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Post by zaclord on Dec 18, 2008 22:29:27 GMT -5
i buy albums from my favorite artists and "find" the rest elsewhere but if its a good album, i typically buy it.
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josh
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Post by josh on Dec 18, 2008 23:31:15 GMT -5
I think the next single must be All I Want. Hootie needs to change up the pace of his singles a little bit.
Follow All I Want up with History in the Making
and then move on to a new album!
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Post by 43dudleyvillas on Dec 19, 2008 11:22:32 GMT -5
It's kind of amazing to me that more songs don't borrow or sound like other songs. With all the music out there, over so many decades of music, it's quite amazing to me we don't have more overlap. The thing is, I think there's an ethical and possibly legal issue at play. I mean, Joe Satriani is suing Coldplay because the main hook in "Viva La Vida" has the same melody as the main riff in Satriani's "If I Could Fly." In the country genre, the Black Crowes recently sued Gretchen Wilson over the similarities between her "Work Hard, Play Harder" and their "Jealous Again." And going back a few years, Steve Earle sued Miranda Lambert because "Kerosene" resembled his song "I Feel Alright" in major ways (she didn't contest it and gave him 50% writing credit and publishing, saying she had cribbed from his song unconsciously and unintentionally). If songs are going to borrow melodies from others, I'll find a way to deal. But it seems to me that songwriting credit and publishing should be doled out to the ones who came up with the melody first. I don't mean to single out Darius Rucker here, especially because he has a long record as a songwriter and most of his hits don't offend in this regard. His current single is far from the only offender, as it seems to me that this issue is cropping up with greater and greater frequency across genres of music. It bothers me, for example, to see Taylor Swift's pattern of freely borrowing melodies from pop songs for her own songs. And it is going past the point of resemblance based on a short guitar riff in the same key (see, for example, Keith Urban's "Better Life" and Carrie Underwood's "Crazy Dreams" -- something like this you can see all the time). I'm now talking about whole musical phrases that are being borrowed to form the bedrock for a song, often, the hook that gets used for callout purposes. I understand that it is difficult to come up with good original melodies, especially with the rich canon of music that is already out there. I understand that there is added artistic value in taking a melodic line and reinterpreting it with different lyrics and in a different musical context. But I think the debt that these songs owe to previous hits and songwriters ought to be acknowledged, even if the resemblance is unintentional. what song Beyonce's If I Were A Boy plagiarizes as I just heard it and it sounds way too familiar.) Maybe I'm being unduly influenced by the shared "if"s but my first thought was of Joan Osborne's "What If God Was One of Us." The melodies of the songs are similar though not identical. The structure and cadence of the songs are very similar. I'll keep thinking on it, though, because there may be an even closer match.
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Blake
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Post by Blake on Dec 19, 2008 13:17:18 GMT -5
I actually heard "It Won't Be Like This For Long" on the radio for the first time last night, and the fade in the final chorus is awfully reminiscent of "I Miss My Friend" by Darryl Worley.
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Ten Pound Hammer
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Post by Ten Pound Hammer on Dec 19, 2008 14:07:48 GMT -5
I actually heard "It Won't Be Like This For Long" on the radio for the first time last night, and the fade in the final chorus is awfully reminiscent of "I Miss My Friend" by Darryl Worley. That's exactly what I thought. The opening guitar notes are almost identical to the opener of "I Miss My Friend" and the verses have a similar meter. The chorus is way different, however. I did find a very interesting case of one song sounding like another: Almost all of Luke Bryan's "Country Man" seems to match the melody of Dennis Robbins' "Home Sweet Home" (the "Hey, baby, I'm a country man" matches "Oh, baby, it's home sweet home" note for note). I would say Luke's case is just a coincidence, however, given that Dennis has been far, far off the radar since 1993 at least. Unless he found a copy of Man with a Plan in the discount rack at f.y.e. like my mom did. Seriously, though, as one of the only members of this board that has perfect pitch, I've noticed that very many songs tend to be in C, G, D, or A major, because those are very easy to play on guitar and piano (and mandolin, but really, all chords are easy on the mandolin). Most songwriters also tend to use only three or four chords, and almost always put their songs in 4/4 time with minimal syncopation, so that limits the range even further. There're only so many notes on the scale, and most singers are in the "middle" ranges (baritone to alto), so there are bound to be some songs that use similar melodic hooks. Some songwriters have a slightly unusual approach to melody; for instance, I've noticed that Jeffrey Steele and Phil Vassar tend to use a lot of syncopation, and Big & Rich's first album had a ton of unusual intervals, melodies, and meters. As a future songwriter, I tend to really pay attention to the little details of a song, so I'm probably getting more technical than most of you would have cared to hear.
