There are some artists that I liked at first listen and have only grown to appreciate more with time, like Randy Travis and Patty Loveless. There are others that I’ve just never found interesting at all, like Faith Hill and Jimmy Wayne. And somewhere in between those two extremes, there are those in whom my interest wildly vacillates from album to album, song to song, and even sometimes from one day to the next.
For me, this last group includes Brooks & Dunn, Tim McGraw, and Garth Brooks. It’s been a rollercoaster ride with these folks. Their albums remain shelved for extended periods of time, get pulled out in unpredictable spurts, and are then exiled to the shelf again while I wait for my interest in them to come back around. I like to make fun of them as much as I like to listen to them and ultimately have some trouble settling on (and holding for any length of time) any single opinion of their work. These are some of my least stable musical relationships.
Okay, that was my turn. Now it’s your turn.
What’s your most turbulent musical relationship? Conversion stories are fine, but stories that take a more winding course between loving and loathing (or just indifference) are preferred.
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CF says
I’d say probably Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Reba McEntire.
Overall, I like them a lot, and enjoy some of their music, and I would label myself as a “fan”, but really, over the years, it’s hit-or-miss with me with their music. I think Reba’s pretty cool, but I find a fair amount of her music to be boring and too adult-contemporary-sounding.
Martina McBride, sometimes, but I hold her at a higher level than the previously mentioned artists. She’s absolutely one of my top favorites, but she can release some not-so-good music sometimes. I feel like she overdoes her vocals at times, and I’m not sure she if it’s because she’s trying to show off, or people expect it from her, so she extends that note even longer and louder.
I can’t really think of any others. I think Toby Keith and Trace Adkins can be hit-or-miss with me too, but mostly miss, these days.
J.R. Journey says
Martina McBride and I definitely have the most volatile relationship as far as singers go. I was a huge fan of Martina’s prior to seeing her open for Reba in 2001. Her oversinging at that show can only be described as ‘screaming’. And it was also around this time that her songs took a turn towards crapola like ‘Concrete Angel’, ‘In My Daughter’s Eyes’, ‘God’s Will’, and ‘This One’s For The Girls’.
And while I still consider myself a fan of Martina McBride – specifically her Evolution album and its predecessors – I will never feel the same way about her again after that one horrible show and a slew of inferior single releases.
Hope that’s what you were looking for …
Trailer says
Ryan Adams is my winding road. He produced some of my favorite albums ever with Whiskeytown in the late 90’s, then looked as if he’d continue that into a stellar solo career with “Heartbreaker”…from there on, he’s veered between okay (Love is Hell), really good (Cold Roses) and pretty bad (Cardinology). I’m still a fan, but I’m no longer an apologist. He’s a numbskull with a lot of wasted talent.
In the country world, Tim McGraw probably fits into that category.
David Jones says
Tim McGraw for me. I love the song “Live Like You Were Dying”, but the album it comes from is medicore in the extreme (save for a couple of tracks, “My Old Friend” and “Blank Sheet of Paper”, particularly). His voice isn’t that good, but he can choose a great song, and then follow it up with a bad one. Carrie is another such artist: Most of Some Hearts were filler, apart from the singles. But she hasn’t been able to deliver a song as good as “Jesus, Take the Wheel” or “Don’t Forget to Remember Me” since then. Considering she’s supposed to be such hot property in Nashville, you’d think she’d be offered better songs.
Hollerin' Ben says
I’d probably say Garth Brooks. He’s utterly ridiculous, no question about that, but I was like the biggest Garth Brooks fan ever when I was a kid that it still has major nostalgia value for me, even though I’ve since come to the realization that “The Thunder Rolls” is an atrocity.
but I still listen from time to time.
Peter says
Sara Evans alternately thrills me and disappoints me; Loved her first album, most of her second, most of Born To Fly but it’s been hit and miss for me since then. Loved her song “Tonight” tho it didn’t perform as well as “As If” (a lesser song in my books). Still can’t wait to hear what she does next though….
Chris D. says
Definitely Faith Hill. She ventured into pop too far, not to add that it was bad pop, but she partly redeemed herself with Fireflies, so that’s good I guess. I just like about half of her songs, which is rare for me.
bobby says
jo dee messina. I always go back and forth on her, for no particular reason.
martina McBride also. I love her early stuff, especially her “Wild Angels” cd but am not fond of her “screaming” songs or the overly inspirational ones. Nothing against inspirational songs, but when every other one of her songs is inspirational, it kind of gets old.
KathyP says
Martina seems to be a consensus here. I just love “When God Fearing Women get the Blues,” “Wild Angels” and especially “In my Daughter’s Eyes.” But when she starts in with those victim songs (“Independence Day” excepted), I just cringe. Dying kids, sick kids, no money at the grocery store, NO MAS. These are not inspirational songs IMHO.
Leeann Ward says
My relationship with Garth is pretty consistently positive (though there are down turns in our relationship), but I tend to feel the same way about McGraw and B&D as you’ve outlined.
Linda says
Martina McBride
While her constant desire to belt in many of her songs drives me nuts, she has a lot of lovely songs.