hank0629
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Post by hank0629 on Mar 12, 2012 23:35:37 GMT -5
The next two promo songs are Hot In Here and She's Leaving!
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hank0629
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Post by hank0629 on Mar 14, 2012 2:51:41 GMT -5
The first promo song, Changed!
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Post by singingsparrow on Mar 14, 2012 13:46:47 GMT -5
Even though the song's lyrics come across as too preachy for my personal taste, they are STILL a stride above those of their typical power ballad...............and I will definitely say it is quite an impassioned vocal performance on the part of LeVox, and not as bombastic as previous ballads of theirs.
As far as the production is concerned, I don't see it as any departure from their usual fare. Maybe a sidestep closer to definitive Journey, I guess, but I wouldn't go so far as to say they've "changed" in that department! ;)
Namaste, lisping HIBISCUS
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2012 22:35:08 GMT -5
I love this; I haven't stopped listening to it since I bought it at midnight on Monday. Gary's vocal performance is SO good; I can see why songs like this resonate with the public more than some of their more bombastic ballads. In my opinion Levox isn't the best technical vocalist, but every once in awhile he delivers a performance that just demands attention and makes ya think the GREAT performances make up for all the lackluster singles because the performance alone elevates it above the songs before it.
Much the same way "I Won't Let Go" seems to have resonated with a diehard and causal fanbase, I feel like "Changed" could have the same effect if it was released as a single in the future. The vocal performance here is so impassioned the same way IWLG is; I think a performance like this grabs people, and THIS is the kind of performance that deserves to be heard. If they insist on putting on below-average singles this kind of performance is what will set it apart.
Personally, I don't think "Changed" is preachy at all, and I think it'd get a big reaction if ever released as a single. The vocal performance alone would probably make this a big hit for them. I think part of what sets country music apart is the fact that its artists aren't afraid to sing about faith/God in a frank way, and most seem to resonate with the fans if they're handled correctly, IMO.
And I gotta disagree about the production; I think this is different from anything they've done, and it certainly sounds different from any singles they've sent to radio.Considering that 90% of their ballads could probably be considered bombastic /overproduced, this is a REALLY refreshing change. I love the mellow, laid-back feel of the production, and the fact that Gary sings WITH it and not over it. Combined with the stellar vocal performance, I think this song is really great as a whole.
"Changed" is holding steady at #2 on Itunes country, which is a huge turnaround from the digital success of "Banjo." That alone tells me the song is already resonating with a lot of people, and I'd be shocked if it wasn't released as a single.
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hank0629
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Post by hank0629 on Mar 14, 2012 22:55:42 GMT -5
And it is closing to Carrie on iTunes! I really hope that "Changed" can be the 2nd single!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2012 14:47:57 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2012 0:34:12 GMT -5
Jay tweeted they'll be performing at a charity event with BoyzIIMen in Orlando tomorrow. @jaydemarcus Headed to Orlando... Doing a charity event with BoyzIIMen tmrw... Gonna be a blast!!! Wow what singers! Two weeks until "Changed" and "Hot In Here Is On Itunes tomorrow!
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hank0629
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Post by hank0629 on Mar 21, 2012 4:37:22 GMT -5
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Post by countrygirly on Mar 21, 2012 10:14:18 GMT -5
the samples are awesome !! now I'm even more excited !! :)
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joey2002
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Post by joey2002 on Mar 21, 2012 12:59:26 GMT -5
Hot In Here Is On Itunes tomorrow! Surprised to hear Rascal Flatts remake a Nelly song!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2012 13:08:31 GMT -5
Hot In Here Is On Itunes tomorrow! Surprised to hear Rascal Flatts remake a Nelly song! It's a completely different song. :)
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realityBITES
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Post by realityBITES on Mar 21, 2012 22:01:18 GMT -5
loved Next To You, Next to Me clip...just made me smile; will have to wait to get a sense of the others. Not a big fan of Hot in Here.
