Reba McEntire featuring Kelly Clarkson, “Because of You”
“Because of You” is one of my favorite pop songs of the past few years, a dark and powerful ballad of family dysfunction. I was nervous when I heard about this becoming a duet, but it had the potential to be reworked into an interesting mother/daughter confrontation. McEntire is one of the strongest vocalists in the history of recorded music, and God knows she could pull this off on her own and make it a country classic. Unfortunately, she chose to make this a duet without changing the viewpoints of the song. McEntire sings the first verse, and then Clarkson takes the second. The end result is the song doesn’t make any sense, and is just confusing to listen to.
Stick with the original, and pray that this is the worst thing that McEntire’s promising duets project has to offer.
Daryle Singletary never managed to become a megastar, mostly because he has too much soul and integrity for today’s Nashville. Simply put, Daryl is “too country”.
This album picks up where Daryl’s 2002 album That’s Why I Sing This Way left off, with one original song, the humorous“I Still Sing This Way”; one cover of a recent song, the Larry Cordle-penned Rebecca Lynn Howard cut “Jesus and Bartenders”; and ten classic country covers sung with feeling.
Now that it’s been released officially as a single, let me add a few words and a grade. The song says it all for me, but what a beautiful tribute to those who serve, and to those who serve a higher power in the process. It joins the ranks of Dixie Chicks’ “Travelin’ Soldier” and Dolly Parton’s “Welcome Home” in my very own pantheon of favorite soldier songs. He’s done a great honor giving voice to our men and women in uniform, and the families that love them. As the comments prove, the comfort that this song provides is immeasurable. It’s a masterpiece from the genre’s most consistent and consistently surprising superstar.
Hill taps into her skills as a pop singer once again, wrapping her smoky vocals around a sultry declaration of passion. The conceit of the lyric is novel, and she conveys the intensity of a person who hasn’t been very lucky in love but has now found it, and is willing to lose control in exchange for the feelings she’s discovered. It won’t her win any converts among traditional country fans, but I’m thankful we still have women like Hill who are versatile enough to sing whatever style they’re in the mood for, which is itself a country music tradition.
Dierks Bentley, “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)”
Bentley continues with his string of compelling road songs. While previous single “Long Trip Alone” was laced with melancholy, even as it asked for a hand in marriage, “Free and Easy” is just what it sounds like it is: an uptempo, breezy romp with plenty of banjo and carefree charm. He’s honed a distinct sound at this point, and is becoming one of country’s most consistently good hitmakers.
Wow, talk about bad timing. Tim McGraw debuts “If You’re Reading This”, the most powerful soldier song I’ve ever heard, on the ACM’s and brings down the house. Then poor Collin Raye sends this pitifully earnest plea for soldiers to pray to God, promising He’s listening. They say nobody’s an atheist in a foxhole, so I can understand the temptation to proselytize the soldiers when they’re at their most fearful, but what a patronizing, clumsy attempt this is at doing so. In terms of my personal beliefs, Raye was preaching to the choir, and I still didn’t find it convincing.
Before I started the live blog of last night’s ACM Awards, I listed a few burning questions. Here are the answers:
Will Carrie Underwood pull a Dixie Chicks and go five for five tonight? I can see it happening easily, but the only mortal lock she has is Top Female Vocalist.
Well she didn’t sweep, but she did win three awards: Female Vocalist, Album and Music Video. George Strait played spoiler and took Single and Song. She had the classiest speech of the night, immediately acknowledging the stunning Tim McGraw performance that preceded her final win of the evening.
Speaking of the Dixie Chicks, can this join the CMA telecast from last year and last three hours without a joke at their expense? I think Reba is more of a Vince Gill than a Jeff Foxworthy, and she was clapping with enthusiasm when they won the Grammy for Song of the Year, so I’m hoping it can happen.
The only reference was a veiled one, and a good-natured one at that. Last year, Reba took a pot shot at the Dixie Chicks at the end of the telecast, and it was widely reported. She noted that she’d learned that the “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” rule didn’t apply to her comedic material. She was an outstanding host, and while her celebrity jabs still seem forced, she was elegant and good-humored throughout the evening. Not Vince, but pretty close.
Will we get some serious turnover in some of the stale categories this year? Can Sugarland unseat Brooks & Dunn, or Little Big Town shock Rascal Flatts?
I’ve finally learned my lesson over the years: betting against Brooks & Dunn winning Vocal Duo is like betting against Joe Torre’s Yankees winning the American East division. No matter how much it looks like someone else’s year, it probably isn’t. Rascal Flatts may be the top-selling modern country act, but they remain ghettoized in the Vocal Group categories, in terms of wins at least. Then again, McDonald’s won’t top the Zagat guide no matter how many Big Macs it sells, so there’s still something to be said for substance.
Will the new single Faith Hill is debuting justify the three-month delay of her hits project?
I’d say yes. The sound system at the ACM’s was its typical mess, but I heard a great song in spite of it. Her records are always well-produced, so I’m sure it will be a keeper. Of course, Hill’s spotlight was stolen by hubby McGraw, who debuted “If You’re Reading This” and gave the performance of the night. If you’re like me, you’re still waiting for a YouTube clip so you can watch that one on a loop.
What is the mystery reason that Shania Twain is there for the festivities? Surprise tribute? To Dolly? Reba? Toby? Who knows!
She introduced Reba and gave out Entertainer. Hardly worth her time, though she proved she’s still the most impossibly beautiful woman in country music, despite all the cute young things signed in the ten years since she showed sexy sells country records, too.
