Phil Vassar – “This is My Life”

That’s your review? That Phil Vassar is not country?

In the first place, who cares besides you? I mean really, what difference does it make? Secondly, if you want to continue on with this crusade about country purity, your readers would be best served if you took the time to write down what defines country for you. That’s something we can talk about. But as long as you continue to point out who is NOT country in your opinion, it’s a waste of time to read it because it’s the ideas that count, not your opinion.

Sorry if this seems harsh but why do you think it matters who you think is country? Time is better spent telling us what you think IS country, not who. Then we might all learn something.

Funk, I’m reviewing a single sent to country radio for a country music website. Thus, that the song is not country is a very valid criticism. Furthermore, read the second half of the review: I didn’t like the song because I found it meaningless and even less country than most of the stuff that Vassar has released.

Formulating exhaustive criteria of what defines a country song would be a very difficult undertaking with a controversial result that would be just as opinionated as this review. Again, given the nature of this site and my writing for it, I don’t think that I am obligated to justify why most of the material that I review is country, just as it is not unreasonable for me to suggest that some material belongs in the genre in name only. You seem to want me to spend time proving that country songs are country rather than occasionally arguing that something playing on country radio is not.

I would agree with Funk – the whole “country or not country debate” has grown old and irrelevant. The “country radio” genre has become so super-defined that its a parody of itself. Myspace doesn’t even list country as a genre on its music portal!

We’ve reached a point where country is no longer an umbrella genre and instead is only what you see on the Top40, and in the process alienating several fans and artists. Furthermore, any survey of Generation Y points to a lack of interest in genre-wars, which will only increase over time as those consumers displace boomers and GenXers.

You’d be best served keeping away from these definitions.

I’ve slowly learned to separate “country” from “Country.” Small-c country is a style, big-C Country is a radio format. They’re not the same thing, and you’ll drive yourself crazy trying to make Country into country. Phil Vassar isn’t really country, but he is Country, and that’s why he’s played on Country radio.

I agree, not his best work. But…hands down, he’s got the best voice in “C or c …ountry” music.

Give us more stuff like “Carlene”.

The thing i am not getting is why does it matter if a song is or isn’t what one person (or more) considers to be “country”. What matters is the fact that this song (unlike some of the other country songs out there) has a lot of meaning…how can you say you think the song has no meaning?? Listen again, he is talking about life as we know it right now according to him. What makes Phil an amazing artist is that he writes, plays and sings his music. Try to listen in a way that others do and rewrite your comments when you have really listened.

Oh my, first of all Phil Vassar is an amazing artist, the way he plays the piano, the way he sings, his show is excellent, keeps you moving constantly and his energy is something like Garth Brooks. The man can do it all, his band is awesome, if you’ve ever been to a show you would know that. As far as being country, most of the “country” singers nowadays, isn’t country they are “pop-country”, you can forget about sounds like Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash and the best of the rest, but that is what todays market is looking for. There are only a select few out there today that still sing “country” and they are people like, George Strait, Alan Jackson and all the other oldies that are still producing albums, so like it or not this is todays country, and personally I like it. I like Phil Vassar and all the rest. I just attended his show in New Berlin Illinois the other night, not knowing what to expect and he blew me away, Joe Diffie on the other hand had alot to be desired, he has lost his voice and couldn’t carry a tune. Phil Vassar was awesome….And so was his band that was playing things from AC/DC to I like big butts lol, and Phils Encore of Piano Man, it was wonderful. His new single is awesome too, it really hits home…..

Phil Vassar is an amazing singer. And he is an incredable preformer, his energy is unbelieveable.
He has many songs that were #1 on the chart.
Personally I think that “This Is My Life” is one of his best songs.

Vassar , THIS IS MY LIFE. GREAT SONG. KEEP PUMPING out THE GREAT MUSIC. See this guy’s show . Great act.

As opposed to what other kind of ears, Curtis?

I think that this is an excellent song by Phil!! He says exactly what everyone is thinking!! There are not many songs out there that talk about liphe…Phil takes pride in what he does, and I that’s what counts. Country radio likes the song…and you can’t really say it’s not country..what is country these days anyway?! Times are changin!! I LOVE the song!!! It’s a theme phor many people out there!!

While the above noted critic may find comfort in his thesarus and comfortable lifestyle. The oh so obvious “country” appeal of this song. While it may not be completely traditional country music in a well educated and college degree sence. It is country music in the finest of Country Music Tradition and adhears to the traditional sense of country music. I mean traditionally country music is about being of the heart and not the book learned definitions anyway. While it might have a sound that doesn’t fit in your narrow view point. Remember the King of Rock n Roll started out singing something that was not rock and roll. ;-)

Also of note as of this week this song which was of the critics opinion and I quote :

“This song is too vacuous to succeed even in the current radio climate.”

Even so it is STILL on the top 40 and going strong. Now I may be uneducated but I am pretty sure that that means that it is being played (or overplayed if you will) on the radio. Ahh there is goes again on the local station, again.

Maybe there was something “vacuous” mentioned on this page. Personally I think that the only this would meet the definition of that word is a certain critics opinion. (IMHRO)

(In My Humble Rednecked Opinion)

great review – short and to the point.
only thing that’s perhaps missing is the question: what makes you think we’d care about your life, phil?

This is actually one of my favorite songs, country, non-country, or otherwise.

Good God…how long are we gonna sit and discuss if Phil is a good singer or not or if you like him or not. who really cares who or what you like for real. Phil is a country singer…defined not by you critics but by those who define country music. He has had entertainer of the year awards as well as a lot of number one songs…so your idea that he isn’t country is stupid and really meaningless..again…i willl say he is an amazing ARTIST who writes,sings and performs his own music. Yea I get defensive when i see crap like he sucks…do you know him? no you do not…so you can say his song sucks in your opinion but you can’t judge him. Further…i do know him and he is like a brother to me and it pisses me off that you would spend your time bashing Phil and his songs…put it simple…don’t listen if you don’nt like it and keep your opinion to yourself. Those of you who say you like his music Thanks…I think he is amazing too

Phil is a country singer…defined not by you critics but by those who define country music.

And who might that be??