There is really no new way to pontificate on the fascinating longevity of George Strait’s career. Many, including myself, have speculated regarding the many possible reasons behind his staying power, but it is more than likely that many of the factors that we have already considered could be easily applied to other artists with lesser careers to show for it. Therefore, the consensus that can be agreed upon by most everyone is that George Strait is consistent. In the last three decades, without being loud or splashy in any way, Strait has consistently remained a vibrant country music artist, both on the charts and in concert sales. As a result, he is one of the most respected, if not intriguing, artists in the business.
On May 27, the Academy of Country Music honored George Strait as their Artist of the Decade in a two-hour CBS special. The show consisted of many of today’s biggest artists paying homage to Strait by singing the songs of the Man of Honor.
Unlike most tribute shows, this show moved along at a reasonably fast clip with few over-dramatic or slick moments to weigh it down, which was highly appropriate considering the man who was being honored that night.
The show opened with a rousing version of Strait’s Cajun flavored “Adalida” ably performed by Sugarland. Jennifer Nettle’s exaggerated drawl, while very different from Strait’s laid back vocals, gave the song energy and seemed to be a wise way to invigorate the crowd. Other energetic performances included a rocked-up version of “All My Exes Live in Texas” by Jack Ingram, which was fun but lacked the whimsical charm of Strait’s western swing flavored interpretation. Alan Jackson did a faithful steel laden cover of “The Fireman”, which is always sung at events such as these, though it’s certainly not one of Strait’s most interesting classics.
In probably one of the most disappointing performances of the night, Dierks Bentley, who is typically an intriguing vocalist, offered a weak and strained “Blue Clear Sky”, which, sadly, happens to be one of my favorite Strait songs. John Rich did not fare much better with his lifeless, uninspired rendering of one of Strait’s most revered hits, “Amarillo by Morning.” Instead of sounding like a professional, he more easily fit in with the Nashville Star contestants that he judged last summer who, incidentally, only sounded like decent karaoke singers at their best. In the not-as-bad-as-Rich-or-Bentley-but-still-not-very-memorable category was Brooks & Dunn. Their cover of “The Cowboy Rides Away” was fine, but it also lacked Strait’s easy charisma.
While most of this tribute show stuck rather closely to Strait’s own interpretations, there were a couple performances that tried to change things up a bit. As mentioned earlier, Jack Ingram added light rock to “All My Exes Live in Texas” and the other innovator was Jamie Foxx with a soulful cover of “You Look So Good in Love.” As someone who cannot fully appreciate R&B, it was difficult for me to get into his performance, though I could at least tell it was solid. Along with the R&B slant, Foxx changed Strait’s original regret filled monologue to an amusing “what does he got that I don’t?” diatribe. And we won’t even get into Foxx’s insistence that Strait’s singing is “sexy.”
As a diversion to the songs of George Strait, the past Artists of the Decade were honored throughout the show as well. Faith Hill did a respectable cover of Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough”, Martina McBride aptly covered Garth Brook’s “The Dance” and Montgomery Gentry rocked out with Alabama’s “Mountain Music.” One of the best performances of the evening, however, was Keith Urban’s tribute to Marty Robbins, which was in the form of a fabulous medley of three of Robbins’ beloved hits, including “Singing the Blues” (one of my favorite Robbins songs) “El Paso” and “A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation)” (my all time favorite Robbins song). Urban’s performance proved that he is a master at singing country music, which only left me longing even more for hints of country sounds to show up on his most recent albums.
The person who was involved in the best performances of the show was Lee Ann Womack. With Jamey Johnson providing the speaking parts of “Give It Away”, Womack gave the female perspective of the song. The two voices melded perfectly together to reveal a possible duet partnership for the future that would surely be welcomed by many. In addition to her duet with Johnson, Womack sang a surprise song for Strait that was specifically written for the night called “Stand There And Sing.” While it would not necessarily be a standout song in a non-Strait centric environment, it was a moving tribute to George Strait’s simple charismatic entertaining style of “just standing there and singing”, which is something that he’s often criticized for doing.