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Post by zaclord on Dec 19, 2008 16:44:08 GMT -5
"Learn To Live" MUST be the next single. that song is amazing. either that or "Alright".
i dont love "All I Want" like the rest of yall do.
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Post by singingsparrow on Dec 21, 2008 1:20:10 GMT -5
The album is selling very well thus far. It is bound to go Gold by March of next year and, should Darius Rucker pull off a hat trick with singles, there's reason to believe "Learn To Live" will enjoy a Platinum certification not long after the album winds up its first full year since release.
Since a successful debut country record rarely has a sophomore effort following in its heels less than two years after release, I'd say it's quite likely "Learn To Live" will go either four or five singles deep, depending on how well the third single performs. Here's how I suggest the singles go if the plan is to release five singles:
*
1) "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" 2) "It Won't Be Like This For Long" 3) "All I Want" (The longer Rucker's label delays releasing one of his more up-tempo tracks, the more problematic it will prove to be in the long run for Rucker to establish himself as a well-rounded country performer. I think this HAS to be released next so Rucker can display to non-fans he can belt two-step shuffles and songs with attitude just as well as he can croon dewy-eyed ballads. Otherwise, he runs the long-term risk of being depicted as something of a one-trick pony) 4) "Learn To Live" (While not a ballad structurally, lyrically it will appeal to those who appreciated "It Won't Be Like This For Long" because it hints at growing up and ever more appreciating what we often take for granted in life, only this time from our elders instead of our children/parenting. Musically it also sounds tailor-made for radio) 5) "I Hope They Get To Me In Time" (This isn't an obvious single candidate, but I like it when artists mix it up for final releases. This is one of my favorite remaining tracks, and I feel having something like "Alright" following "Learn To Live" would feel too monotonous.)
*
Sincerely, Noah Eaton
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Marv
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Post by Marv on Jan 22, 2009 17:54:33 GMT -5
It sounds as if several of you think that this CD is worth the $$$$.
Any more opinions on whether to buy it or pass on it?
Thanks!!!
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Post by ontheroadwith on Jan 22, 2009 17:59:53 GMT -5
BUY BUY BUY
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cufan7
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Post by cufan7 on Jan 22, 2009 18:04:49 GMT -5
I love this song! Didn't love his 1st country single, but I know a lot of people did. But this song is great and I really love his voice and how he drops it and stuff.
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Post by singingsparrow on Jan 23, 2009 15:15:09 GMT -5
It sounds as if several of you think that this CD is worth the $$$$. Any more opinions on whether to buy it or pass on it? Thanks!!! I think this album is good, but not great. The main flaw with this album is the overproduction. Actually, it really isn't Darius' fault this turned out to be the case either, because Capitol Nashville wouldn't let him record the traditional country record he intended, saying they couldn't get either "Vern Gosdin, tear-in-the-beer-type ballads" or "Texas two-step shuffles" on the radio, and forced him to lean more toward the Hootie side of country. In any case, instead of being able to explore his inner-Vern Gosdin, Dwight Yoakam and Radney Foster in earnest, he had to record a more contemporary country album. I wrote in the posting section of a review on the 9513 country blog for "Learn To Live" that the album doesn’t do Rucker’s vocal capabilities justice overall, and emotion tends to take the backseat a little too often. If anything, some of his Hootie & The Blowfish recordings better showcase his vocal strengths at their best, like "Not Even The Trees", than anything on this album. Even then, Rucker's voice single-handedly makes many songs listenable, nonetheless. In terms of the songwriting, I actually think it's stronger on "Learn To Live" overall than on any Hootie record. With “Cracked Rear View”, Darius tended to toss a lot of references to other songwriters in his songs, with the most obvious example being Bob Dylan in “Only Wanna Be With You”, where virtually the entire second verse and part of the chorus were Dylan lyrics taken almost word for word. Then you have Michael Stipe of R.E.M. referenced in “Let Her Cry”, and Nanci Griffith in “Drowning”, so it sounded like Rucker was trying to write some good songs, but ultimately drawed way too heavily on his idols. On "Learn To Live", all in all, I feel his writing/co-writing capacities have been finessed and sharpened, although there are some filler cuts here (particularly “Alright”, which draws on the tired, old “This may not be the French Riviera, but this life is good!” notion, and “History In The Making”). Even so, I think “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” is superior to most of Hootie’s songs lyrically (excluding “Old Man & Me”) with “Be Wary Of A Woman” also a standout. * Again, I think "Learn To Live" is a decent debut; just not a great one. But I'm very delighted that such an extraordinary voice like Rucker’s has enjoyed a resurgence in commercial relevance, when he so easily could have remained an also-ran for the rest of his career, just because he was the frontman of a much-mocked band following the “Cracked Rear View” era. The fact he was able to defy all odds and return to national prominence warms my heart, as I had missed hearing Darius' voice on the radio for nearly a decade. Sincerely, Noah Eaton
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kw9461
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Post by kw9461 on Jan 23, 2009 17:16:45 GMT -5
If you like modern contemporary country then you will like this album. I agree that it is overproduced, and I would like to hear Rucker explore more traditional grounds, but it's still a very enjoyable listen. The standout tracks for me are: Learn To Live, All I Want, Forever Road, and Alright. Towards the end of the album a few of the songs seem to blend together and make for a fairly forgettable finish, but it's still a stellar debut album.
