Winners
Musician of the Year – Mac McAnally
Musical Event of the Year – “Start A Band”, Brad Paisley & Keith Urban
Music Video of the Year – “Love Story”, Taylor Swift
Single of the Year – “I Run To You”, Lady Antebellum
Song of the Year – “In Color”, Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller, James Otto
Vocal Group of the Year – Lady Antebellum
New Artist of the Year – Darius Rucker
Album of the Year – Fearless, Taylor Swift
Vocal Duo of the Year – Sugarland
Male Vocalist of the Year – Brad Paisley
Female Vocalist of the Year – Taylor Swift
Entertainer of the Year – Taylor Swift
– – –
11:05 DM: Final tally of CMA staff predictions: Leeann – 9, Dan – 7, Tara – 6, Kevin – 5 (not counting Video). Leeann triumphs again! Thanks for joining us, everyone!
11:04 KC: Artists who have won 4 CMA awards in one night: Johnny Cash. Merle Haggard. Vince Gill. Alison Krauss. Dixie Chicks. Taylor Swift.
11:00 DM: Well, this certainly feels like some kind of watershed moment for country music. I guess we’ll see what happens, huh?
10:59 KC: Though to get us back to reality: Female winners of the Entertainer of the Year award – Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Dixie Chicks, Taylor Swift.
10:57 KC: And she brought out the band. And she thanked the fans. And she’s crying. Darn you, Taylor Swift. Making me be happy for you!
10:56 KC: And her parents just made me get misty.
10:55 KC: Okay, she deserved this one.
10:55 DM: A clean sweep.
Entertainer of the Year: Taylor Swift
10:54 DM: After that, no Entertainer result could surprise me.
10:52 KC: Before the show, I told Dan that I hoped there would be some surprises tonight. God says “Ha!”
10:48 DM: Dave Matthews is pretty cool. It’s a shame he couldn’t be here for a more interesting song. Anybody remember his Crossroads with Emmylou Harris? That was cool.
10:46 KC: Pardon my absence. I had to put a “Kanye Was Right” sticker on my car.
10:42 DM: Well, the backlash should start pretty soon here. I don’t even wanna know what’s being said in the Carrie Underwood fan forums right now.
10:40 DM: Speechless.
10:40 KC: Oh dear.
Female Vocalist of the Year: Taylor Swift
10:37 KC: People are crazy. Crazy enough to give Lady Antebellum single of the year, but not quite crazy enough to give it to Billy Currington.
10:35 DM: Billy Currington. I feel a power-nap coming on!
10:34 KC: Also praying that Reba can drag George Strait up to the NYC metro area when they tour together.
10:33 KC: This decent Reba single reminded me of an interesting piece of trivia: All five female vocalist nominees are in the top 20 of the singles chart this week. See what’s possible when you don’t nominate Alison Krauss?
10:31 DM: Have you guys noticed how Reba is just going by the one name now? Not a fan. She still sounds good, but it’s time for some better singles.
10:26 KC: Now they brought the Hall of Fame CMA moment back? After the Emmylou Harris induction has already come and gone?
10:24 KC: Okay George Strait just saved it. Perhaps because he actually has been country all along?
10:24 KC: Let’s all pray that Martina isn’t previewing Timeless II.
10:24 KC: Even if Roy Clark was dead, it wouldn’t be excusable for Barbara Mandrell to get such a lopsided amount of attention.
10:21 DM: Well, I’m glad they’re doing something for the inductees. Even if it involves “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool.”
10:21 KC: I have this fear that Taylor Swift is going to win Female Vocalist.
10:19 KC: That sounds like a dangerous thing to do on a tractor.
10:18 DM: Is Jason Aldean really at superstar status now? Bummer.
10:15 DM: Upsets at every turn.
Male Vocalist of the Year: Brad Paisley
10:11 KC: To answer LeAnn’s question, “By listening to their music.”
10:10 KC: I didn’t know who I was supposed to be at 19, either.
10:09 From the Comments, Diamond: Kanye. NOW. Please…
10:08 KC: I wonder how LeAnn Rimes feels about all of this.
10:07 DM: Gotta say, there are probably at least five girls in a ten-foot radius of Swift who could be up there singing this better.
10:04 DM: Wow, burn.
10:03 KC: Rascal Flatts commercial for Wendy’s. A celebrity endorsement that is completely believable.
10:02 KC: Why didn’t B&D get up and talk? Way to sink a classy moment.
10:01 KC: Sugarland: A standing O I can get behind.
10:00 DM: Don’t think we didn’t notice your complete lack of applause for Joey + Rory, CMA! For shame.
Vocal Duo of the Year: Sugarland
9:59 KC: B&D’s retirement announcement was timed so it could impact CMA voting. Let’s see if it did the trick.
9:58 KC: In terms of personal grooming, he’s somewhere between Jennings and Cousin It.
9:57 KC: Still don’t think Johnson’s schtick is particularly authentic.
9:56 DM: John Rich got a mention. Not going to do much to help that smugness thing.
9:54 DM: Jamey Johnson doing “Between Jennings and Jones” at the CMAs. If he doesn’t kick ass, he’s going to come off really smug.
9:54 KC: Dan, the time for steel-tipped intervention was when they were considering recording it in the first place.
9:52 DM: I remember Ronnie doing a good job on “It’s Getting Better All The Time” some number of years back.
9:52 KC: This final B&D CMA performance has me feeling sentimental for all of those amazing CMA performances from them over the past eighteen years, of which I can’t name one.
9:51 DM: Brooks & Dunn’s final CMA performance is “Honky Tonk Stomp.” I’d like to kick the balls of whoever made that call.
9:48 KC: KC: Shout-out to Cutting the Treacle, living up to the name and the comment thread’s MVP so far.
9:46 KC: Women who’ve won Album of the Year: Sissy Spacek, Anne Murray, Patty Loveless, Dixie Chicks, Lee Ann Womack, Taylor Swift. Rank them as you wish.
9:44 KC: Shocked that Jamey Johnson didn’t win.
9:45 DM: And the tweens have it.
Album of the Year: Fearless, Taylor Swift
9:42 DM: I think my dad may have had that ugly black Aloha-cowboy vest.
9:42 KC: My dad also went out with his Boots On.
9:41 KC: My dad had that POW MIA hat!
9:39 DM: Seriously, Nettles has better stage presence than just about anybody else we’ve seen tonight. Maybe Zac Brown Band could compete. Still not digging her head voice, though.
9:38 KC: KC: Love this song. Love this duo.
9:36 DM: Carrie has a lot more charisma this year. And speaking of charisma, here comes Jennifer Nettles!
9:30 DM: …So how about Tim’s jester pants?
9:27 DM: Tim forgot his first few words because he was looking around waiting for that “famous Southern people” montage Kevin promised to start up. Now that it has, he’s good.
9:25 DM: I really want to like this song – it’s certainly something new for Keith – but I just can’t get into it somehow. Doesn’t feel accessible.
9:23 DM: Keith Urban debuting his new single about how depressing empty carnivals are.
9:21 DM: I don’t know whether to smile that Little Jimmy got a spot at all or weep that it was just so he could deliver a limp Kanye joke.
9:15 KC: For me, the Tennessee line just meant that I had another three hours of driving until Nashville or another twelve until New York.
9:12 KC: Much like cheddar cheese and Grey Goose, Vince Gill makes everything a little bit better.
9:11 DM: Good thing Daughtry is here. I was worried they might mention the Country Music Hall of Fame inductees or something.
9:10 KC: Darius Rucker joins Shelby Lynne in possession of both a country new artist award and the Best New Artist Grammy.
New Artist of the Year: Darius Rucker
9:08 KC: Wynonna – you look great, but you won the HORIZON AWARD, not the New Artist award
9:07 KC: Songs that stink live and on record: “Alright”, whatever Taylor sang.
9:07 KC: Songs that haven’t: “White Liar”, “Welcome to the Future”
9:07 KC: Songs that have sounded better live tonight: “Need You Now”, “Cowboy Casanova”, “Twang”
9:06 KC: Also, very cool set piece
9:05 KC: Why is it that the whole “they sound bad because of the sound system” argument falls apart every time that Carrie Underwood opens her mouth and puts the rest of them to shame?
9:05 DM: I meant that positively. She looks hot.
9:03 DM: Oh man. This performance is going to inspire drag shows for years to come.
9:02 DM: Carrie launching into “Cowboy Casanova.”
9:00 KC: Dan, it’s taking all my strength to get through this show without medication, and I’m watching at home.
8:58 DM: Now the healing can begin.
8:57 KC: Rascal Flatts didn’t win, which is more satisfying than any winner could be.
Vocal Group of the Year: Lady Antebellum
8:56 DM: OH! VOCAL GROUP MOMENT OF TRUTH!
8:55 DM: Is it me, or do the TV star presenters always seem the most medicated?
8:54 KC: That’s Jamey Johnson and Kid Rock up on the rafters, shaking out their hair.
8:53 KC: I bet Miranda Lambert feels just like that string of Christmas lights.
8:50 KC: If Jason Aldean recorded this, it would sound like a Metallica record.
8:50 KC: Amazing how this man has managed to wade through at least three “Country Goes Crazy for Crossover” phases without even sullying his crisp white shirt.
8:48 KC: The CMA needs a little “Twang” too. Thanks George!
8:47 DM: Incidentally, the awards for Video and Musical Event were given out pre-show. The winners are “Love Story” and “Start A Band”, respectively.
8:45 KC: I cursed on the CMAs. That means I’m hard-core!
8:44 DM: But point taken – it was a breath of fresh air.
8:44 KC: Scratch that – AK&US and Nickel Creek have been on the show since then.
8:43 KC: Though to be fair, it’s the first time since the Dixie Chicks ruled the CMAs that a band has actually played well live on the stage.
8:42 KC: The devil went down to K-Mart, he was looking for some clothes to wear. He found a polo shirt and stone-washed jeans for his big awards show affair.
8:40 DM: Alright, this is the most interesting CMA performance I’ve seen in some time. They’re so un-glamorous compared to the rest of the crowd that it’s a little mesmerizing.
8:40 KC: Loving the tambourine guy.
8:39 KC: Halloween was eleven days ago and a lot less scary.
8:39 DM: Zac Brown Band doing “Devil Went Down To Georgia.” I’m sure they can play it, but seriously, WTF?
8:38 KC: The history geek in me wants to tell Brad that he just woke up the founder of the Lutherans, not the leader of the civil rights movement
8:36 KC: Apparently in the future, you don’t have to sing into the microphone.
8:35 DM: Seconded.
8:35 KC: Seriously, if Mario or Link show up, I’m switching my Entertainer vote to Brad
8:34 KC: Pac-Man!
8:33 KC: PONG!!!!
8:31 DM: I know what you mean, Kevin. I get to a point where I just have to stop reading reviews in order to enjoy music.
8:29 KC: This song’s grown on me a bit. Miranda’s talent and her hype keep switching leads in their ongoing race. Right now, it’s hype by a nose.
8:28 KC: Craig Wiseman won Song in 2004 and 2006. Bill Anderson in 2005 and 2007. Jamey Johnson in 2007 and 2009. Next year, Jennifer Nettles better prepare a speech!
8:27 DM: Wow, this mix is terrible. She’s singing well, but she and the drums are about all you can hear.
8:24 DM: Miranda Lambert doing “White Liar.” Interested to hear how it sounds live.
8:24 KC: Jamey’s comment about not thinking he’d ever be allowed to come to stuff like this would seem a bit more believable if he hadn’t already won in this category before.
8:22 Song of the Year: “In Color”
8:21 KC: Darius, we already knew white people don’t have any rhythm. You didn’t have to rub it in.
8:20 DM: This song does not deserve a giant light-up sign of its title.
8:20 KC: Way to set the bar at just “Alright” and still not even approach it.
8:18 KC: Nobody’s EVER made the leap from rock to country as gracefully as Darius Rucker? Somewhere, the family of Conway Twitty is screaming.
8:17 KC: I think Brad & Carrie just locked in hosting duties for the next five years.
8:16 DM: Why can’t Carrie Underwood record countrier music? She’s cleaning up on these song parodies.
8:16 KC: Check out our Country Universe spin-off site launching tomorrow: ladyantebellumsingleoftheyearseriously????.com
8:13 KC: Full disclosure. I purchased the cassingle of Victoria Shaw’s “Cry Wolf” back in ’94.
Single of the Year: Lady Antebellum, “I Run To You”
8:12 DM & KC: WHAT????
8:11 KC: Look! Skeeter Davis grew a beard!
8:11 KC: Kid Rock. Performing AND presenting. Of course.
8:09 DM: Gotta say I’m actually liking some of the opening monologue this time. The gags on Tim & Faith’s colognes and the Brooks & Dunn/Sugarland competition are pretty solid.