As is supposedly the tradition of the Academy’s tribute shows, the previous Artist of the Decade passes the torch onto the newly anointed artist, which is what Garth Brooks did for George Strait. Brooks appropriately acknowledged the irony of this act, as he regaled the audience with the story of what inspired him to become a country music singer/entertainer, which just happened to include George Strait. After “the torch” was passed, George Strait showed us all why he so richly deserved the honor. He humbly thanked and praised the show’s participants for their contributions and for giving up their precious time to pay tribute to him. Then he sang “Ocean Front Property” and ended with “Troubadour” with the help of the entire cast of the show.
After a season of awards shows that have been disappointing at best, this tribute show was happily refreshing. Because they had great songs to work with from a man who can’t help but respected, the show was bound to be an easy success. Much like George Strait himself, the show was laid back without feeling stale. Everyone seemed genuinely honored to be there, even if some of their performances missed the mark here and there.
At times, I admittedly take George Strait for granted. I all too often forget what a huge fan of his I was in the nineties when I first entered the world of country music. Fortunately though, I spend more time in awe of his thirty year career and the grace with which he conducts himself. In “Troubadour” Strait concluded by singing, “I was a young troubadour, when I rode in on a song./And I’ll be an old troubadour when I’m gone“, which he followed by saying, “Not anytime soon, I hope.”
This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending the 2009 International Country Music Conference, conveniently held at a building on my college campus. The three-day event made for quite a mind-feast – so much so, actually, that it’s taking me longer than I had hoped to sort through all my notes and compose a post to do the thing justice. So that’ll be coming through the pipeline sometime within the next few days.
In the meantime, though, one issue raised during the event has really stuck out in my mind, and I thought I’d give it a spin here.
Here’s what happened: in a discussion on Waylon Jennings’ career attitude during his peak Outlaw years, someone mentioned that his label disliked the way he seemed to view himself as a musical descendant of Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams, as if his only role as a recording artist was to serve as a link in those artists’ musical “chain.” The speaker speculated that this sort of “big picture” attitude toward one’s art would probably worry many labels, simply because it directs the public’s focus away from an artist’s individual “star.”
That struck me as eerily relevant to today’s scene, where it’s become much less simple to hypothesize about which artists the big stars have “descended” from – and heck, which genres, in many cases. Today, more than I’ve yet witnessed in my young life, there seems to be much greater emphasis on building up an artist’s individual importance, rather than carrying a certain “flag.” Concerts are getting bigger and more histrionic; the CMA telecast books any act who might help ratings and basically snubs Hall of Fame inductees; and of course, most shout-outs to country legends of yore by today’s artists are usually just shallow attempts to build cred. The mainstream seems to have spoken its bit loud and clear: progress must be pursued, and no need for guidance from the past, thank you very much.
Of course, is that mentality necessarily a bad thing? Some acts have used it to impressive effect. Garth Brooks and Shania Twain, for example, always seemed more interested in blazing new trails for mainstream country music than in following old ones, and they reaped huge dividends with that approach – certainly monetary ones, and perhaps artistic ones, too, depending on your opinion of them.
But was it all truly unique, or just not acknowledged as derivative of something else? And either way, what impact does that kind of approach have on country music as a whole? Is it better, worse, or just different than the traditional “I’m the next in the line of…” way of thinking? Is one really more marketable than the other?
I guess if I had to boil it all down to one question, it would be: what are your thoughts on the role and treatments of tradition in today’s country music?
I blame Adam Lambert for what I am about to reveal to you all: I’m headed to a Taylor Swift concert tonight. That’s right, Taylor Swift. Insidious curiosity got the better of me.
But why do I blame Lambert, you ask? Because I haven’t been listening to a whole lot of country music recently. Instead, thanks to my new, bizarre obsession with Lambert, in the past month I’ve pulled out old Queen, Bowie, Michael Jackson and Led Zeppelin. And I’ve listened to more My Chemical Romance, Pink and even Def Leppard than anything resembling country. So, of course I thought of Swift. Because, when you think of hard rock, isn’t Swift the first person who comes to mind?
(Save your ears, don’t listen)
I’ve also been tuning into rock radio, a rarity for me, to see what’s popular these days. Lo and behold, wouldn’t you know, Taylor Swift is also a rock artist (in addition to being a country, pop and heavy metal artist). She’s regularly squeezed in between All American Rejects and Green Day on my local station. And let me tell you, nothing sounds more rock than a re-mix of Love Story. Don’t you agree?