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Post by singingsparrow on Jan 27, 2009 14:11:30 GMT -5
If you like modern contemporary country then you will like this album. I agree that it is overproduced, and I would like to hear Rucker explore more traditional grounds, but it's still a very enjoyable listen. The standout tracks for me are: Learn To Live, All I Want, Forever Road, and Alright. Towards the end of the album a few of the songs seem to blend together and make for a fairly forgettable finish, but it's still a stellar debut album. Like many have said, it's a pleasing, ear candy type of album, which will certainly more than satisfy fans of contemporary country and, given Rucker's vocals are among the strongest on contemporary Country radio presently, his vocals single-handedly make it a better album than most standard releases of this genre. Rucker can certainly do better, though, and hopefully he can maintain commercial clout entering his sophomore era, which he could then use to his advantage and convince Capitol Nashville to let him include several songs of a traditional country blend to each future release of his, just like Sugarland have successfully been able to take advantage of their immense commercial standing by releasing a much more organic record this time around that goes so far as to include a tongue-in-cheek song about Steve Earle. Sincerely, Noah Eaton
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Post by singingsparrow on Jan 29, 2009 20:29:56 GMT -5
Wow, "Learn To Live" is showing some impressive staying power.
According to HitsDailyDouble, Darius Rucker's album was the fourth greatest gainer in sales this past week, moving up 44-40 on the Billboard 200 with a 10% increase from the previous week, trailing only Seal, Katy Perry and Kid Rock's latest albums in net sale increases from the previous week. This is also the second-consecutive week "Learn To Live" has enjoyed an increase in weekly sales, which is often unheard of in January.
"Learn To Live" has now topped 400,000 units sold. This will get an RIAA Gold certification by mid-March. With sales like this on the heels of a year when country music sales plummeted by almost half from 2007, Rucker's not going away anytime soon and has an even better likelihood of establishing himself as a staple household name on this format beyond this era.
Sincerely, Noah Eaton
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joey2002
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Post by joey2002 on Jan 30, 2009 15:57:59 GMT -5
i like this song - even though it is close to "don't blink" & "you're gonna miss this" - i think it's still a great song
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Post by singingsparrow on Jan 30, 2009 16:52:24 GMT -5
i like this song - even though it is close to "don't blink" & "you're gonna miss this" - i think it's still a great song Rucker's performance is what saves this from being utterly forgettable altogether. Lyrically it's unoriginal, and musically it's derivative (I don't agree with the "Don't Blink" comparison, but do agree with the "You're Gonna Miss This" parallel) But that said, had most other contemporary country vocalists performed this same track, it would be forgotten just two weeks later. Rucker's voice is a saving grace to this single who, having co-written this song based on his own parenting experiences, makes him sound especially believable, and the only reason why this single will be remembered..........at least for a couple of years. Sincerely, Noah Eaton
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Ten Pound Hammer
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Post by Ten Pound Hammer on Jan 30, 2009 17:12:28 GMT -5
Rucker's performance is what saves this from being utterly forgettable altogether. Lyrically it's unoriginal, and musically it's derivative (I don't agree with the "Don't Blink" comparison, but do agree with the "You're Gonna Miss This" parallel) But that said, had most other contemporary country vocalists performed this same track, it would be forgotten just two weeks later. Rucker's voice is a saving grace to this single who, having co-written this song based on his own parenting experiences, makes him sound especially believable, and the only reason why this single will be remembered..........at least for a couple of years. Sincerely, Noah Eaton I agree to an extent. Had anyone else sung this, it probably wouldn't come off as well as it did with Darius' voice. He really makes the song his own. It is somewhat derivative of "You're Gonna Miss This" (also an Ashley Gorley cowrite), but I think that it's different enough in that it focuses only on the childhood years.
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joey2002
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Post by joey2002 on Jan 30, 2009 20:07:56 GMT -5
"it won't be like this for long".....so "don't blink".....'cause "you're gonna miss this"
they each focus on slightly different things though, and i like 'em all
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Post by kevin59 on Feb 2, 2009 2:25:11 GMT -5
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josh
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Post by josh on Feb 2, 2009 12:26:49 GMT -5
Finally there's a video! This song's only been charting for 15 weeks now!