8:07 KC: Hope that’s the first and last Kanye joke.
8:06 DM: For a second I thought they were actually just going to stand there and sing old country songs. Bummer.
8:05 DM: Ditto, Kev.
8:04 KC: All of my objective, “She’s the top performer right now and should be acknowledged” comments are difficult to stand by when I hear her sing
8:03 DM: Dramatic moments in song = key time to start singing in fake British accent.
8:01 KC: It’s 8:01. Do you know where your Pro Tools are?
8:00 DM: Taylor performance. She’s doing that Joe Jonas harangue song.
7:59 DM: Show time’s almost here! Kevin and I will be doing double-duty throughout the night and highlighting some of your comments. Get pumped!
Given that CMA Live Blogging has become so widespread that even the super-cool Whitney Pastorek at Entertainment Weekly is doing it, our “update the post repeatedly while you add your comments” approach seems almost quaint.
Sommet Center box office is hoppin’. Not enough cowboy hats for my taste, though.
Digging that new CMA logo.
Let’s Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo for The CMA’s
Is it horribly sad that I have the red carpet show on? Wynonna looks great!
Man I’m so pumped for this.
Hello to everybody … I’ll be back and forth between here and The 9513’s live blog all evening.
I have the Red Carpet show on too, Kevin. Martina is ‘honoring someone tonight’. Wonder what she’s gonna sing?
Musical Event – Start A Band
So did anyone catch Randy Travis talking about Carrie Underwood? Wow, he is damn proud haha.
I am pumped, Dan.
Not sure about this Taylor Swift openin … what’s up with the interview?
Jesus God almighty, make my ears stop bleeding.
and blind me too now, Lord.
Throwing furniture…a pole dance…YES! the CMA’s are getting thier act together!
Diction-“the art of speaking clearly so that each word is clearly heard and understood to its fullest complexity and extremity”
Also known as what is missing from this Taylor Swift performance
Taylor Swift should really give up on her dancing career.
she’s suckled at the teat of Garth and Shania
Anyone else miss the CMA’s at the Opry house?
Is Swift lip-synching? There was a pretty clear echo in some of the notes, and that long “note” was suspcious.
If Dolly couldn’t be here tonite, at least her dress is.
no fair. they’re singing in tune on purpose to rub it in.
How long till they quit milking this Kayne free press thing????
God is not merciful. another song from Taylor.
Brad is the Cowboy Casanova, huh?
anyone else missing Vince Gill right about now??
Okay, I liked the rewrite of ‘Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies …’ That was fun.
speaking of things that dont belong in country music……..KID ROCK
Was a Kanye references really necessary? Funny John and Kate PLus 8 reference though
suck it, Linda Davis! you got skooled by little girl
out of the choices….i like it
Haven’t had a chance to read over this yet, but just caught the Lady A win. Huh?
Really surprised by this win. Guess Jamey Johnson won’t be sweeping the show after all. I expect a lot of shake-ups from the predictions already – based on this one award.
who is this superstar returning after 4 years or whatever they are talking about?
Because CMA producers know whats best for us all, they have decided to pair Jamey Johnson up with Kid Rock. Yee Haw, y’all.
@Cory: My guess is Garth Brooks.
alright im offically switiching channels
eh thanks J.R
Carrie Underwood is a damn good singer. Wow.
oh, it’s move like michael stipe nite.
Agree with Dan @8:16. That was probably the best performance I’ve ever heard from Underwood.
I like Carrie more and more all the time. Put your jacket back on, Paisley – its the CMA’s for God’s sake.
Carrie’s unbelievable on these country parodies. Brad’s great too. They seem so at ease this year. Definitely some chemistry there. And I think the CMAs was the perfect place for a jab at Kanye, as long as it’s o-v-e-r now.
I’m liking some of these song parodies. “I Run to You” was my second favourite song nominated in that category, by quite a large margine though.
How long has it been since Reba’s been on this show?
correction: he’s dancing like jennifer nettles
Carrie did awesome on the “Blue” Parady. Darius sounds awful. His voice is too harsh.
single of the year was BS its not that it wasent good but there was better
LeeAnn didnt she and LeAnn Rimes do something for duets??
this award is going to be interesting
Score!
wait. did we get the note that anton lavey’s son was nominated for song of the year?
Yes! “In Color” won!
Hey!! Anyone else remember when the CMA’s valued the song of the year award enough to at least place it an hour into the show?
What are you guys seeing in Brad and Carrie that I am missing????
I stumbled into a “Hair” revival.
I remember that, Cory.
im in for KELLY!
Good for you Jamey – My favorite album of the year!
Right you are, Cory (about song of the year)
whatdya know? miranda lambert doesn’t care either.
Don’t agree with the Lady A win- “I Run To You” is good, but nowhere NEAR single of the year.
Kind of glad Jamey won, but I really hoping for a Carrie/Randy moment. Carrie and Brad have great chemistry this year- LOVE all the parodies.
I like the live version of ‘White Liar’ better than the album version.
I just keep picturing the CMA’s when you could find Patty Loveless, Vince Gill, Trisha Yearwood and Randy Travis all rocking it out in one night….sorry if im bitter tonight, the CMA’s bring out the worst in me hahaha
“Zac Brown Band” covers a country-rock classic”. Oh, that’s reassuring.
While I’ve enjoyed the parodies, Taylor’s was still the best one so far….
Miranda sounded good. The song’s been growing on me too.
If Swift wins anything, it will disgrace the CMA’s. She is a poser of the highest order.
Anyone else notice that everyone in the front row was clapping wildly for Jamey…except for Kenny Chesney? He had his hands in his pocket… Maybe these award shows get old for the artists after a while…
The fat white guy in the front row when Darius went to the crowd was hilarious with his inability to keep the beat and clap along. How hard is it to count to 4.
Right you are, Diamond – but you can’t call it a true parody until Miley shows up and duets with Taylor.
Law & Order SVU comes on in 30 minutes….do i switch to the failing TV Drama, or do i stay with the failing award show??? any votes?
paisley sucks. it’s like listening to someone sing my grocery list. back to new guy on match.com.
I’d stick with the CMAs, Cory. They haven’t gotten bad enough for me to start boycotting yet. Still looking forward to Sugarland’s performance and a few other moments myself.
On a side note, the lyrics to this Paisley song are actually pretty good. It’s the production I don’t care for.
The mix is bad on this Paisley song.
Shania isnt the superstar returning to the CMA’s is it?
This isn’t working live for me.
i call bs on this piece of crap. where’s paisley living that they burn a cross in the front yard?
Don’t go Cory – Reba hasn’t shed her obligatory award-show tears…yet
I love the Paisley recording, but the live performance would not win me over.
the devil went down to georgia. and came back with a piece of crap cover.
Treacle, it wasn’t *his* front yard.
ZBB are doing really well.
KC said: “8:38 KC: The history geek in me wants to tell Brad that he just woke up the founder of the Lutherans, not the leader of the civil rights movement.”
Ha. Don’t think it’d fit in the phrasing/rhyme scheme though.
Really, why this instead of one of the three major hits they’ve had this year?
Well, if they were to do a rock classic, I’m good with this choice.
i know, leeann. but it’s a phony stupid reference that rings hollow. it’s very november 2008. also, zac brown needs to get that mole looked at, but i’m glad they did the “son of a bitch” version.
I like this, actually.
NO performances has really blown me away yet tonight. Both Miranda and Brad’s performances were solid, ZBB isn’t impressing me,and Taylor’s…well enough said. Maybe Sugarland will be able to change that.
well son of a bitch, indeed. zb band won me over in the end.
that was awesome!
What’s your dog’s name Leeann?
Treacle, he wasn’t referencing 2008 though. Stuff like that still happens now too, by the way.
“8:42 KC: The devil went down to K-Mart, he was looking for some clothes to wear. He found a polo shirt and stone-washed jeans for his big awards show affair.”
Ha!
“KC: I cursed on the CMAs. That means I’m hard-core!”
Lol, agreed.
8:45 KC: I cursed on the CMAs. That means I’m hard-core!
It does for this show.
george is old!
I know he wasn’t referencing that Leeann. My point is that the lyric is a very November 2008 kind of lyric – it feels very dated already. And really? Taking a stand against cross-burning? Be bold man. Stand athwart history and scream “no child molesting”.
George sounds most on-key so far.
Sheldon, my dog is Amigo.
wait – Taylor Swift sings in Lady A too?
good night folks, SVU is down to 8 million viewers a week, they need every viewer they can get till this Leno thing is over! enjoy the show!
Enjoyed the Strait performance.
Lady Antebellum is just starting, but it seems like they’re going to do fine. This is my favorite of their singles so far too. Glad somebody is still singing about drinking without the twelve step approach tacked onto it.
I was expecting something a little more country, Leeann. Porter…Hank etc. heh heh..
Okay, Treacle…:(
George sounded really good.
so Restless Heart died and came back as Lady A
i like the lady!
Ha, Sheldon, he came with his name, though I like it.
Lady A sounded decent.
Lady A was did pretty good (expect for the Taylor Swift like notes that she hit near the end).
or it means he sang the song they way it was originally sung. But that doesn’t fit Kevin’s joke I suppose
Why won’t Neil Flynn just punch Patricia Heaton in the face?
A lot of sugar for Patricia?
watch out Shoney’s. Gary LeVox is in for some binge eating after this loss.
i was hoping for zach!
Finally! RF has finally been dethroned! Man, it’s a good night to be Lady A.
Good for Lady Antebellum. The Rascal Flatts reign has ended!
8:53 KC: I bet Miranda Lambert feels just like that string of Christmas lights.
Kevin, you’re killing me!
Yes to Lady A!!!, but what is Charles wearing? You’re supposed to dress up a bit.
I was thinking the same thing, Treacle – buffets of Nashville beware.
8:57 KC: Rascal Flatts didn’t win, which is more satisfying than any winner could be.
True!
8:58 DM: Now the healing can begin.
Ha!
LMAO @ the binge-eating jokes.
I just want to go continue my Star Trek marathon with Bill.
At least RF was dethroned. People can’t say nothing exciting happened tonight.
Hey Carrie…I see Paris, I see France…
i was thinking that the cma’s needed more silver-sequined hot pants. so this is obviously good for me.
Carrie was doing so well when she was singing those parody songs, now she’s giving a very shaky performance of her own song. :S
I’ll drink to that, Leeann
cut her some slack, Canadian Boy. she wasn’t worrying about her brazilian wax when she sang the parodies.
Ladies and gentlemen, your reigning Female Vocalist of the Year …
Somewhere, hockey ice is melting.
Not into the song, but I thought Carrie’s vocal was good.
carrie always sounds good
damn. i miss the judds.
@Cutting the Treacle
Lol, true true
I miss The Judds too. Wynonna looks as though the Alli program is working for her too.
Surprised at the Darius Rucker win as well.
A power-outage at the Judd Ranch just prior to the CMAs explain why mama Judd and jr. Judd look the way they do. I think they meant to grab their vinyl outfits, but grabbed the wrong hangers instead.
Well, it’s not like Darius Rucker hasn’t been around since the 90’s and won a Grammy for Best New Artist already.
great Little Jimmy joke, Brad.
little jimmy dickens, my ass. no way they let him within 10 miles of the sommet center.
I think your assessment is right on.
The Dautry song sounds like a contemporary Christian song that I heard once. Can’t remember what though.
Darius Rucker is payback, Canadian Boy. The Grammys cashed in their chip for giving Shelby Lynne best new artist after she had like 17 albums.
At least Vince gets to sing more than backup on this live version for the CMAs.
9:10 KC: Darius Rucker joins Shelby Lynne in possession of both a country new artist award and the Best New Artist Grammy.
Didn’t Carrie win both as well?
now here’s who i’d like to see together: Darius Rucker and Daughtry. And maybe they could even sing too.
I think they treated the Daughtry/Vince thing alright, at least they gave Vince a few words to sing solo, 3 or 4’s better then none. However, still dont think they belong.
9:12 KC: Much like cheddar cheese and Grey Goose, Vince Gill makes everything a little bit better.
Kevin’s one of my favorite bloggers for a reason, Folks!
9:11 DM: Good thing Daughtry is here. I was worried they might mention the Country Music Hall of Fame inductees or something.
Dan too.
So this song was turned into a duet with Vince Gill so Daughtry could promote it to the country audience and sing it on ABC prime time? That’s the only reason I can think of adding Vince to this.
@J.R. from 8:06 p.m. Ha!!
The Single of the Year slate was nearly awful, save for “In Color,” and I have to believe “I Run to You” is one of the worst choices ever in that category. Single should represent the best three-four minutes from Music Row all year. As catchy as it is, can “I Run to You” stand up to that honor?
J.R., Vince sings background vocals on the album recording. I still think it’s ridiculous that he performed it at the CMAs though. I believe this song was sent to country radio though.
