Interpret That Tune, Vol. 2

Continuing our discussion of abstract lyrics …

Mary Chapin Carpenter kicked off the series, and I can’t think of a better artist to continue on with.  My track this time is ‘The Last Word’ from her Stones In The Road album.  I really loved this song as one of my favorites from the CD from the first listen to the album.  But, Carpenter never really specifies what the ‘it’ is in the song.  She leaves it up to the listeners to interpret.  What is it?  Is it another lover?

Being a child of the 90s and the CD age, I became acquainted with the song as track 7 from my favorite Mary Chapin Carpeneter CD.  I never really thought about the title of the song much.  It wasn’t until actually ripping my songs to Windows Media Player some years later and I had to click on the song by its title that I finally realized that ‘it’ was exactly what the title of the song says it is – the last word.  

Fighting and bickering that goes on and on has worn on the nerves and emotions of the narrator until she comes to the conclusion that:

Sometimes we’re blinded by the very thing we need to see
I finally realized that you need it more than you need me

… and an epiphany washes over her as she realizes she’s free.  I always understood that part of the song.  She was free of this chained-down relationship where harsh words were part of the package.  But, Carpenter’s approach was to let vagueness tell the story.  And more often than not, I believe that makes for a better song.

So what’s your take on this song?  What is your favorite abstract song?  Or what songs took you several listens to fully understand?

Listen to Mary Chapin Carpenter – ‘The Last Word’ and decide for yourself.

Poll – Grammy For Best Country Collaboration With Vocals

This is the category I completely forgot about, so I apologize for cramming so many polls in this week, but I promise, I have a plan. Remember, if you haven’t voted for the Duo/Group poll, please do so here! The results of these polls will be used very soon for a special purpose, so make sure you vote!

First of all, since 3 of these tracks are more obscure, here are links so you can listen to them:

“Killing The Blues”
“House Of Cash”
“Let The Wind Chase You”

I’m sorry, for the Yearwood/Urban track, it wasn’t on last.fm, so I had to use a youtube fan video for Law & Order SVU. (On a completely unrelated note, SVU is such a great show, I just finished watching an amazing episode.)

Make sure to post why you voted for who you did: I love to see the reasoning behind the choices people make!

Barbara Mandrell to be inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame

“I was listening to the Opry when all of my friends were diggin’ rock-and-roll and rhythm and blues …”

More than any line in any country song, I can relate to that one. In the early 80s in the northeastern US, there were hardly any country music fans, especially among my age group. Music was, therefore, mostly a solitary experience for me. More than any other performer, Barbara Mandrell is responsible for nurturing my passion for country music, since it was through her variety show that ran on NBC from 1980 to 1982, that I was first exposed to many country stars. Among the guest stars that joined Barbara and her sisters every Saturday night were Johnny and June Carter Cash, Marty Robbins, Dolly Parton, Ray Stevens, Conway Twitty, and Mel Tillis among others. The first time I heard the name Patsy Cline was when Barbara and her sister Louise sang a medley of her hits.

I was immediately impressed by this multi-talented lady, who was the first person to win the CMA’s Entertainer of the Year award twice. The first album I bought with my own money was a cassette of The Best Of Barbara Mandrell. I’ve been a huge fan of hers for most of my life, so it was welcome news when it was announced today that Barbara is one of the 2009 inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame, along with the great Roy Clark and Charlie McCoy.

Congratulations, Barbara and thanks for all the happy musical memories.

You’re Still Here…

Sad country songs are not a rarity. Most all country songs were sad or at least depressing back in the day. That provides a stark contrast to the happy-go-lucky songs of today’s country radio environment, but even Jessica Simpson and Rascal Flatts listeners hear sad songs, no matter how sappy they might be.

Now, almost all my favorite songs are sad ones, but once in a while there comes along that one song that completely takes your breath away. “You’re Still Here” by Faith Hill was one of them.

The final track of the Cry album, “You’re Still Here” shocked me like no other song. Cry is an album that I love and appreciate very much now, but when I first heard it back in 2002 I brushed the album off as “pop crap”. The huge Faith fan in me did however force me to listen to it all the way through. Cry was a very serious album throughout, and even had it’s sad moments. As the track before the the last one, “I Think I Will”, was finishing up, I thought to myself:

“Thank God! Only one more track”.

The albums’ previous songs suggested a slow, sappy love ballad as the final cut, and the title “You’re Still Here” didn’t help to suggest otherwise.

Poll – Grammy For Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

First, two things. I had to mention the group-that-must-not-be-named, but just in the poll, so I guess it’s better. Anyway, I apologize for those who thought that they wouldn’t be mentioned here, but the Grammys made me do it, ok? I didn’t nominate them… Needless to say, they will not be tagged in this post.

Since the Grammys are fast approaching (This coming Sunday!) we have this poll and two more after this, for Best Country Song and Best Collaboration, so we’re almost done! I’ll just have to double-time the last two. As always, make sure to vote and comment below.

Finding country

Something I often wonder about is how other people first started listening to country music.  I imagine for a lot of readers it was very straightforward – you grew up listening to country radio, maybe your parents were fans, and your own interest developed from there.

It was different for me.  Growing up in England, country music was a long way from mainstream.  The only country songs I heard were the few that had crossed over to become pop hits; my parents had one Dolly Parton record, on cassette tape (Love Is Like A Butterfly). It was almost by chance that I found country music for myself.  I think I had always felt something was missing in the pop stuff I heard all the time, but I didn’t really know what.

