Darius Rucker - Dont Think I Don't Think About It

[someguy]

Sept 13, 2008 11:47:28 GMT -5 Ten Pound Hammer said:

Has any other black singer in any genre ever hit #1 with their debut single? Just wondering.

Yeah, tons have. Blu Cantrell ("Hit Em Up Style") is the one that immediately comes to mind, but many others have also done it.

[musicbuff78]

GREAT debut CD. I'll have to buy.

[bamafan2102]

This is my favorite cd this year. AMAZING!!! There are at least five more single worthy songs on the cd.

[Focus]

He sounds great!
I love the fact that he was able to go from Pop/AC to Country and be accepted by Country radio.

[hekerui]

Sept 13, 2008 11:49:43 GMT -5 @zaclord said:

i am sure one has in Urban/R&B/Rap or one of those genres. is Leona Lewis 100% black? if so, she fits the bill.

Because the world's human population evolved from such a limited group of individuals the concept of race is actually difficult in humans ... anyway, her mom's white, her dad's black.
It was shown on X Factor but of course you guys couldn't see that - just as I had no idea about Kelly Clarkson when she appeared on the radio here :)

[leilamaurizia]

AMG review:

3 out of 5 stars

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Darius Rucker's leap into country music is not a move without precedent for the Hootie & the Blowfish lead singer, as his band was loosely rooted in country-ish roots rock. Nevertheless, a more important antecedent for Learn to Live is a 2005 Burger King commercial where Rucker was decked out in a Nudie suit while singing a spin on "Big Rock Candy Mountain." It was the unveiling of Rucker the country singer, and caused enough of a sensation to make a country album seem like a feasible move. As slight as the commercial was, it provided a stronger musical foundation than the urban R&B behind his 2002 solo debut Back to Then did, as Rucker showed no inclination toward modern soul in Hootie, whereas Learn to Live appeals directly to the frat boys and sports fanatics that made Cracked Rear View perhaps the most inexplicable multi-platinum hit of the '90s. Like those songs, the tunes on Learn to Live are big and simple, powered by obvious hooks delivered plainly — and truth be told, apart from the 2-step shuffle of "All I Want," the loping modern country of "Alright," and the slow pace of the clever barroom crawl "Drinkin' and Dialin'," they don't feel especially country, either. They may not be made for honky tonks, but they do feel rootsy, much like Cracked Rear View did, and as they're written with Rucker in mind, not a jam band, they're more pop in form and feel than anything he's done since. Which, of course, also makes them ingratiating: these songs aren't knockouts, but they're friendly and comfortable, the kind of sturdy roots-pop that seems like it'd be easy to pull off but must not be, as this delicate balance of conversational melody and guy-next-door appeal has proven elusive to Rucker for over a decade now.

Country Universe:

3 out of 5 stars

Album Review: Darius Rucker, Learn to Live
Posted by Blake Boldt

On his first country single, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It”, Darius Rucker reaches for an honest, heartfelt performance of a pensive ballad about love lost and the mark that it usually leaves. Rucker has attracted the attention of the country radio audience with that single, and it’s helped boost the profile of his first full country album, Learn to Live, a release that owns a variety of country music’s common topics and musical techniques. It’s that first single, though, where he sounds most natural and comfortable. The overall impression of the rest of the album; however, is how jolting it sounds for Rucker to reach into these twelve country songs and not stamp them with his own identity.

After an extended run as the lead singer of ‘90s pop-rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, Rucker has followed his muse, as influenced by his South Carolina upbringing and its strong helping of country radio. His connections within the industry have led to an all-star cast of talent on Learn to Live that lends a certain amount of creativity (and country credibility to boot). For example, on “All I Want”, a co-write with producer Frank Rogers, Rucker gives us one of the truly memorable hooks in recent memory, telling a soon-to-be-ex, “All I want you to leave me is alone”. It sounds like a song right out of the Brad Paisley catalog, no doubt a tribute to Paisley’s guitar playing on the track. But it highlights the one true problem with the album. Rucker appears to be trying a number of different styles, but never settles on one that is distinguishing. For such a tremendously arresting voice, he never establishes the sense of self that marks truly great country albums.