“So this song was turned into a duet with Vince Gill so Daughtry could promote it to the country audience and sing it on ABC prime time? That’s the only reason I can think of adding Vince to this.”
The song appeared on Daughtry’s album, and Vince was the one who agreed to sing harmony vocals.
There’s so much left of this show.
Brad got Jimmy Dickens on!!
sing Mountain Dew!
Ah crap, another damn Kanye stab.
i liked how that nice lady leaned over and explained to taylor who little jimmy is.
Taylor has no idea who that old man is, and keiths performance is gonna put me to sleep
Thanks for the correction guys. I didn’t know Vince was on the album version of the song.
Also, LOVED the Little Jimmy Dickens joke. I know it’s a bit old now, but that bit made me laugh out loud.
9:21 DM: I don’t know whether to smile that Little Jimmy got a spot at all or weep that it was just so he could deliver a limp Kanye joke.
Yeah, that’s kinda how I feel about Vince too.
it’s nice of keith urban to sing Lady A’s castoffs.
Hey, I like Keith’s new song, can someone tell me what it’s called?
Treacle,
Wow! I think you’re on to something there.:)
No! No! I hate it when they throw in annoying electric guitar solos.
I’m not sure Canadian Boy. I think it was on On The Border, wasn’t it?
I know the whole concept was unoriginal and I’m sure it didn’t take more than a stagehand’s IQ to come up with, but I enjoyed the Dickens skit. Kudos to Brad for gettig him out there.
Keith Urban kinda bores me these days.
Your snark is keeping me laughing, Treacle.
Name-dropping overdose.
I remember when I used to love Keith Urban. I want those days back again. Do another Crowell song, Keith.
mcgraw sounds very good. it’s a stupid song. not one mention of the south’s proudest contribution: proud drag queens who take it seriously.
9:27 DM: Tim forgot his first few words because he was looking around waiting for that “famous Southern people” montage Kevin promised to start up. Now that it has, he’s good.
Nice recall, Dan!
Any guesses on who is going to present Entertainer? Could my beloved Dolly be lurking in the shadows??
Little Jimmy Dicken’s bit has found a place in my CMA favorite moments. Along with Naomi’s “Slap the dog”.
so 20 seats for service members out of, what, 15,000 seats. booyah
Time for Sugarland!
I liked Stay part 1 better. No thanks Sugarland.
oh cool. it’s “stay some more”.
right on, Stephen. so this is apparently Jennifer Nettles’ signature move: they take away her hair brush and staple her feet to the floor.
Sugarland sounding great as usual. I like this song a lot, and have been consistently impressed with their single choices.
Jennifer looks great. who’s her guitar player?
(just kidding)
but i like how she says “can’t” so it rhymes with “paint”
i like when nettles gets a little catatonic at the end of songs
Agree with J.R. Journey and their performance.
wanda sykes?
WTF!NO! Taylor did not just beat the likes of Brad, Sugarland and Jamey Johnson! NO!
just cursed outloud
b&d farewell performance? didn’t the judds keep getting nominated until 1998?
Congratulations, Taylor on winning album of the year as voted on by the 15 and under crowd. Congratulations Jamey Johnson on album of the year as voted on by everyone else.
Brad. Be very nervous.
‘she made everyone on the album look like genius” ya for autotuning and making your voice decent enough to listen to.
i don’t know what you’re listening to tonight highwayman3 but a lot of these folks are autotuning it. so far, only strait, mcgraw and nettles sound good.
Well, I am going to take a stab and say that Taylor is your Entertainer of the Year as well. I thought she had a better shot at Entertainer than Album, so that’s my new prediction.
Looking forward to seeing Reba perform now. And the Female Vocalist trophy.
Did Leeann throw in the towel on watchin?
I didn’t think Tim sounded good though.
No, Highwayman, but I may or may not have fallen asleep for a sec.:)
gee. i wonder what a ronnie dunn solo album will sound like.
Ah…a Rough Stock commenter was ticked about me not liking this B&D song. Oops.
oh, for the last cma performance, they’re letting kix pretend to sing. good for them.
Man, I can’t stand this song. Can’t believe that this is going to be there last single. They better surprise us with a live CD or something next year.
Someone unplugged Kix’s mic. God is Great…
Sugarland (or should I say Nettles and monkey) didn’t sound all that great. She did, but every time she would sing “hide” I thought a cat was dying. That was awful. Then she’d sound fantastic. Then awful. Then fantastic…
So eh.
i don’t care what anyone says: if you’ve started a fight in a waffle house over a girl and got arrested in the parking lot, you’re country. in fact, you’re more country than anyone else in this show.
Cutting the Treacle has been more entertaining than the actual show.
Damn you, Kid Rock for wrecking Jamey’s song. And no, CMA producers, this little pairing still don’t make you guys cool. in the least.
I’da rather Jamey do this one solo.
Glad this is the song Jamey Johnson and Kid Rock are performing, but I’d have preferred to hear Johnson do it solo.
Me and Amigo couldn’t agree more Leeann
I think Jamey’s performance would’ve been one of the best of the night if Kid Rock hadn’t joined him.
Oh, and Kid Rock’s John Rich shout-out ruined any chance for me enjoying his segment of the performance. Damn all these pop and rock stars infiltrating our country awards shows.
they have nascar and the troops and can’t even get it right. someone give me a gut-wrenching song. in color – the verse about the soldiers at war. gives me chill bumps. but hey, a car for auction is cool too.
Amigo is blissfully asleep.
Lucky, lucky Amigo
Ohhhhh Jennifeeeeeeerrrrrrr!!!!!
AWKWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guess B&D don’t get their obligatory sendoff.
Wow, that was kind of rude of B&D.
“Up next a moving performance from Taylor Swift”
The CMA’s should learn not to make promises that they can’t keep.
Never invite the losers up. It never works. Ever.
Hey, Rascal Flatts are binging on Wendy’s bacon cheeseburgers in the commercial. You guys were right!
No Worries, Leeann – they will be nominated for years to come, just as the Judds were… There is always next year. And if not then, we’ll have to wait till the 2011 reunion tour.
I know there was no chance of J+R winning, but they’ve got a special place in my heart nonetheless.
Thought Johnson/Kid duet was awkward, and agree it would have been better solo, also during Zach Browns performance, the whole time I was waiting for Charlie Daniels to enter, hes in Nashville, was at the walk of fame 3 days ago a block away, a missed oppourtunity there.
I’m missing the new episode of South Park … the last hour better be worth it.
Ha, Cnadian Boy.
“Up next a moving performance from Taylor Swift”
The CMA’s should learn not to make promises that they can’t keep.
It’s unfortunate that we have to put up with this garbage.
Highwayman3…you didn’t get the CMA producer’s handbook in the mail. ONE legend per show is all ABC allows. It was either Little Jimmy or Charlie Daniels NOT both. We now return to our program.
To no one’s surprise, Taylor Swift’s fans are as tone-deaf as she is.
@J.R. That’s how I feel about ABC’s Modern Family being off the air this week. I will not stop talking about that show.
Taylor’s returned. Along with Hendersonville High School.
Sony BMG is supposed to be this big dominator, but only Paisley’s earned a win for them so far.
Kanye. NOW. Please…
I’m wondering if the CMA producers told the girls in the audience they’d get camera time if they sang louder than Taylor Swift so they don’t have to turn on the backing track halfway through.
Jonathan!
haha to Sheldon, sing it loud little girls, drown out her voice.
Unless something shocking happens, this is shaping up to be the night when the CMA fully turns the corner from traditional to mainstream.
Jonathan, my thoughts exactly.
Is this what our beloved CMA awards has turned into??? Where’s Janie Fricke and her headband? Where’s nutty Loretta and zany Minnie?? Where’s Shania and her bellybutton? Why isn’t Dolly sitting on someone’s lap and calling the accountant an undertaker?? Where is George Jones…Alan Jackson…Ricky Van Shelton…Anne Murray…
Well said, Jonathan.
kenny chesney reminds me of a monchichi
Taylor’s back singers are worse than she is.
i’m with you, sheldon. man, i miss minnie pearl.
Favorite vocal of the night so far: Carrie’s parody of “Blue.”
Remember when Minnie and Dolly presented an award a hundred years ago, and Minnie said something to the effect that “for those of you just tuning in, Minnie Pearl is the one with the hat.”
Umm… that Sugerland call for B&R was so awkward I am still clenching my butt cheeks 10 minutes later… WHY oh WHY?
Lisa – almost as awkward as when Garth left his American Music Award on the podium.
*B&D…they’re not quite as bad as B&R.:)
i do remember that sheldon. there’s just not one song to break your heart. and now they crap on the hall of fame.
Hey, here’s the Hall of Fame inductees. At least Martina gets to sing a tribute. No doubt this will be shortened though.
CMA REDEEMED!!!!!!
hey! at least a song for the country hall of fame! and i was so glad roy clark made the hall of fame. there’s not enough high yell’ers in there.
martina mcbride cannot hit lower registers. do i really think she put peanuts in her coke? yes. but she doesn’t look it.
If Taylor wins FVOTY, we’ll have serious problems.
one damn goosebump moment in the whole show.
kevin…dont say that
holy crap: earth open up and swallow me now. they let one HOF’er speak!
Okay, that was pretty cool. I’ll give ’em credit, though I would have appreciated for my guy, Vince too. The first year they decided not to include the HoF.
Roy could have played guitar on that tribute. Geez.
Is it just me or does that dress and backdrop remind anyone else of the Cindy Walker Hall of Fame induction speech? It’s just very visually similar.
And I am stoked to see Barbara get some stage time.
Roy can still play/sing. No excuse for this slight. I saw him a year ago.
If she wins MY butt cheeks will remain clamped for a LOT longer than 10 minutes.
So, that was the surprise of the night…including Hall of Fame. Wonder what brought that back?
Well that was a shock and appreciated. I was waiting for George Jones to walk out but Strait was good too
CMA REDEEMED!!!!!!
———–
I think not. It doesn’t make up for the rest of the night.
Wonder if Roy couldn’t make it?
the problem: prosperity. my parents grew up on farms. we grew up in the suburbs. reba grew up on a ranch in oklahoma. taylor grew up in the philly suburbs. there’s no going back.
I love Emmylou Harris and obviously wish she had received her due last year.
However, you can’t complain that they cut the HOF thing and then complain when they bring it back. There is such a thing as being overly negative.
Best part of the CMA’s just happened, folks. Barbara looked great, and is as gracious as ever.
Good for George Strait for stepping out of his comfort zone. I almost forgive him for playing down his CMA speech for “Murder on Music Row” a few years back (When he had the chance to plug traditional country, he tried to pass the song off as kind of a joke…).
10:26 KC: Now they brought the Hall of Fame CMA moment back? After the Emmylou Harris induction has already come and gone?
Kevin, we’re both bitter. I’m bitter about Emmylou too.
Anyone know a site to live stream the show?
J.R – glad you mentioned the Cindy Walker speech – one of the best moments in the CMA history that could have turned bad quick but didn’t.
Reba’s in good voice but what does ‘if you don’t get drunk on my kiss’ mean?
WHERE did Reba get THOSE? Never noticed them that big before…
Uh oh – the whisky’s talkin’
“However, you can’t complain that they cut the HOF thing and then complain when they bring it back.”
I think it’s valid. I’m happy it’s “back”, but wish they hadn’t done it in the first place. What about the people who were slighted by the stupid move in the first place?
man, reba can hold and twist the hell out of a note. but why couldn’t she botox so we could see her forehead?
i think she always had those, sheldon. the reason that red dress got so much attention . . .
http://www.justin.tv/gzowner
Hey Tara. Hope you’re enjoying France!
I think our server wants to call it quits too. Anyone else having problems?
I think I remember sheldon drinking during last year’s telecast, too.
David Letterman is sooo wrong.
Fine, I’ll say it. Reba shouldn’t wear sleeveless shirts. Although I bet I am the only one who noticed because the sleeveless shirt she is wearing only covers half of her chest.
i think it’s unfair that they made dierks get a dye job. but i like his new song.
I do like the guitar in the Currington single though.
You are right, Blake. My liver gets a workout every CMA night. I used to call in sick to watch the show…have it taped since back in ’88…
So far the last hour is shaping up to be the best of the night.
Currington is sounding better here than he did when I saw him live in Kalamazoo.
Billy needs to learn to work a stage, boring and uninterested, it’ll come in a few years.
LeeAnn: But them bringing it back acknowledges they screwed up in the first place.
They take away stuff like that because people complain. When it comes back and people complain still it just gives them justification. Sometimes you have to let the bitterness fade for the greater good
If I remember correctly, Blake, you were too?
you can’t really knock Martina for not being country enough when she’s singing for Barbara Mandrell….she wasn’t exactly the most country thing I’ve ever heard…
Hey Blake…could our friend Kris be nipping out of the whisky bottle tonite too?
miranda is pissed.
cursing right now and pissed
What.A.Joke
Uh-oh. Looks like the Mayans and John Cusack had it wrong…
Reba is definitely starting to look her age, the treatments and surgeries can only go so far. Still sounds great though. I like this song more and more as I hear it.
