Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2013 20:45:32 GMT -5
Ad says it all. Sounds like it'll hit radio on November 4, but I'd guess it will pick up some unsolicited airplay between now and then. "Drink A Beer" is co-written by Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers. [LISTEN HERE]
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joey2002
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Post by joey2002 on Oct 21, 2013 20:56:34 GMT -5
Powerful song... I actually enjoy this one. Finally, a change of pace and something different from Luke.
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sabre14
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Post by sabre14 on Oct 21, 2013 20:57:17 GMT -5
Not surprising. I would have gone with "Roller Coaster" personally, but this along with "Coaster", "Play It Again", and "Dirt Road Diary" were my predictions.
My guess would be "Play It Again" is next though. I have to wait till next fall probably to get "Roller Coaster" released...."Drink A Beer" is still a good song and as long as his current single can get farther outta my mind as soon as possible the better.
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mylifeback
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Post by mylifeback on Oct 21, 2013 20:59:19 GMT -5
Love this. I hadn't picked up Luke's album yet, but this one will probably convince me.
I think Luke's strong suit is this type of ballad; I loved some of the ballads he had on T&T and this is right along those lines.
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carriekins
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Post by carriekins on Oct 21, 2013 21:00:06 GMT -5
Powerful song... I actually enjoy this one. Finally, a change of pace and something different from Luke. This. I would have been equally happy with Roller Coaster, but I'm so pleased with the change of pace.
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someguy
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Post by someguy on Oct 21, 2013 21:04:17 GMT -5
Really great choice. Easily my favourite song he has released so far from this album.
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Post by 43dudleyvillas on Oct 21, 2013 21:14:12 GMT -5
While Luke had been hyping this song as a possible single release for a while, I wonder if Zac Brown's comments about "That's My Kind of Night" and the ensuing media/online discussion were an impetus to release the song earlier in the album cycle. After all, Luke has singled the song out (in this interview among many others) as an "amazingly written song," and I wonder if he is trying to make a statement about having what he considers to be substantive songs alongside his frattier and cornier fare. Here's my struggle with "Drink a Beer." It comes less than a year after "I Drive Your Truck," which is a better-written song that pulls the same conceptual trick (a bait-&-switch in which an incredibly cliché country lyric with fratty implications gets flipped into a serious lyric) in discussing the subject of loss. So "Drink a Beer" doesn't feel fresh. Moreover, the vivid specificity of "I Drive Your Truck"'s lyrics make "Drink a Beer"'s very general narrative seem quite unsatisfying by comparison. The only thing I would give "Drink a Beer" over "I Drive Your Truck" is the production element -- Jeff Stevens & Luke were smart to keep "Drink a Beer" acoustic and also to bring in Chris Stapleton for background vocals. I do expect "Drink a Beer" to do well for Luke at radio and I prefer this over most if not all of his album for the sound, if nothing else. But for me, it doesn't prove the point he seems to think it does about the quality of material in his repertoire.
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kim8
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Post by kim8 on Oct 21, 2013 21:28:21 GMT -5
Absolutely love this song. So glad to see this released next. I'm looking forward to seeing radio receive this well since it's Luke Bryan and he's hot right now. Maybe he can at least give a quality song like this a fair chance at radio.
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Marv
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Post by Marv on Oct 21, 2013 21:32:23 GMT -5
My immediate reaction after my first listen is that this is the best single Luke Bryan has done to date, although I immensely enjoyed 'We Rode In Trucks'.
My second reaction is that this is going to be the biggest single of his career.
My third reaction is that the race for 2014's number one single of the year @ Mediabase just got a heck of a lot more interesting.
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Post by Spacey_Kacey on Oct 21, 2013 22:09:22 GMT -5
I like this song well enough to root for it, but far from my favorite Luke Bryan song. It definitely deserved a release at some point. There's like 4 other songs that also seem like logical releases though, so I am relieved that this will get a spot over some others.