The other dilemma is that the songs never meet the standard of the rest of the album’s ingredients. Rogers does well to stay out of the way of Rucker’s performance, and Rucker in turn delivers with his coarse vocals. But he’s too reliant on radio-friendly, sentimental songs that never dig very deep at all. He manages to add a touch of poignancy to “It Won’t Be Like This for Long”, a ballad inspired by his two daughters, but the song never quite matches up with his skill set. The title track is similar in tone, and preaches the value in a life fully lived that eventually brings the narrator to a moment of clarity. And on “If I Had Wings”, Rucker is joined by the heart-rending harmonies of Alison Krauss and Vince Gill. These songs aren’t inherently bad (although they do toe the line of sentimentality), but they seem to provide the listener some dissonance when approaching Rucker as an artist. His ringing baritone deserves better (and less conventional) country songs. Songs brimming with heartache and loss are lacking, and at times the songs of love and devotion here fall flat. Instead he plays it safe with paint-by-number, maudlin ballads that never really tap into his talent.

Two songs about the concept of time miss for different reasons. “I Hope They Get To Me In Time” is distinctive in its storytelling, it’s just that the story is overly sentimental and just a little odd, as it tells of man’s life flashing before his eyes in the immediate aftermath of a car accident. And “While I Still Got the Time” (with a chorus almost completely lifted from the Kathy Mattea hit “Come from the Heart”) is ultimately cliché-ridden. Rucker’s reckless-weather voice is much better used on stronger material such as “Drinkin’ And Dialin”, a humorous ode to the late-night habit, or “Be Wary of a Woman”, a nod to the needs of freedom that are so quickly swept away in the face of life-changing love.

It’s that notable singing ability that was always going to carry this set above the mediocre, but Rucker’s earnest slant on this set of tunes is disconcerting when compared with his rich, resonant vocals. Learn to Live is well-produced and well-sung, but too many of the songs fail to fit the artist behind them.

[rowdawg21]

I'm really liking this album so far too. There are a lot of single-worthy songs, but I think singles #2/3 should be "All I Want" and "It Won't Be Like This For Long" (both are top 10 hits waiting to happen in my opinion). If they release "It Won't Be Like This For Long" as the third single it would likely peak in May/June, just in time for high school/college graduations (similar to what "You're Gonna Miss This" did this year).

As for "Don't Think I Don't Think About It," it will be #1 next week as long as Capitol doesn't fall asleep. I don't think Kenny will be a factor because his album doesn't come out for another month, so there won't be any big push from BNA for another week or two. Kid Rock might get a push as the summer winds down, but Darius probably has a lead of about 1.3 million on him.

[Young Money]

I downloaded this for a friend today. She really enjoyed it.

[rockingcountry]

Oh, I'm so happy Darius will be #1. The first time I heard this song I knew it definately had #1 potential.

[jonathan]

I've been following this song since it's debut. I've always hoped for a #1 but was skeptical that a guy who hasn't been commercially successful in 10 years could do it on a debut single. I have a question for those country chart experts. If Darius somehow manages to pull ahead of Paisley this week on mediabase and sits at #1, at least unofficially, what kind of sales buzz will this generate? Is anyone willing to make a prediction how many albums Darius can sell his 1st week?

The only numbers i can give are for Hootie and his 1st solo effort. "Looking for Lucky" debuted with 20k in 2005, the Self titled Hootie effort in 2003 sold 26k and the solo "Back to Then" cd in 2001 debuted with approx 10k.

Capitol Records has invested a great deal into Darius. He worked with Frank Rogers, did co-writes with the best song writers and invited the best musicians into the studio. What type of early numbers satisfies the label?

One last note; Darius said at his cd release party, "It Won't Be Like This For Long" will be the #2 single.