Thanks so much for the link. Found it just in time.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Color me shocked!!!
i like how kris fondled taylor off the stage.
OKay, well the CMA’s are either being voted by teens or deaf people. Honestly, the songs parodies aren’t the only jokes tonight. Where’s Kanye when you need him?
The only nominee who is not a vocalist. Nice work, Academy.
No Dolly. damn.
That was awesome CMAs! A female vocalist that can’t sing. Now Shania should sue them for not giving her the award…
I’m pretty sure country music will be the laughing stock tomorrow morning.
people who bashed carrie are gonna miss her now
I am surprised. But she deserved it if we’re awarding this on commercial success.
She doesn’t deserve vocalist. Entertainer? Maybe. Album? sure. But vocalist? No.
Could she not of given a more mature and energetic speech for such a prestigous (used to be) award? Didn’t she thank Reba and Shania before?
Anyone notice how much Mandrell’s son Nathan looks like his dad Ken? When she went to the stage, you could see him sitting beside her…unless it was Ken…hmmm
I noticed the little grab-ass on Kris’ part, Treacle. Can’t blame him.
The CMA traditionally don’t “pile on” the way the ACM has. I’m wondering now if Taylor won’t win the Entertainer award.
Oh, and I’ve grown to LOOOOOOVE “Consider Me Gone.”
VP, I missed her speech. I was too shocked to hear it.
dan..lets just said…they ar enot the happiest persons right know….i would be concerned to about the miranda lambert fans…she was everyones nect choice for vocalist
I’m pretty sure this song put me to sleep back when I had to review it.
d minor is the saddest chord.
ten bucks says Taylor hasn’t a hot clue who K.T Oslin is….
10:46 KC: Pardon my absence. I had to put a “Kanye Was Right” sticker on my car.
Ha!!
aldjldasdk Kenny Chesney. My ears are crying.
If I just came off a tour that grossed a bazillion bucks, I too would go down to the J.C Penney store and buy me a blue button-up shirt to wear to the CMA’s.
Ngl, though, I didn’t want Carrie to win her 4th FV this year. But I thought the award to go to someone, you know, worthy. Miranda would have worked for me.
DMB had a good cover of Long Black Veil. why not sing that?
Funny Leeann!
All I know is that I didn’t expect anything interesting to happen tonight. Boy, was I wrong. It should be fun to watch TS v. CU feud tomorrow.
I actually like “People Are Crazy.” It is a throwback to some of the simpler, slightly goofy.corny country songs of the Roger Miller era. It’s not a classic like some of those but it’s a simple sentiment that has a good title and line with it and it connects.
Dave Matthews is terrible. Overrated and not nearly as good as his devotees make him out to be. I’m far more disappointed that he showed up here than haivng someone like Kid Rock on the show
i dont think its gonna be a fued…its pretty unanimous that taylor is no vocalist
Tim and Faith are gonna have to stretch…looks like there is lots of time left…
to the extent people are voting the business end of the music business (as dolly might say), don’t be surprised that taylor’s winning. she’s probably keeping a hell of a lot of people employed – more than carrie for sure.
Well, the Carrie fans will be ready to burn down Nashville by morning. I’m still not upset by Taylor’s victory, no matter how ‘bad’ her vocals are. She was the most successful artist and most visible for country music in the past year. I think she’s gonna win this Entertainer award too … Let’s see.
I swear if Taylor wins……
How did they chose the songs for the Entertainer announcement? They seem random.
Holy crap!!! Taylor sweeps.
This is the historic moment in time when the CMA’s lose their credibility.
Knew it!
Congratulations to Taylor. I have nothing negative to say about this young lady. But I’ll probably get a laugh out of everybody’s comments.
I just want to cry, ashamed that this is what its come to.
finally, a good, genuine moment.
Well. I think it’s safe the fit’s gonna hit the shan right about now. I’m so disheartened.
Taylor deserved this one. Congrats.
A healthy debate about what the CMAs mean now, and in the future, begins in earnest now. Or it should.
and she brings up the band. i like that too. none of the crap about getting some other nominee on stage. she remembers the ones what brought her here.
Wow. they ended early. Usually, they’re pulling the last winner off the stage.
Country music has just jumped the shark.
The pandering towards the mainstream has now become unbearable.
… and good night everybody. It’s been a fun time commenting and reading everybody else’s thoughts. See everybody at the Grammy’s.
Most CMAs by a woman in one night = 4. Alison Krauss and Taylor Swift….what poor company for Alison to be in!
MILEY WAS ROBBED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Give Amigo a scratch on the head for me as you head to bed, Leeann
lol sheldon too funny
I’m pretty sure country music will be the laughing stock tomorrow morning.
Not only tomorrow, but for the remainder of Country musics’ life, which isn’t that long as it will cease to exist in a few decades.
10:57 KC: And she brought out the band. And she thanked the fans. And she’s crying. Darn you, Taylor Swift. Making me be happy for you!
Ditto, Kevin.
I’ll say it right now. I don’t mind that she won Entertainer or album…just that Female Vocalist kills me and the clean sweep hurts some too.
quick…someone Tweet Blake Shelton and get him stirred up!
Will do, Sheldon. Thanks.:)
Well dispite some disappointing and questionable results it was still fun. See everyone at the Grammy’s. Goodnight.
Country music has just jumped the shark.
The pandering towards the mainstream has now become unbearable.
It’s not just a pandering to the mainstream but a pandering towards pure Pop. The death of Country music will occur during our lifetime.
I have lost all respect for the CMA’s they like CMT have turned into the Taylor show…..soooo many talented artists in that place and the whole show was about her. I am watching the begining again and can say I can’t believe she won F or E banging her head around expressing the wrong emotions to what she is singing, and sounding horrible all the same.
You have Reba who sounded great right before they gave out the award then you give it to her.
That Kanye stuff solidified this show for her pitty votes.
It almost makes me feel like the day after a controversial voting day. I just kinda want to avoid people to stay out of the outrage from either side.
Quick, get Blake Shelton to play “The Last Country Song”!
Great blog K & D! Wish I could’ve helped out…thanks for your work :)
The death of Country music will occur during our lifetime.
It just did occur or were you not paying attention?
Just a few comments since I didn’t catch the whole show:
-Somewhat shocked about Taylor’s Female Vocalist win. In THAT company? Change the name of the award to “Top Selling Female Vocalist” instead. I laughed at her “thanks to everyone in this room for not coming up onstage” line. But apparently I missed all the earlier Kanye references, so everyone else probably hated it.
-Nice shout out to Reba and Faith by Taylor when she won Female Vocalist of the Year. I wonder how many times Reba has been mentioned in acceptance speeches. I can recall Trisha, Patty Loveless and Shania all mentioning Reba at some speech or other. (I might be recalling some ACM speeches and not CMA though.)
-I like that Reba is still the only female artist to win Female Vocalist of the Year 4 years in a row. :)
One comment on the live blogging – did someone really write that SISSY SPACEK was one of the women who’ve won Album of the Year?!?!? That is hilarious!!!
I’m beyond PO’d right now! I don’t care that pop princess Taylor Swift took home Video and Album but to award her the Entertainer of the Year prize over people like Kenny, Brad, Keith, and George is just down right wrong. And to award a barely decent vocalist with the honor of Female Vocalist is just plain outrageous!! It should be interesting to see the wave of controversy/backlash tomorrow. Oh and I’m pretty sure Taylor forgot to thank Kanye in all of her speeches since I’m sure some or even most of the votes were pity votes.
On a lighter note, I’m VERY happy for Lady Antebellum!!! I think “I Run to You” is an awesome song and deserved Single of the Year. Also, I’m very happy they ended Rascal Flatts’ run and won Vocal Group. They’ve had an amazing year and I hope they win many more!
Also, I was very excited to see Martina and George’s tribute to Barbara Mandrell…I’m glad they’re finally recognizing the Hall of Fame inductees more on the show.
And lastly, Brad and Carrie did an awesome job tonight! I think they were a million times better this year than last year! I hope to see them hosting again next year! And I’m also praying they don’t have Brad and Taylor host because I don’t think that’ll work.
I think Taylor’s “Thanks to everyone in the room for not coming up on stage” comment was her way of acknowledging that she knew everyone in the room was thinking someone else should have won, and she probably genuinely didn’t expect that award.
“i dont think its gonna be a fued…its pretty unanimous that taylor is no vocalist”
I wholeheartdly agree with that. It isn’t just Carrie fans who are upset; people all over the internet are fuming. Even Taylor’s own fans admit she is no vocalist.
It’s a disgrace that NO other woman won that award; every female country artist is better than Swift. This almost makes me discount all the years before that great vocalists like Reba, Carrie, and Martina won. Were those pity votes too?
I’ll give Taylor Entertainer any day of the week; she deserved it over any other nominee by a wide margin. I was almost hoping for her to win to break up the routine.
But the only rationale reasons I can think of for vocalist and album were sales. Sad.
I think Taylor is a great girl, but these awards shows are about talent, not personality.
Did anyone else notice how all the female vocalist nominees looked a bit glum? The ladies barely smiled or even looked at the camera.
I was a bit dissapointed in Carrie though; her outfit was a little too much, especially for the young veiwers watching.
All I can say is that if Taylor’s just a fad, she will fade quickly. But if she isn’t, I can only hope that she grows in every aspect and truly deserves those awards.
It just did occur or were you not paying attention?
Knee-jerk reaction. It died a long time ago.
Don’t want to be a jacka**, but
“Yo Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’ll let you finish, but Carrie Underwood is one of the best female vocalists of all time. One of the best female vocalists of all time!”
Late to the party here, but I saw the show at work (one of the perks).
As usual, great comments everyone, more entertaining than the show.
But keep your eye on Zac Brown, he’s got the genuine country charisma, tons of talent and a rabid club following that will be the core of his progress. Great cover of “Devil”.
Great perfromance by Miranda, great talent her time will come. (If there’s any justice in this world) Joey and Rory also. Let’s not start another duo dynasty, please…Sugarland has talent, but come on folks, give someone else a chance. Do we really need to replace one dynasty with another? Jennifer’s solo career put on indefinite hold……
With only a few lines, Country singer Vince Gill easily outshines pop singer Daughtry. Not a surprise.
Jamey Johnson’s win for In Color gave me hope for Country, Taylor’s sweep dashed it.
Johnson expressed surprise they let him attend these awards shows..I’m surprised he shows up. And that’s not a dig against JJ.
Barbara Mandrell, classy, talented lady from a classy era. But we don’t even have to go back that far. Clint, Patty, Trisha, Dwight, Roseanne, Kathy, Sara, we need you now more than ever. May you take your rightful places once again in the limelight. Thank God for you all, and for George and AJ.
Brad and Carrie did a great job as hosts. Underwood is a great singer, but her parodies were far better than her feature CC performance. Once again, Carrie’s miscast as trashy, wardrobe wise anyway, and the song is awful. Maybe now that Carrie has been relieved of her reign, she will be able to focus on better material. Sorry that didn’t happen before her current album though.
Taylor’s sweep, the ultimate and logical culmination of children in charge. Go figure, fickle kids turning their backs on Carrie and putting TS on the throne. At least Carrie can sing, but she cannot make herself younger than Taylor, time being the forward flowing phenonmon that it is and all. Miley, you’re on deck, your crossover is calling, and Carrie and Taylor have already blurred the lines for you…should be just a short hop, skip and a jump from pop to country-lite now. You’ll hardly notice the transition.
IMO Taylor deserved vocalist as much as Carrie deserved Entertainer of the year at the ACMs
Quote by Cory DeStein:
“speaking of things that dont belong in country music……..KID ROCK”
Well said! (IMO)
As for Taylor Swift–well, this is kind of what the country music industry gets for making a megastar out of someone who is all flash and no substance…and even worse, no Voice.
Did anyone miss the Country Music Awards last night? If so, you missed a really great show. Everyone big name in country was there, and there were some really great performances. Kenny Chesney performed with Dave Matthews and it was so good. I’m really glad that Darius Rucker won best new artist. I always loved his work in Hootie, so when I finally listened to his country record I instantly fell in love with it. There’s a whole write up including the winners and a photo gallery over at iHeartRadio. You should definitely check it out if you missed it! The link is http://www.iheartradio.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=104650&article=6299529&cmp=and_cmawinners.
IMO Taylor deserved vocalist as much as Carrie deserved Entertainer of the year at the ACMs
Valid point. I was waiting for someone to bring that up. I’ve never been able to 100% defend Carrie’s ACM win, but I think the difference is that it was partially fan-voted. When an award is fan-voted, how can you not “deserve” it? That’s what I found so funny about Kanye’s outburst at the VMAs.
