think sometimes people are too easy to dismiss music they don’t think is country as “pop,” when the term “pop” has its own boundaries and criteria that must be met.

I’m one who has always said–always–that all music has to evolve. It is an organic entity. What I have a problem with is when I feel like something is misrepresented as country music when it doesn’t spring from a country tradition or evolutionary stem. And when I write about musical delineation, that’s the point I’m trying to make. Remember, Jon, that my original comment (the one that seems to have set you off against me) was coming out in defense of Garth’s classification as a country artist.

but it doesn’t justify the rave any more than the so-so Adam Gregory record justified the rant. You don’t leave yourself much headroom, Jim.

I have to admit, I laughed out loud when I read this. Jon, if you can’t tell the vast difference between the quality of these two songs I think I may have overestimated you. This song is the antithesis of “What It Takes.” It is everything that song is not. If an unknown, unsigned artist brought “What it Takes” to any evaluation session or pitch night in Nashville, the panel wouldn’t make it past the first minute of the song.

“What it Takes” is a terrible song by every measure that songwriters and publishers use to measure songs. You can’t even compare these two songs–the quality of writing is separated by a canyon.

@JOE: This is a really good old fashioned honky-tonk song that been grossly over-produced.

I see your point but I disagree. If you stripped the production back on this, I’m not sure how it holds together. I think it feels sporadic at that point. Here, the production serves as a bridge between a lot of moving parts.

I’m maybe a bit more progressive than the average fan when it comes to country production and experimentation (I really don’t mind pop mixes, for example)

I think the average country fan would have no idea what you’re talking about, so I’m not sure I agree with you on that one!

Likewise, I think this song — despite it being a really good old fashioned honky-tonk song — is trying too hard, in spite of itself, to be a radio hit.

The problem with that sentiment is that radio hits all sound the same, for the most part–there’s a certain formula that makes the pieces of the format stick together and play off each other cohesively. This really explodes that formula. It doesn’t sound like a Carrie Underwood or Kellie Pickler track at all.

Further, when we’re talking about something being overproduced, I think we have to ask a specific question–does it wash out the vocal? I don’t think so on this. Compare this track to LeAnn Rimes’ recent work–two great singers, but you can hardly hear Rimes’ voice because the track is so heavily layered.

“I’m so happy I don’t need that kinda happy anymore” d

I want to add this–Jon, we’ve been trading barbs here lately, and I do feel bad about the often confrontational tone that our conversations take. I would love it if we could engage each other in specifics, but I feel like your comments are generally lacking in that area.

Here, after all, you took a couple of shots at me but never really described what it is, specifically, that you disagree with. You did say that you felt this song didn’t deserve the rave I gave it while “What it Takes” didn’t deserve the rant, but your analysis goes no further than that. So forgive me if it’s frustrating when you imply that my reviews are off base when you seldom, if ever, back up those statements.

I would love it if you would take the time here to compare and contrast the lyrics of “That Kind of Happy” and “What it Takes.” We may not agree, in the end, but I think (at the least) our readers would appreciate getting to see a little more of your expertise.

They’ve got to keep getting Emily’s personality out there… she’s just infectiously funny and entertaining, and I’m sure that will win her more fans and radio play.

The song is not bad and I like her voice a lot, but the production is way too heavy-handed. Too bad the producers didn’t go for a more stripped-down approach.

Love the new song. It’s gonna be a big one!

Jim, do you know what headroom is? Because that was the takeway point from my post. This is a good record; the Adam Gregory record was a so-so record. The latter isn’t the worst the majors have to offer, the former isn’t the best, but you write as if they were, and you don’t leave yourself much rhetorical room for when something better or something worse comes along.

As a side note, let me add that in my opinion evolution is a poor model to apply to music, or to the arts in general. The theory of evolution is built on competition and succession, and those factors aren’t really applicable in these spheres. New and different art gets added to, rather than replaces, the pre-existing stock.

I definitely think the Atkins song was most inferior to the West song, though the theme is the same.

I think this song is fine, but I’m not super into it at this point.

Jim,

Do you want every artist to ‘take risks’ every time with each song they write or sing? Because if so, I don’t think people would like hardly anything since they like what is familiar and/or comfortable to them.

@ Matt B: Do you consider music art, entertainment, or a fusion of both? Because I do think artists take risks and push themselves creatively. Otherwise they are merely reproducing the same portrait over and over. Your concern over what the audience “will like” comes from a consumerist viewpoint that is reflected in your writing.

So addressing the points raised is defensiveness?
I actually think my responses here have been uncharacteristically snark-free.

I’m happy to let you have your opinion and your say-so on it, but you should let everyone else have theirs as well.

This comment makes me think you haven’t actually been following this thread or reading my responses.

