YourFaveIsAFlop
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Post by YourFaveIsAFlop on May 26, 2015 9:21:33 GMT -5
It's ready made for a pop crossover with a little instrumentation change if its gets big at country. It's a fun summer song though.
And he is a gorgeous man.
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jdbowman
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Post by jdbowman on May 26, 2015 10:00:39 GMT -5
Ugh.
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rsmatto
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Post by rsmatto on May 26, 2015 10:47:30 GMT -5
This feels like a Sugar Ray song. Which shouldn't be a surprise given his "Beachin'" history. That being said. it's a well-written, ear worm that may be my new favorite "for fun" summer song. I don't think this is "over produced" in the slightest. Especially compared to the production of Jake's previous two albums. I can hear McAnally and Copperman's production skill in these. While I love a simple, acoustic producition like the rest of us, I also have never minded songs like this.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2015 10:51:00 GMT -5
^Is that suppose to be a good thing.
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wilbur
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Post by wilbur on May 26, 2015 10:57:25 GMT -5
I have no words for this. days of gold was such a great album and had like 8 songs that could have been singles, maybe more but this is just not good. I like his songs with joey moi so if the rest of this new album is like this song I wont be buying it.
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rsmatto
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Post by rsmatto on May 26, 2015 11:19:21 GMT -5
Official cover art
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2015 11:23:52 GMT -5
^I will say it again Jake pulls off short hair real well.
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rsmatto
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Post by rsmatto on May 26, 2015 11:25:36 GMT -5
^I will say it again Jake pulls off short hair real well. I wonder if his twin brother will now grow longer hair...
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YourFaveIsAFlop
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Post by YourFaveIsAFlop on May 26, 2015 11:28:43 GMT -5
I want to have his babies
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Uncle Lumpy
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Post by Uncle Lumpy on May 26, 2015 11:53:20 GMT -5
"We get real low , we get real high, it aint all good but its all right"
“We need more songs than just songs about tailgates and f**kin’ cups and Bacardi and stuff like that. We need songs that get ourselves back to the format that made me love it . . . like when guys like Randy Travis released songs like ‘He Walked on Water’ – songs that meant something, man!” - Jake Owen
I really want to like Jake. I haven't givin up on him yet but the way he talks out of both sides of his mouth is bordering on hypocritical at this point. I know every song can't be a "What We Aint Got" , nor would I want them to be... but this is pretty bad. I'm so over this pseudo-rap trend. And sure miss the days when country was the one genre I could rely on to avoid it. This isn't "Beachin" bad to me , but its a close second.
The only thing remotely positive I can say about this is the Waffle House font is pretty cool on the singles art work.
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sabre14
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Post by sabre14 on May 26, 2015 12:12:40 GMT -5
It's really catchy and I like it. I think we need to accept that mainstream country is going to be over-produced. It's very unfortunate because all theses songs can STILL be made with toned-down production and country instrumentation. I don't think this is "over produced" in the slightest. I went through this thread and nobody so far said this was over produced, but I will say the production is not what I expect on country radio and it's really all over the place which is what rbundy1987 said as well. I can look past some over production (and yes I know the average fan doesn't even think about that stuff, it's just my own personal preference along with others here), but cluttered production that isn't conducive to country music is when I hold it against a song. It really does sound like something Sugar Ray would sing which you mentioned at the top of your post rsmatto. I do think RCA is expecting a big seller here since it is different than anything on country radio right now (which is hard to do these days), but I still contend this might hit a wall in its chart run. The only reason I'm not confident in that is because "Beachin'" sold well and hit #1, with mediocre call-out scores and the talking verses just seemed so polarizing to me, but obviously judging the way "Beachin'" and "Take Your Time" performed, that might not even be a concern to country radio anymore. The reason I don't like spoken parts in songs is because it just doesn't sound that good to me. I've always thought it wasn't necessary in songs that incorporated them. The demographic country radio is chasing though, have a lot of fans that don't mind them, so this release shouldn't be a surprise, especially following the success of "Beachin'".
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rsmatto
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Post by rsmatto on May 26, 2015 12:14:23 GMT -5
I will say that "talking songs" have been in country music as long as there's been a country music genre.
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YourFaveIsAFlop
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Post by YourFaveIsAFlop on May 26, 2015 12:23:50 GMT -5
I will say that "talking songs" have been in country music as long as there's been a country music genre. Exactly. Would anybody argue Big Bad John by Jimmy Dean or A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash aren't country?
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Uncle Lumpy
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Post by Uncle Lumpy on May 26, 2015 12:30:12 GMT -5
Yeah , that's why we have two pages of people comparing this song to "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" & "Big Bad John"....
Ha! @ the Big Bad John jinx
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Dustin J.
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Post by Dustin J. on May 26, 2015 12:47:52 GMT -5
I've said it before and I'll say it again...
I'll be happy when this make-every-lead-single-sound-completely-off-the-wall era ends.