Finally had a chance to YouTube Carrie’s CC performance, and it’s strangely comforting that she lost FVOTY after that. Definitely not her best moment.
Steve from Boston, I am with you on Joey + Rory- sometime! But Sugarland had a stellar year. They earned their award. I hope J+R have a shot at some point, but right now it was way too early for them. Next year, I am rooting for them all the way!
Gotta admit I wasn’t impressed with Cowboy Casanova, but I can’t deny that the girl can sing. Don’t think “Trashy” is quite the right term for it. Patty Loveless wore an outfit just like that when I saw her in 1997, tank top, mini-skirt, and the skirt opened up to a pair of tiny cheerleading shorts, and she’s as far away from the word “trashy” as you can get :D
The parodies with Brad and Carrie did make me laugh, I love them hosting.
Not even sure I have words to describe the Taylor sweep. Wow. Ridiculous. And I too, had high hopes after they gave Jamey Johnson an award. At least they did something right LOL!
The highlight of the show for me was the Zac Brown Band – and to be honest I did not expect to like them. I guess they chose to cover “Devil went down to Georgia” to better show off their musicians in addition to Zac’s singing. Lady A and Sugarland were very good but I would have preferred a different song from Nettles like “Very Last Country Song”.
Biggest disappointments: Darius Rucker who really sounded flat and Billy Currington’s zombie like performance. The awards for single and song had already been announced before he came on so maybe he was just going through the motions? I still love the song “People Are Crazy”. There were quite a few other cases where either the song or the performance was poor, but since I had no expectations, I didn’t feel let down.
I love “Welcome to the Future” but Brad’s vocals were weak. He sounded much better when he performed at the White House.
almost forgot.
Great line by Jon Caramanica of the NY Times in his review of the CMA Awards:
The coming sea change in country could be seen in several categories, especially ones that have long been associated with a single artist: each one has five nominees, though often that has seemed like too many, with minor figures routinely nominated to fill the extra slots, LIKE DECOYS in a POLICE LINEUP.
The funny thing is, had Carrie sang Cowboy Casanova standing still and moving a little, people would criticize her for not pushing the song to it’s full potenial. Damned if you do…
CountryFan…Patty and Carrie’s overall styles are just completely different, there is just no comparison despite the example you cite.
I’m with Bob on Brad’s performance. I know he can do it well live, because it sounded very good for the White House performance, but not so good at the CMAs.
And Stephen, Carrie’s song selection is part of the problem from my point of view. She is far better than her material, and these strutting songs are beneath her.
Leeann, I agree…I’ve noticed at these awards shows and other TV appearances, Brad is not at his vocal best. He seems nervous (understandably) but I’ve heard him in concert a few times, and he is fantastic when he’s more in his element.
Sorry I missed his White House performance.
You can probably youtube it, Steve.
If you want to see the performance, it can be viewed at http://www.whitehouse.gov/…/Brad-Paisley-Performs-at-the-White-House-Welcome-to-the-Future –
It includes his comments before the performance which I really enjoyed. After hearing him speak before the President and Mrs. Obama, I’m more than ever a fan of his.
it’s strangely comforting that she lost FVOTY after that. Definitely not her best moment.
^^ and also strangely insulting that Swift won after the horrific opening performance.
Watch them back to back, and it’s flabbergasting how Underwood’s supposedly bad day is still 1000x better than Swift’s normal days.
“and also strangely insulting that Swift won after the horrific opening performance.
Watch them back to back, and it’s flabbergasting how Underwood’s supposedly bad day is still 1000x better than Swift’s normal days.”
100% agree. Carrie is a fabulous vocalist, and no woman besides Martina compares to her. She is allowed to have an off day- it’s called being human.
I can’t believe you’d dare to call this a bad perfomance will not even mentioning the I-can’t use-the-off-day-excuse-because I-just-can’t-sing- Swift.
This is the only day I’ve ever been ashamed to be a fan of country music.
I stand as a PROUD fan of Carrie, a woman who sings her a** off and doesn’t make excuses for talent.
Thanks Leeann, and thanks Bob for the link, but the link didn’t work for me for some reason.
“^^ and also strangely insulting that Swift won after the horrific opening performance.
Watch them back to back, and it’s flabbergasting how Underwood’s supposedly bad day is still 1000x better than Swift’s normal days.”
100% agree. Whether you like Carrie or not, it’s not difficult to see she is a fabulous vocalist.
It’s a shame that she had to be in the same category as the worst “vocalist” in any genre. Carrie is allowed to have a bad day- it’s called being human for goodness sakes. Fans don’t ever have to use the “she was sick” or “her microphone was bad” excuse for EVERY live performance.
I stand as a PROUD Carrie fan while Taylor has made me ashamed to be a country music fan.
Shame on the CMA’s for making a complete mockery of themselves.
Besides that disaster of a show… I must say… glad that Reba still has kept her record.
And NOW, has anyone heard what Wynonna has said about EOTY??? Talk About “Hill VS Underwood” 2009
(I’m sure Wynonna didnt mean to insult Swift tho)
“Whether you like Carrie or not, it’s not difficult to see she is a fabulous vocalist. ”
Glad to see that the Handmaiden of Satan finally got her comeuppance. Her performance was like a musical enema.
Watch them back to back, and it’s flabbergasting how Underwood’s supposedly bad day is still 1000x better than Swift’s normal days.
I’m aware, but I stand by my statement that it wasn’t her best performance. Although I just watched the song parodies and those are some ridiculous vocals. Not so comforting anymore.
I find Wynonna’s comment fair but a little odd. A couple of years ago, after the “vanilla” incident back stage at the CMAs, she made a statement about Carrie that went something along the lines of…I don’t understand why people are questioning the timing of her success, because how can you question God’s timing?
It stuck with me all these years because I liked the way she put it (though I can’t find it now). But you can’t apply that reasoning to some situations and not others, IE Taylor’s…
Wynonna said that she felt it was much too soon for Swift to win, then later she apologized on her website for any misconceptions.
… Well guess it wasnt as big of a deal as the Hill VS Underwood deal… We’ll see which news magazines take up this story.
ARTICLE SAID:
Before the awards, Judd told USA Today that the 19 year-old’s nomination was “too much, too soon . . . Time is God’s way of keeping everything from happening at once. It’s just too much of a good thing soon . . . I want kids to earn it.”
WYNONNA’S APOLOGY:
I understand that my comment about Taylor Swift’s Entertainer of the Year nomination came across as a negative statement. My intent was not to take anything away from her talent and contributions to the country music industry…all of which are truly unprecedented for an artist of ANY age. Taylor is a beautiful, hard working young woman that deserves the success she has had and I support her as an artist and as a woman in the business.
I will say that even though I am not a Carrie fan in any sense, that performance of “Cowboy Casanova” was the only time I’ve ever noticed her lose pitch for an extended period of time, and she sounded fabulous on the parody covers.
And although I’m disappointed it was Taylor who ended Carrie’s Female Vocalist run, I hope the loss will free her up a little bit. I feel like she’s been kept in a kind of artistic bubble from the moment she won Idol that’s been sustained and encouraged by her uninterrupted wins at the major award shows. Now that her run has ended, I feel like she finally has an opportunity to evolve from the “Idol winner made good” to a legitimate artist, if she so chooses.
Carrie blew me away with those parodies. I would love for her to dial back the pop. She doesn’t even have to get all traditional, but I feel there’s something better for her that was evident in those brief moments.
K,
You know Tara is a big Carrie Underwood supporter, right?She’s not out to get her. She just didn’t like Carrie’s performance last night. I appreciate fans who can admit when their artist didn’t quite hit the mark once in awhile. It helps me know I can trust their judgment by knowing they won’t just praise on autopilot.
…to a legitimate artist, if she so chooses.
I don’t think that’s fair. Artistic bubble, I might agree with. But she’s an artist. You gotta dig a little deeper to find where her artistry is coming from — and you may not agree with it — but she’s an artist.
That’s true. I didn’t mean to suggest she hasn’t demonstrated any artistry whatsoever yet – but I do think it’s been limited by the bubble.
Quoting Leeann:
“Carrie blew me away with those parodies. I would love for her to dial back the pop. She doesn’t even have to get all traditional, but I feel there’s something better for her that was evident in those brief moments.”
Exactly, and now that she has been relived of her reign, it will be very interesting to see if she chooses the artist’s road. Like Dan said, she has been limited by the bubble of commercial acclaim.
Exactly, and now that she has been relived of her reign, it will be very interesting to see if she chooses the artist’s road.
I, too, think there’s material out there that better suits her. However, I’m bothered by the suggestion that she isn’t an artist until she finds the material that *we* think suits her, regardless of whether it does or doesn’t. Frankly, I’d rather have her believe in what she’s doing 100% (and, it’s obviously subject to debate, but I really feel like “Play On” is everything she wanted it to be), than do something that sounds better but isn’t quite the route she wants to take.
I firmly believe one day she’ll find a balance of the above. But I will not refrain from calling her an artist until she does so.
“I would love for her to dial back the pop. She doesn’t even have to get all traditional, but I feel there’s something better for her that was evident in those brief moments.”
I would even be happy if she just made a higher class of country-pop, like some of the stuff on LeAnn Rimes’s Family album. I think her voice is mismatched to the bubblegum style.
Frankly, I’d rather her believe in what she’s doing 100% (and, it’s subject to debate, but I really feel like “Play On” is everything she wanted it to be), than do something that sounds better but isn’t quite the route she wants to take.”
Yeah, I can get behind that. But I do think there’s value to bringing in new faces to offer new third-party opinions. I respect Mark Bright’s talent, but I really want to hear what she’d sound with someone else at the helm, someone who might challenge her in a different way (which means not Dann Huff). Patsy Cline didn’t like “Crazy” when she first heard it.
Yeah, not Dann Huff.:)
Tara, I think she’s shown flashes of artistry, in songs like I Told You So, and How Great Thou Art..and as Leeann indicated, in those parody clips..but I wouldn’t call her an artist yet. I think Carrie is a great singer with artistic potential, but there is no way I’d call Cowboy Cassanova or Last Name “art”. Or the material she seems to gravitate towards. But I think we may have different definitions of the word, I do tend to link the word to the Traditional, and I realize you have a deeper appreciation of pop than I do.
But I do think there’s value to bringing in new faces to offer new third-party opinions. I respect Mark Bright’s talent, but I really want to hear what she’d sound with someone else at the helm,
In her (mild) defense, I think that was the intention behind bringing in DioGuardi, Martin, etc. It’s a baby step, but it shows (if you believe she’s being genuine in her reasoning) that she wants to stretch herself as an artist, even if you don’t agree with the direction of the stretch.
She’s also made the comment a few times that she’s finally comfortable with Bright after two albums, and she feels like she can open up to him. As someone who has all the personality flaws that she has, I can understand why she chose to stick with him. I think it’ll take some time, and courage, for her to take that bigger producer leap.
And I’ve officially hijacked the comments. I’m out!
. I respect Mark Bright’s talent, but I really want to hear what she’d sound with someone else at the helm, someone who might challenge her in a different way (which means not Dann Huff). Patsy Cline didn’t like “Crazy” when she first heard it.
I’m very curious since you brought this up. Who do you have in mind as other potential producers for Carrie?
I actually like that she brought in the pop big-shots; I agree it’s some kind of branching out, although I wish she would’ve balanced it with some countrier collaborations. But I almost always enjoy Max Martin’s melodies, and “Quitter” is no exception.
There are some good mainstream producers out there, including Miranda’s producer, Frank Lidell. He’s done different things with Lambert’s music.
I honestly believe Carrie is an artist. I believe Rascal Flatts are artists too though. I may not like someone’s art, but I don’t believe artists are only creative people that I like either.
“Who do you have in mind as other potential producers for Carrie?”
This is a good question, and I have to say that I probably don’t have a wide enough knowledge of current Nashville producers to offer a completely informed answer. I can only name people who I think have done good stuff:
1) Garth Fundis (Sugarland’s first, most of Trisha’s)
2) Mark Wright (Gary Allan, Lee Ann Womack, Joe Nichols)
3) Frank Rogers (Josh Turner’s and Trace Adkins’ latest)
4) Frank Liddell (Miranda Lambert, Chris Knight)
This is why I love CU so much more than all the other country blogs. There are genuine thought processes behind every comment. I agree that Carrie’s vocal wasn’t great (in fact, it was barely good to be quite honest) but I am so sick of Carrie not fully investing herself in the performance aspect of her uptempos that I found this performance to be refreshing. Honestly, a song with this much sass shouldn’t be delivered at a major award show with her waving her hands. To me, that’s a let-down and she has let me down many a times before when pulling stunts like that. I’m just glad she’s coming out of her shell a little bit. I enjoy seeing her grow.