But you have to give credit where credit is due. This girl has everyone fooled. Re-mix, re-package, throw in a few guest appearances with John Mayer and Def Leppard, form a friendship with Miley Cyrus, and suddenly, wow, you appeal to every demographic (under the age of 20). I gotta admit, I’m impressed. I’m also curious how a tall, gangly misfit, with a precocious attitude, who can’t sing, has made it work. So, I’m headed to a concert tonight and will report back here because I actually know that many of you consider Swift a guilty pleasure. Wish me luck.
But no worries. I also have a number of saner concerts scheduled later this summer. I’ve already got tickets to see Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, Nanci Griffith and Buddy Miller; as well as tickets to see Gary Allan and LeAnn Rimes (if she doesn’t cancel, which she’s done on me twice). I’m also still holding out for Bob Dylan/Willie Nelson tickets, but I’m sure that one is going to work out.
Summer concert season is around the corner.
Who are you planning on seeing in concert this summer?
After Jimmy Wayne’s strangely soft rock-esque single “I Will,” it seemed anything a bit more country and a bit less melodramatic would move him in a positive direction. Meet “I’ll Be That”: a catchy summer track that does just that.
It’s not a particularly interesting song, but by design, it’s not supposed to be. “I’ll Be That” serves its purpose as a pleasing sing-a-long with a decent hook, packed with sweet albeit unoriginal promises: “The one that’ll stand and fight for you/A safe place you can run to/The truth in the words ‘I do’/I’ll be that to you.” Stacked against the crop of male regulars on country radio, Wayne has one of the better, more soothing voices, so the song automatically gets an added boost. Of course, it’s a little difficult to pick Wayne’s voice out from the over-produced chorus, but as clamoring radio releases go, it could be worse.
The singles off Wayne’s second album, Do You Believe Me Now, have yet to cross over into an even moderately traditional country sound, so those still hooked on Wayne’s original stylings, a la the potent “Stay Gone,” should move along – nothing to see here. But if you can settle for an energetic, toe-tapping little number that may or may not be forgotten when the leaves start to change, “I’ll Be That” is worth a listen.
Sometimes, finding music outside the mainstream is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. There’s just so much music out there that it can often seem overwhelming to find something new, or at least new to me. However, as a constant and compulsive music consumer, it’s a task in which I eagerly indulge.
There are, of course, a myriad of ways to discover music, including the simplest way these days, the internet. But a process, a place to start, is still necessary in order to avoid overload.
One of my favorite ways to do this is to start with an artist that I already enjoy. For example, I’ll use Vince Gill. Big surprise, I know. Using Vince is cheating in a way, of course, since he’s so prolific as a guest artist. Nevertheless, I periodically do an Amazon, Emusic and Barnes & Noble search with his name and have discovered or got on board with many interesting artists, albums or specific songs as a result. People like Sonny Landreth, Fernando Ortega, Leslie Satcher, Julie Lee, Jamie Oldaker, Jeff & Sheri Easter, to name a few, have found permanent spots on my play lists due to their connections with Vince. Likewise, I’ve found terrific compilations such as Voice of the Spirit, Gospel of the South that in turn, lead me to other artists that I might not have otherwise discovered.
As I have already acknowledged, Vince is an easy search, since he’s involved in so many projects, but I have used this process with many other artists as well and have been significantly rewarded for my diligence.
What process do you typically use to discover music and who or what have you found as a result?
I’ve had to listen to this song several times just to be sure it was real and not just an insane figment of my imagination. But alas, whether I like it or not, it is real and I’m the one who has been charged with the task of attributing words from the English language to this strange composition, which suddenly seems limiting. So, please excuse my casual tone just this once, because I’m going to have to forgo the formal conventions of a review in order to even come close to adequately describing this song.
“Bobby With an I” is about a cross dresser. Bobby is a man’s man during the week, but he turns into Bobbi when the work week is through. He makes such a convincing woman that “you better watch how much you drink/He might look better than you think.” Right.
Despite how others may feel about the somewhat subversive topic, it is actually a redeeming quality of the song. While it’s treated very lightly here, it is still likely to offend the sensibilities of some disapproving country music listeners. However, what offends my sensibilities is the execution of the song in general.
