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Post by freelancer2 on Sept 24, 2008 13:53:23 GMT -5
I think Kellie's new CD is kick - a*s. I think it's going to really make her soar. I love the new songs - they are top notch! She's my favorite artist in country music right now.
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Ten Pound Hammer
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Post by Ten Pound Hammer on Sept 24, 2008 14:22:13 GMT -5
I don't think she's bad at all. "Red High Heels" was no "Kerosene" but it still was a fun song. "I Wonder" still cuts me, especially since I know how true it is.
But this song isn't doing much for me. It's too girl-oriented for me. At least with "Things That Never Cross…" I got a chuckle out of the various clichés she listed off. There's just nothing I can identify with here.
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crazylove
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Post by crazylove on Sept 24, 2008 14:27:18 GMT -5
i understand what you are saying but this song comes from her heart, i love the song and the msg especially after reading what she posted on myspace. this is what she wrote about the song.
"I believe in this song because it beholds a very powerful message. I think we all suffer from low self esteem from time to time and we all have our own insecurities . . . which can really bring a person down. In today's society we (including myself) often compare ourself to that person or model on the front of the magazine, and we all want those expensive clothes that are displayed . . . I think that is just human nature. I will be the first to tell you "ALL OF THAT IS NOT REAL." You would NOT believe the touching up photographers can do to pictures. By the time they are done airbrushing those pictures and touching them up, the photo barely looks like the person. Photographers can make you thinner/heavier, give you whatever eye color you want, enhance and change anything in the photo. We live in a very superficial world. ALL of that stuff does NOT matter! It is NOT important!
HERE'S WHAT IS IMPORTANT: Beauty comes in ALL different shapes and sizes and in EVERY color there is. So, when you look in the mirror tell yourself that you are beautiful and BELIEVE it. LOVE YOURSELF, BE YOURSELF, and NEVER change who you are for ANYONE! Be thankful for every breath you take because somewhere in the world someone else is taking their last. NEVER get caught up in the "worldly things" or the "superficial things," because all of that can and will eventually be taken away. BUT, the "beauty" on the inside will always remain! People will remember the kindness of someone's heart forever . . . Never forget to hold your head up high because "DON'T YOU KNOW YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL!"
xoxo pickler
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Kyla
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Post by Kyla on Sept 24, 2008 14:39:58 GMT -5
I don't think she's bad at all. "Red High Heels" was no "Kerosene" but it still was a fun song. "I Wonder" still cuts me, especially since I know how true it is. But this song isn't doing much for me. It's too girl-oriented for me. At least with "Things That Never Cross…" I got a chuckle out of the various clichés she listed off. There's just nothing I can identify with here. I agree. I don't think it should've been a single, let alone the first single. It's my least favorite song on the new album.
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Ten Pound Hammer
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Post by Ten Pound Hammer on Sept 24, 2008 15:45:54 GMT -5
I don't think she's bad at all. "Red High Heels" was no "Kerosene" but it still was a fun song. "I Wonder" still cuts me, especially since I know how true it is. But this song isn't doing much for me. It's too girl-oriented for me. At least with "Things That Never Cross…" I got a chuckle out of the various clichés she listed off. There's just nothing I can identify with here. I agree. I don't think it should've been a single, let alone the first single. It's my least favorite song on the new album. I agree with what The 9513's Brady Vercher said:
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crazylove
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Post by crazylove on Sept 24, 2008 15:54:15 GMT -5
this is far from be true... the song will be pointless or meaningless for some but i am sure many people will find inspiration in the song, it is just go to her myspace or youtube and see the coments and there are many people who loves it and find inspiring and if a song can inspire someone it is already something far from be pointless or meaningless. jmo. this Brady hates almost every song... but this is another topic so...
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crazylove
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Post by crazylove on Sept 24, 2008 16:15:43 GMT -5
i think Kevin J. from country universe said what i wanted to say in his review... the part about young girls and etc.
