The song that helped me warm up to Carrie Underwood was “Before He Cheats.” While I believe the song is simply a good song no matter who sings it, Underwood’s performance is perfect. She delivers the lyrics with just enough sass and personality to provide the famous jilted lover’s anthem the grit that it needs in order to be believable.
Now, please keep my high praise of Underwood‘s performance in mind as you read my next admission. Lately, whenever “Before He Cheats” comes up on my shuffle, I can’t help but think that the song would have been an even more perfect fit for Miranda Lambert. My reasons for putting the two (the song and Lambert) together are pretty obvious. Attitude is what drives the song and Lambert has proven to be the ideal purveyor of songs with attitude. Then again, I’m sure the Crazy Ex Girlfriend connection is a factor as well.
So, my question to you is this:
If you could revise history, what songs do you hear that you imagine other artists recording as well or even better than the original artist?
When You Say Nothing At All
Keith Whitley or Alison Krauss & Union Station
1988/1995
Written by Paul Overstreet & Don Schlitz
Sometimes, silence says it best.
With “When You Say Nothing at All,” written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz, the magic is in the calm and the quiet. The song was a poetic ode to the desperately devoted, and countless people connected with the simple song of love’s mysterious ways. In the narrator’s view, love is often at its most powerful when no words are needed, and even the wordsmith Webster couldn’t define the divine emotion. The song’s multiple readings have resulted in uniquely different takes on the graceful lyric. The two most notable recordings sprung from a troubled singer whose music continues to impact audiences twenty years after his death, and a pure vocalist whose heavenly strains have enraptured country and bluegrass devotees for almost two decades.
I couldn’t help but smile when I saw this entry by CMT Blogger Alison Bonaguro. Apparently, an unlucky Washington Post reporter attended Sunday in the Country at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, only to become an unwitting obstacle to a poor young man looking for a place to…um, un-drink his good helping of beer (he finally settled on the side of the Roasted Almonds stand – so at least he got to enjoy the pleasant aroma of baking cinnamon while he was keeled over).
Having spent a full summer working in the box office of that very venue and dealing with my own fair share of well-meaning alcohol consumers (which is to say, O.A.R. fans), the concert review brought a number of fun memories rushing back to me. Live music is a weird beast that varies in nature from artist to artist and venue to venue, not to mention seat to seat. Sometimes, as with Sunday in the Country, the music is almost just an excuse to gather with close friends and have a grand ol’ time. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.
But personally, my favorite in-concert moments have always taken place in smaller venues where the attention has been squarely on appreciating the music and the artists delivering it. To date, the best concert I’ve been to was Nickel Creek’s penultimate performance at the Ryman Auditorium, which fell at the end of last year’s Farewell for Now tour. For all its historic grandeur, the Ryman is beautifully intimate, and even from the balcony I had no trouble making out every one of Chris Thile’s kooky little gestures. The music was uniformly stellar that night, with seemingly no one but smitten fans in the audience, and the band was effortlessly funny in between songs, recalling the very best of Alison Krauss’ awkwardaries and then some.
I’ll never forget those magical few seconds right before the band launched into a certain cover, the likes of which I don’t think anyone thought they’d pull out on as reverent an occasion as one of their final shows. Thile looked out into the audience and murmured, “you guys are great. Seriously, all of you, we love what you do……but you know” – he suddenly started moaning melodramatically – “you know that you’re toxic!”
Cue Britney Spears song. It completely killed whatever decorum remained in the event, and that was what so fantastic about it: it was Nickel Creek leaving on Nickel Creek’s terms. And what terms they were:
Now, your turn. What is your favorite in-concert moment you’ve experienced, musical or otherwise?
Be warned, purists: Eli Young Band’s major-label debut is a textbook example of just how loosely country music has been defined by its modern commercial market. In true contemporary form, most everything about Jet Black & Jealous – from the omnipresent electric guitars to the (endearingly) emo-sounding title – suggests a significant and varied pop-rock influence, with little more than Mike Eli’s leading twang to mark the quartet as a country act. Factor in the group’s slick, hipster-cowboy appearance, and the comparisons to Lyric Street poster boys Rascal Flatts become all but inevitable.