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kw9461
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Post by kw9461 on Mar 21, 2012 22:19:19 GMT -5
loved Next To You, Next to Me clip...just made me smile; will have to wait to get a sense of the others. Not a big fan of Hot in Here. yep, it sounded really good from the clip. It shows that these guys can still harmonize with the best of them when they can escape Dann Huff's impenetrable wall of production. The rest of the album sounds completely meh to me. Not as bombastic as Unstoppable, but it appears to be a step backwards from Nothing Like This. Hot In Here and She's Leaving both sound awful. Don't want to draw too much from such short clips though.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2012 0:07:03 GMT -5
loved Next To You, Next to Me clip...just made me smile; will have to wait to get a sense of the others. Not a big fan of Hot in Here. yep, it sounded really good from the clip. It shows that these guys can still harmonize with the best of them when they can escape Dann Huff's impenetrable wall of production. The rest of the album sounds completely meh to me. Not as bombastic as Unstoppable, but it appears to be a step backwards from Nothing Like This. Hot In Here and She's Leaving both sound awful. Don't want to draw too much from such short clips though. loved Next To You, Next to Me clip...just made me smile; will have to wait to get a sense of the others. Not a big fan of Hot in Here. yep, it sounded really good from the clip. It shows that these guys can still harmonize with the best of them when they can escape Dann Huff's impenetrable wall of production. The rest of the album sounds completely meh to me. Not as bombastic as Unstoppable, but it appears to be a step backwards from Nothing Like This. Hot In Here and She's Leaving both sound awful. Don't want to draw too much from such short clips though. Agreed; I've always felt like RF doesn't get enough credit for their harmonies and are often overshadowed by a lot of country groups. The clip of "Next To You, Next To Me" sounds awesome and there's not a trace of pop in it, which makes me very happy. I've always felt these guys do country music well, but they retreat to bombastic country/pop way too often. I didn't love any of the clips (aside from "Next To You, Next To Me"), but it's hard to judge from such short snippets. I will say I thought Gary's vocals sounded awesome on most of the clips, and it makes it even better that the production is so toned down. "Changed"- Gary's vocals are insane on the full track; very emotional, and it's a well-written song, IMO. "Banjo"- I'm still loving this one, even though it has burned on me a bit. It was a good choice for the first single though. "Hot In Here"- I actually like this; it's a fun song, and there's a lot of personality in it. My only complaint is I wish the lyrics were a bit more specific, but considering the amount of horrific uptempos these guys have recorded over the years this is a step up. "Come Wake Me Up"- I like the sound of this one, I got "Help Me Remember" vibes from the clips "She's Leaving"- I can't lie, this is probably gonna end up becoming a guilty pleasure for me; some songs are just meant to be campy and cheesy. "Let It Hurt"- This is already a great song; if Gary doesn't oversing this one I could see it being a highlight of the album " Lovin' Me" I hate repetitive songs and I could see this one getting on my nerves. LOL. "Hurry Baby"- I love Gary's vocals in the clips; I got "Forever" vibes from this one. Sunrise- I'm not a fan of the production on this one; it sounds like it could be a summer song about a roadtrip or something Great Big Love- I really like the clip; it sounds like a fun song, and Gary sounds really invested in this one. I'm kind of leery about the quality of the full song because it was written by Levox, Kara Dioguardi ( ) and Marti Fredrickson, who is a hit-or-miss writer for me. A Little Home- This clip sounds very promising; it sounds like a great song. "Friday"- UGH. Really?? Not to mention the "Na Na" repetition reminded me of "Me And My Gang, which has always been my least-favorite Flatts song by far. . "Fall Here" I really like this clip and it sounds like it could be a good one. "Right One Time"- This one just seemed OK to me... "Next To You, Next To Me"- LOVE this clip; I have a feeling it'll be one of my favorites on the album, and maybe one of my favorite tracks ever from them.
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rjz
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Post by rjz on Mar 24, 2012 16:56:59 GMT -5
Might have to buy my first full Flatts album. :)
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cufan7
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Post by cufan7 on Mar 24, 2012 17:14:52 GMT -5
I really like "Changed", not crazy for the lead at all.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2012 23:30:38 GMT -5
"She's Leavin'" on Itunes now! Love the energy of this one, especially the harmonies. One week until the album!!! Cannot wait. New Billboard article: The lives of guitarist Joe Don Rooney, bassist/keyboardist Jay DeMarcus and lead singer Gary LeVox-collectively, the harmonizing multiplatinum country trio Rascal Flatts-have experienced some major shifts during the past two years: on the business side, a new label and new management; on the personal side, the joys and challenges of balancing career and fatherhood. So it's not hard to see why their eighth studio album, due April 3 on Big Machine Records, is called "Changed."
"We're all three changed men from just what life has had in store for each of us," Rooney says. "And also how this business and success has affected us."www.billboard.com/column/the-615/rascal-flatts-return-changed-men-1006564352.story#/column/the-615/rascal-flatts-return-changed-men-1006564352.story
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hank0629
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Post by hank0629 on Mar 27, 2012 3:19:16 GMT -5
Love this pic! Handsome!!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2012 0:00:41 GMT -5
I'm surprised the album hasn't leaked it yet...I wanna hear it now!!
