Quotable Country - 11/2/08 Edition
[Click the dot after each quote to visit the original source.]
Everybody’s Got Their Something… I’ve Got My General Hospital
- - Billy Currington has no shame in an ad appearing in the Nov. 3 Country Weekly.
If you’re going to give me a honky-tonker, give me a real man that’s actually worked a job and doesn’t have French nails. Give me boots and pearl snap shirts. I mean George Strait, he looks tough compared to most of these guys (on mainstream country music videos), and he’s like 117 years old right now. ●
- - Mark Stuart of the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash.
He sings like a real man. ●
- - Lee Ann Womack on songwriter and Steeldrivers frontman Chris Stapleton. What is it with real men this week? And are they allowed to watch General Hospital?
I’m a big-time songwriter. If Willie Nelson wants to tell me a song I write is stupid and ignorant, that’s one thing. But you have to be able to write a song first to critique one of mine. If somebody who can’t write a song does it? Barry Bonds doesn’t worry about a softball player critiquing his swing. ●
- - If you’re not a big-time songwriter like Toby, keep your little opinions to yourself.
I said, ‘Hey, man. Nice to meet you. Thanks for covering our song.’ I was convinced he didn’t know who the f—I was. ●
- - Travis frontman Fran Healy on an awkward encounter with Glen Campbell, who covered “Sing” on his current album at the suggestion of producer Julian Raymond.
If it weren’t for all the filthy swearing, including threats to leave sexual partners “black and blue,” you’d totally take [your] grandmother to hear most of the material here - straight up, spin-your-partner country. With, uh, multiple references to cocaine. ●
- - From the Edmonton Sun’s review of Damn Right, Rebel Proud.
I think Straight to Hell [2006] was a better record than this one. It was a lot smoother; a lot better tricks are going on. Here, the creativity was not going on, I didn’t have the right guys working with me on this one. That’s kind of the summation of how I’m feeling about it. ●
- - Hank III is on an anti-promotional tour for his new album.
He showed me that just writing a song isn’t good enough - it has to be a dandy. ●
- - Ray Price on Hank Williams, who did indeed write some dandies.
Underwood maintains that she’s a country artist first and won’t compromise her sound for the sake of crossing over. ●
- - It’s not a compromise if you’ve been on the pop side from the beginning. How about making some compromises to cross over in the country direction?
I think [people] probably ought to go out and vote, but twice as important as that is probably buying this record. If you want this country to be in good hands, buy my record. That’s the change we need, ladies and gentlemen. Buy this instrumental record. ●
- - Brad Paisley’s new album hits stores on election day.
Aside from that bit of asshole-ish bravado, I agreed with most of what TK said in that interview. On that topic though, sure, he’s a big time songwriter… but that doesn’t mean he’s a better songwriter than the Chicks(in my book they’re on fairly even standing). Hey, McDonald’s is a big time restaurant…
I agree with you. Of course I’m going to pull out a quote like that, but in truth he comes across as a smart businessman and reasonable guy through most of the interview. He just lets loose with the chest-thumping often enough to make himself seem pretty silly on a regular basis.
It’s the griping about not winning enough awards that gets to me. Shouldn’t making $48 million a year ease the pain of that just a little bit?
It’s just like bitching about bad reviews. You make music, you get paid — that’s the deal. No other positive affirmations are promised you.
Those complaints have been a common thread in plenty of Keith interviews, and it’s past the point of annoying. I think it’s interesting that his comments in this particular interview were partly based on a falsehood:
Two years ago, I had BMI’s most-played song of the year, “As Good as I Once Was.” Was it nominated for a CMA? No.
Yes, it was, in fact. In 2005, that song was nominated for both Single and Song of the Year, and the corresponding video clip won Video of the Year.
It seems that the perceived slights have even clouded the reality in his own mind.
That’s pretty interesting, Blake. It’s not like Toby to forget his own accomplishments, but I guess the whining got the better of him.
http://www.theboot.com/2008/10/30/a-conversation-with-toby-keith-day-4/?icid=aimDBDL1_link1-c
I found this fascinating. For the record, Keith has won twice, with 27 nominations. At least in this decade, I’d be hard pressed to give him a Single, Song or Album of the Year victory, and the Male Vocalist category is always deep. I think he hurt his own chances for Entertainer in ‘02-’04 because of divisive nature. Winning twice isn’t probably a great total for him, but he hasn’t been totally snubbed either.