When the song begins, it almost sounds as though Vassar is getting ready to launch into Offspring’s “Pretty Fly for A White Guy” (Remember that song?). But then we suddenly switch to a bunch of consecutive “ha ha, ah ah’s” before finally getting to the meat of the song, which is all accompanied by a catchy, but soon to become annoying, melody and production. As if the funky production and kitschy lyrics aren’t bewildering enough, Vassar’s voice just can’t seem to rise to the occasion of hitting certain notes without obviously straining beyond his capabilities as a vocalist.
With all of that said, there’s an unexplainable addictive quality to this song that has forced me to hit repeat over and over again. I’m confident, however, that it’s not a guilty pleasure, but rather, disbelief that such a wacky song not only exists, but has been released to radio and didn’t stay hidden as an eccentric album track. In fact, while “You could have heard a chin drop/the minute he (Bobby…err…Bobbi) walked in”, you could have seen a chin drop the minute I heard this song.
The nominations for the 8th Annual Americana Music Association Awards have been announced:
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Real Animal, by ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO
Written in Chalk, by BUDDY & JULIE MILLER
Jason Isbell & The 40 Unit, by JASON ISBELL & THE 40 UNIT
Midnight At The Movies, by JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO
BUDDY MILLER
JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE
RAUL MALO
INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
BUDDY MILLER
GURF MORLIX
JERRY DOUGLAS
SAM BUSH
NEW & EMERGING ARTIST
BAND OF HEATHENS
BELLEVILLE OUTFIT
JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE
SARAH BORGES
SONG OF THE YEAR
“Chalk,” written by JULIE MILLER, performed by BUDDY MILLER & PATTY GRIFFIN
“Country Love” by the GOURDS
“Homeland Refugee,” by JOE ELY, JIMMIE DALE GILMORE, and BUTCH HANCOCK, performed by the FLATLANDERS
“Rattlin’ Bones” by KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON, performed by KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON
“Sex And Gasoline,” by RODNEY CROWELL, performed by RODNEY CROWELL
DUO GROUP OF THE YEAR BUDDY & JULIE MILLER
FLATLANDERS
KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON
RECKLESS KELLY
The awards will be given out at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on September 17. Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale will serve as hosts.
Here’s a first for ya: a Country Quizzin’ guest post. Knowledgeable reader Michael submitted these quiz questions to me a while back, and I’ve sort of just been saving them for a rainy day. As I can’t seem to shift my head out of American Idol mode this evening, I think now fits the bill quite nicely! So thanks to Michael for an excellent quiz!
As always, answers and comments revealed at 10:30 EST. It may be the Idol results show, but I’ll get ‘em done!
- – - – -
1. You may know that George Strait scored his 41st Billboard #1 in 2006 with “Give It Away”, breaking Conway Twitty’s record 40 number ones. Who is in 3rd place? Is it:
A. Garth Brooks B. Merle HaggardC. Willie Nelson D. Eddy Arnold
2. This daughter of a country legend has the dubious honor of having the biggest drop from #1 in the last 25 years. Her single (don’t confuse it with a Ricky Martin hit) fell from #1 to #16 in February of 1995.
Pam Tillis
3. At 35 years and one month, this artist holds the record for the longest span between their first number one hit (1971) and their most recent (2006). It should be noted that the 2006 single was billed as a duet.
Dolly Parton
4. When this artist’s debut single peaked at number 20 in 2000, he set the record for the youngest male country artist to achieve a Top 40 hit.
Billy Gilman
5. In 1991 this act became the first country music group in history to reach number one with their debut single.
Diamond Rio
6. Martina McBride topped the charts for two weeks in March and April of 2002 with “Blessed.” It would be more than two years before a female would score a number one hit again. What debut single broke this drought in May of 2004?
“Redneck Woman” (Gretchen Wilson)
7. She may not have won the Grammy or had her version of this song used in the film for which it was written, but she did set the record for the longest run (69 weeks) on the Billboard Hot 100 pop charts in 1997.
