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We all love country music – real country music, not this awful, awful, awful mockery they put out today. They should be ashamed. ●
- – Benmont Tench, a co-founder of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.
I know Jamey Johnson was a co-writer, but I don’t hold it against him. I respect Trace as an artist, and I don’t hold it against him, either. It’s a tough business climate in country music these days. But “Badonkadonk” and especially its accompanying video represent the absolute bottom for country music. And this opened the floodgates for even more vulgar songs and trashy videos and even gave skin a bad name. Everyone involved is capable of much better. ●
- – Not even Chet Flippo can scrounge up complimentary words for “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk.”
Brad Paisley Remains Frugal Shopper
While going into a Sam’s Club store south of Nashville, someone met my pal Brad Paisley with one of those printed request slips to buy a TV set. Yep, Brad is a man who will save a few bucks when he buys a big ol’ television. ●
- – Hazel Smith has an odd idea of what constitutes news.
As a testament to his star potential, Wayne links up with three of Nashville’s hottest producers – a common strategy in pop music, but unusual in Nashville, where artists almost always work with one producer per project. Collaborating with Mark Bright (Carrie Underwood), Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift) and Dann Huff (Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban)… ●
- – That’s a nightmarish trio of producers for anyone who likes their country music to bear some relation to, well, country music. Which means it’s probably just right for Jimmy Wayne.
That song is kind of a strange choice. But maybe his listeners will go for it. ●
- – Comment on “Sara Smile” from the CMT music video screening room, showing, I think, that even CMT isn’t totally sold on Wayne (note the distancing effect of “maybe his listeners will go for it”).
[My manager, Doc McGhee] manages (country artist) Chris Cagle, too, and he was having dinner with Mike Dungan (president of Capitol Nashville). They’re really good friends. And Doc started bragging about how great the Hootie touring business is going. And Dungan said, ‘How do you know that?’ And Doc said, ‘Well, I manage them.’ And he said, ‘I always thought that black guy was a country singer.’ ●
- – Darius Rucker, who was subsequently signed by Dungan… meaning that he effectively began his country career as “that black guy.” Right before Dungan talked him out of being so country. Thanks a bunch, Mike.
This is more than a comeback album; this is more like a reinstatement of my talent. ●
- – Lee Greenwood on his upcoming country album, getting a little carried away.
Thus your endorsement of my song “Fountains of Wayne Hotline” in Entertainment Weekly magazine last week has earned me a lot of Strange New Respect around here. The admiration of a contemporary pre-teenager, as you surely know, is hard to earn. When you are not only his dad but a country music singer, it’s just about impossible. So thank you, and by all means, keep it coming! ●
- – Robbie Fulks thanks Stephen King for helping him win the respect of his 12-year-old son.
A lot of people are curious to see if we can repeat the magic somehow, and we are, too. Songwriting, to me, if you’re good at it, it’s a craft that you’re constantly learning, especially when you switch formats. There’s a learning curve there that takes a little time. Luckily, we’re hooking up with some of the greatest writers in town, and we’re learning from them. ●
- – Members of Nashville rock group Luna Halo are taking Taylor Swift’s cover of one of their songs as a mandate to try their hand at genre-jumping into country. Nothing good can come of this.
The iPod’s shuffle feature, which has a way of psychologically connecting disparate songs, has also taken the place of the classic radio station for Harris, who dearly misses that format’s wild variety.
“I almost don’t remember what I was like before my iPod, but there used to be these great radio stations back when I first started that were almost (as strange) as an iPod shuffle,” she said. ●
- – Even though she’s meticulous in crafting her own albums, Emmylou is a chronic shuffler.
And I have … not a disdain for money, but a lifelong gift for not accumulating it. ●
- – Larry Jon Wilson.
Hope all of our readers in the U.S. had a fine holiday. Back to work!
Great edition as always. Hope you had a great holiday too, C.M.
Emmylou Harris has an ageless grace – like James Bond, she remains eternally herself while flowing through contemporary culture.
If Chet Flippo’s going to defend country going pop, which of course he has done in the past, then he has no business whining about it taking on pop music characteristics or being marketed like pop music is marketed.