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hank0629
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Post by hank0629 on Mar 28, 2012 3:21:56 GMT -5
Please don't leak! I want their first week sales surpass Nicki Minaj to get their fifth Billboard 200 #1!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2012 5:09:06 GMT -5
Please don't leak! I want their first week sales surpass Nicki Minaj to get their fifth Billboard 200 #1! Eh, honestly, I doubt that will happen. Nicki is one of the biggest artists in the pop world right now & she's a huge digital seller. Her album is already posting strong numbers on Amazon as well. Plus RF's streak was already broken when NLT debuted at #6 on the all-genre charts, even though Why Wait hit #1 before the release date. Since Banjo isn't doing so hot digitally, I'm gonna assume they won't have the momentum to hit #1 on the all-genre charts this time around... However, RF will probably have no problem scoring their 8 consecutive #1 country album, which is pretty dang impressive. I would assume they'll at least land in the top #5 on the all-genre charts. I think all three of the singles are doing OK on Itunes and they'll be getting big promo with an ACM performance 2 days before the album release. Although we haven't gotten a schedule of promo appearances, I assume they'll do the major talk shows, plus they've got the movie release too. Big Machine usually does a great job of keeping albums under wraps until the last minute, so I doubt it would hurt their sales too much if it leaked. They'll probably do well on Itunes and during opening week; country artists are known for moving albums. Even if their opening week is underwhelming, they'll probably be fine...NLT opened with half of what "Unstoppable" did, but it still went platinum, produced two gold singles, duet with Beiber, TV special, Opry membership, etc. No matter what happens they'll probably manage to be just fine. :)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2012 14:00:35 GMT -5
A bunch of promo appearances have been announced. Dancing With The Stars- April 3rd Ellen- April 5th "Changed" movie premiere in Times Square- April 5th Good Morning America- April 6th Lionel Richie and Friends CBS special- April 13th
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2012 6:08:24 GMT -5
A year-and-a-half ago, Adele almost called it quits.
The band, which has sold 21 million albums and is the most awarded country group in the last decade, was in a downhill spiral. Their previous five singles had failed to top charts, although a couple got close. Ticket sales were down. They stopped winning awards, and in some cases, were not even nominated in categories that used to be a given.
Communication had completely stopped among the trio’s members.
“It was going bad,” says singer Gary LeVox in the band’s new movie, Adele – Changed: One Night Exclusive Movie Theatre Event. “It was going south to the point where I think everybody wanted to quit.”
“The dynamic is so different now than it was, but there were some really tough years,” adds bass player Jay DeMarcus. “Do we really want to do this for another 10 years? Do we have 10 years left in us? Do we have something left to say as a band?”
Now, Adele is nominated for Group of the Year at tonight’s Academy of Country Music Awards, and will perform new Top 10 single “Banjo,” which features comedian and bluegrass performer Steve Martin on the namesake instrument. Changed, Rascal Flatts’ new album — the first they made under new management and with a new record label — comes out Tuesday.
The steps the trio has taken in the last few months have restored members’ friendships and reignited creativity. The result is a well-rounded album that is the most country-sounding since Rascal Flatts’ sophomore breakthrough project Melt, released in 2002.
“I think you can hear the growth and maturity in this record like nothing we’ve ever put out before,” says DeMarcus, seated with his bandmates in the blinged-out Wagonmaster dressing room backstage at the Grand Ole Opry House. The room used to be Porter Wagoner’s and is adorned with his photos and sequined stage clothes. “I think there is a marked and noted difference in this music on this record that I don’t think you would have heard in the last two.” ‘The difference a year can make’
Last year, the band had no ACM Award nomination. Replacing Flatts on the group nominees list was a group that still plays clubs and has never gained mainstream country success. Although new label Big Machine Records got the trio’s radio airplay back to par, helping the trio’s “Why Wait” to the No. 1 chart position, the men were painfully aware other aspects still needed work.
“Last year said it all, where we were, what we had been going through and that’s when the light bulb went off that this changed thing needs to happen,” says guitarist Joe Don Rooney of the band’s “little dip” at the ACM Awards. “ It’s amazing the difference a year can make.”
The trio reevaluated its relationship with long-time management company Turner Nichols and Associates, deciding it was time to part ways.
“When you’re not happy, it seeps into everything else,” DeMarcus says. “And that’s where we were.”
LeVox explains, “When you’re weighed down with everything you can’t be creative, there’s no time to be creative. You don’t even care about being creative. You’re stressed out.”
Last spring, following the ACM Awards snub, the trio switched management companies and signed with Spalding Entertainment, which also represents Adele Aldean and Adele Evans, among others. Since then, and despite a lawsuit filed by their former managers seeking further compensation, the men have been able to relax and enjoy making music together again.