LeAnn Rimes
8. What 1976 album was the first country album to be certified platinum (shipped more than one million copies)?
A.Golden Ring – George Jones and Tammy Wynette B. Wanted! The Outlaws – Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser and Jessi ColterC.Pieces of the Sky — Emmylou Harris D.Red Headed Stranger — Willie Nelson
9. Toughie alert! This 1991 Ricky Van Shelton single made the biggest jump to #1 in the last 30 years.
“Keep It Between the Lines”
10. Gimme alert! This is the only artist to score a number one hit with two separately recorded versions of the same song. The original hit number one in 1974 and then, after remaking it for a film, it hit number one again in 1982. Moreover, he/she charted with a third version of this song in 1995 as a duet which peaked at #15.
Oh, the irony of this review. The self-appointed Taylor Swift detractor is assigned the one and only song in Swift’s catalogue that moves her to tears. I think that’s what they call karma?
In all seriousness, “The Best Day” is a beautiful, curious illustration of the artist underneath the pop star that is Taylor Swift. Honest and youthfully elegant, it’s not the kind of song that shot Swift to superstardom, but it may just be the kind of song that perpetuates her career after the hype of teen angst and pop-remixes subsides.
“The Best Day” is filled with stories so very simple that they could easily be mistaken for unsubstantial. Recounting the “best days” she’s had with her mother over the years, Swift describes a childhood that seems to be the stuff of sitcoms and storybooks, as she grew up comfortably in a “pretty house” with a close-knit, four-person family. This isn’t the gritty material country purists are used to, but there’s nothing wrong, from an artistic standpoint, with Swift telling her story, because it’s just that – hers. She sings about pumpkin patches, finger painting and window shopping with such sincerity –such raw and acute appreciation for the mother who provided these simple blessings and an underlying solace– that you can’t help but empathize.
And that’s Swift’s greatest strength as an artist: adeptly conveying universal emotions through stories that are tailored to her life and her perspective. You don’t have to be 13 to understand this sentiment: “I don’t know who I’m gonna talk to now at school/But I know I’m laughing on the car ride home with you/Don’t know how long it’s gonna take to feel okay/But I know I had the best day with you today.” If you’re lucky enough to have or have had a mother who offered these indescribable moments of relief when nothing else made sense, then you get this.
It should also be noted that, as she rarely manages to do, Swift seems to have found a musical sweet spot with the folksy, understated arrangement of the song, which complements rather than highlights her imperfect voice. Vocal acrobat she is not, but with the right songs (at least in the studio), this becomes less of an issue.
I never thought I’d be commending Taylor Swift, but I am happy to do so – because it’s a fabulous thing for country music when the most recognizable mainstream country artist shows potential for her talent to catch up with her success.
There is really no new way to pontificate on the fascinating longevity of George Strait’s career. Many, including myself, have speculated regarding the many possible reasons behind his staying power, but it is more than likely that many of the factors that we have already considered could be easily applied to other artists with lesser careers to show for it. Therefore, the consensus that can be agreed upon by most everyone is that George Strait is consistent. In the last three decades, without being loud or splashy in any way, Strait has consistently remained a vibrant country music artist, both on the charts and in concert sales. As a result, he is one of the most respected, if not intriguing, artists in the business.
This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending the 2009 
I blame Adam Lambert for what I am about to reveal to you all: I’m headed to a Taylor Swift concert tonight. That’s right, Taylor Swift. Insidious curiosity got the better of me.
After Jimmy Wayne’s strangely soft rock-esque single “I Will,” it seemed anything a bit more country and a bit less melodramatic would move him in a positive direction. Meet “I’ll Be That”: a catchy summer track that does just that.
Sometimes, finding music outside the mainstream is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. There’s just so much music out there that it can often seem overwhelming to find something new, or at least new to me. However, as a constant and compulsive music consumer, it’s a task in which I eagerly indulge.
I’ve had to listen to this song several times just to be sure it was real and not just an insane figment of my imagination. But alas, whether I like it or not, it is real and I’m the one who has been charged with the task of attributing words from the English language to this strange composition, which suddenly seems limiting. So, please excuse my casual tone just this once, because I’m going to have to forgo the formal conventions of a review in order to even come close to adequately describing this song.
Oh, the irony of this review. The self-appointed Taylor Swift detractor is assigned the one and only song in Swift’s catalogue that moves her to tears. I think that’s what they call karma?
on 
on 
on 
on 
on