Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 4: #140-#121
#140
“Who Says You Can’t Go Home”
Bon Jovi featuring Jennifer Nettles
2005
Peak: #1
Packed as country music has been lately with rocked-up little singalongs, perhaps it was only natural that one of the leading bands in rocked-up little singalongs should cross over for a bit to show everybody how it’s done. It was newcomer Nettles, though, who stole this show, driving Bon Jovi’s ditty home with an infectiously joyful performance. – Dan Milliken
#139
“God’s Gonna Cut You Down”
Johnny Cash
2006
Peak: Did not chart
The arrangement is cool enough, but it’s Cash’s stoic, slicing vocal performance that makes his version of this song so memorable. – Tara Seetharam (more…)
27 Comments
Category Decade in Review
Tags: Bon Jovi, Brooks & Dunn, Craig Morgan, Dixie Chicks, Dolly Parton, Faith Hill, George Strait, Gretchen Wilson, Jennifer Nettles, John Anderson, Johnny Cash, Kenny Chesney, Kid Rock, Lonestar, Mac McAnally, Marc Cohn, Richie McDonald, Rodney Crowell, Sara Evans, Sheryl Crow, Tim McGraw, Vince Gill
Sunday, November 16th, 2008
I caught this Kid Rock quote in the current Entertainment Weekly:
Like the Beatles, AC/DC, and Garth Brooks, Rock eschews today’s most popular digital-music portal, though he happily admits to owning major stock in Apple itself. ”I just don’t like being told what to do,” he explains. ”I don’t have a beef with Apple, or iTunes, or any of them. I do have a beef with that it seems kind of socialist of them to charge the same price for every song. What if every car cost $4,000, you know what I mean? A song from my neighbor’s garage band is not the same value as Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born to Run.’ I just want to decide how my product gets sold with the people who sell it.”’
What do you think about music pricing? Is the 99 cent song/$9.99 album model of iTunes too inflexible? Would you pay more for your favorite artists, or buy more music if it was priced less? Discuss.
Thursday, November 13th, 2008
Last night, the CMA stamped its approval on the leading contemporary country stars of today. Congratulations to Kevin for commandeering the most popular live blog in Country Universe history. Here is a series of highlights (according to me) from an otherwise staid ceremony:
Best performance: “More Like Her,” Miranda Lambert; “Just a Dream,” Carrie Underwood. With understated brilliance, Lambert shifted gears by offering her Texas twang on the stripped-down ballad, while Underwood hit all the glory notes on her dramatic tearjerker with style and grace. Often pitted as rivals and polar opposites, the two proved that country music holds plenty of room for these two prodigious talents. Although Underwood ended Lambert’s faint hopes of claiming the Female Vocalist prize, bet on Lambert winning her fair share of CMAs in the near future.
Sound off: Repeatedly an issue, the Sommet Center’s sound system had problems again this year. Also, Nashville is a town of songwriters, but L.A. is a town of scriptwriters, and some intelligent, humorous ones would be welcome at next year’s ceremony.
Nashville’s full of musicians, too: Let’s tip our hats to first-time CMA award winner, Musician of the Year, Mac McAnally.
(more…)
58 Comments
Category News
Tags: Alison Krauss, Billy Ray Cyrus, Bono, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Def Leppard, Eagles, Emmylou Harris, Ernest, George Strait, Josh Turner, Kellie Pickler, Kid Rock, Led Zeppelin, Lee Ann Womack, Mac McAnally, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Pat Benatar, Rascal Flatts, Rodney Atkins, Statler Brothers, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Toby Keith, Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill, Wailers
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008
2008 CMA Winners
Entertainer: Kenny Chesney
Male Vocalist: Brad Paisley
Female Vocalist: Carrie Underwood
Album: George Strait, Troubadour
Vocal Duo: Sugarland
New Artist: Lady Antebellum
Vocal Group: Rascal Flatts
Song: Jennifer Nettles, “Stay”
Single: George Strait, “I Saw God Today”
Music Video: Brad Paisley feat. Andy Griffith, “Waiting on a Woman”
Musical Event: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, “Gone Gone Gone”
Musician: Mac McAnally
_______
Predict the Winners:
Kevin – 8
Leeann – 7
Blake – 7
Dan – 7
______
Live Blog:
11:03 Thanks again for another great night. See ya at the Grammys!
11:02ish To Blake and Dan: A Song For You.
11:02 Blake: Down with our dictator!
11:02 Dan: Kevin sucks.
10:57 If I was a petty man, I’d be gloating about out-predicting all of my co-writers at Country Universe. Wait a minute. I am a petty man. I won! Yes! I won! This country universe is mine. Y’all just live in it. Suckers. (Except for you Leeann. You didn’t get all up in my grill, talking smack before the throwdown. You’re cool.)
10:56 ENTERTAINER – Kenny Chesney
10:54 Standing O for Shania. Good God, she’s beautiful. Welcome home.
10:50 So the only artist I see live who charges Eagles prices is Madonna, and I have to say that if she just stood there and growled, I’d feel ripped off. Come on, guys. Slap on some heels. Throw in some synchronized dancing. Jump some rope. Rub up against something. You’re supposed to be legends.
10:49 Dan: Once again, a washed up rock act gives us one of the better performances of the night. I like the Eagles, but that’s sad.
10:48 You know it’s bad when you’re hoping that Shania’s the surprise guest because you want to see some real country stars.
10:46 Paisley’s right about that. The Eagles have a lot more to do with country music today than most seventies country stars.
(more…)
254 Comments
Category CMA Awards, Live Blog
Tags: Alan Jackson, Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Carrie Underwood, Dixie Chicks, Eagles, Emmylou Harris, George Strait, James Otto, Jason Aldean, Jennifer Nettles, Jerry Reed, Johnny Cash, Keith Urban, Kellie Pickler, Kenny Chesney, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Lil' Wayne, Loretta Lynn, Mac McAnally, Madonna, Martina McBride, Marty McGuire, Pat Benatar, Pink, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, Robert Plant, Rodney Atkins, Sawyer Brown, Shania Twain, Statler Brothers, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Toby Keith, Trace Adkins, Trisha Yearwood, Wailers, Warren Zevon
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