The Steel Guitar Forum

I'm going to keep a log over time of new or somewhat recent songs i hear on the radio that pass my Country test, thinking progressively. Anyone can comment, agree, disagree... flame, if you must. I can't give indepth reviews because most i only heard once.

Here's three i just heard:

GROWN MEN DON'T CRY - Tim McRaw

I really liked this one. Sweet, warm production. Soft chord progressions bring out the emotions. I think i heard some steel bits. Can't remember, i just liked the music as a whole.

New George Strait Tune (Title?)

This sounded like classic George with some sophistication in the chords and lyrics. Great sounding recording, plenty of breathing room.

TOO MUCH FUN - Daryle Singletary?

Ok, this has been around for a while. I was able to give a good listen today. It sounds like a Johnny Paycheck type song. Is this a remake of an old tune? Anyways, the bass was chunky, really cool, sounded like a P, not a hifi bass. A true modern sounding old-style Country song.

Erik...not to rain on yer parade but "grown men don't cry" is a poor excuse for a song in any venue IMHO. No real imagination or lyrical content. "so I jumped in my suburban and drove around the block"???? gimmie a break. It's the kinda crap that gives country a bad name...rc

I only heard the song once so i couldn't give a complete evaluation on lyrical content. I just know i liked it and wanted to hear it again.

I'm not a Tim McGraw fan, but that song is typical of the "commercial" country songs today. They are not classic's and many are very mundane and will not be remembered after then next release, but they are "commercial". If a songwriter wants to make a living, in songwriting, the songs must be "commercial".

I'm thinking that the last real good "cOntry" song I heard on commercial radio was "Change Her Mind" by Gene Watson. What kind of hat did the steel player wear? <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Larry Miller on 20 May 2001 at 09:17 AM.]</p></FONT>

How about: "It's All Because Two People Fell In Love"-Brad Paisley

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1985 Emmons push-pull, Session 500, Nashville400, 65 re-issue Fender Twin

Actually, it's "I just got in my Suburban and I drove away", and the point is relating to the people that he saw living in their car while he was driving a $45,000 Suburban.

Good, deep, well written song (not sure of the writer, but I'm going to find out) in my book, and it works great in our format...

John, that's precisely my point. Good music can often be metaphorical and/or simple with a minimum of extraneous words not requiring a book review to interpret. It's great that Tim has to make a social commentary as a catharsis to weep and experience his inner child but it doesn't cut it as country IMHO.

Craig, i'm not familiar with that song. But if you like it, hey, throw it on the list.

"One man's loss is another man's gain. One man's pleasure is another man's pain." - Molly Hatchet

RC--

You said in another thread "I'd try to include cadence and simplicity with a knock out grabber (chorus). I wouldn't make it so complex that the average listener couldn't remember the words or story line. If I have to listen 3 times or more just to understand it the song writer probably missed the mark."

Reading that quote seems to apply to that song--it's simple, easy to understand (I could quote it after one listen) and it had an effect on me.

Now you and I will most likely never agree on modern country, and that's fine--that's what makes music great. (By the way, I have a deep love for traditional country also, I just happen to like the new stuff, too )

OK.OK., I heard another good country song on the radio after Gene Watsons' "Change Her Mind", it was by Alan Jackson "Right On The Money" written by Phil Vassar. It was bullseye perfect,right on the money, and countrier than a butterbean, but it's got more than 3 chords.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Larry Miller on 23 May 2001 at 05:48 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Larry Miller on 23 May 2001 at 05:51 PM.]</p></FONT>

I have it from a good source that Gene Watson will release a new CD next month, The two Old songs will be "I Never Go Around Mirrors" and "Take me as I am Or Let Me Go". It includes the SOR Team and even the Big E came out of retirement to do this one. Watch for it, It should be a Great one

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John


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by John Floyd on 25 May 2001 at 12:22 PM.]</p></FONT>

John:
With Gene doing it, how could it not be great??
And with "I Never Go Around Mirrors" (one of my all-time favorite songs) on it, I'll be keeping an eye out for it up here, for sure!!

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Rebel™
ICQ 614585

http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/steel.html

<SMALL>TOO MUCH FUN - Daryle Singletary</SMALL>

Don't particularly care for that one.

See? Even I don't like ALL the new stuff. But I like some of it.