To make the very obvious comparison to "I Drive Your Truck" - I loved IDYT..., but the production was so stale that it wore out on me pretty fast. The imagery in that one is killer, but it's not so easy to listen to now. This one is a complete imitation of that with a slightly weaker hook (where's the connection. How is beer at all related to the person who died? Who did he even lose?). As noted above by dudley, the lyrics are significantly weaker. It's just a mess of utter confusion. But the emotion isn't there to adequately portray the confusion. There's no plot. The chorus rhyme scheme is not very good. And my worst problem with this song is the production. As bad as it was on IDYT, this is 20 times worse. I got tired after like 3 listens. It's soooo stale.
Well, those are all my complaints. I still like it, but they really should have been a stronger effort on some parts. Don't hate me for the tough review, Luke fans. I'm very critical of nearly all songs. That's still like a 3.5 star review coming from me.
This is nowhere near an instant classic like "I Drive Your Truck" (using classic loosely haha). I hope it is a big hit (though it certainly won't need any help from my prayers), but I certainly do not wish to see Song of the Year nominations for anything like this.
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tvoss20
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Post by tvoss20 on Oct 22, 2013 0:41:10 GMT -5
Great choice, one of the best on the album. I too hope Roller Coaster sees radio at some point down the road though.
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dgarcia3377
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Post by dgarcia3377 on Oct 22, 2013 18:11:45 GMT -5
Pretty good choice, though I was hoping for Dirt Road Diary or We Run This Town.
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Post by countryfan4life on Oct 22, 2013 18:17:32 GMT -5
I too would have loved "Roller Coaster" and I hope we don't have to wait too long to hear it on radio. With that said I am very happy with this choice and I'm proud of Luke and his team for going with something that was a little less predictable. I actually really like the arrangement on this song and Luke sings it as if he wrote it. I hope it does well for him.
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Markus Meyer
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Post by Markus Meyer on Oct 22, 2013 18:37:02 GMT -5
Awwww Yeah!!!!! :)
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Post by tim on Oct 23, 2013 1:25:16 GMT -5
As a recent critic of Luke's string of tailer made frat-boy songs, I had to give this a few listens first before commenting. I'm always open-minded and will give anything a listen no matter my opinion of an artist. That said, here are my first thoughts. I absolutely love the trimmed down acoustic production as it showcases Luke's voice. Although Luke did not write this song he sings it as though it was hand written based on his personal experiences (knowing the story behind losing his brother and sister). Lastly, the reference to just sitting down and drinking a beer doesn't exactly tie in to the meaning of the song, but I can visually imagine the moment he is describing and can relate. I would be drinking a glass of wine, but beer would do fine.
That said, this song isn't great, but it's a step in the right direction for Luke going into what I hope will be a better year musically for the genre of country.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2013 1:42:04 GMT -5
The guitar in the first 3-5 seconds of this song really reminds me of the beginning of David Nail's "Songs For Sale". The main difference is that the notes of SFS are higher on the scale. Anyway, I like this quite a lot. It's not super-amazing by any means, but given the recent songwriting and 'talent' coming out of Nashville, this one sure stands out. I do like the lyrics of "I Drive Your Truck" better, but I was never sold on that one from a vocals and production standpoint, and I generally like Lee Brice a lot more than I like Luke Bryan. I've always thought Luke has a good voice, but I rarely like his material. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see the award shows embrace this one because of how white hot Luke is. This is sure to be a big radio hit, too. Is it the best-written song ever? No, definitely not. But I do think it packs more of an emotional punch than most songs that are called country songs do these days. Vocally, Luke really shines on this one, and I really enjoy the toned-down, more acoustic production here. So, in the end, I don't think the lyrics are quite up to par with those in the Lee Brice tune, but vocally and from a production standpoint, I enjoy DAB more. I'd say "I'm going on a limb here", but I don't really believe I am actually going out on a limb when I say that I believe this song will be one of the biggest hits of Luke's career. I don't think that's a very risky prediction for me to make at all. "Drink A Beer" will leave much more of an impact than silly songs like "That's My Kind Of Night" do (and 'silly' is really too kind of a word to describe that one). This is definitely a song I can root for.
