BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: Ron Davies
Date: 27 Nov 05 - 11:06 AM

Depends on what you like to hear. As long as you want to hear 70's rock under another title, it's OK. These days "country" music is your only choice in pop music--at least on US radio-- aside from techno pop --and of course the deathless classics by 50 Cent and his fellow artists.

As I pointed out earlier, at least some of the current "country" has good lyrics.   And you have a fighting chance of being able to understand what is being sung.   And sometimes they tell good stories and/or have a good sense of humor.

And of course a good portion of the time it is, as you say, schlock. The question is if that's most of the time.

I'm real glad to have a huge supply of my own tapes for the car.




Jan says she'd like to hear a "country" song sung in a Scottish accent--but not a Birmingham one.

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 27 Nov 05 - 04:21 AM

ALL SINGERS WITH ACCENTS DON'T HAVE AN ACCENT WHEN THEY SING ????

Listen to some good geordie folk song mate, Johnny Handle singing ' The Lambton Worm ' or ' Wor Geordie's Lost His Penker ' or anything by Louis Killen or Tommy Gilfellon, or any good Scots or Irish singer, no    it's only in country and western that everyone sings in American accents, even Aussies , British, Irish or whatever, thats why it's mostly crap.

eric

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: GUEST,dedicated fan
Date: 26 Nov 05 - 09:56 PM

To answer and comment on a question stated above...

yes, Keith Urban is from Australia. When he talks you hear the accent but when he sings you don't.

It's the way it is.. all singers with accents don't have an accent when they sing..

My point is: He's not trying to be something he's not. He sings, plays, and writes his own songs.

He's not cocky and arrogant like the others. (Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney) I'm glad he won... he DESERVED it.

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: Splott Man
Date: 22 Nov 05 - 04:10 AM

Yeah, big coats and cowboy hats... indoors. Did thay leave the heating off? A whole herd must have been used to make Alan Jackson's coat, 'cos he's over 8ft tall isn't he?
Country goes through these periods of blandness, and I think this year was a good example. However, even the rockiest bands there had a fiddle and banjo.
Shining lights for me were Alison Kraus and Grechen Wilson, though even her song was a bit so-so.
Willie Nelson was cringe-making, even Nora Jones looked suitably embarrassed after having to keep stretching the rhythm keep down with him, Paul Simon almost redeemed the situation with some nice guitar work. Nice idea, though, doing each other's "Crazy" songs, but they should have rehearsed it.
But I'm glad I recorded it so I could fast forward through the worst bits.

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 21 Nov 05 - 11:23 PM

i love pedal steel..

its the one thing i'd swap most of my guitars
to just have a little of the talent needed to play it well enough..

they cost a fortune in UK..
and i've never known anyone who owns one to have a go on..

.. i'm well into [predictably..] alt. & dark gothic punk americana country music..

..may be wrong, but are'nt Bloodshot records
and UK ex pat Jon Langford based around Chicago area.. ??


would'nt expect to ever see any of the good stuff like Blanche,
Slim Cessner's auto club, 16 horsepower on the awards show..


Btw.. some of those cowboy hats and long black coats looked
so moulded out of shiny rubber and pvc..

i thought i'd stumbled across a late night underground fetish show..!!??

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: GUEST,Martin Gibson
Date: 21 Nov 05 - 11:02 PM

Tunesmith, the pedal steel can and should be the most effective sound in country music. Many acts use it improperly. When it is done right, it is awesome. Listen to some of Lyle Lovetts's stuff over the years, especially on his last album "My Baby Don't Tolerate." Paul Franklin plays pedal steel.

Waylon Jennings' sound was accentuated by the genius of steel player Ralph Mooney.

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: Ron Davies
Date: 21 Nov 05 - 10:35 PM

Country music has definitely gone too popish--I think it's a popish plot.

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 21 Nov 05 - 01:07 PM

I realise that there are many different views on what is "real" country music. One thing that bugs me is that syruppy pedal-steel guitar! "In theory" the instrument should be awesome, but I'd much rather hear the "humble" dobro for that "sliding effect". By the way, is Keith Urban from Australia? If so, he didn't sound Australian -which doesn't go down well with me, i.e he's trying to be something he isn't!

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Nov 05 - 08:57 AM

Thought the best performance was Keith Urban personally...the presentations of the awards were as usual cringe making but isn't that part of it? Country Music is good, as long as it doesn't go too popish..I wonder what Randy Scruggs thought of the whole evening.

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Nov 05 - 07:27 AM

yeah.. where were the Dixie Chicks..???!!!


.. or even Bruce Springsteen ?

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: Mr Fox
Date: 21 Nov 05 - 07:14 AM

Of COURSE they had to include 'non-country' stars. So many real country singers have been boycotted by failing to agree with the country establisment's smug little right-wing Toby Keith view of the world that there'd be nobody left if they didn't.