"Pickler debuted this single on last week’s ACM awards to a great response, and no wonder. She was saddled with quite a bit of disposable material on her debut album, but “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” adds substance to the sincerity she already possesses in spades. When I first heard this, it reminded me of “This One’s For the Girls”, and it is similar to that Martina McBride hit.
But McBride only sounded believable when she was talking to the older women in her song, while Pickler is most convincing when addressing the young girls who can’t afford designer jeans and who don’t want to go all the way in the back of that truck. I realize that teenage girls are a viable part of the country market right now, and I give credit to Pickler for addressing them without pandering to them. My initial skepticism of Pickler has faded. This is a promising preview of her sophomore album.
Grade: A-"
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kw9461
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Post by kw9461 on Sept 24, 2008 16:17:36 GMT -5
I agree with what The 9513's Brady Vercher said: That's exactly what I thought of too. I agree completely.
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Kyla
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Post by Kyla on Sept 24, 2008 16:31:05 GMT -5
2 more new songs were added to Kellie's facebook: LINKLucky Girl Going Out In Style
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Pickler_fan
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Post by Pickler_fan on Sept 24, 2008 17:02:01 GMT -5
Thanks for the link people.. I'm loving every bit of this album!!
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maxypark
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Post by maxypark on Sept 25, 2008 18:51:14 GMT -5
Kellie is becoming a very good (co)writer. I am very impressed with all the songs in which she has had a hand on both albums, with a notable step-up in quality on the sophomore. Indeed, imo, all 10 of her co-writes rank above the others with the exception of Girls Like Me. I would never have released DYKYB or TTNCAMM as singles and I wouldn't contemplate releasing DYKHMILY in any form as I thought it was one of the worst on the first album - too loud and repetitive for me. I am disappointed to see it back.
That said, all the other songs on the sophomore are really good, even DYKYB - it's just that there are better singles' candidates and all written by Kellie. One Last Time, Best Years of Your Life, Going Out in Style and Somebody to Love Me are the best of the lot, imo.
I hope that she can (co)write all of her next album, unless a real standout independent song can be found. I also hope Country radio plays these songs for what they are instead of persisting in some misguided belief that the listening public don't want to hear Kellie as much as other certain blondes.
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Kyla
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Post by Kyla on Sept 27, 2008 5:22:00 GMT -5
Listen to the FULL album, including the 3 digitally exclusive bonus tracks: LINK
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Post by zaclord on Sept 27, 2008 9:50:17 GMT -5
i like the bonus tracks! can't wait to buy this off iTunes.
i have listened to the full album last night and its really good. all the songs are really good! i already like it much better than "Small Town Girl" album.
"Rocks Instead Of Rice" "Lucky Girl" "Best Days Of Your Life" "Going Out In Style" (although i hate the intro by that little girl, gotta cut that out somehow)
and all the rest are really good too! can't wait for this!
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musicbuff78
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Post by musicbuff78 on Sept 27, 2008 12:41:28 GMT -5
I heard this album for my first time last night. I'm REALLY trying to like her because I liked TTNCAMM, so I thought I would check this new album out and give her a try and MAN what a TERRIBLE CD. Out of the whopping 10 songs I think I may have liked 2.
One of the worst cd's I've heard in the past couple years. With this, I don't see her getting any more popular.
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Post by freelancer2 on Sept 27, 2008 12:46:51 GMT -5
I heard this album for my first time last night. I'm REALLY trying to like her because I liked TTNCAMM, so I thought I would check this new album out and give her a try and MAN what a TERRIBLE CD. Out of the whopping 10 songs I think I may have liked 2. One of the worst cd's I've heard in the past couple years. With this, I don't see her getting any more popular. Wow, you are the first person I've heard with a negative opinion of the new material. And you must not listen to very much music if it's the "worst cd you've ever heard"...