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churchchoir
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Post by churchchoir on Oct 23, 2013 2:32:35 GMT -5
Not sure if this is an accurate comparison considering Luke has much more star power, but Lee Brice's "I Drive Your Truck" actually turned out a bit underwhelming in terms of sales and overall impact. It did connect with a lot of listeners, but I don't think it generated a whole lot of long-lasting excitement overall, like ML's "Over You" did and IDYT actually really hit the brakes just before reaching #1, fell quickly, and doesn't get much recurrent airplay, so I'm not sure this will be one of the defining hits of Luke's career. I definitely don't think it will sell as well as "That's My Kind of Night" and it lacks a strong melody, so I'm not sure this will be a multi-week #1 either. It will of course be a big hit and most likely a #1 airplay hit because of the artist recording it, but there are five tracks on Luke's album that have made the HCS chart without being released based on sales and streams, all of which in my opinion would have been better choices for singles. I just don't see this making the impact that "Play It Again," "Dirt Road Diary," or "Roller Coaster" would have. I guess the idea was that this song would get Luke back in the good graces of the country music listeners and industry people who weren't happy with "That's My Kind of Night" and prove that Luke has a reasonable variety of deep songs and party songs.
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Post by tim on Oct 23, 2013 2:45:37 GMT -5
For me "Drink A Beer" is also going to tie into the death of the frat-boy genre. I'm literally going to listen to this song along with some other great country music (maybe some RVS "I've Cried My Last Tear For You," Doug Stone's "Jukebox with a Country Song," Billy Dean's "If There Hadn't Been You," or Mark Collie's "Even The Man In The Moon Is Crying"). From there I'll put a folded list of the worst frat-boy songs that my ears have been subjected to this year into a mason jar and throw it in the ocean off the pier. I'll then toast with a beer in hand to the new year of country music.
Ha, I'm just being tongue-in-cheek. Maybe.
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ant
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Post by ant on Oct 24, 2013 7:36:49 GMT -5
Eh, I was hoping for "Roller Coaster" to be the 3rd single.
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tonyei31
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Post by tonyei31 on Oct 25, 2013 7:05:26 GMT -5
Long time lurker, first time poster.
I like the substance behind this song as everyone can relate. I think it was released earlier than songs like "Roller Coaster" due to the ZBB issue. You can completely tell, especially in the acoustic sets, that Luke "lives this song" even though he didn't write it.
From the record label standpoint this makes all the sense in the world. You have a songwriter who you have invested alot in initially. For some reason program managers and fans aren't responsive to his first single so you feature him singing background vocals with a solid solo sendoff at the end that shows some of his vocal makeup.
This song is just as much about restoring Luke's country sound from the "Frat boy" sound as it is getting the name of Chris Stapleton exposed to the masses.
UMG is making a great decision with this release.
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onebuffalo
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Post by onebuffalo on Oct 25, 2013 9:50:22 GMT -5
^ and ^^. Two first time posters. Welcome to Pulse Music Board, steelfiddle and tonyei31!
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rsmatto
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Post by rsmatto on Oct 25, 2013 11:06:37 GMT -5
. I guess the idea was that this song would get Luke back in the good graces of the country music listeners and industry people who weren't happy with "That's My Kind of Night" and prove that Luke has a reasonable variety of deep songs and party songs. If the industry was so 'angry' with "That's My Kind of Night" and fans didn't like it, why did it get to #1 and why has it been #1 for months on the digital sales chart? I've not heard nearly the backlash that some seem to suggest the song has had outside of the age old "Traditionlist" vs. "young guns" mentality that has always been in country music. Long time lurker, first time poster. I like the substance behind this song as everyone can relate. I think it was released earlier than songs like "Roller Coaster" due to the ZBB issue. You can completely tell, especially in the acoustic sets, that Luke "lives this song" even though he didn't write it. Except that it's not. No need to look further into this. The plan was ALWAYS to release this third. Luke also chose to 'ignore' those comments publicly. It was also a smart thing for him to do as it would've only made things worse. Again, digging further than needed. They could definitely be looking at getting radio and fans used to Chris Stapleton, the singer, with this single but to think it's 'restoring' his 'country sound,' then you haven't really listened to his record. "I See You" will be a single at some point and it's far more in the "Kind of Night" style of song or "Frat Boy" or whatever you want to call it than what traditions "Drink A Beer" supposedly has. "Goodbye Girl" would've been a better song at restoring Luke's "country credibility" than even "Drink A Beer" would possibly do. No disagreement here. "Drink A Beer" is a very, very good song and the acoustic bed of the song is fantastic. I remember Luke singing this with Chris at CRS this past February and it was equally strong. Also, welcome to the board.