Do you consider music art, entertainment, or a fusion of both? Because I do think artists take risks and push themselves creatively. Otherwise they are merely reproducing the same portrait over and over.

I consider it a fusion of both. One of the artists I really liked earlier this decade was Mark McGuinn specifically because he did take a lot of risks. It got him on the radio with something quite unique and he was probably ahead of the curve in that regard (production choices, etc).

Your concern over what the audience “will like” comes from a consumerist viewpoint that is reflected in your writing.

Is there anything wrong in writing from a populist and/or consumerist viewpoint?

WOW! Love Rocks and Blue Sky, and this new song goes right up there! She is amazing in concert and on these songs, I dont understand why she hasnt become popular!!

Good Song, Just different, Always heard different is good.Heard a lot more songs on country radio that sounded more pop than this. I call it new Country.

Having seen Emily perform at a Capitol label showcase here in LA, and possessing an advance copy of her debut album, I agree she is not a country artist in any traditional sense. Emily likes to rock out and sing big voiced ballads and is far more closely related to Sarah Buxton than Tammy Wynette.

That being said I find Emily the individual and her music hard to resist. She has enough talent and panache to get my interest regardless of the style of music she performs. I like this new song to a point, but still don’t think it realizes her full potential as an artist. This gal needs a talented muse to help get her focused. Is Mutt Lange still available? (lol)

This song puts me in a good mood!!!

I don’t need to prove that “What It Takes” is a so-so song. If any proving needed to be done, it would be on your side, proving what you merely assert over and over, that it’s horrible, etc.; all the foofaraw in the world about “reasonable songwriting metrics” (whatever that means) doesn’t go very far in hiding that. And by the same token, finding different ways of saying that this record by Emily West is groundbreaking, risk-taking, etc., etc., etc. isn’t the same as proving it, either, not even when you come up with stuff about “blowing the whole concept of ‘tempo’ out of the water,” which is at best opaque and at worst just plain gibberish.

It’s not my job here to provide analysis, it’s yours, and in my opinion, you haven’t really done it. Instead, you’ve used strong rhetoric with respect to both songs (and judging by the comments in both threads, I’m not the only one who thinks that’s the case in one or the other if not both) that doesn’t analyze, but just hyperventilates. In my opinion, if you want discerning readers, never mind musicians, to pay attention to your criticism over the long run, it ought to be a little more substantive. If you really believe that circumstances just happened to produce both a uniquely horrible song and a uniquely great one within the space of a couple of weeks, you ought to show exactly why they’re so; if not, then you really might want to save a little rhetorical space for the future, lest your body of critical writing seem a little short on perspective. Unwanted advice, I’m sure, but maybe not useless.

I might could be missing something, but while I like this record, and hope it does well, I don’t see what’s especially risky about it, and I think that the belief that artists and/or records have to take risks in order to be great isn’t a good one to apply to country music.

I have more to say on this “evolution” thing, too, but I reckon I’ll save that for another time. I’m sure it’ll come up again ;-).

Well Emily, I can’t speak for anyone else here, but I like you. When I saw you perform at LA’s The Mint club last November you signed my CD with a little drawing of your face, and no one has ever done that before! (lol)

I was hoping Capitol would release “Annie Gonna Get a New Gun” as your follow up single to “Rocks In Your Shoes” as it would fit well on Top 40 country radio IF the stations would play it that is. How can a label like Capitol Nashville release an album like Unknown Hinson’s “The Future Is Unknown” and NOT release your original debut album? Crikey mate…

Just now heard this song live on the Tuesday Opry and, as I suspected, it sounds much better stripped down with just a country band in the background, without all the extraneous bells and whistles on the single version.

I concur that Emily sounded great on tonight’s Opry. She needs to be featured far more often! I would have preferred to hear “Rocks In Your Shoes” rather than “Mississippi’s Crying” but am always glad to hear “Blue Skies” live. The new single did sound better with just the Opry band behind here as Emily’s voice doesn’t need to be buried in the production. I don’t expect radio to embrace the single but I do hope Capitol does release an album from Emily this year even if its “download only”.

Another poor review by Jimmy Malec and 9513! What a crappy blog website!

While I haven’t heard this song, I agree with Jim that “What it Takes” is a terrible song full of cliches. That said, Jim gets defensive and near-confrontational with the readers, which I don’t find very professional. As a newspaper editor, I address readers with concerns to point out their specific concerns, but saying “I actually think my responses here have been uncharacteristically snark-free” does nothing to support your argument, because of course you think that. That was your intent when you wrote it, so obviously you’re going to think you accomplished it.
I’m not saying who I think is right or wrong, but you seem to be alienating people Jim, something I’m sure you aren’t trying to do, and something we both know is not good for business. Well, I know that, and your boss knows that.