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crazylove
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Post by crazylove on Sept 27, 2008 12:48:46 GMT -5
i just heard the cd and i think it is amazing and her voice is much better now than before. i think "Best Days" is a great second single choice. i am very proud of her, i think this album is even better than the first. can't wait to buy on tuesday... i see many hits on this.
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Post by 43dudleyvillas on Sept 27, 2008 14:05:35 GMT -5
Upfront: I'm not a fan of the timbre of Kellie's voice -- it often sounds tinny to me in her upper register, and I also think she makes some odd and distracting phrasing choices. Still, I think she has improved her live singing over the past couple of years and demonstrated a very appealing plain-spokenness post-AI. So, going into this sophomore album, I felt like with the material that really showcases her distinct personality, Kellie could really solidify her position as a country music star likely to have a good long-term career. I thought that a lot rested on the selection of songs by Kellie and BNA's A&R team.
To be honest, I'm puzzled by Kellie's sophomore album. I'm puzzled by the musical direction, I'm puzzled by the choice of songs, I'm puzzled by the choice of producer. And that was after being puzzled by the choice of lead single. I wrote a lengthy post a while back that I didn't think "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" was a good choice for the lead single for Kellie's sophomore album. I respect the assertion that the song has a message that resonates with Kellie, but the problem is, the song itself isn't distinctive -- there is nothing about the lyric, melody or interpretive performance that makes it uniquely Kellie. And I don't think the song plays to the things that have earned Kellie good will in Nashville -- the way she says what's on her mind with an engaging mix of spunk and sensitivity, and how her music has reflected that.
Simply put, I think "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" is too bland for Kellie and she doesn't rescue it. Moreover, I was very surprised that the song is so pop. That's not inherently a bad thing, except that I don't think that is Kellie's natural sound. To my ears, Kellie's voice recalls Pam Tillis' voice and is suited for purer country; Kellie's voice is a bit too nasal to sound natural on pop (and that's meant as a neutral comment; nasal doesn't necessarily mean bad to me). I didn't believe then and I don't believe now that the smart commercial or artistic route for Kellie is to go country-pop in an already crowded market. I feel like doing so dulls what makes Kellie stand out. So far, the lead single's chart performance, its downloads and its callout numbers bear out the notion that it isn't making much of an impression for Kellie.
And so it's disappointing for me to listen to Kellie's album and see that Chris Lindsey employs the increasingly tiresome country pop-rock overproduction that seems to have become standard in the past few years. But I'm going to start with my number one production pet peeve -- autotuning and ProTooling. There is some obviously flattening of Kellie's vocals on songs like "Don't You Know You're Beautiful," "I'm Your Woman," "Best Days of You Life" and "Going Out in Style" -- it enhances the tinniness of Kellie's voice up high (I don't think her voice is this tinny live), it makes her voice almost sound electronic and it drives me nuts! It's not even necessary -- what I've noticed about Kellie's live performances is that she has pretty solid control over her voice and good pitch sense. So she doesn't need Chris Lindsey junking up her voice with processing. ARGH!
Kellie doesn't have the fullest of voices, and the production really overwhelms her voice on several of the ballads. I don't remember what the production on "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You" was like on Small Town Girl, but on this album, I think the instrumentation totally drowns out Kellie's voice during the chorus. Still, it's a song whose lyric Kellie delivers with credible feeling, and this is a solid, catchy single choice. "One Last Time" strikes me as a bit similar in its hurt tone...it isn't particularly original in lyric, but it's not a bad album track. As for "Somebody to Love Me," I think it would have worked better if it had a more intimate prayer-like feel (like LeAnn Rimes' "What I Cannot Change") -- the swirling orchestration completely overwhelms the song and makes it seem overly ambitious. The lyrics in this song aren't particularly original, either, but they sound worse because the production tries to treat them as epic.