Speaking of the Play On review, oh wait… I will harass until it is posted!
Steve, have you heard “Someday When I Stop Loving You” from the new album Play On? I think you’d like it:
Really? Lidell? The main criticism on Miranda’s album was that sound engineering was one of the worst. And it was a tragedy that the producers weren’t as imaginative as Miranda was.
I’ll admit that my saying Carrie isn’t a “legitimate artist” was a bad choice of words on my part. It’s much more debasing to her personally than how I really feel, which I’m having trouble articulating.
I like most of the production on the Miranda album, especially on the first half. The sound engineering is terrible, but I don’t know whether to blame Liddell and Mike Wrucke for that or the guy who mastered it. I guess it’s the producers’ ultimate responsibility, so you make a valid point there.
I blame him to a point, but his actual productions are solid where it’s the engineering that’s the biggest problem (the loudness in the mixes). Her first albums were produced and mixed very well. I don’t know what he was doing for this particular album, but I suspect it won’t happen again.
For the record, I do realize something can be art even if I dont like it. Not crazy about Wagnerian opera, but there’s no denying it’s art. Calling Last Name and Cowboy Cassanova “art” is certainly debatable, however.
Stephen, I’ll check out that link, thanks for that. I think I heard an amazon clip, I look foward to hearing the whole thing.
I don’t mind “Last Name.” It’s in the low B range for me.
It’s always nice reading the articles and comments on this site because everyone is so objective and open to various opinions unlike some other sites. Thanks and keep up the good work!!
I’m sorry if my comment appears twice; I’ve been
having trouble posting comments for some reason.
Leann and Tara,
I meant no disrespect with what I said, and I work hard not to be one of those crazed fans who thinks my favorite can do no wrong. Carrie is extremely talented, but I will agree that last night’s performance was far from her best. I took issue with the fact that Tara seemed to be suggesting that because Underwood had a single off night, that makes it OK for an absolutly terrible vocalist to take her place?
That’s not right, and letting Swift win a vocalist award for any reason is a slap in the face to all women of country music. Why even bother nominating other women for a vocalist award if it’s only about popularity?
I am a Carrie fan, but I can rightfully admit she did not deserve to win female vocalist, based on her accomplishments in 2009. I do, however, think it’s insulting to the other very talented and hardworking women in that category who ARE vocalists and who deserve to be nominated.
Taylor deserved Entertainer more than anyone in the category, and her accomplishments are truly mind-blowing.
On a side note, I do agree that Carrie should chose other producers. Although some of the songs on “Play On” are incredibly weak, I see promise in Carrie’s growth as a vocalist, interpter, and songwriter. I think it’s refreshing to see that she contributed a lot more of herself to this album as well.
As far as the “art form” argument goes though, I think that’s pretty objective. Anyone can define several different things as art, whether it be music, movies, or anything in between.
Carrie is an artist in my opinion, but she doesn’t seem to know what direction she wants to go. She makes country music, but she always seems stuck in the bad-girl vs. wholesome American-Girl vs. artist with great pipes and horrible song choices.
There no denying her unbelievable talent, I just don’t think she’s been versitile enough to show a great artist yet. She’s had flashes of brillance so there is hope, but some of her creative choices are incredibly puzzling.
I fully understand why people are frustrated about Taylor’s female vocalist win — but do you all not understand that the CMA Entertainer of the Year trophy is the most prestigious award in country music? If she’s not good enough to be Female Vocalist of the Year, then she’s not good enough to be Entertainer of the Year. It would be different if she played an instrument proficiently and didn’t make any attempts to sing.
Carrie is an artist in my opinion, but she doesn’t seem to know what direction she wants to go. She makes country music, but she always seems stuck in the bad-girl vs. wholesome American-Girl vs. artist with great pipes and horrible song choices.
There no denying her unbelievable talent, I just don’t think she’s been versitile enough to show a great artist yet. She’s had flashes of brillance so there is hope, but some of her creative choices are incredibly puzzling.
IMO, her puzzling choices and not knowing what direction to take are a direct result of being propelled into the limelight via her American Idol win, before she was fully ready. Had she come up through the ranks the way most people do, she could have experimented with material and musical styles, and made her missteps without the entire world watching.
Missteps to one, are favorites to others. I know some country buffs hate Quitter, but it is one of my favorite Carrie songs of all time.
but do you all not understand that the CMA Entertainer of the Year trophy is the most prestigious award in country music? If she’s not good enough to be Female Vocalist of the Year, then she’s not good enough to be Entertainer of the Year.
Uhm, Shania Twain?
1) Garth Fundis (Sugarland’s first, most of Trisha’s)
2) Mark Wright (Gary Allan, Lee Ann Womack, Joe Nichols)
3) Frank Rogers (Josh Turner’s and Trace Adkins’ latest)
4) Frank Liddell (Miranda Lambert, Chris Knight)
That’s a nice list. And I love, love Trisha’s last album. I can only imagine what Fundis can do to Carrie if he can do that to Trisha at that stage.
This may be wild, but I’d just like to throw in there Allison Krauss and Rick Rubin as well. I know Rick is more a pop and hip-hop guy, but I really like his work in the last DXC album.
wow.. i’m a taylor swift fan, but her winning of the Female Vocalist of the Year makes me sick.. urg
Anyone but her deserves to win that category
let me guess, the voters are teens, right? haha
it makes me sad, really really sad.
Fearless as the album of the year? – can be
Entertainer of the Year – definitely
Female Vocalist – HELL NO!
Ooh..What’s happening in country music?
but do you all not understand that the CMA Entertainer of the Year trophy is the most prestigious award in country music? If she’s not good enough to be Female Vocalist of the Year, then she’s not good enough to be Entertainer of the Year.
Uhm, Shania Twain?
Is that meant to disprove my point? I think it just further illustrates what I was trying to say. I will say, though, in Shania’s defense, that she is a much better vocalist than Taylor is.
Is that meant to disprove my point? I think it just further illustrates what I was trying to say.
I’m sorry I don’t get your underlying point, but it seems like you’re saying that if you can’t win FVOTY in the first place, which is the “lesser” award, then you certainly don’t deserve to win EOTY, the big prize.
Shania won EOTY just fine without winning FVOTY. I know it’s very arguable, but Shania has always been a better entertainer and performer than she ever was a singer. And she was always up against Martina, Trisha, Leanna W., whose careers may not be as bigger as hers, but no doubt they were the better singers. Shania was good enough to win EOTY but not good enough to win FVOTY.
And let’s not limit it to the ladies. Has Chesney ever won the vocalist award yet? Seems to me while it’s always a cakewalk for him towards EOTY, the vocalist awards always seem split more between Brad and Keith. I don’t think that’s any indication to just “spread the love” so to speak, but clearly because Brad and Keith were better singers than Chesney.
in Shania’s defense, that she is a much better vocalist than Taylor is.
Absolutely. That was like a slap in the face. At least when Shania was writhing onstage, she can still be on tune, even barely at that. But at least still on tune. The other? Not so much.
Is that meant to disprove my point? I think it just further illustrates what I was trying to say.
I’m sorry I don’t get your underlying point, but it seems like you’re saying that if you can’t win FVOTY in the first place, which is the “lesser” award, then you certainly don’t deserve to win EOTY, the big prize.
Yes, that is precisely my point.
Shania was good enough to win EOTY but not good enough to win FVOTY.
Let’s just say that she won EOTY. Whether or not she should have won is another matter for debate.
Has Chesney ever won the vocalist award yet?
No. But again, I wouldn’t have voted to give him Entertainer of the Year, either.
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But I almost always enjoy Max Martin’s melodies, and “Quitter” is no exception.
Wow. Color me surprised!
Not crazy about Wagnerian opera, but there’s no denying it’s art. Calling Last Name and Cowboy Cassanova “art” is certainly debatable, however.
I respectfully but wholeheartedly disagree. The only way I could consider the above true is if Carrie (or any artist) recorded her music with no intention to create art, and that’s just not the case. No matter the artist, no matter how inconsequential we may deem their music, they are just that – artists. We can choose to judge their art on our own merits, but who are we to take away the meaning of their creation?
So intention alone is sufficient to create art?
Yes it is Razor. Just ask the dadaists.
Ooh..What’s happening in country music?
Swift is happening Country music. She didn’t deserve to win any of them. A mediocre Pop album shouldn’t win Album of the Year. A dreadful, bottom tier vocalist who can’t stay on tune and doesn’t have interpretive ability whatsoever shouldn’t win Female Vocalist of the Year. A mediocre entertainer who just flips her hair around while delivering cringing performances shouldn’t win Entertainer of the Year. She isn’t even remotely Country and should stop pretending that she is.
…yawn!
Saying that the artistic merit of Cowboy Cassanova or Last Name is debatable was my attempt at being charitable. Claiming the artistic merit of these two songs is beyond debate or questioning is ridiculous, if that’s what you are saying.
Vance — Amen, brutha!
I can’t believe that the majority of the last two days posts are all about Carrie…..for so many that don’t like her and are so critical of her, you sure do discuss and put her down a lot.
I really don’t know what more you could expect from her with the cards she was dealt entering the industry. I realize this is a blog to critique people, but I’m begining to think that there is no won that is good enough for the majority of you. I would like to see some of you live like some of these artist and see how you float, since you all seem so intelligent when it comes to country music.
I think many of us have said some very nice things about Carrie as well…and believing she is capable of so much better is actually a compliment and a vote of confidence to her abilities and potential.
What cards was she dealt when she entered the industry, vp?
This says it all: http://www.farcethemusic.com/2009/11/rip.html
That’s brilliant, TexasVet…so true.
Saying that the artistic merit of Cowboy Cassanova or Last Name is debatable was my attempt at being charitable. Claiming the artistic merit of these two songs is beyond debate or questioning is ridiculous, if that’s what you are saying.
Not what I’m saying. I think music is art. Period. Artistic merit is subjective, as I said.
What cards was she dealt when she entered the industry, vp?
I’m not vp, but there was a huge DOUBT as to whether Carrie is truly a country artist since she came from a show that’s usually suited for finding potential pop singers. Her biography show had interviews with Nashville people, including her label head, that a lot of Music Row were thinking that Carrie was just gonna “use” them – that she was really a pop star just pretending to be a country star (sounds eerily familiar).
To paraphrase Vince Gill, it didn’t matter to these Music Row people whether you came from the biggest show on TV – she had to prove to them she was worthy of belonging in THEIR community. They didn’t care if she was so popular before she even released one single to radio.
In some ways, Carrie was met with doubtful, not welcoming, arms at the door of Nashville because they thought she was gonna swing both musical ways. So to see what happens like 3 years later after that, the double standard is pretty sickening.
“Not what I’m saying. I think music is art. Period. Artistic merit is subjective, as I said.”
Thanks for the clafication Tara…we do have different definitions of the term, at least your’s is much broader than mine.
But regarding intention, if it was Carrie’s intention to create a work of art with CC or Last Name, and not just commercially viable and entertaining dittys, I would question her artistic discernment.
I’m not vp, but there was a huge DOUBT as to whether Carrie is truly a country artist since she came from a show that’s usually suited for finding potential pop singers. Her biography show had interviews with Nashville people, including her label head, that a lot of Music Row were thinking that Carrie was just gonna “use” them – that she was really a pop star just pretending to be a country star (sounds eerily familiar).
Point taken, but she would likely not have broken through as quickly or in as big a way without her American Idol exposure. She’d have struggled to get airplay like every other female artist in the past few years and could have been one of those artists who can’t get their label to release their albums. So as far as the cards she was dealt, I’d say she was dealt a winning hand.
Those of you hoping for some traditional Carrie should watch her holiday special. She does a duet with Brad Paisley on “Louisiana Woman Mississippi Man.”
Plus she does a duet with Dolly Parton on “I Will Always Love You” in Dolly style. You guys will like it. Tune in December 7th at 8 on Fox.
(I should totally get paid for that.)
Point taken, but she would likely not have broken through as quickly or in as big a way without her American Idol exposure.
I don’t think that Carrie would have of broken through at all. I think I read an article somewhere where she stated that if she couldn’t break through with American Idol, she would have become a journalist. Of course, my memory might be on the fritz or the article could have been inaccurate.
Point taken, but she would likely not have broken through as quickly or in as big a way without her American Idol exposure. She’d have struggled to get airplay like every other female artist in the past few years and could have been one of those artists who can’t get their label to release their albums. So as far as the cards she was dealt, I’d say she was dealt a winning hand.