[leilamaurizia]

The 9513

3 out of 5 stars

Album Review: Darius Rucker - Learn To Live
Brady Vercher

The barometer by which Darius Rucker’s stint as a country artist will be measured isn’t critical acclaim, but rather commercial success. Therefore, it shouldn’t be any surprise that Live To Learn doesn’t break new ground but treads familiar water, despite overtures to the contrary in pre-release press. Throughout twelve songs, Rucker demonstrates that he knows exactly what contemporary country is all about, going so far as to rehash common themes from recent popular songs.

On the album opener, “Forever Road,” Rucker showcases his ability to craft a hook by wrapping up a few cliche phrases with a kitschy line about sticking with his baby “down that forever road.” Indeed, every song on the album sounds as if it were crafted to be a potential single, with solid hooks and melodies aplenty, but at times the phrasing is more focused on selling those aspects at the expense of emotion. The following song, “All I Want,” however, doesn’t have any problem with emotion, rather, the attitude is a noteworthy highlight of the album as Rucker tells the wife he’s leaving that all he wants is “you to leave me alone.”

After the current single, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It, which goes by the same title as a Bobby Pinson penned tune and is destined to top the charts soon, is the title track; “Learn To Live” is a prototypical country song replete with cliches galore and a little wisdom from Grandpa Campbell: “You gotta learn and live to learn to live.” And it’s at this point that a dearth of originality becomes readily apparent.

“If I Had Wings” questions the injustices of the world à la Clay Walker’s “A Few Questions,” but the song lacks focus with Rucker merely stating that he’d know the answers to all those questions if he had wings and could fly to heaven. Basically, the message boils down to the only thing standing between Rucker and ultimate knowledge is the lack of a pair of wings. The concept for “Drinkin’ and Dialin’” wasn’t all that interesting when James Otto did it on a song with a nearly identical name, “Drink & Dial,” but where Otto’s interpretation embraced the humor of the topic, Rucker’s interpretation is too straightforward to allow much room for fun–it’s more like a PSA. “While I Still Got The Time” recalls a few different songs when Rucker promises to change his ways on his 39th birthday, claiming “I’m gonna work like I don’t need the money/I’m gonna laugh like I’m not afraid to cry/I’m gonna dance like nobody’s watching/I’m gonna love while I’ve still got the time.”

“I Hope They Get To Me In Time” is easily the most bizarre song on the album. Rucker sings from the point of view of a man who’s lying in a wrecked car as his life flashes before his eyes while hoping that the paramedics get to him in time. It’s a little too over the top to elicit the emotional response it strives for, especially considering Rucker’s rather calm delivery. On top of that, the same scenario was done by the Canadian alternative rock group Bare Naked Ladies on a tune called “Tonight Is The Night I Fell Asleep At The Wheel,” and like the Otto song, their interpretation outshines Rucker’s because they understand the implications of singing about such a scenario and blend it with their off-color humor (it’s backed by circus music).

The overall sound of Learn To Live is pleasant, if not as country as Rucker insinuated, and the lyrics don’t exhibit many flaws, but the lack of originality, occasional cloudy interpretations, and obvious catering to commercial influences makes for an album that can’t be considered much more than good ear candy.

[rowdawg21]

From HDD:

Hootie and the Blowfish’s Darius Rucker becomes the first African-American in 20 years, since Charlie Pride, to hit the Top 20 in the Country charts, with the single, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” from his new Capitol Nashville album, Learn to Live, which is slated for an impressive 50k in opening week sales.

[jonathan]

Sept 17, 2008 15:46:06 GMT -5 rowdawg21 said:

From HDD:

Hootie and the Blowfish’s Darius Rucker becomes the first African-American in 20 years, since Charlie Pride, to hit the Top 20 in the Country charts, with the single, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” from his new Capitol Nashville album, Learn to Live, which is slated for an impressive 50k in opening week sales.

That's pretty shocking. Congrats to Darius! I hope the numbers trend upwards over the weekend.