And if it's OK to show the country awards - TWICE! - what's wrong with the BRITISH folk awards?

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 21 Nov 05 - 06:31 AM

I watched it and found all those cowboy hats in New York most tittersome, where did they park the horses? Did anyone else notice that all these bands were playing strats, Les Pauls and even a couple of Flying V's? Lets Rock!!

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: GUEST,Martin Gibson
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 02:46 PM

Totally agree.

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 01:07 PM

I'm a fan of country music, but almost everything was wrong about this year's awards. First, I don't agree with the inclusion of "non-country" guest stars - Bon Jovi, Elton John etc. Secondly, the choice of songs was disappointing - do we really need to hear Alan Jackson doing "Wonderful Tonight"? And, of course, the "in your face" rock orientated performances seem to be moving country muisc farther and farther from its roots. I feel that this "diluting" of country music will - in the long run - be bad for the industry.

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: GUEST,Martin Gibson
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 12:23 PM

I also like the videos on CMY. But some of them can be quite artistic. Lyle Lovett's "In my Own Mind" is one that comes to mind.

What non-believers of country music do not realize is that it can be quite the art form. I am not talking about songs that rant about being a redneck and proud of it, but songs that deeply touch the human emotional experience.

I am pretty lucky, for in my cable digital package I can channel surf between CMT, GAC(Great American Country) and VH1-Country.

The awards do not mean much to me either except to predict who will win. There is a following of country music who is not just into Kenny Chesney.

Check out the weekly article in CMT.com called Nashville Sklyline, written by former Rolling Stone writer Chet Flippo for his on-going insight

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: Ron Davies
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 11:48 AM

Hi y'all

Jan here, (you know the one, Ron's wife) I just want to say I am a CMT ( Country Music TV) addict, it's the station I most watch over here. I am a true- blooded Englishwoman who has lived in the US for the last five years. Even the videos often have a great sense of humor, they are incredibly funny a lot of the time, whether they are meant to be or not. If you can get the CMT channel it really is worth checking out; it will surprise you.

Toby Keith's recent videos, all this year in fact and some from last year, are very funny and are very short big screen movies. As are Brad Paisley's videos. More and more of the Counrty artists are beginning to do this now, including many of the female artists; Terri Clark's "Girls Lie Too" video was a dream sequence of the girl having an affair with a Jonny Depp lookalike who she ends up in bed with. She calls out his name and her real partner in bed says, "Who's Jonny baby?". Her partner in bed is another counrty singer.

Anyway if you can get CMT take the time to look at it on a regular basis, you will be pleasantly surprised. You could take the time that you usually waste posting to Mudcat, like Ron does! Just kidding folks, though I am not however kidding about Ron.

I do agree that the awards programs are not worth watching.

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: breezy
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 09:10 AM

I enjoyed Faith Hill

Alison K's dress!!!!

Elton John ?

Dolly's Pairton

Dont some the the singers and songs sound the same?

A cut above Jool's holland

Paul Simon ?/

Whose the Johnny Cash soundalike?

'Wonderful tonight'

A prog of songs which made a change

I only saw the early show.

But no real stand out song this time round.

and strings!!

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: GUEST,trigger
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 08:37 AM

.. then there was the extended version
broadcast after midnight..

with awards and acceptence speaches



where was Roy Rogers ?

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: Ron Davies
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 08:26 AM

Sorry--"country music" these days is just 70's rock under a different name.

But at least some of the lyrics are pretty good--

"I'm not as good as I once was/ But I'm as good once as I ever was"

"She'll remember me until the day that she forgets me".

"We can't wait to hear about your round of golf
Love to see deer heads hangin' on the wall
And we like Hooters for their hot wings too.
Other guys never cross our minds
We don't wonder what it might be like
How could it be any better than it is with you?
Girls lie too."

Subject: RE: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 08:16 AM

Load of tossers in cowboy hats telling each other how good they are, of course with the exception of Allison Kraus.

And where do they get the weird names ?

Subject: BBC TV coverage Country Music Awards
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 04:13 AM

Well, the BBC TV out did themselves this time! They managed to cover an awards ceremony without showing any awards being given! Amazing! I have a lot of time for country music - I 've been listening to Brad Paisley a lot recently - but the BBC coverage of the CMT Awards was a disaster on a number of levels. Apart from the "missing" awards, the musical content was very disappointing. The show was dominated by lots of agressive " in your face" rock orientated music. Nearly all the "guest artists" were embarassing e.g. Paul Simon's duet with Willie Nelson. The best moment of the show - by far, was Allison Krauss's spot, and even then, "they" managed to mess up things and the first 10 secs of her vocals went "missing". Now, I know, the BBC can't be blamed for the music content but maybe it could have been saved by more intelligent editing.