Quotable Country – 04/13/09 Edition

Click the bullet after each quote to visit the original source.

Does Urban mean he’s floating or resisting being serious? ●
- – Edward Morris on Defying Gravity.

[Julianne] Hough said that Sugarland’s Kristian Bush hugged her after her [ACM Top New Artist] win and officially welcomed her to country music. “I just started crying,” she said, as she choked back tears, “and I’m going to start crying again. But it’s awesome.” ●
- – I’m not sure how I would feel about being welcomed into country music by Kristian Bush.

With the precarious state our nation’s in, why in the world would country fans want songs about senseless killings, prison life and heavy drinking? And why must you (and a handful of others like you) assume that music loved by moms driving to Target in their minivans is bad. Do you have something against Target? Minivans? Or Moms? ●
- – Alison Bonaguro is all about the musical Prozac.

Only when (misery) is repressed does it become dangerous. When it’s expressed in art, it’s unbelievably liberating. ●
- – I’m with Rosanne Cash. Bring on the sad songs.

Q: I have a question for Rascal Flatts: Has any of their music inspired them? I have all of their CDs and there are a number of their songs that have touched me.
(Doreen, Lisbon, ME) ●
- – Question submitted to GAC. Has any of their music inspired them? You fail at asking questions, Doreen.

Actually, it was a pre-recorded instrumental arrangement that kicked things off that the couple [Joey + Rory] sang and played over for this and several other songs. The fact that they didn’t have a band (which they couldn’t afford, they later revealed) had a noticeable effect on some audience members, with a reaction that said “Really?” It came off as a bit of glorified karaoke for the 2,500 that showed up, many in support for Rory given his local roots (he was born and raised in Atchison, Kan.) To make matters worse, sound troubles stalled the show for a bit when a high-pitched whoopi cushion sound was heard from one of the house speakers, which was mostly humorous but mainly annoying. ●
- – Uh, sounds like Joey + Rory are still working out some kinks (and whoopie cushions) in their live show. They should probably ditch the chintzy backing track and go for a down-home acoustic vibe instead.

Sorry to hear about Doug and his son Dustin. Sometimes the younger generation needs to be put back in their place. You cannot discipline children today without being reprimanded for it. That’s why there’s so much crime today. I’m behind Doug 100%. Let’s hear the whole story about the way Dustin treated Doug instead of just 1/2 of it. Sometimes kids can get too mouthy and need exactly what they get. ●
- – I can’t imagine reading an article about Doug Stone’s arrest for domestic battery against his 21-year-old son and having my first thought be that “sometimes kids can get too mouthy.” Maybe we were just odd, but none of the growing pains or familial strife in my house ever resulted in domestic battery charges…

Q. There’s a huge rock riff on “She’s Country.” What’s up with that?
I grew up listening to ’80s hair bands. This is the closest I can get to that and still wear a cowboy hat. ●
- – Instead of trying to make country that’s as close to something else as possible, Jason Aldean should just ditch the cowboy hat and commit to following his ’80s hair band muse. Please?

Thornton’s elegant duds (tightly tailored black suit, high-heeled black boots, white shirt and narrow black tie) notwithstanding, he filled the role of third-stringer to perfection Wednesday night at Massey Hall [opening for Willie Nelson and Ray Price], fronting a band of four nondescript guitarists, three of whom cancelled each other out by whacking out dull, three-chord songs willy-nilly on identical vintage/reissue Telecasters through vintage/reissue Vox amplifiers. Thornton delivered, in a high, tinny whine, lyrics that were inaudible in the twang-overloaded mix. He played drums in the final piece, during which his timing fluctuated noticeably. ●
- – Not exactly a glowing concert review for actor Billy Bob Thornton. Oh, sorry! He’s not an actor. Well, he is, but I’m not supposed to tell you that even though you already know. I meant singer Billy Bob Thornton.

We love pop too and we’ve had so much success there. (But) we were at a place where we said, ‘You know what? There are some times where good old-fashioned country music is still the best thing in the world.’ ●
- – Someone who has heard Rascal Flatts’ new album will have to fill me in on all of its good old-fashioned country elements. I’d do it myself, but I’m too busy, uh, steadfastly refusing to listen to Rascal Flatts.

Carrie Underwood Apologizes for Being Such a Whore ●
- – Amusing (or offensive – take your pick) tongue-in-cheek headline about Underwood feeling the need to apologize for her very innocuous Matthew McConaughey quip at the ACMs.

I unabashedly love country music and I unapologetically loathe contemporary country-pop. Alan Jackson, along with George Strait, are the only two country artists I would deign to mention in the same breath with Hank Williams and Merle Haggard. ●
- – Might want to expand your horizons a bit there, pal. There are lots of artists closer to Hank and Merle than Strait and Jackson are. This one’s a little obscure, but ever heard of George Jones?

Everybody knows America’s in tough shape right now, but I can tell you another thing. We beat Hitler’s ass, we beat Imperial Japan. The United States has saved the world a couple of times and nobody argues that fact. But we will persevere, we will get through it. ●
- – Gotta love how John Rich’s discussion of the present economic crisis inexplicably veers off into grandstanding about how we’ve kicked people’s asses historically.