But despite some significant concessions to convention, Eli & Co. distinguish themselves from the radio pack with their less-is-more delivery and a songwriting approach based in simple, uncontrived observation. Jet Black & Jealous traverses a wide spectrum of contemporary styles over its twelve tracks, but the set is united by a central, consistent narrative voice that manages to sound grounded in genuine experience, even as it sometimes ventures into overly familiar territory. It’s not the strongest set of songs, with some reaching for golden hooks and slightly missing the mark (“Radio Waves,” “Get in the Car and Drive”), and others riffing on uncreative or unexciting themes (“Always the Love Songs,” “Famous”). But even in their shortcomings, Eli Young Band comes across as an act that tells the truth – or at least tries.
The album kicks off with a revamped rendition of “When it Rains,” the band’s first Top 40 country hit and a highlight of their 2005 independent release, Level. Penned by guitarist and partial group-namesake James Young, the song is a stroke of melancholy genius: cold, terse, believable, hooky, even musically unorthodox (Young employs almost every chord in the song’s given key, a true rarity in country music). The extra polish applied to the piece in this Jet Black & Jealous incarnation may be off-putting to fans of the original recording – Eli’s vocal, especially, sounds noticeably thinner and tamer than before – but for the most part, the added production and harmonies only lend the number a bit more punch and momentum, making for a dazzling introduction to the set.
Alas, the brilliant leading example of “When it Rains” ends up casting a long shadow over the ensuing songs, which, for all their high points, never quite manage to match the comprehensive strength of that opening number. In reality, there is much to admire about some of the material on Jet Black & Jealous; it’s just the kind of album that must be picked apart individually in order for that material to make a fair case for itself.
In general, Eli Young Band is at their best when playing up their rock chops. They channel Radney Foster on the outlaw frenzy “Throw and Go,” then sugarcoat Tom Petty’s style on the title track, an ear-candy break-up ditty whose titular phrase is presumably just there to sound cool, as it’s never actually explained. Then there’s “Enough is Enough,” a frank appraisal of a withering relationship that finds Eli lamenting, “I can’t lean on you, ’cause I fall right over.” A slow-burning shuffle, it’s the closest sonic relative to “When it Rains” that the group has included here, and another indication that that that particular style suits them very well.
Less winning, however, are their stabs at patented contemporary country themes. They try on Kenny Chesney’s classic rock nostalgia (see “I Go Back,”) and easy-as-that life philosophies (see “Don’t Blink”) in “Always the Love Songs” and “Mystery in the Making,” respectively, then rewrite Sugarland’s “Tennessee” as “Radio Waves,” sacrificing some of the original’s catchiness and quirky charm in the process. They do manage to beat the Flatts boys at their own melodramatic game on the fun “Get in the Car and Drive,” but then over-do that, too, on the inane “How Should I Know” and “Guinevere.”
But to the group’s credit, they expound on their recycled cliches in a manner nuanced and conversational enough to make the stories themselves come across as real, and their delivery remains spot-on through the rough patches. In addition to the appreciable lack of a truly bombastic moment anywhere in the set, Eli is endowed with an Everyman tone that sounds convicted no matter what the musical setting, and the group’s harmony-driven sound is pleasant enough to make even the lacking material sound halfway-decent.
So all in all, it’s a mixed showcase of the act. On one hand we have the twangin’ alt-rockers who produce mature numbers like “Enough is Enough”; on the other, we have yet another country boy band just doing their darndest to break into a radio format that favors indiscriminately catchy tunes like “Always the Love Songs.” And then, somewhere perfectly in the middle, we have the Texan phenoms of “When it Rains” fame, the rare act who produces music that is both artistically fulfilled and commercially attractive. Eli Young Band will likely spend the rest of their career trying to achieve that hallowed middle ground, and it will be interesting to see whether they can manage to do so on future releases – but for the moment, we have Jet Black & Jealous: the sound of a promising young act weighing its options.
For a look back at the other major categories, visit our CMA Awards page.
2010
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
For the first time since 1991, the same five women are nominated in this category for the second consecutive year. Lambert won the prize at this year’s ACM Awards, and with nine nominations this year, she seems like the front-runner.
2009
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
In an interesting year, three of the all-time champions in the category (McBride, McEntire, Underwood) faced off against two high-profile artists who had yet to win (Lambert, Swift.) Despite Underwood’s continued popularity and the warm critical reception for Lambert’s work, the undeniable success of Swift led to her first victory.
2008
Alison Krauss
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood joined the ranks of Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Martina McBride and Reba McEntire by winning three Female Vocalist awards, and she now trails only McBride and McEntire in total wins. Amazingly, Underwood was only on her second studio album when she won her third trophy.
2007
Alison Krauss
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood’s second victory established that she wasn’t a flash in the pan or a flavor of the month in the view of the CMA. She became the twelfth woman in history to win this award twice, and the only one to do so on the strength of her debut album. As historically impressive as that may sound, it really was no contest. She outsold the rest of the category combined, and dominated radio at the same time.
2006
Sara Evans
Faith Hill
Martina McBride
Carrie Underwood
Gretchen Wilson
Underwood was among the most shocked in the audience when she won Female Vocalist of the Year, not long after winning Horizon Award the same night. Underwood was the first artist to win both Horizon and their own vocal category since the Dixie Chicks in 1998. The feat was also accomplished by Alison Krauss (1995) and Ricky Skaggs (1982). It could be argued that Underwood pulling it off was most impressive: Krauss was already an established bluegrass star with a greatest hits album in 1995, Ricky Skaggs was well-known as a member of Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band, and the Chicks won the far less competitive Vocal Group category.
2005
Sara Evans
Alison Krauss
Martina McBride
Gretchen Wilson
Lee Ann Womack
Wilson rode the massive success of her debut album to a precocious win in this category, topping even Lee Ann Womack, who won three other awards the same night.Voters were clearly looking for an alternative to McBride, who’d won the previous three years.Evans might’ve pulled it off if “Suds in the Bucket” hadn’t been followed up with “Tonight”, a beautiful song that surprisingly bombed at radio.She lost a bit of momentum because of it.I would’ve picked Krauss this year.
When songwriter Susan Gibson began writing “Wide Open Spaces,” she was living out the experiences of the girl described in the song. A forestry student in Montana, she began writing the lyrics while home for the holidays. Her mother found the notebook after she’d returned to school, and mailed it to her as part of a care package, inspiring her to complete the song.
Gibson began performing the song in the clubs around Montana while still in college, and when she became the lead singer of Americana band The Groobees, she included it on their debut album. The producer of those sessions was Lloyd Maines, who thought it would be a perfect fit for his own daughter’s band, who were getting ready to leave the Texas music scene for some broader horizons of their own.
The Dixie Chicks had been regionally popular for several years and had released three independent albums before Natalie Maines became their lead singer. The band already had a development deal with Sony when they made the switch, but Maines’ aggressive vocals and youthful energy made the band instantly more palatable for mainstream country music in the late nineties.
While recording their Sony debut, the assertiveness that would become their calling card first surfaced in relation to “Wide Open Spaces.” The producers didn’t want the track on the album; the band insisted. They didn’t want to include banjo on the track; the band insisted. Far from burying the song on the album, they made it the title cut. After a top ten debut single and a #1 follow-up (“There’s Your Trouble”), it was sent to radio in August of 1998.
By the time it started garnering spins, the album Wide Open Spaces was already platinum. But the theme of a young girl going out into the world on her own struck a deep chord with listeners across the country, and album sales skyrocketed, selling a stunning seven million copies in the year that followed, en route to total sales of twelve million copies. ”Wide Open Spaces” won CMA awards for Single and Video, just two of the five trophies the Dixie Chicks earned from the organization during the lifespan of the project. They also earned a pair of Grammys and two ACM Awards, including Album of the Year.
By the turn of the century, the Dixie Chicks commanded a following of young girls and women that has yet to be matched, and they did so without pandering to them. ”Wide Open Spaces” was an anthem for that fan base, and has accrued an impressive legacy of its own, having been named among the RIAA’s “365 Songs of the Century” in 2002.