Then the pop station I listened to started a one-hour country show on Sunday evenings, just after the pop charts. Even though the DJ clearly didn’t know much about country music, he played a good mixture of classics and the latest from Nashville. It was my good fortune that this was in 1987; the neotraditional movement was in full swing, and there was some great music being released. I enjoyed it more the more I heard, until one evening I had an epiphany: I had absolutely hated every single song on that week’s pop chart, and either liked or loved every song on the country show. With the enthusiasm of the convert, I decided I would stick with country music for good.

I found some other radio stations whose catchment area I was in, and which also had an hour or two of country music a week; I got used to changing the dial every night to tune into a different station to get my fix. I began to buy records: my very first purchases were Randy Travis’ Always And Forever, which still holds up for me, and Steve Wariner’s It’s A Crazy World, which has aged less well. Plus I liberated that Dolly cassette tape, so that probably counts as the first country record in my possession.

The love of country music I found so unexpectedly at 16 has stayed with me and grown stronger over time. Maybe living in an environment where I’ve had to actively seek it out has made my love for the music stronger.

So how did other people start listening to country music? Did your interest just develop over time, or did anyone else have a sudden conversion experience?

Spotlight Artist: Wynonna

I’ve recently finished reading Wy’s autobiography and have re-immersed myself in her solo work, as well as the music of The Judds. As one-half of The Judds, Wynonna scored over a dozen #1 country hits, 6 Grammys and 8 CMA awards, among many other accolades. Since her solo debut in 1991, Wynonna has recorded some of the greatest songs of the 1990s and beyond.  Her debut album sold 5 million copies and spawned 3 consecutive #1′s as well as another top 5 single.  She has since released 6 studio albums, a Christmas album, and a Judds reunion album recorded live in 1999.  Though her music later enveloped the influences of jazz, blues, rock, soul, and even some Appalachian elements – the influences of almost every form of American music – she has proven she has the voice to pull off each of these styles ably and competently.  

Also, Wynonna’s latest album, Sing: Chapter 1 is in stores today.  The disc is a collection of covers made famous by country, blues, and rock artists – songs dating back to the 1920s, the 1950s, 1970s and on.  And Wynonna delivers some stunning performances.  So what better time to showcase one of my favorite artists than right now?  Throughout the month of February, we’ll be featuring Wynonna as our Spotlight Artist with reviews, discussions, and (hopefully) an interview with Miss Wynonna herself.  So, don’t forget to pick up the new album and enjoy the next 4 weeks as we submerse ourselves in Wynonna Judd.

Sing: Chapter 1

 

 

Visit Wynonna’s official site.

And also, check out Wynonna’s MySpace Page.

Rediscovering Forgotten Gems

This is my debut blog entry for My Kind Of Country. I want to thank J.R. for inviting me to become a contributor and look forward to discussing country music with all of you.

In everyone’s CD collection, there are inevitably discs that go unplayed for long periods of time while others are constantly in heavy rotation. Last night I was looking to break out of the musical rut I’d recently found myself in and searched through my collection for something I hadn’t played in a while. I ended up choosing This Is Me by Randy Travis. I’ve been a huge Randy Travis fan since the first time I heard “Diggin’ Up Bones” and “On The Other Hand” back in 1986. I dutifully bought every album he released. After four excellent albums in the ‘80s – Storms Of Life (1986), Always & Forever (1987), Old 8×10 (1988 ) and No Holdin’ Back (1989) – his career began to slow down in the ‘90s. He continued to put out quality music, but nothing that had the impact of his ‘80s work. By the time This Is Me was released in 1994, Randy was no longer country music’s hottest commodity. The neotraditionalist movement had run its course, and Nashville was very much centered around Garth Brooks. Although I was still (and am to this day) a huge Travis fan, This Is Me was an album that didn’t see the inside of my CD player very often.

Last night while listening to the album for the first time in a very long time, I was struck by the realization that it was actually  very solid. The opening track “The Honkytonk Side Of Town” and the Bobby Braddock-penned “Small Y’all” are filler, but the remaining eight tracks are real gems. The album produced the #1 hit “Whisper My Name”, as well as three other top 10 hits – “Before You Kill Us All (#2), “The Box” (#7) and the title track (#5). The closing track “Oscar The Angel” is a real keeper. As I listened to it, I found myself wondering why this album didn’t make more of an impression on me when it was first released. It was no commercial failure, having earned gold certification from the RIAA, but that was a far cry from the multi-platinum level sales Randy had enjoyed in the ‘80s. It definitely deserved more attention than it got from both myself and the general public, and I made a mental note to start playing this one more often. It’s also motivated me to take another look through my collection for more forgotten gems.

What are the some of the forgotten gems in your collection?

Introducing …

I am really excited to tell you guys about the two latest members of the My Kind of Country blogging crew.  Regular readers of the two most popular country blogs – The 9513 and Country Universe - will recognize them as frequent commenters at those and many of the other great country blogs. So, without further ado, I give you … Razor X and Occasional Hope.  Look for their stories in the Introductions page very soon, and of course their posts.

I have always been impressed by the music selections of these two – and by their writing and responses to various topics as well.  And I, like you, am eagerly awaiting their future posts and musings on the music we all love.

A mess and a blessing …

As you all stop by the My Kind of Country blog today, you may notice that the pages are changing as you read.  We’re trying to get the header tweaked to match the new theme.  Designing the header turned out to be more work than I realized.  But, it wasn’t done by me.  I tried.  Photoshop is not one of my skills.

So I want to give a special shout out to my good buddy Meg Morrow.  Meg has been helping out with My Kind of Country from the beginning – you just don’t see her name because she hasn’t written anything.  But she’s there – proof-reading and correcting our many typos and generally being a blessing to me.

So, thanks Meg for all you’ve done.

 

Meg with Miss Reba at the 2 Worlds 2 Voices Tour stop in Minneapolis, October 2008.