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Uncle Lumpy
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Post by Uncle Lumpy on Oct 25, 2013 12:29:49 GMT -5
But I'm almost positive I heard Luke say he loved it but that he didn't think it would be a single? I believe the the criticism of this song goes far beyond "the age old " traditional vs. young guns that you always seem to dismiss. Zac Brown even admitted he was far from a traditionalist. I have a friend that is only a moderate country fan with ties closer to hard rock. He came over the other night and described a song so bad it made him feel embarrassed for the artist. As soon as I kicked off "My Kind Of Night" he said "yeah , that's it". Of course the song is a big seller. That's what happens when you sell out & cross pollinate with every genre imaginable to sell your product. That still doesn't mean its being bought by a country audience. Its good marketing no doubt , but its also prostitution as far as I'm concerned.
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rsmatto
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Post by rsmatto on Oct 25, 2013 15:19:54 GMT -5
But I'm almost positive I heard Luke say he loved it but that he didn't think it would be a single? I believe the the criticism of this song goes far beyond "the age old " traditional vs. young guns that you always seem to dismiss. Zac Brown even admitted he was far from a traditionalist. I have a friend that is only a moderate country fan with ties closer to hard rock. He came over the other night and described a song so bad it made him feel embarrassed for the artist. As soon as I kicked off "My Kind Of Night" he said "yeah , that's it". Of course the song is a big seller. That's what happens when you sell out & cross pollinate with every genre imaginable to sell your product. That still doesn't mean its being bought by a country audience. Its good marketing no doubt , but its also prostitution as far as I'm concerned. Yes, lots of people disliked this song but the most vocal in their disapproval have a certain sound they agree is what "Country" is to them (which -- in general -- is what they grew up listening to). It's just an ages old debate that will likely never go away. As for "Night," Luke's buddies wrote the song, he liked it for his live show and the general feel of the song. That was enough to record it. He'd say -- all artists say this -- that he records the songs he likes for a record and lets his label pick singles because they know what they're doing there. Would he have picked a different single second? perhaps. That will likely never be told, at least not until his late-career tell-all eBook... As for saying he's a 'sell out," I don't know about that. But I've been on the record for hating that term anyway. Music -- especially in today's day and age -- is going to cross pollinate and you're going to hear EDM-influenced songs very, very soon. It's just the nature of the beast. Genres as we know them were retail and marketing terms to help 'box' stuff. Why box stuff outside of "I like this," "I don't like that." That being said, Hopefully we could get back to a land where songs like "Drink A Beer" far outnumber the "That's My Kind of Night" types of songs but I really think that ship could have sailed.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2013 15:28:05 GMT -5
. I guess the idea was that this song would get Luke back in the good graces of the country music listeners and industry people who weren't happy with "That's My Kind of Night" and prove that Luke has a reasonable variety of deep songs and party songs. If the industry was so 'angry' with "That's My Kind of Night" and fans didn't like it, why did it get to #1 and why has it been #1 for months on the digital sales chart? I've not heard nearly the backlash that some seem to suggest the song has had outside of the age old "Traditionlist" vs. "young guns" mentality that has always been in country music. Why did TMKON get to #1? Because Luke is one of the top stars in the genre, and he's selling singles and albums left and right. Of course country radio was going to jump on this song, or any of Luke's other songs. He's that hot right now. But like Uncle Lumpy said, I really don't think that the audience buying TMKON is strictly a country audience...in fact, I'd go so far as to say that the majority of the audience is far from country. Most of my friends hate this song and they won't listen to Luke's music. I know a lot of people who like country music but when asked who they like, they basically say Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and Florida Georgia Line, and no one else. I see/hear it time and time again. There's no doubt that Luke is hugely popular but he's definitely pulling in all these "new age" country fans, many of which are fans of other kinds of music. I have no problem with new people listening to country radio, but it's a shame that such a poorly-written song is one of the main reasons for the increased popularity of 'country' music. I don't think