Meanwhile, the band that the song launched to superstardom has lived out the spirit of the song ever since, quickly leaving behind the conventional country of that first album and aggressively pushing the boundaries of the genre ever since. Fittingly, when the band launched their 2006 tour, the set list was fully comprised of songs from their more ambitious albums Fly, Home, and Taking the Long Way, with only one exception: “Wide Open Spaces.”
“Wide Open Spaces” is the latest in a series of articles showcasing Classic Country Singles. You can read previous entries at the Classic Country Singles page.
After attending a musical show in East Nashville last week featuring my friends in the punk/folk-rock outfit Wildcard Family Revival, my mind wandered to the clever, creative names of bands in country music.
Musical collectives through the years have chosen to be defined by their leader singer (think Bon Jovi). Others seemingly come from the most random ideas (think Rascal Flatts). We have an open question tonight: What’s your favorite name of a country music band? The group/band can either be a major-level touring act or the supporting musical cast for a country music star.
And also, what would you name your band if you were to heed the Brad Paisley and Keith Urban advice to start one of your own?
Word on the street is that Taylor Swift will have a brand new song featured on the season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy that airs Thursday night (9/8 central) on ABC.
The news further consolidates Swift’s status as much more than a country music commodity. She’s established herself as a mainstream artist with grand designs of making a significant mark on pop culture. Grey’s Anatomy has been incredibly successful at breaking new and rising acts and prompting their climb up the musical ladder, and the show has even spawned a popular soundtrack. Of course, Swift is clearly one of country music’s main contenders in the present, but the boost surely can’t hurt her profile and expand her reach into a unique audience.
Question of the evening: Which country song would you like to see play a part in a current television series?
Metallica, Run-D.M.C. and the Stooges lead the list of nine acts up for induction next year into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Five will be chosen in January for enshrinement during an April 4 ceremony at Cleveland‘s Public Hall.
Also on this year’s ballot are Jeff Beck, Chic, Wanda Jackson, Little Anthony and the Imperials, War and Bobby Womack. Acts are not eligible for the Rock Hall until at least 25 years have passed since the release of their first single.
The 2009 ceremony will be open to the public for the first time, and held in Cleveland, the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Museum, for the first time since 1997.
Madonna, John Mellencamp, Leonard Cohen, the Ventures and the Dave Clark Five were inducted into the Rock Hall this spring.
Wanda Jackson previously made the short list four years ago. She shared the ballot with Conway Twitty and Gram Parsons, who have yet to be nominated again.
If inducted, Jackson would be the first country artist to join the Hall since 2002. Country-related inductees include Chet Atkins (2002), Brenda Lee (2002), Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys (1999), Bill Monroe (1997), Johnny Cash (1992), Hank Williams (1987), Elvis Presley (1986) and Jimmie Rodgers (1986).
You can read the 100 Greatest Women entry about Wanda Jackson here.
With a whiskey-soaked voice and a traditional bent towards the modern sounds of Nashville, Keith Whitley was a brightly burning star in the country music constellation, one that fell dark far too soon. But his legacy as one of the preeminent singers of his generation is secure due to songs such as his 1989 classic “I’m No Stranger to the Rain.”
Written by Sonny Curtis and Ron Hellard, the song encourages perseverance over pain. In the song, Whitley openly admits that impending doom is a daily fixture in his life. As Whitley explains,
I’m no stranger to the rain
I can spot bad weather
And I’m good at finding shelter in a downpour
I’ve been sacrificed by brothers
Crucified by lovers
But through it all I withstood the pain
I’m no stranger to the rain
He goes on to give praise to God’s design, a plan that won’t allow for depression during the worst times. The old school-leaning Whitley displayed his gift for nuance, lending a confessional tone to the resilient tune. His pure vocal style was a perfect match to the poetic lyrics and understatedly skillful musical setting provided by producers Blake Mevis and Garth Fundis. The deft touch on display by Whitley gives a certain wisdom to lyrics about a man determined to “ride the wind and dance in a hurricane.” (more…)
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2006
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