And finally, can Country Universe break its one-day record of visitors on the strength of another live blog?
I’m still the only one who cares, but sometime while I was at work today, the one-day stat record was easily broken. I’m sure today’s record will hold until it’s time to do it all again with the CMA’s. God bless the refresh button!
10:59: Just FYI: Carrie won Video, so she went 3/5. “Building Bridges” by B&D, Vince and Sheryl Crow won Collaboration.
10:57 Entertainer: Kenny Chesney, three in a row. Good. He earned it.
10:56 Vince Gill, brilliant as always. Here comes Shania. Still impossibly beautiful.
10:45 Female Vocalist: Carrie Underwood. And she gives a shout-out to Tim McGraw that shows real class. As usual.
10:44 Martina’s crying. Me too.
10:42 Tim gets the nod for best performance of the night. What an unbelievable song, a letter written by a soldier just in case he dies in battle. This is why I love country music.
10:37 Just saw an ad for the 400th Episode of The Simpsons. I was in fourth grade when that show started. How long ago was that? People were sick of The Judds always winning Vocal Duo awards every year.
10:33 Top Vocal Duo: Brooks & Dunn. Enough already.
10:32 The Sugarland performance was very cute.
10:28 Funny that Reba just mentioned Idol. I’m catching up on tonight’s episode during commercial breaks. Melinda Doolittle can out-sing many of those on the ACM stage tonight. Hard to mess with Jennifer Nettles though.
10:23 Where are all the awards at, anyway? Only 37 minutes left of show.
10:22 So, Faith has herself another big crossover hit. This will dominate AC radio easily. The melody is awesome.
10:19 Faith’s song is new. Very, very new. Can’t wait to hear it.
10:18 Reba going to a wake?
10:15 Top Vocal Group: Rascal Flatts. Meh.
10:12 There’s a guy backing B&D wearing a t-shirt that says “Willie, Emmylou, Merle and Lacy J.” That would instantly be the most interesting performance on the show if it was to happen.
There are three major country awards given by the music industry, and each particular show reflects the preferences of a different section of it.
The CMA Awards, given every fall, are the Music Row awards, where the Nashville music industry – labels, talent agencies, publishers and the like – have the most sway. There is also a sect of voters who favor strong traditionalism in country music, which has allowed for some surprising upsets over the years. Commercialism matters, but isn’t the only factor at the CMA’s. If a big act doesn’t have too much substance, they aren’t likely to win many CMA awards.
The Grammys, given every February, are the most prestigious musical honor. Voted on exclusively by artists, musicians, producers and engineers, the country categories have always been dominated by artists with technical merit – singer’s singers and musician’s musicians. Sales don’t mean much at all to these voters, but credibility does. Top winners for the genre include Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, Dixie Chicks, Ricky Skaggs and Emmylou Harris.
Then there’s the ACM’s, the spring country awards show that actually predates the CMA’s but is generally regarded as less meaningful. ACM voters are primarly in the radio and concert booking fields, so commercialism is a huge factor here. The list of ACM winners from the past is almost exclusively populated by top-selling artists that are also radio favorites. This year’s nominations ensure that tradition will continue.
Here’s a rundown of this year’s nominees, along with my predicted winner and personal pick for each category:
Entertainer of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Kenny Chesney
Tim McGraw
Rascal Flatts
George Strait
Should Win: Kenny Chesney
Will Win: Rascal Flatts
The CMA may be hesitant to honor Rascal Flatts outside of the Vocal Group category, and they don’t have a chance in hell of winning a Grammy, but the ACM is just the type of show to give the highest honor to the act that’s selling the most records right now besides Carrie Underwood, who isn’t a nominee. They’re doing well on the road, too, but aren’t yet in the league of fellow noms Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney. The latter continues to break attendance records and is actually selling out stadiums. Throw in another great year at radio, a top-selling album and music videos that are expanding the medium for the genre, and it should add up to his third consecutive victory. I just don’t think it’s going to happen.
Top Male Vocalist
Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Keith Urban
Should Win & Will Win: Brad Paisley
I’m not much of a fan of Brad, but he is long overdue in this category. He’s been a consistent hitmaker for almost a decade now, and has shown steady growth while many fast-rising stars have already disappeared. I think he’ll finally win it this year, foreshadowing what could be a very, very big night at the 2007 CMA awards.
Top Female Vocalist
Sara Evans
Faith Hill
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Carrie Underwood
Should Win & Will Win: Carrie Underwood
Sara Evans snuck in there last year to win, but her career has cooled considerably since. Underwood is the obvious winner, as she’s not only the genre’s top-selling artist, she’s also the best singer to boot.
She hasn’t done anything quite like this before, a muddy water twang-fest that has her sounding like a mature woman who has seen some hard times, but still has a hell of a time living it up.
I noticed her starting to tackle interesting and challenging material on This Woman, and it’s clear she’s going to continue down that path with this new release. She sounds fantastic, the song is mysterious and her lower register is almost seductive. I can’t wait to hear the rest of this album.
Reba McEntire featuring Kelly Clarkson, “Because of You”
Dierks Bentley, “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)”
Collin Raye, “A Soldier’s Prayer”
There are three major country awards given by the music industry, and each particular show reflects the preferences of a different section of it.
Entertainer of the Year
Top Male Vocalist
Top Female Vocalist
LeAnn Rimes, “Nothin’ Better to Do”
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