it's about "traditional" vs. "young guns" either. I'm far from a traditionalist myself. I think the big problem is the lack of well-written songs. As Zac Brown pointed out, so many of the popular bro-country songs are being written by the same, small group of writers. Artists that are tapping into that trend are releasing the same song over and over again, just with recycled lyrics. The criticisms with this song, similar styled songs, and country radio lie within the writers' inability to produce strong songs, and with country radio's inability to promote other styles of country music. It seems that playlists have become increasingly narrow, with radio latching on to the most popular style (according to sales numbers) in an effort to keep bringing in all these new fans. The problem is that they're not playing enough variety--the industry has proven that there are multiple styles of country music--and by not playing enough variety, they are losing traditional country fans, older fans, but also people who desire to hear better-written songs--songs that are about topics other than beer, trucks, girls, and cruising around in the country.
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rsmatto
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Post by rsmatto on Oct 25, 2013 18:00:49 GMT -5
If the industry was so 'angry' with "That's My Kind of Night" and fans didn't like it, why did it get to #1 and why has it been #1 for months on the digital sales chart? I've not heard nearly the backlash that some seem to suggest the song has had outside of the age old "Traditionlist" vs. "young guns" mentality that has always been in country music. Why did TMKON get to #1? Because Luke is one of the top stars in the genre, and he's selling singles and albums left and right. Of course country radio was going to jump on this song, or any of Luke's other songs. He's that hot right now. But like Uncle Lumpy said, I really don't think that the audience buying TMKON is strictly a country audience...in fact, I'd go so far as to say that the majority of the audience is far from country. Most of my friends hate this song and they won't listen to Luke's music. I know a lot of people who like country music but when asked who they like, they basically say Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and Florida Georgia Line, and no one else. I see/hear it time and time again. There's no doubt that Luke is hugely popular but he's definitely pulling in all these "new age" country fans, many of which are fans of other kinds of music. I have no problem with new people listening to country radio, but it's a shame that such a poorly-written song is one of the main reasons for the increased popularity of 'country' music. I don't think it's about "traditional" vs. "young guns" either. I'm far from a traditionalist myself. I think the big problem is the lack of well-written songs. As Zac Brown pointed out, so many of the popular bro-country songs are being written by the same, small group of writers. Artists that are tapping into that trend are releasing the same song over and over again, just with recycled lyrics. The criticisms with this song, similar styled songs, and country radio lie within the writers' inability to produce strong songs, and with country radio's inability to promote other styles of country music. It seems that playlists have become increasingly narrow, with radio latching on to the most popular style (according to sales numbers) in an effort to keep bringing in all these new fans. The problem is that they're not playing enough variety--the industry has proven that there are multiple styles of country music--and by not playing enough variety, they are losing traditional country fans, older fans, but also people who desire to hear better-written songs--songs that are about topics other than beer, trucks, girls, and cruising around in the country. Oh, I definitely understand what you are saying and where you're . The homogenized sound/theme is definitely annoying at times but I don't think the songs themselves are not well-written. They're just so formulaic to the point that everyone's looking for more of the same sounding songs or themes. The melodies and hooks are good, they're just overused themes. It's a trend that's happened to virtually every genre at some point and maybe country will get past it. I know you're not one of 'em but I do often 'bristle' the most at others who want the songs they hear to be back to what they grew up listening to and that's where much of my "traditional" vs. "young guns" comment comes from. I LOVE the era of music I grew up listening to and the music they made but also know that the genre will always evolve and change, even if I'd love for it not to. Sadly, it's just the way of life in virtually every art form out there. Hopefully, though some of that homogenization will change for the better and that along with themes being more broadly accepted by radio and other gatekeepers that we'll also get more great females like Kacey Musgraves, Leah Turner and Brandy Clark success.