“It’s so peaceful right now,” DeMarcus says. “That was the one thing that I have appreciated over the last year so much is the peacefulness that I feel now in doing what we do. I remember looking at Joe Don on the bus and just laughing and saying, ‘I never knew it could be this easy and fun instead of being stressed out all the time.’”
Their co-writers have noticed a new ease among the members, too. Wendell Mobley and Neil Thrasher co-wrote “Banjo” with Tony Martin for Rascal Flatts’ new album, but Mobley and Thrasher are also longtime friends of the band. The two men have a combined total of more than 30 Adele cuts between them, many of which were written with the members.
“They’re still super serious about it,” Mobley says. “With all the changes with the label and the management, I’m sure they just have a completely different outlook. I’ve seen a huge change in Gary. I wrote with Gary out at his farm for this record and he just seemed 180 degrees to me from what it was just a few years ago. He was just enjoying it more.”
Thrasher says he often thinks about artists as having two separate careers: before and after.
“They have one career up front and they see changes coming on and they do make changes and then they have a rebirth,” he says. “That’s reflected. You change along with everything else. You grow and mature, and it’s always reflected in their music.”
Says LeVox: “God’s timeline is perfect.”
The group chose songs reflecting their rekindled connection and new freedom, yet are still arena-ready, head-bobbing, up-tempo works. The members revisited their country roots in songs including the single “Banjo,” a harmony-rich cover of Shenandoah’s “Next to You, Next to Me” and “Friday Can’t Come Fast Enough,” which DeMarcus says is the most country song the band has ever recorded.
“I think people will hear once and for all the way that we were influenced and what we cut our teeth doing in the clubs together,” he explains. “Our music wasn’t as pop as what it evolved into. Joe Don used to play a (telecaster) every night and chicken pick with the best of them. We’re proud of the records we’ve made, but it’s always been fun for us to explore our countrier sides.” Upward, with ‘renewed energy’
Today the band’s evolution is trending upward .
“It’s been a huge effort on the entire team’s part, new management situation, a renewed energy within the band,” says Scott Borchetta, president/CEO of Big Machine Label Group. “They’ve been very willing to work and jump in and touch every base. They’ve been phenomenal. It just feels like it’s really hitting on all eight cylinders, and there’s definitely a new excitement about the guys.”
In addition to winning a spot back in the Group of the Year category at the ACM Awards and recording what they feel is the strongest album of their career, Flatts last year became the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry, a life and career goal. They were the highest-grossing touring country band of 2011.
Adele – Changed: One Night Exclusive Movie Theatre Event plays in select theaters on Thursday, and the members are readying for their tour this summer featuring a line-up of country bands, including Little Big Town, Eli Young Band and Edens Edge.
The Adele members also became the first faces of Big Machine Label Group’s new Outnumber Hunger campaign. The label group recently paired with food giant General Mills to put Big Machine’s artists on cereal boxes to raise awareness and funds for the one in six Americans struggling with hunger.
The band members say they are just happy to be back in a place where they can help.
“We’ve been required to lean on each other in this past year-and-a-half more than we ever have before,” DeMarcus says. “Because when the rubber hits the road, it wasn’t about our management and it wasn’t about our record label, it was about what was the best thing for the three of us. And, this is it.” blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2012/04/01/rascal-flatts-reignite-creativity-restore-friendships-with-changed/
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2012 22:17:32 GMT -5
"Changed" up on Itunes now!!
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leilamaurizia
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Post by leilamaurizia on Apr 5, 2012 9:33:30 GMT -5
HDD first-week sales prediction:
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mairy
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Post by mairy on Apr 6, 2012 7:52:28 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2012 7:57:21 GMT -5
They've performed "Change" twice live this week. Two words: Next single.
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carriekins
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With my mouth wide open in a whiskey rain, I could stand here 24 hours a day...
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Post by carriekins on Apr 6, 2012 8:01:36 GMT -5
Yeah just heard it on whatever show they're on this morning. Three words: not a fan.
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joey2002
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Post by joey2002 on Apr 6, 2012 12:10:06 GMT -5
They've performed "Change" twice live this week. Two words: Next single. Yeah, it definitely seems like they're making it pretty clear that "Changed" will be the next single. "A Little Home" seems to be the other album track that they're trying to promote right now.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2012 15:30:09 GMT -5
I would be shocked if "Changed" wasn't a single. It's iTunes performance far exceeded that of the other 'countdown releases'--"She's Leaving" and "Hot In Here", and its even held its own compared to "Banjo", which hasn't been a huge digital seller but has done moderately well, so it's pretty impressive for the track "Changed" to be doing that well given that it has had virtually no airplay yet.
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