He had one I liked, called "I Let Her Lie"

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

I pulled into the shopping center
And saw a little boy wrapped around the legs of his mother
Like ice Cream melting they embraced
Years of bad decisions running down her face
All morning I'd been thinking my life so hard
and they wore everything they owned Living in a car
I wanted to tell 'em it would be OK
But I just got in my suburban I.. I drove away

I don't why they say grown men don't cry


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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

Here's a song to listen to:
http://jessicaharp.net/

Click on Multimedia
Click on Audio

At the bottom, listen to "Roses are Red"

Warning:

possibly non-commercial

definitely not "country"

no pedal steel

definitely "non-polished"

But I like it.


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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

David...., Thanks for the verse wording. IMO it would be great in a readers digest,on a new age greeting card or even in some book of prose. Wonder where he figured to take a breath. Too many words, too many thoughts, out of balance. (cadence). Traditional country is lot simpler and less wordy but I realize we live in times where we experience our "inner child" and "female side". I wonder if you had to listen closely multiple times to copy the words verbatim or were you able to remember it off the top. I've heard that song 100 times (99 too many) if I've heard it once and all I remember is "jumping in the suburban and driving away" and only because it's at the end of all that drivel. What next..."I drove to my analyst, scraped my radial tires parking and observed the scratch on my door and delved into my shattered past and subscribed to S&P to alleviate my grief?" To his credit the hook is a killer and most memorable(hum-able)....RC

ps; just read it again...good gawd it's a sensitivity group experience report (deep breath).

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"Did I fergit the melody or did you fergit the song?" courtesy ed naylor

early 70's Sho-Bud/Marrs S-10 3+4

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by RC Antolina on 23 May 2001 at 10:21 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by RC Antolina on 23 May 2001 at 10:24 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by RC Antolina on 23 May 2001 at 10:34 PM.]</p></FONT>

<SMALL>Wonder where he figured to take a breath</SMALL>

That's what makes him a great singer. He can do things that the rest of us find very difficult to do.

<SMALL>Traditional country is lot simpler and less wordy</SMALL>

Agreed.

This song reminds me a lot of Martina McBride's "Love's The Only House".

I like McGraw's song, but not Martina's. Oddly enough, though, when I heard the songwriter (Tom Douglas) perform "Only House", I liked it a lot more.

Not to say I don't like Martina McBride -- I just don't care for her on that song. Can't really say why.

PS -- I've only heard the song a few times. So I cheated and went to Cowpie to get the lyrics.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

Believe it or not, there's several Tim McGraw songs that have the traditional country rhythm. Maybe it's a more hi-fi recording, but listen to "Just to See You Smile" for example.

I'm not gonna get started on Mark McGuinn though. He definitely is NOT country. Sounds more like Barenaked Ladies with a banjo in the mix. Anyone heard "Mrs. Steven Rudy"?
And Billy Gilman isn't really country eigther, more like soft rock.

But in defense of modern country, it's not gonna be the same as classic country, just as Skynyrd, Metallica, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, and Korn are not gonna be the same as '50s rock. Times change, music progresses. If the music world had the same traditionalist thoughts as a lot of people here, we'd have Beethoven the 50th or possibly not even Beethoven. The point I'm trying to make is that the country that's done today is country(for the most part), but of course it's not the same as Hank, Merle, Waylon, Willie, Cash, Jones, etc.

Just a little morning rant(didn't mean to offend anyone if I did)

Gawsh I wuz hoping to offend somebody! Just kidding. It's occurred to me that if we all liked the same things, there'd be a lot less people on the planet and we'd all be driving BMWs. Thanks for the lively discussion. That being said I steel feel IMO that most of what's written for McGraw is Drivel ("like ice cream melting they embraced"?????) BARF!! Metaphorical usage in song is always great but..... Try listening to some John Prine for some classic examples. That accounts for Tim's whine a$$ style although he may well have the staying power and voice to propel him into legendary status. We shall see. .........RC

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"Did I fergit the melody or did you fergit the song?" courtesy ed naylor

early 70's Sho-Bud/Marrs S-10 3+4

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by RC Antolina on 24 May 2001 at 11:50 AM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by RC Antolina on 24 May 2001 at 12:05 PM.]</p></FONT>

<SMALL>Anyone heard "Mrs. Steven Rudy"?</SMALL>

Unfortunately, yes.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

BIGGER THAN THE BEATLES - Joe Diffe

This has been around a few years, but for some reason has made the rotation again. I like this song a lot. The concept is clever. The song rocks(which i like), and it still has a Country feel in the melody. I could hear George Jones singing that chorus.

I have not checked the key of the song, but it sounds like a 5-string bass on that tune.

Like that one, Erik.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons