Comments on: 100 Greatest Women, #56: Matraca Berg

By: Gator

Gator — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 20:50:56 +0000

Honestly I love her voice and would love for her to release an album of the songs she wrote made famous by others but sung by her

By: Billy Johnson

Billy Johnson — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:55:29 +0000

I saw Matraca in the movie: “Made In Heaven” where she had a small singing part. I love her voice, especially her “Baby walk on”

By: Paul W Dennis

Paul W Dennis — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:31:11 +0000

Leeann – point conceded but let’s be fair – Willie’s voice is quite passable and he is generally in tune – his version of “Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain” is good but it is noteworthy for the stripped down arrangement which copies that of earlier recordings by Roy Acuff and Hank Williams Sr.

Bob Dylan, on the other hand, simply cannot sing – I can put up with about 45 seconds of Bob Dylan before I switch stations. s for “Blowin’ In The Wind”, I agree that PP&M’s version was vacuous but give the Chad Mitchell Trio version a try if you want to hear how the song should be sung

By: Leeann

Leeann — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:34:24 +0000

Paul, for the most part, I think you are right. The voice is very important to me when I hear a song. However, there are some exceptions for me and to many others. Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan certainly do not have good voices, but I’d prefer to hear their versions of songs rather than covers done by better singers. Even my favorite singer, Vince Gill, doesn’t do “Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain” as effectively as Willie. There’s just something special about Willie’s version and something, though technically good, that’s missing from Vince’s. Peter Paul & Mary have nice harmony and Bob Dylan can hardly carry a tune, but I love to hear Dylan’s version of “Blowin’ In The Wind” while PP&M’s version is liable to put me to sleep.

By: Paul W Dennis

Paul W Dennis — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:26:21 +0000

Jordan: Music is at its best when you have a great singer singing a great song. While many artists will tell you that the song comes first, the fact is that there are artists who could sing the Yellow Pages and have a hit.

Harlan Howard may have been the best songwriter ever but he had no hits as a recording artist . Matraca Berg’s material sounds better when performed by others and that’s how they are best heard

By: Jordan Stacey

Jordan Stacey — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:47:45 +0000

Paul: Yeah even I have to agree with you that Matraca doesn’t have the most compelling vocals, but that really shouldn’t matter with such good material.

By: Paul W Dennis

Paul W Dennis — Mon, 12 May 2008 03:45:11 +0000

Berg is an exquisite songwriter. While not up there with the absolute elite (Hank Williams Sr., Merle Haggard, Dallas Frazier, Harlan Howard, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Cindy Walker , Willie Nelson) she is definitely in that grouping just below the very top with songsmiths such as Doodle Owens, Dean Dillon, Alex Zanetis, Buck Owens and Mel Tillis.

While I would like to see her have success as a recording artist, the truth is that she is less than compelling as a vocalist .

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 11 May 2008 21:42:53 +0000

Jim,

I think the problem with radio is too many of them, rather than not enough. Playing some more female artists, particularly ones like Yearwood, would make country radio not only more tolerable, but actually somewhat enjoyable to listen to.

By: Jim Malec

Jim Malec — Sun, 11 May 2008 21:25:39 +0000

I think I would honestly pee my pants if BM sent “Dreaming Fields” as a single. Man, then we would see whether or not radio has any balls. (I’m not holding my breath.)

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 11 May 2008 21:05:30 +0000

Jim,

It is a beautiful song (“Dreaming Fields.”) Maybe they’ll put it out as a single and it will be heard more widely.