I also think it's a bit too much having "Best Days of Your Life," "Rocks Instead of Rice," and "Lucky Girl" on one album. It just feels like all three songs are directed at the same person, about the same situation and I don't feel like the dude is worth three songs (especially since DYKHMILY and OLT cover a break-up in more hurt but less bitter terms). It's not that any of them is a bad song -- it just started to feel like Kellie wasn't saying anything new. Of the three, I like "Rocks Instead of Rice" best -- the first verse lyrics kind of oversell the joke, but starting from the first chorus onward, it's just deliciously wicked ("Virgin? Please! She ain't fooling these folks" -- love it!) and Kellie has just the personality to pull this song off. It makes me want to sing along. That said, its chorus is extremely derivative of Keith Urban's "You Look Good in My Shirt" (the first hook in the chorus comes from the verses of Keith's song, and the melody in the last line of the chorus is the same as the melody of the last line of the chorus of YLGiMS). The production does get unnecessarily buzzy/busy during the "na na" part, but oh well. That's a problem with the instrumentation throughout this album -- it feels very cookie-cutter and indistinct, and I think it lets Kellie down.
"Best Days of Your Life" owes its catchiness to the fact that it gets its main hook from Wham!'s "Last Christmas." It's really blatant. I don't think the sound of the song particularly suits Kellie's style, but I think it will do fine as a single. I could take or leave "Lucky Girl" as a song, but what impresses me is the credible disdain in Kellie's voice. Good job by Kellie there. And then there is what I call the "Shania cluster" on Kellie's album -- "I'm Your Woman," "Making Me Fall in Love Again" and "Going Out in Style" -- they all have that jauntiness I've come to associate with Shania. I actually wouldn't have expected Kellie to pull that sound off, but she does it credibly. Except for the too-heavy instrumentation and the vocal processing, but I've already mentioned that a few times. Neither "I'm Your Woman" and "Making Me Fall in Love Again" made a big impression on me -- they're decent album tracks that don't particularly showcase Kellie's personality or voice. But it's great hearing Kellie have fun with "Going Out in Style."
Despite being derivative, "Rocks Instead of Rice" is probably my favorite song on the album, because it just seems so Kellie. "Going Out of Style" stands out (in a good way) for the same reason (although it is a bit loud). There's just something about those two songs that makes them fit her stylistically and personality-wise better than any other song on the album. Actually, "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You," despite the overproduction, also brings out something distinctive in Kellie's voice, in my view. But the rest...I just don't think it reflects Kellie's natural sound or what sets her apart in the market. I expected more of a standout effort.
So yeah, the album isn't to my taste and I don't think it's the right direction for Kellie. That said, I think its likely singles, "Best Days of Your Life," Rocks Instead of Rice" and "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You" are all likely top-20 hits at least. So commercially, the album should do just fine and set Kellie up for a third.
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Post by freelancer2 on Sept 27, 2008 14:21:58 GMT -5
I agree with you dudley that "Rocks..." "Going out In Style" "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You" are the most genuinely Kellie songs on the album... although I would add "One Last Time". I believe she poured her heart into that song.
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Post by zaclord on Sept 27, 2008 14:38:52 GMT -5
great review dudley, i agree that Kellie would probably sound better on more traditional sounding country songs, but i also think she sound good on the country-pop she is giving us now. and i also agree with the pro-tooling, its obvious in a few spots and i hate that producers continue to use that! and i do love the songs that Kellie really puts her personality in, like "Rocks", "Style", "DYKHMILY", and i agree with freelancer that "One Last Time" is also a great song by Kellie personality-wise.
i really like the album though. i really don't dislike any of the songs on it. i am very pleased.
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austin
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Post by austin on Sept 27, 2008 14:58:44 GMT -5
I agree with the above reviews. The album is a major letdown. It's much more pop-leaning than the debut and the only song that I see having success as a single (Top 15 or better) is "Best Days".
"Rocks Instead Of Rice" is waaaaaaaaay too pop for the lyrical content and the new version of "Didn't You Know" is over-produced as well.