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bigfan101
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Post by bigfan101 on May 26, 2015 12:54:50 GMT -5
I've said it before and I'll say it again... I'll be happy when this make-every-lead-single-sound-completely-off-the-wall era ends. Amen. I don't hate this, but Jake, he had a niche and it was working out well for them. Why does everyone have to change their sound all the time when the one they already had was working FINE.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2015 12:55:14 GMT -5
This feels like a Sugar Ray song. Which shouldn't be a surprise given his "Beachin'" history. That being said. it's a well-written, ear worm that may be my new favorite for fun summer song. I don't think this is "over produced" in the slightest. Especially compared to the production of Jake's previous two albums. I can hear McAnally and Copperman's production skill in these. While I love a simple, acoustic producition like the rest of us, I also have never minded songs like this. My only problem is the drums. I'm listening at moderate volume on Spotify right now and it's very overpowering. Like I just got a new stereo system in my Cadillac. Such has been more of the norm lately, making everything far too powerful instead of just letting the instruments speak for themselves. You can hear it in the bass in "Love You Like That" and "Turn it On", the drums in "Crushin' It", the guitar in "Gonna Wanna Tonight", and the synth bass in "Let Me See Ya Girl". These are all, as you know, techniques used mostly in pop and hip hop, which may force some people to believe some of the newer songs are *not* country (even though they are more country than anything else, by far). Above all, country to me is defined by storytelling (sophisticated or otherwise) and instrumentation. You and I may agree on the first part, but do we on the second? In regards to your last point...yes we all love a simple acoustic production. And yes, most of us (myself included) do NOT mind songs like this. The problem is that it's becoming the norm. So now my love for simple acoustic production--where do I find that?
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trebor
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Post by trebor on May 26, 2015 13:04:27 GMT -5
The fade out chords are great, though! Too bad that this is giving me "Beachin'" vibes; and I really dislike that song. The "whoa"'s here are pretty annoying and so are the background na-na-na's . Don't really mind the 90s (pseudo) alternative/rock sound, if they simply added more country instrumentation. The talking parts are about bearable, no more. Funny that nobody mentioned the hip-hoppy scratching sequence at about two thirds into the song. :) I can see listeners outside of the country spectrum digging such a sound. I'm undecided, but quite frankly, I was expecting much more from Jake Owen.
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dm2081
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Post by dm2081 on May 26, 2015 13:08:47 GMT -5
If you've ever been to a Jake Owen show, you know this will fit in perfectly with his style. It has that laid back Florida vibe to it that he's become known for. And for those worried about the album, I wouldn't. I fully expect the 2nd or 3rd single to be a traditional leaning one, but thus is just the perfect type if lead single that will move units and generate a lot of buzz. It's too good to pass on, and a lead single similar to "What We Ain't Got" wouldn't be a very wise decision these days.
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zjames
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Post by zjames on May 26, 2015 13:12:12 GMT -5
Well this is pretty bad. Jake's capable of some really great radio-friendly songs. I was listening to "Heaven", "Ghost Town" and "Life Of The Party" earlier and it's sad to see him release this after he's shown he's capable of so much more.
I like the idea behind the song and I like some of the lyrics, specifically the second verse.
Other than that, I don't like much else. There's really not much singing here and the spoken word doesn't really work for me. It doesn't come off as natural or comfortable as Sam Hunt.
And I really hate the bridge as well. "We find real love, get real hurt, fall real hard, shake off the dirt, pray to God, let's make a deal, I guess it just got real." The first part about losing love makes sense, but then I feel like the rest is just nonsense thrown together.
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Uncle Lumpy
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Post by Uncle Lumpy on May 26, 2015 13:13:23 GMT -5
Funny that nobody mentioned the hip-hoppy scratching sequence at about two thirds into the song. Obviously a tip of the hat to Jimmy Dean & Johnny Cash.....
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trebor
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Post by trebor on May 26, 2015 13:25:26 GMT -5
Funny that nobody mentioned the hip-hoppy scratching sequence at about two thirds into the song. Obviously a tip of the hat to Jimmy Dean & Johnny Cash..... You're killing me! It rather pays tribute to "House Of Pain" and "DC Talk", then. I'm just listening to "Big Bad John" and the spoken word is used quite differently; it's perfectly moulded into the song, there's a unity. In the case of Jake Owen's it isn't: and it's half spoken and sung at the same time; cannot describe it. Since I usually don't like rap of any kind; I'm biased.