I was beginning to think they were planning on not making a video for this because it was doing well without it, and taking whatever budget they had for this video and saving it for a video for All I Want...
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Post by singingsparrow on Feb 5, 2009 2:37:04 GMT -5
Finally there's a video! This song's only been charting for 15 weeks now! I was beginning to think they were planning on not making a video for this because it was doing well without it, and taking whatever budget they had for this video and saving it for a video for All I Want... It would be interesting if Brad Paisley were to make a cameo in such a video. "All I Want" is a humorous song so he would provide a fitting cameo appearance. The director would have to be careful too, as this song could potentially upset some female listeners if buoyed by an over-the-top video suggesting women in a more general sense like to take advantage of material excesses in times of divorce. Sincerely, Noah Eaton
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Post by singingsparrow on Feb 8, 2009 15:44:50 GMT -5
At this point, I think we can safely say Taylor Swift ("White Horse") is the only potential obstacle that can keep this from becoming Rucker's second #1 hit.
"White Horse" has been tamed for the time being, while "It Won't Be Like This For Long" has had a major surge in growth beginning mid-week, but given Swift's eight consecutive weeks dominating the Billboard 200 recently and far-superior name recognition, it's still going to be a nail-biter.
Sincerely, Noah Eaton
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joey2002
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Post by joey2002 on Feb 10, 2009 15:54:26 GMT -5
wow i just heard the song "Learn To Live" for the first time, and i gotta say that i'm impressed - sounds like yet another huge hit to me. darius is gonna be around for a while...
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Post by singingsparrow on Feb 11, 2009 2:21:55 GMT -5
wow i just heard the song "Learn To Live" for the first time, and i gotta say that i'm impressed - sounds like yet another huge hit to me. darius is gonna be around for a while... That will inevitably be released at some point...........especially considering it's the title track and, should a title track make a positive impression on listeners, it only gives the album of the same name a shot in the arm. I just hope "All I Need" is released next is all. Rucker needs to release something with attitude after two sentimental offerings to show to Country listeners that he can belt shuffles just as naturally as he can ballads. My guess is a total of five singles will be released from this album, and hoping "All I Need" is indeed next, I predict the title track, followed by "I Hope They Get To Me In Time" (it sounds similar to "It Won't Be Like This For Long" so I bet Capitol Nashville will try and duplicate that ballad's success with this release, albeit with a whole different theme) will be the final two singles this era. Sincerely, Noah Eaton
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jonathan
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Post by jonathan on Feb 11, 2009 5:57:59 GMT -5
Darius has already stated "All I Want" will be the 3rd single.
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joey2002
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Post by joey2002 on Feb 11, 2009 12:44:13 GMT -5
is that the really country sounding one? i think i heard that yesterday also...
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Post by singingsparrow on Feb 11, 2009 15:09:25 GMT -5
Darius has already stated "All I Want" will be the 3rd single. Has he said this in concert or on a radio tour? Sincerely, Noah Eaton
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Post by singingsparrow on Feb 11, 2009 15:11:50 GMT -5
is that the really country sounding one? i think i heard that yesterday also... In my view, there are two songs on the album that sound especially country in the traditional sense: "All I Want" and "Drinkin' & Dialin'". You should easily recognize "All I Want" by Brad Paisley's guitar style (he is a featured guitarist on the track). It's the song about how he doesn't care if his ex takes everything from him, because all he wants is to be left alone. Sincerely, Noah Eaton
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jonathan
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Post by jonathan on Feb 11, 2009 15:16:53 GMT -5
Darius has already stated "All I Want" will be the 3rd single. Has he said this in concert or on a radio tour? Sincerely, Noah Eaton He has said it in multiple interviews ever since "It Won't Be Like This For Long" was announced as the 2nd single. Darius was performing this song for radio programmers from the beginning. "Don't Think", "It Won't Be Like This For Long" and "All I Want" were always the three single choices. It was just a matter of determining the order.
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Post by singingsparrow on Feb 11, 2009 15:21:34 GMT -5
Has he said this in concert or on a radio tour? Sincerely, Noah Eaton He has said it in multiple interviews ever since "It Won't Be Like This For Long" was announced as the 2nd single. Darius was performing this song for radio programmers from the beginning. "Don't Think", "It Won't Be Like This For Long" and "All I Want" were always the three single choices. It was just a matter of determining the order. I certainly hope Capitol Nashville isn't very temperamental, though, and they don't end up reconsidering the third single just like Mercury Nashville did with Sugarland's third release from "Love On The Inside". To me, that suggests the third single is still uncertain, even while most are pushing for "All I Want" over any other track. Sincerely, Noah Eaton
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