I can't see this album earning her anymore success than the debut, and in fact, I don't even think it will match that album's success.
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Post by freelancer2 on Sept 27, 2008 15:27:24 GMT -5
I still think this album will be more commercially successful than her debut. Perhaps on trying to make Kellie more commercial, some of her natural charm was lost in the production. I think many of the songs are still very genuinely country sounding - but the poppier songs will appeal to a broader range of people (Best Days, I'm Your Woman). It's a trade off - but overall I still believe that this album is superior to her debut. Not only has her voice improved tremendously, but the songs in which Kellie had a hand in writing are great! The production aspects of this album are no different from 99% of other albums recorded these days - I don't think we should hold Kellie to a different standard.
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blondie
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Post by blondie on Sept 27, 2008 15:34:52 GMT -5
43dudleyvillas, Good catch on the similarity to Pam Tillis' voice. "Maybe It Was Memphis", "Shake the Sugar Tree", just so many great songs Pam graced us with and I can hear the same quality in Kellie's voice on this CD.
I think this is a good, solid CD and I don't hear a track I'd skip over. "One Last Time" is one I would stop what I was doing to listen to and "Rocks...", "Best Days..." and "Didn't you Know..." all impressed me as good tracks I could hear on the radio.
The production is a bit heavy at times and I'd like to hear more subtle backing vocals, but that seems to be the going thing.
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Post by countryrules on Sept 27, 2008 16:15:32 GMT -5
WoW! I have to say that I love this record, though I think her voice is much better live, the sound of her voice here is pleasant and the songs are very catchy, my favourite song is the Keith Whitley cover of "Don't Close Your Eyes" she sounds so tender and sad, it's great, I'm so pleased with Kellie!!! The re-recording of "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You" was also worth waiting for, I really hope the people recognize her talent!!!!!!!!
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crazylove
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Post by crazylove on Sept 27, 2008 16:37:06 GMT -5
i don't get the negativity, i already read some reviews praising a lot the album... i think Kellie is showing a lot of her personality on this album, sure you have to know a little the girl to understand, being a fan i am very happy with the result and i think she will do very well with it! i am no way let down, i know Kellie is proud of this work. USAY TODAY, Billboard... they all praised Kellie.
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musicbuff78
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Post by musicbuff78 on Sept 27, 2008 17:03:43 GMT -5
I heard this album for my first time last night. I'm REALLY trying to like her because I liked TTNCAMM, so I thought I would check this new album out and give her a try and MAN what a TERRIBLE CD. Out of the whopping 10 songs I think I may have liked 2. One of the worst cd's I've heard in the past couple years. With this, I don't see her getting any more popular. Wow, you are the first person I've heard with a negative opinion of the new material. And you must not listen to very much music if it's the "worst cd you've ever heard"... I think you need to reread my post. I never called the worst CD I had ever heard, but ONE of THE worst CD's I've ever heard. You are talking to someone that has around 300 physical CD's and close to 2500 mp3's so don't go saying I must not listen to very much music.
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Post by countryrules on Sept 27, 2008 17:26:50 GMT -5
This is Billboard Magazine's Review for "Kellie Pickler" They like it, i agree with them!!!!!!!!!!!