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Uncle Lumpy
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Post by Uncle Lumpy on Oct 26, 2013 9:46:30 GMT -5
But I'm almost positive I heard Luke say he loved it but that he didn't think it would be a single? I believe the the criticism of this song goes far beyond "the age old " traditional vs. young guns that you always seem to dismiss. Zac Brown even admitted he was far from a traditionalist. I have a friend that is only a moderate country fan with ties closer to hard rock. He came over the other night and described a song so bad it made him feel embarrassed for the artist. As soon as I kicked off "My Kind Of Night" he said "yeah , that's it". Of course the song is a big seller. That's what happens when you sell out & cross pollinate with every genre imaginable to sell your product. That still doesn't mean its being bought by a country audience. Its good marketing no doubt , but its also prostitution as far as I'm concerned. Yes, lots of people disliked this song but the most vocal in their disapproval have a certain sound they agree is what "Country" is to them (which -- in general -- is what they grew up listening to). It's just an ages old debate that will likely never go away. As for "Night," Luke's buddies wrote the song, he liked it for his live show and the general feel of the song. That was enough to record it. He'd say -- all artists say this -- that he records the songs he likes for a record and lets his label pick singles because they know what they're doing there. Would he have picked a different single second? perhaps. That will likely never be told, at least not until his late-career tell-all eBook... As for saying he's a 'sell out," I don't know about that. But I've been on the record for hating that term anyway. Music -- especially in today's day and age -- is going to cross pollinate and you're going to hear EDM-influenced songs very, very soon. It's just the nature of the beast. Genres as we know them were retail and marketing terms to help 'box' stuff. Why box stuff outside of "I like this," "I don't like that." That being said, Hopefully we could get back to a land where songs like "Drink A Beer" far outnumber the "That's My Kind of Night" types of songs but I really think that ship could have sailed. I'm not a strict traditionalist , I like most of Eric Church's output to this day. I don't believe even the most traditional of country music fans have a problem with country music evolving. But I believe most also refuse to believe that is what we are seeing today. You cant name drop Conway Twitty , say "presto ! This song is country now!" Its a completely different beast. You & Luke Bryan both can give the world a wink & a nod and say this is country music now if you like but I don't believe anyone really believes that. And while you may hate the sell out term , I stand by it & cant think of a more fitting description for a guy name dropping T-Pain in a song that is an obvious money grab. Country music has survived the last 70 or 80 years by yes evolving but not straying to far from its roots as well. Which is a very good reason why we have boxes to filter the stuff we like or don't like. I do kind of agree on one point though. If we really are heading for this genre-less musical society , country music will be the first to be dissolved & disappear. Hell, I'm starting to think its already happened.
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rsmatto
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Post by rsmatto on Oct 28, 2013 16:46:48 GMT -5
Yes, lots of people disliked this song but the most vocal in their disapproval have a certain sound they agree is what "Country" is to them (which -- in general -- is what they grew up listening to). It's just an ages old debate that will likely never go away. As for "Night," Luke's buddies wrote the song, he liked it for his live show and the general feel of the song. That was enough to record it. He'd say -- all artists say this -- that he records the songs he likes for a record and lets his label pick singles because they know what they're doing there. Would he have picked a different single second? perhaps. That will likely never be told, at least not until his late-career tell-all eBook... As for saying he's a 'sell out," I don't know about that. But I've been on the record for hating that term anyway. Music -- especially in today's day and age -- is going to cross pollinate and you're going to hear EDM-influenced songs very, very soon. It's just the nature of the beast. Genres as we know them were retail and marketing terms to help 'box' stuff. Why box stuff outside of "I like this," "I don't like that." That being said, Hopefully we could get back to a land where songs like "Drink A Beer" far outnumber the "That's My Kind of Night" types of songs but I really think that ship could have sailed. I'm not a strict traditionalist , I like most of Eric Church's output to this day. I don't believe even the most traditional of country music fans have a problem with country music evolving. But I believe most also refuse to believe that is what we are seeing today. You cant name drop Conway Twitty , say "presto ! This song is country now!" Its a completely different beast. You & Luke Bryan both can give the world a wink & a nod and say this is country music now if you like but I don't believe anyone really believes that. And while you may hate the sell out term , I stand by it & cant think of a more fitting description for a guy name dropping T-Pain in a song that is an obvious money grab. Country music has survived the last 70 or 80 years by yes evolving but not straying to far from its roots as well. Which is a very good reason why we have boxes to filter the stuff we like or don't like. I do kind of agree on one point though. If we really are heading for this genre-less musical society , country music will be the first to be dissolved & disappear. Hell, I'm starting to think its already happened. Using "T-Pain" as a reference is a ' money grab?' Perhaps it was just a formulaic song with stuff the writers actually listen to in the lyrics? Maybe using "2 Chainz" would've been a better reference?