Fair enough. But as past Idol winners have proven, winning the show doesn’t guarantee automatic career success. It took Clarkson a 2nd album to really breakthrough. And if those 40 million voters of Underwood at Idol when she won each bought at least one copy of her CD, her debut album would be an astounding 40x platinum! Which obviously is not the case. Yes, she had a built-in fanbase before she even released one single, but I would say 80% of that fanbase were just fans of the show more than fans of Carrie. 40M people voted vs. 7x platinum CD? That’s a huge disconnect right there. And like Joe and Vince had said on her bio show, Nasvhille couldn’t have cared less if she won Idol or not. If she didn’t prove to them she was country at all, or they just plainly don’t like her at all, radio could easily have not just played JTTW. CMA’s didn’t have to add her at the last minute to perform for the very first time at the show. They have nothing to lose by ignoring Carrie even though she won the biggest competition on TV.
Fair enough. But as past Idol winners have proven, winning the show doesn’t guarantee automatic career success.
No, it doesn’t guarantee automatic success. What I meant was her AI exposure at least helped her to initially get the attention of radio programmers. If she’d never been on AI and still managed to get a record deal and released “Jesus Take The Wheel”, I believe that she’d have had a much more difficult time working that song up the charts. Nothing against her or the song; it’s just difficult for new artists to break through. AI gave her a leg up on the competition. It did the same for Bucky Covington and Kellie Pickler, too, though they haven’t been able to deliver the commercial goods the way Carrie has.
…would question her artistic discernment.
Sure, and I take no issue with that.
So as far as the cards she was dealt, I’d say she was dealt a winning hand.
For what it’s worth, no one believes that more than Carrie. The word “blessed” flies out of that girl’s mouth every time she opens it.
“winning the show doesn’t guarantee automatic career success.”
100% true. Idol did give Carrie an advantage in the begining, but not so much now. She’s been off the show almost five years now, and her record sales are not nearly what they were when she first came off the show.
Just because Idol gave Carrie exposure doesn’t mean it stuck, either. Sure millions saw her on TV, but how many veiwers were impressed enough to go out and buy her record?
Shows like American Idol give unknowns exposure that they probably wouldn’t have gotten otherwise, and Carrie is no exception. She grew up in a very small town, and she took a chance to try and get herself heard.
Every artist has to have a way to get themseleves exposed; times are changing, and a lot of that is technological now. Carrie had to work her butt off after American Idol, get people to take her seriously, and basically be an overnight celeberity.
I love how everyone’s gotten over Taylor and moved on to talking about Carrie. I’m just going to throw my two cents in on Carrie. I have to say that I’m a huge Carrie fan and have been since her days on American Idol (heck I even picked her to win after seeing her audition) and I think she’s been an amazing asset to country music since she burst onto the scene back in 2005.
I’ve read all of your comments and I just have to say that I think Carrie has grown artistically over each album that she’s released, I’d even venture out to say that Play On is definitely her strongest album, though there are some flaws, but most of the album is full of great songs and vocals. I agree that she hasn’t reached her full potential but I think that’ll get better with time. Right now I just think she has to worry about the current style of country music because of Taylor’s domination. I think if Taylor weren’t at the top of the genre with a completely pop sound we’d hear more traditional leaning country from Carrie. I think she’s just worried about staying relevant and current…which is a shame. Plus, its obvious Carrie has more knowledge regarding past country than Taylor does (though the age difference might be a factore). I mean, do you think really knew any of the original songs Brad and Carrie used in their parodies?? Probably not. I guess my point boils down to the fact that Carrie is a stronger ambassador for country than Taylor. I think Taylor’s domination will begin to fizzle here really soon…once her audience begins to grow up.
If Carrie’s had to deal with any disadvantage, it’s been the relentless overanalysis of every single musical choice that she makes. I don’t think the record buying public gives a darn about such things, and they’ve accepted her for what she is: a remarkably talented singer with a taste for both country and pop. After all, pop-flavored country is just as valid an artistic choice as traditional country, if that’s what the artist enjoys doing the most. It’s been apparent from the beginning that this is the case with Carrie, who has been as comfortable covering George Michael as she is Randy Travis.
A purely traditional country album would be a heck of a lot more calculating and compromising for Carrie to do than what’s she’s doing now.
“If Carrie’s had to deal with any disadvantage, it’s been the relentless overanalysis of every single musical choice that she makes.”
This is true. I’m probably as guilty of it as anyone else.
A purely traditional country album would be a heck of a lot more calculating and compromising for Carrie to do than what’s she’s doing now.
Why is that?
I would like to hear Carrie do more something , even if at most, it just leans toward traditional, with leans being the operative word. Her voice and phrasing and interpretation is much more suited to that kind of sound than pop-country. But that is just me.
Even though they were covers, I much prefer her singing on San Antonio Rose, Stand By Your Man compared to her own recordings of Quitter, Twisted, or Undo It. Honestly, although I was a fan from the beginning, I didn’t think Carrie had it in her to sing traditional country, so color me surprised when she sang excellently on those old country songs. Then I was clamoring to hear more of that from her.
But I do understand and respect your point Kevin, on Carrie having very diverse influences in her, and integrating and showing it in her own music. The first song she ever sang was a Motley Crue song. And she’s been a George Michael fan for the longest time. Her first country concert was Alan Jackson. She recorded demos of Patsy’s Crazy, and DXC and Jo Dee songs. Her favorite country artist is Martina. So yes, you could only imagine that hearing and liking all these different sounds, what kind of influence it would have on Carrie’s own material.
After all, pop-flavored country is just as valid an artistic choice as traditional country, if that’s what the artist enjoys doing the most. It’s been apparent from the beginning that this is the case with Carrie, who has been as comfortable covering George Michael as she is Randy Travis.
A purely traditional country album would be a heck of a lot more calculating and compromising for Carrie to do than what’s she’s doing now.
Wow. Are you in my mind?
A purely traditional country album would be a heck of a lot more calculating and compromising for Carrie to do than what’s she’s doing now.
Calculating, perhaps but hardly compromising. Not in the current market where the trends are clearly favoring pop vs. country.
I disagree, Razor. Most of Carrie’s fans have come to expect flavored country-pop from Carrie. If she chose to take the purely traditional route, she runs a huge risk of alienating her core audience.
Underwood obviously enjoys the music that she makes, and she had said many times she makes music she would enjoy then just hopes others will follow suite. Carrie could certaintly do a traditional country album very well, as proven by her covers. But if she had wanted to do so, why didn’t she seek out that route? No one kept her from becomimg a traditional artist, after all.
I firmly believe Carrie has the talent to sing any genre of music she wants, and she will eventually make a traditional album if she feels strongly enough about it.
I disagree, Razor. Most of Carrie’s fans have come to expect flavored country-pop from Carrie. If she chose to take the purely traditional route, she runs a huge risk of alienating her core audience.
Which is exactly why releasing a traditional album would be taking a risk, and therefore, not compromising.
But if she had wanted to do so, why didn’t she seek out that route? No one kept her from becomimg a traditional artist, after all.
I doubt that she had much say in the matter when she first got her record deal. Labels are not enthusiastic about releasing traditional country music at a time when it isn’t selling particularly well and is out of favor with radio. Even now, I’m sure she’d meet with a lot of resistance from the suits if she expressed a desire to go in a more traditional direction.
Which is exactly why releasing a traditional album would be taking a risk, and therefore, not compromising.
Not compromising in one sense; but if she doesn’t want to make that type of album, then she’s compromising her own artistic vision. It’s not black and white?
Not compromising in one sense; but if she doesn’t want to make that type of album, then she’s compromising her own artistic vision. It’s not black and white?
I think it depends on what the musical landscape is at a given time. If she doesn’t want to do a traditional album right now, then there is absolutely no reason to do one. She’d have to be pressured into it by radio or her label, and that just isn’t going to happen in the current climate.
If traditional country were to come back into vogue, and she were to bow to pressure to make a traditional album when she didn’t really want to, then that would be a compromise.
“I doubt that she had much say in the matter when she first got her record deal. Labels are not enthusiastic about releasing traditional country music at a time when it isn’t selling particularly well and is out of favor with radio. Even now, I’m sure she’d meet with a lot of resistance from the suits if she expressed a desire to go in a more traditional direction.”
You seem to be suggesting Carrie cannot make descions without the input of her record label. She has a backbone, and she can make any album she choses if she is passionate enough about it.
Carrie herself has said she wants to make a gospel and Christmas album, and I’m sure she has other projects in mind. There is nothing wrong with simply wanting to wait to do a project, and Carrie may do that with a traditional album one day.
You seem to be suggesting Carrie cannot make descions without the input of her record label. She has a backbone, and she can make any album she choses if she is passionate enough about it.
It isn’t about whether or not she has a backbone, K. The label calls the shots at the end of the day, especially with a brand new artist. Nobody has the clout when they’re just starting out to overrule the wishes of their major record label when it comes to what kind of music to record. Artists who are successful are eventually given more freedom, but when all is said and done, what the label says, goes. That’s not a slam against Carrie; that’s just the way things are.
Mark Chesnutt left MCA Records because they kept insisting that he cover pop songs like “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”. He complained and was told that if he turned in a project other than what the label wanted, they would refuse to release it; he’d be on the hook financially for the costs of recording it and would still be obligated contractually to provide the label with the albums that they did want to release. If he wanted to be released from his contract, he’d have had to pay a huge financial penalty and the label would still retain ownership to his unreleased material.
Tanya Tucker had a battle with Capitol back in 1989 when she covered the Jimmie Rodgers song “Daddy and Home”. She wanted the song released as a single, as a tribute to her father. The label didn’t want to release it. She was so insistent that they eventually relented but told her if she wanted to make a video, she’d have to pay for it herself, which she did. The single was released and received zero promotion from Capitol and stalled at #27 — at a time when Tucker was consistently making the Top 10. And the they said to her, “See? We told you it wouldn’t be a hit.”
I think artists on major labels should have freedom to record the songs they want only to the extent that giving them that freedom is profitable. Music labels should not indulge the Chesnutts and Tuckers of the world in their own personal musical preferences, except where doing so is consistent with turning a profit.
After all, pop-flavored country is just as valid an artistic choice as traditional country, if that’s what the artist enjoys doing the most. It’s been apparent from the beginning that this is the case with Carrie, who has been as comfortable covering George Michael as she is Randy Travis.
Absolutely. Hearing people say that certain songs aren’t “artistic”, as a musician myself, is very offensive. Because you don’t like the song, you don’t see it as a certain genre, or you don’t think it’s healthy for a certain genre certainly doesn’t mean it’s not art. Some people do enjoy that stuff you know- “Last Name” might not be what you consider to be art or enjoy, but others actually do, and enjoy, and sing along, and listen to.
They always say art is very subjective. And all music is art.
If everything musical is art, does that include most of the stuff on Kevin’s “worst singles” list? If you all are comfortable with that, fine, lol, but there has to be another word for many of those songs.
For the record, believe it or not, I am one who does believe that some pop can be considered art. From my point of view, I would put most of Sara Evans’ Restless album in that category, a lot of Martina’s and Reba’s stuff, and Patty’s 90’s pop flavored hits. There is a classy element to all of these works. And clearly, some traditional sounding country is not artistic in the least. (much of the cliche’d country by quite a few of the sound-alike new guys with obligatory hats, by my reckoning anyway) I think it is a matter of quality, not musical style. Doesn’t the word “art” connote a certain level of quality? I agree that it is a subjective judgement, but I strongly disagree that everything musicial is art. Some music is just crap. But we offer our opinions, here, many, if not most of us amateurs. But I wonder if there is consensus by critics judging such matters. I think music historians will often weigh in with their opinions, but come to think if it, you may be right, if music is an art form, they deem some works to be great art, good art or bad art. And as a complete amateur, my opinion is that I think that a lot of Carrie’s singles (but not all) are just bad art, CC the latest example. Just my opinion.
But I also think that a lot of fans of even Carrie’s pop style, will acknowlege that she is often in need of better material. I think a lot of people who are well inclined to her believe that some of her material is just beneath her considerable talents, and wonder why someone who commands the charts and the awards with such an amazing voice cannot seem to find far better songs by Nashville’s best songwriters to record for herself. A creative drought by some of Nashville’s best and brightest songwriters perhaps? Or just bad decisions by Carrie and her producers.
But in general, whether a given piece by any singer is art or not, or is good art or bad art…some of it is just self-evidently……crap.
Personally as a matter of preference, after hearing what Carrie is capable of singing Traditional sounding material, (How Great Thou Art, I Told You So, and her samples from the CMAs just now, Mamma Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys) She leaves me wanting to hear much more of that style from her. Very, very impressive.
Sorry, I just strongly disagree. As a musician myself I can’t sit there and say that someone’s music is flat out crap simply because I don’t agree it’s healthy for a genre or I don’t like it. Because someone might be in need of better material doesn’t automatically make something crap. Would you tell a photographer you thought one of their pictures was crap because you didn’t like the subject? Would you tell an artist you didn’t like their painting because you didn’t like the paintining or couldn’t understand what it was/what the artist was trying to express?
I’m with Tara on this one. Music is art, period. I’d love for someone to come to one of my gigs and sit there and try to tell me that because I did a song that they didnt think suited me, it automatically makes it crap and I didn’t take the artistic road.
It amazes me to see traditional country music fans looking down their noses at pop music, given that it’s only been fairly recently that country music has been considered art, rather than just unsophisticated hillbilly music.
The quality of art is subjective, though there is often a broad consensus on what is the very best. But music is an art form, and it’s disingenuous to try to claim it is less than that because commercial aspirations may influence the craft of it. As soon as somebody chooses to record music for commercial release, they’ve decided to commercialize their artistic expression. So unless you want to look at just those who make music for free in the privacy of their own home or for the entertainment of their friends as the only true artists, it doesn’t make much sense to bring the commercial element into the conversation in the first place.
Why does it amaze you that those of us who appreciate traditional country music don’t want to see it watered down and drowned out by pop influences?
Regarding the what is “art” issue, here’s a quote from a letter written by the great Russian playwright and short story writer Anton Chekov in 1890. “When people talk to me of what is artistic and inartistic, of what is dramatic and not dramatic, of tendency, realism, and so on, I am bewildered, hesitatingly assent, and answer with banal half-truths not worth a brass farthing. I DIVIDE ALL WORKS INTO TWO CLASSES: THOSE I LIKE AND THOSE I DON’T. I have no other criterion, and if you ask me why I like Shakespeare and don’t like Zlatovratsky, I don’t venture to answer.”
I agree with Chekhov, but I also realize that if art, literature or music critics limited their comments to I like it or don’t, few would read their columns.
Razor asks: “Why does it amaze you that those of us who appreciate traditional country music don’t want to see it watered down and drowned out by pop influences?”
I get that, Razor. I pretty much feel the same way (though I don’t mind some outside influences), but I don’t think that’s the same thing as claiming something isn’t art. Just because you and I may not like someone’s art, it doesn’t mean that it’s not art or that it’s even bad art. It’s just art that we don’t like, in my mind. I generally call anyone who seriously makes music an artist. I write it interchangeably with singer. Kevin’s comment seems to be addressing the whole “artist” debate more than whether or not we like what’s happening to country music, which is a whole other fun/heated debate.
I’m not arguing that some music isn’t art, though much of it is bad art. I’m really on the fence, though, about a few extreme examples like “Bob That Head”; I think there’s a case to be made there that that song isn’t art. Most songs don’t fall into that category. But I digress …
I don’t mind some outside influences, either. In fact, it’s almost impossible to find any country artist who hasn’t covered a pop song or worked some pop elements into their original work. But I do find much of today’s music to be insufficiently country, and with all due respect, some of the conversation here seems to be not only defending pop-leaning music but also trying to make a case that it’s better than the traditional music.
I thought I made it clear that I don’t look down on all country pop music. And I admitted some traditional style music is crap. Again, it is a matter of quality, in my opinion. And to indicate that I make no allowance for commercial considerations in my definition of art is to misrepresent my opinion.
And no one really picked up on my assertion that the word “art” connotes a certain high quality in the work, though Kevin touched on it. Isn’t that a worthy point of discussion?
Or to concede the point that all music is “art” doesn’t is follow that some is good art and some is bad art?
And I never stated that my personal taste was the determining factor on whether something is art or not, or even if it’s good art or bad art. And for anyone to claim that I did is to misreprepesent my position. Please read my post more carefully. I thought I added plenty of qualifiers to my assertions. I do realize that these things are subjective and to a degree require consensus opinion.
But it amazes me that some here take offense even when I state a consensus opinion that Carrie is in need of some better material.
Quoting Razor:November 16, 2009 at 1:55 pm
“I’m not arguing that some music isn’t art, though much of it is bad art. I’m really on the fence, though, about a few extreme examples like “Bob That Head”; I think there’s a case to be made there that that song isn’t art. Most songs don’t fall into that category. But I digress …
I don’t mind some outside influences, either. In fact, it’s almost impossible to find any country artist who hasn’t covered a pop song or worked some pop elements into their original work. But I do find much of today’s music to be insufficiently country, and with all due respect, some of the conversation here seems to be not only defending pop-leaning music but also trying to make a case that it’s better than the traditional music.”
Thank you, and well stated
Quoting Bob.
November 16, 2009 at 12:40 pm
“Regarding the what is “art” issue, here’s a quote from a letter written by the great Russian playwright and short story writer Anton Chekov in 1890. “When people talk to me of what is artistic and inartistic, of what is dramatic and not dramatic, of tendency, realism, and so on, I am bewildered, hesitatingly assent, and answer with banal half-truths not worth a brass farthing. I DIVIDE ALL WORKS INTO TWO CLASSES: THOSE I LIKE AND THOSE I DON’T. I have no other criterion, and if you ask me why I like Shakespeare and don’t like Zlatovratsky, I don’t venture to answer.”
I agree with Chekhov, but I also realize that if art, literature or music critics limited their comments to I like it or don’t, few would read their columns.”
Good post, sorry i missed it earlier.
art. Just because you and I may not like someone’s art, it doesn’t mean that it’s not art or that it’s even bad art. It’s just art that we don’t like, in my mind. I generally call anyone who seriously makes music an artist. I write it interchangeably with singer.
Wholeheartedly agree, Leeann!
Yikes. Did I start this debate?
But I do find much of today’s music to be insufficiently country, and with all due respect, some of the conversation here seems to be not only defending pop-leaning music but also trying to make a case that it’s better than the traditional music.
I’m not seeing what you’re seeing, but if some do think pop country is better than traditional country, that’s their prerogative. All country fans should have a base level of respect for the genre’s pioneers, but it’s kind of silly and, frankly, unreasonable to think that they should all hold traditional country music in the highest regard. Aren’t we all touched differently by music?
Or to concede the point that all music is “art” doesn’t is follow that some is good art and some is bad art?
Yes, it does. My point is –and I’m not directing this at you– that sometimes people are so blinded by their disdain for an undeservedly successful artist’s music that they forget that it is entirely possible that the artist stepped into the studio with a piece of music that sounds to some like “crap,” but that the artist believed in, put heart and soul into and couldn’t wait for the world to hear. I think it’s disrespectful to suggest that what that artist created is not art because it doesn’t fit one’s own view of good music.
I’m not seeing what you’re seeing, but if some do think pop country is better than traditional country, that’s their prerogative. All country fans should have a base level of respect for the genre’s pioneers, but it’s kind of silly and, frankly, unreasonable to think that they should all hold traditional country music in the highest regard. Aren’t we all touched differently by music?
Taste is a subjective thing, to be sure. But I don’t understand how anyone can call themselves a country fan and not hold traditional country in high regard. I don’t understand how making the music less country makes it better. But I really don’t want to start a heated debate or upset anyone so I’m not going to say anything more on the topic.
Tara said “the highest regard”, not “high regard”, and there’s a huge difference there. Personally speaking, I don’t hold what’s usually considered traditional country music in the highest regard, but I do hold it in high regard.
The artists that have impressed me the most are the ones who go beyond traditional country in its most derivative sense. I’d include a Patty Loveless in that category, who infused far more pop and rock into her seminal Epic albums in the nineties than she’s ever been given credit for.
I share the concern over artists who have no apparent connection to country music at all being presented as country artists, though. I’m not sure how common that really is, but I’ve been having more trouble connecting the dots in the past two years than I’ve had in all the years before them.
I do think that there is a vast difference between pop country and pop music that is simply being labled as country for some sort of marketing purpose. Unfortunately, I feel that there is far too much of that happening in country music today. Like Kevin, I’m having trouble connecting the dots too.
I’ve noticed that since my opinions/thoughts are so scattered, I kind of agree with most of the arguments on this thread to a point. Strange. If there weren’t so many comments, perhaps I could be more specific. But it all makes my head hurt at this point.:)
I’ll just say that traditional country music followed by alt-country is my bread and butter these days. I, however, do enjoy some good pop country music as well. I think there’s room for all of it, but it’s hard when the foundation of country music seems to be nonexistent (at least sonically) at times.
OK, I tried to inject some humor into the converstation by citing Kevin’s worst songs countdown as examples of songs that are bad art, not art at all, or simply crap. I think we all had fun with that, so I’m a little surprsed at the tone this thread has taken.
But yeah, if I’ve offended folks by calling some of your favorites crap, I do apologize…I tried to use that term generically and theoretically, and I tried to avoid characterizing any particular song (or artist) with that word, but I may have slipped up. And crap may be too stong a word, and I am willing to concede that all music is art, with the privoso that some is good and some is bad art. It is clear that we may have different definitions of the term, and there may be no point in debating that.
But for anyone to call Bob that Head, Cowboy Cassanova, or All I Want to Do “art” degrades the term. JOKING,… sort of…;)
But I do find this statement especially simplistic, dismissive and insulting, and it was directed at me.
“I can’t sit there and say that someone’s music is flat out crap simply because I don’t agree it’s healthy for a genre or I don’t like it.”
Much as you may doubt it, I try to base my assesments, (and we all make them) on factors beyond by personal biases and preferences. I gave the music of Wagner as an example, I don’t like the stuff, but I do agree it’s art, and great art for that matter. And I’ve never denied the possibility (or probablility,) that I could be wrong.
And Kevin please recall that we had a good discussion on the merits of pop and adult contemporary vs traditional country, and I did concede at that time, (and still do,) that there is a lot of pop music that is very fine indeed, and I could be comfortable calling it art or great art. SO I hope you are not lumping me in with those who have distain for all pop music.
But it is true, like Razor and many traditionalists, I don’t like traditonal country being overly infused with pop influence…the way I see it, pop dilutes country whereas rock spices it up. And like Razor and many others, I am one who holds Traditional country or traditional style country in the highest regard. Personally, Patty’s pop infused country from the nineties is not my favorite style from her, but she does it SO well, it just sounds a whole lot better and classier to me (as does Sara’s and Martina’s pop country) than most of Carrie’s singles (or Julianne’s, or Taylor’s for that matter)..but yeah, of course that’s just personal preference. And Patty was also VERY adept at spicing up Country music with rock…”traditional country with an edge” as she used to call it, and I love it.
And very interesting and observant point about how traditional country was once considered unsophisticated “hillbilly” music and not art. But I would challenge anyone who holds that postition to name a more sophisticated form of popular music than Bluegrass, that ole “hillbilly” stuff is full of virtuosity, poetry and sophistication, as is much of Traditional country.
I’ve said a lot of good things about Carrie, her voice, her talent and potential lately, and it is just very frustrating when folks zero in on the critical sings I say and run with them, take them out of context or exaggerate them and don’t acknowledge my positive statements, assesments and observations,… at all. And it seems at times that some folks do this because I have been somewhat critical of their favorites, without trying to really understand what I am trying to say. It’s amost like a “how dare you question” tone sometimes.
Finally, for what it’s worth, I leave you with these sage words from Emmylou Harris. A paraphrase.
“All music falls into one of two categories, the Blues or zippity-doo-dah.”
Good points, Steve.
I do agree that traditional country should be respected, but it seems to be becoming less important as time goes by. Younger artists probably aren’t going to regard Jennings, Cash, and Strait in the same category as artists who either grew up on them or are old enough to remember their music.
You can look no furthur than Taylor Swift as an example; her influnences are Shania, Reba and Faith, not Loretta and Dolly. Miranda loves Haggard and Jones, while Underwood often mentions Martina, Faith and hard rock bands like Motley Cru and Guns N Roses under her influences.
I think the sound country becomes is what determines influences. Pop leanings are going to lend themselves to pop influences like Shania and Faith, while more traditional sounds will lend themselves to Strait and Jennings.
There is nothing wrong with different influences in country, and I actually perfer pop flavors over more traditional country. That being said though, that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the George Strait or that I can’t recognize the incredible impact artists like Strait and company had on the genre.
I am incredibly bothred by the notion that traditionalists seem to think younger listeners cannot respect the past of the genre just because they don’t gravitate towards older artists.
Thank you K..Also, Miranda cites Patty as a huge infuluence and one of her “idols”.
And regarding my thought on Carrie, I just want to add a little clarication here…my lack of clarity may have unessarily led to some hard feelings here, so I just want to add that I dont question Carrie’s artistic integrity or intentions, but rather her artistic maturity. (which is natural enough for a young, relatively new artist) I just think she could make better choices artistically, and although I prefer those choices to be in the direction of traditonal country, better pop or country pop would also qualify as progress as an artist for her, imo. And I really dont think I’m saying anything out of the mainstream of critical opinion here.
Carrie’s almost instant acclaim and overwhelming domination of the charts and awards is another discussion entirely, and I have already spoken out on that time and time again, so I won’t rehash that now. But she seems like a great person, and has an incredible voice and tons of talent and potential, no matter which direction she chooses in the future.
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