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trebor
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Rock this quiet, little country town
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Post by trebor on May 26, 2015 13:35:48 GMT -5
Maybe this will be turned into a duet with Nelly. Shush! :) Don't meet trouble halfway! The record company suits may be reading and getting strange ideas! :) LOL
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sabre14
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Post by sabre14 on May 26, 2015 13:42:07 GMT -5
Obviously a tip of the hat to Jimmy Dean & Johnny Cash..... You're killing me! It rather pays tribute to "House Of Pain" and "DC Talk", then. I'm just listening to "Big Bad John" and the spoken word is used quite differently; it's perfectly moulded into the song, there's a unity. In the case of Jake Owen's it isn't: and it's half spoken and sung at the same time; cannot describe it. Since I usually don't like rap of any kind; I'm biased. I'm not as knowledgeable about older country music as some here (age is a factor, but I certainly won't use it as an excuse), but I just listened to Jimmy Dean's "Big Bad John" and I just don't know what to say in a discussion about this if there's a connection trying to be made from "Real Life" to "Big Bad John" or "The Devil Went Down To Georgia". Just because they both have spoken lyrics doesn't mean they're the same thing. "Sun Daze" by FGL and "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" by Alan Jackson are both sung (other than the end of AJ's song where him and Jimmy are having a funny conversation, but that's not really part of the song, lol) the whole way though but does that mean they're the same thing? Like trebor said, there's a unity within Jimmy's song, and Charlie's. Jake's song is mixed bag of sung, half-sung and spoken. I also will admit that talking in songs isn't my thing and I don't care for rap, so there definitely is a built in preference there. But to me after listening to Jake, Jimmy and Charlie's song in sequence, they are very different.
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Uncle Lumpy
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Post by Uncle Lumpy on May 26, 2015 14:32:00 GMT -5
It seems like we have this same argument ... err...conversation every few months. I really don't mean to harp on the subject but it just seems either willfully ignorant or wildly dishonest to try and align a song like this with the country music of the past. Its almost like if you are told a lie enough , you will eventually believe it. While I will admit this song falls into a little more of a grey area , I see songs defended as "spoken word" even when they have very obvious hip hop influences & sonic qualitys. "But , oh that's not rapping, its spoken word". Huh?
First of all , it is true country music does have a rich history of "spoken word" songs. Except they were called recitations. Bill Anderson recorded a lot of them, because Bill just wasn't a very good singer. He wrote Brad Paisleys "Too Country" , which would fall squarely in the category. George Jones even used the technique in "He Stopped Loving Her Today".
"Ya' know she came to see him one last time Oh, we all wondered if she would And it kept running through my mind This time he's over her for good."
That line was recited. *Unrelated goofy trivia: Jones could still sing amazingly well while drunk , but couldn't speak without a slur. "Loving Her" was recorded at his lowest point in life & took months for his producer Billy Sherrill to catch him sober enough to finish the already nearly finished song. He finally caught him sober enough to recite that one verse of the song. And the rest was history.
Hank Williams Sr recorded so many recitations, he had to create an alter ego to release them under (Luke The Drifter). Many classic country artists recorded & performed recitations from Porter Wagoner, to Charlie Daniels to Little Jimmy Dickens to Johnny Cash to Jimmie Dean. Just about everybody. That's NOT what is being recorded today. Where recitations were more like poems told in a conversation like tone with music behind them and stayed loosely in the confines of that music, rap is very clearly drivin by the beat & melody (for lack of a better description). In anycase, this song clearly owes more to 90's rap rock hybrids than to any thing I recall country music related.
(climbs down from soap box)
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sabre14
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Post by sabre14 on May 26, 2015 16:09:45 GMT -5
27 adds for "Real Life" this week, two weeks from the official add date. That puts it at the third most added song this week.
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slowmo
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Post by slowmo on May 26, 2015 16:15:54 GMT -5
hmm, not sure exactly what I think of this song yet. Jake is very hit or miss with me and right now this is right in the middle after a couple listens.
Even if I hadn't know prior to listening to it that Shane co-wrote it, it would've been easy to figure out. There's a very distinct "voice" and style in most of the songs he has a hand in writing and this one is no different. He's one of my favorite writers over the last so many years, however I'm not sold on his producing just yet, outside of his work with Kacey.
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rsmatto
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Post by rsmatto on May 26, 2015 16:31:49 GMT -5
hmm, not sure exactly what I think of this song yet. Jake is very hit or miss with me and right now this is right in the middle after a couple listens. Even if I hadn't know prior to listening to it that Shane co-wrote it, it would've been easy to figure out. There's a very distinct "voice" and style in most of the songs he has a hand in writing and this one is no different. He's one of my favorite writers over the last so many years, however I'm not sold on his producing just yet, outside of his work with Kacey. Don't like his work with Old Dominion? I find Shane's production skill to be among the best of the new ones (along with co-producer Ross Copperman, who produced Dierks record.
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someguy
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Post by someguy on May 26, 2015 17:11:58 GMT -5
I like this a lot, but I think it sounds like it should be going to HotAC, not country. I agree that it sounds like a Sugar Ray song, or possibly Shawn Mullins or early Barenaked Ladies. I like the song as I enjoy that type of music too, but I understand why people are frustrated that this is going to country radio.
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ethanhunt
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Post by ethanhunt on May 26, 2015 20:04:59 GMT -5
I absolutely love this. The vocals sad pretty lackluster in the chorus but it also feels like that's kind of what they were going for. The whole thing just puts a smile in my face
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