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Post by 43dudleyvillas on Oct 28, 2013 22:07:20 GMT -5
Genres as we know them were retail and marketing terms to help 'box' stuff. Genres as I know them are terms that encompass certain sonic (vocal, instrumental, and melodic) and lyrical markers that form the foundation (the foundation, not all-consuming boundaries) of a musical tradition and history. So as far as I'm concerned, your perspective on genres underscores the real divide we're dealing with here: bean counters using a genre designation like country as an otherwise empty marketing tool, with no regard for the substance that defines the term or how the history that the term represents bonds a diverse community of artists and music fans. That doesn't exclude multi-genre fans or artists who tap into multiple genres at all -- it simply means that calling oneself a country music fan or a country artist means real and sincere engagement with the history of the genre (which can easily interact with real and sincere engagement with the history of other genres). The trouble with songs like "That's My Kind of Night" and "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)" is that their cartoonish representations of what country means today make a mockery of why references to rural life/identity and alcohol have been so defining to country music over time. "That's My Kind of Night" and the frat/bro country deluge have united non-traditionalists like Zac Brown and plenty of fans here at Pulse, not to mention music writers (young ones who have been perfectly complimentary of other contemporary country artists, even!) in major metropolitan markets like New York City and Los Angeles, in dislike. I don't think there is any denying the wave of negative mainstream media coverage that the trend has received, or the fan outpouring in support of these articles (and Zac Brown's comments). For that matter, I find it difficult to imagine that Tom Roland's Billboard Country Update story from a couple of months back about the one-dimensionality of country radio was written in a vacuum. I don't think "That's My Kind of Night" necessarily deserved to be singled out when 2012-2013 has also brought us "Feel Like a Rock Star," "Truck Yeah," "1994," "Boys 'Round Here," "Parking Lot Party," everything Florida-Georgia Line, etc., but I think the negative attention has come at least somewhat because "That's My Kind of Night" was the straw that broke the camel's back. For the record, I'm not especially wedded to the sound of country in my youth. To be frank, I disliked a fair amount of the country that dominated when I became old enough to have my own opinions on music and defected to alternative pop-rock for years. Only in the past few years have I really gone back and discovered country music from that time that is more to my taste. And as I've mentioned before, I am anything but a traditionalist when it comes to country music. I just think that artists and their music need to show a certain minimum level of respect for and engagement with country music's roots and history if they wish to be branded country. That being said, Hopefully we could get back to a land where songs like "Drink A Beer" far outnumber the "That's My Kind of Night" types of songs... I would hope that the country genre could do a good deal better than both songs. Luke Bryan may have become the commercial standard-bearer for the country market, but he is nowhere near being the country standard-bearer when it comes to well-written, substantive music.
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bjer127
New Member
Joined: April 2012
Posts: 414
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Post by bjer127 on Nov 1, 2013 11:16:49 GMT -5
This is probably the best song on the album, an album that was a total snooze fest for me. I hate the fact Luke has changed his image. I really enjoyed his first 2 albums. That country-boy charisma seems to be gone, plus he doesn't write alot of his own songs anymore. But i really enjoy this track, especially with Chris Stapleton harmonizing.
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