[kim8]

I was thinking that was pretty low, considering Jessica Simpson just sold 65 K without a real hit single to promote it. Darius should have #1 next week, so I was expecting higher sales on the strength of that, but maybe this is considered good.

[sbp17]

Yeah, 50K definitely seems low to me. I hope he trends up as well.

[jonathan]

Sept 17, 2008 16:26:40 GMT -5 sbp17 said:

Yeah, 50K definitely seems low to me. I hope he trends up as well.

I guess it depends on how you look at it. Hootie hasn't sold more than 26,000 on their opening week in 10 years. He'll definitely debut in the top 10. The key has always been the ability to have stable sales with small drops each week. Hootie lost that ability years ago. He may not sell 100k this week but with his singles success he should maintain decent numbers the following week.

[43dudleyvillas]

I actually think 50K is pretty good for Darius Rucker. As jonathan points out, his previous release opened with much lower sales (unlike Jessica Simpson, whose previous release opened with 101K) -- for Rucker, the trend is in the right direction. Moreover, looking at Country Aircheck's weekly newsletter, it doesn't look like Rucker promoted his album release on network TV. Jessica Simpson (for example) had the benefit of TV, internet and print media ubiquity -- true, ubiquity can be double-edged sword (especially for someone like her), but it does mean that awareness of her album release was very high. And from what I've been told by record label types, awareness is considered half the battle. It doesn't guarantee a sale but you sure aren't going to get that sale without it.

Also, if you look at debut country album opening week sales, female artists tend to fare better than the males do for the airplay they get. Just this year, Julianne Hough, Jewel, Heidi Newfield, and Jessica Simpson all have seen stronger opening weeks for the amount of airplay they've received compared to guys like Chuck Wicks, Luke Bryan and Jimmy Wayne. One factor is probably that each of the females mentioned carried some kind of fanbase from previous exposure (and sad to say, a big part of the reason they're even being given a chance on country radio is probably that exposure and the pre-existing fanbase it implies). A first week of 50K would put Rucker in the neighborhood of James Otto, who bucked the guys selling low to start trend with a lead single that drove Sunset Man to 58K in first-week sales (though of course Rucker would want his follow-up single to fare better than "For You" has).

In any case, I think Darius Rucker's album stands a good chance of hanging around the country album charts for a while because he has a distinctive and resonant voice that elevates even some of the middling material on the album, and because there is plenty of radio-friendly fare on it. Personally, I found the album a bit of a letdown because I read interviews in which Rucker gave the impression of going for a more traditionally country album and was hoping for lyrics and melodies that stand out a bit more. He certainly has the voice to pull that off credibly and I hope he goes for it in the future. All that said, I quite enjoy "Forever Road," "All I Want," "While I Still Got the Time" and "Be Wary of a Woman."

[hekerui]

#1 country song and album! Congrats are in order :)

[Nick]

Sept 24, 2008 11:03:53 GMT -5 hekerui said:

#1 country song and album! Congrats are in order :)

Exactly!

[John77]

Sept 27, 2008 9:19:37 GMT -5 Nick said:

Sept 24, 2008 11:03:53 GMT -5 hekerui said:

#1 country song and album! Congrats are in order :)

Exactly!

Nice job, Darius!

[bamafan2102]

The album sold over 60,000 the first week. What's the numbers since then? I hope whatever the second single is which everyone says is It Won't Be Like This For Long, will do as well as this.

[leilamaurizia]

Oct 4, 2008 3:09:53 GMT -5 bamafan2102 said:

The album sold over 60,000 the first week. What's the numbers since then? I hope whatever the second single is which everyone says is It Won't Be Like This For Long, will do as well as this.

Album sales for the week ending 9/28/08:

13 RUCKER*DARIUS LEARN TO LIVE 31,720 60,414 -47 92,170

( Weekly Album and Single Sales thread )

[countryla]

I absolutely love this song... and I think it's great that Darius crossed over into country. I love his voice!