Teamed with new producer Chris Lindsey and with more time to create than she did in the rush following her run on "American Idol," Kellie Pickler's second album is another solid step toward country stardom. She recently told Billboard that when it comes to her songwriting, "It's like you're reading one of my journals," and that certainly comes across on the set, which is laden with relationship ups and (mostly) downs. "Somebody to Love Me," which Pickler says comes from "the darkest time of my life," is aching and sincere with production to match. "One Last Time," about an intimate goodbye, is another personal revelation. But even a wounded Pickler shows a sense of defiance. The you-should-have-kept-me-when-you-had-the-chance "Best Days of Your Life," written with gal pal Taylor Swift, is one of the album's best cuts. —Ken Tucker
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Post by 43dudleyvillas on Sept 28, 2008 10:28:55 GMT -5
It really shouldn't surprise you to discover that musical taste is subjective. If you read threads for other artists/singles in the Country forum, you would find that no one song or artist draws uniformly positive or negative responses from posters here. Heck, we didn't even achieve 100% agreement that "Bob That Head" is a wretched song. In seriousness, Pulse isn't a fan board, people here have a very diverse array of opinions, and Pulse rules state that it is not OK to attack or disparage a person for expressing an opinion that is stated within board rules. I understand that fans of any artist are going to excited and nervous and a host of other emotions in the run-up to an album release. In Kellie's case, this is her sophomore album and I can understand fans taking an extra keen interest in the album selling well and getting a good reception. But I think you need to be careful about seeming overly defensive. If you love or like the album, that's great -- but break it down a little for the rest of us an explain why. If you don't like the album, that's fine, too. But again, break it down a little and explain why. Otherwise, we can't have the kind of discussion for which this board is meant. I mean, if it were just about registering a vote as to whether or not you like an album, then each thread would just be a poll. But it's not. These threads are meant for an exchange of views, where people agree and disagree on specific points that others make. I'm not saying that everyone should be posting overlong and deadly dull reviews like mine above. But there's a happy medium between a useless "OMGZ! I love this album it's greattttttt!" post (or a trollish "This album sux" post) and a lengthy dissertation. And I hope the people posting here find it. And you're welcome to post those reviews (with a link, of course). However, I think you need to be careful about framing those reviews as some kind of "evidence" that someone else's opinion is "wrong" or less legitimate. Because a positive media review does not mean that what someone here thinks is wrong, any more than a negative media review would mean that a fan's positive view is wrong or illegitimate. Bottom line: Own and explain your own opinion. Feel free to agree or disagree with points other people make. But don't treat this thread (or any other here at Pulse) as some kind of campaign for the supremacy of one view. Pulse is not a place for a battle between fans and the "unconverted," it's a place for people to discuss music and to think about it in different ways by reading and respecting other people's views on it.
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Focus
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Post by Focus on Sept 28, 2008 11:50:10 GMT -5
I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, Lucky Girl!
eta: since I got a note from the moderator explaining that I'm not allowed to just post that I love a song, I'd like to give my reason why I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, this song. (I'd rather explain myself than have my initial post deleted ).
Not only do I feel that Kellie Pickler has an innate musicality to her voice (though I'm not a huge fan of the tone of her voice) but the song has a bluesiness to it that I enjoy. Not being a huge fan of country music it's exciting to me when I listen to a country song and really really like it. I'd love it if they released "Lucky Girl" as a single because I think people that aren't necessarily country fans would really appreciate this song. I certainly do.
I'm sorry dudley but I didn't read the entirety of your last post and didn't notice that you mentioned that one liner's aren't appreciated here.
Peace out everyone. :)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2008 17:07:19 GMT -5
I also love the CD alot! It seems so Kellie and she sings it great. Im happy that people are listening to the album regardless if they like it or not. Everyone's taste are welomed. I must admit DYKYB is a great song but maybe not the best 1st single choice, but I hope the CD does well. I'm hoping for 60-70 k first week and 500k total.
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countryqueen
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Post by countryqueen on Sept 28, 2008 18:31:22 GMT -5
i loved about every song on that album!! This second album really puts the first to shame...Kellie just sounds more like herself on it (in that i've seen her live and small town girl did not do her justice!). i think that the most stand out tracks were making me fall in love again (absolutley adored it!), best days of your life, rocks instead of rice (its really funny and cute, i think it would do great on radio because its so different) and the new version of didn't you know how much i love you is wonderful. the original version is just so overproduced and drowns kellie out...i was very happy to see that you can hear her more than in the original version and i think the way certian words are phrased sounds very good. i definitley think its one of the best albums i've ever heard :)
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