Speculation on New Releases

[drock89]

There sure are alot of new country albums hitting the shelves between Sept-Nov.

Of them, something sticks out: the amount of Greatest Hits albums being put out by top-name artists.

1) Toby Keith-his first GH was put out by Mercury, who he is no longer with. This GH barely spands 5 years of music for TK(1999-2003). IMO a new studio album would be better but , go for it.

2) George Strait-50 #1's is a huge feat and his GH is ready to celebrate it. This will be a good cd. His latest projects have not sold incredibly but I am sure this one will.

3) Shania Twain-this will be her first GH cd. Spanning 11 years but, probably only 9 since her debut will not be included. Look for 2 different versions as her International release will have to have a different track listing. I also think this CD will sell lots because so many people only like Shania for her radio hits.

It's going to be fun to watch the Billboard chart in the next few months because it will be interesting to see who can fend off who to keep the #1 spot. I'm sure there will be many #1 albums coming up.

[chriskolm]

I think country music has a chance to be #1 a lot this year on the overall 200. With Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Shania Twain and possibly Faith Hill releasing new albums, it'll be a huge end of the year. Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts both will sell probably 100-200 thousand copies in their first weeks, but I don't think they'll get to #1 overall.

[KMCB]

Faith Hill's official and WB site both say her sixth studio album will be released this year. I think both her fans and detractors will be very interested in what her new iteration is going to be.

Also, on the GH subject, Brooks & Dunn will be releasing their 2nd volume this year. Too soon in my opinion, but I'm sure they gained new fans in the success of Steers and Stripes...

Any word at all on new Dixie Chicks music?

[smack]

Do we think Faith can get any more top 10 singles on the country charts? Her last few, we've seen top 40 debuts, and they made it high on the pop charts too, but only top 15 at country. Dixie Chicks, I'm not sure. I think less people now will have negative reactions, but I doubt they will ever have the success they once enjoyed. I'm sure TK, ST, GS will all debut at #1 on the billboard 200.

[WhySoSerious?]

smack said:

Do we think Faith can get any more top 10 singles on the country charts?  Her last few, we've seen top 40 debuts, and they made it high on the pop charts too, but only top 15 at country.  Dixie Chicks, I'm not sure.  I think less people now will have negative reactions, but I doubt they will ever have the success they once enjoyed.  I'm sure TK, ST, GS will all debut at #1 on the billboard 200.

I'm fully expecting Faith to follow LeAnn Rimes' and come running back to country following that backlash against her last album.  If she does that, she'll have a shot at being welcomed back.  If she continues making overblown pop music, she will not.

[George Tropicana]

I can't wait to hear new Faith Hill. She really won new fans with her racy turn in this summer's $50 million+ blockbuster "The Stepford Wives."

[drock89]

KMCB said:

Any word at all on new Dixie Chicks music?

The Chicks will be releasing a new album in 2005 and will also tour in 05. Right now, they are touring to support John Kerry along with Bruce Springsteen and others.

[smack]

LOL, go figure that they'd support him over bushie! I hope they do well w/ that, and I bet if Kerry wins, that would actually help them!

shaniagotchagood said:

The Chicks will be releasing a new album in 2005 and will also tour in 05. Right now, they are touring to support John Kerry along with Bruce Springsteen and others.

[anafan]

News on Faith:

REVIEW Southern country/pop star sings high on hill


BY KERRY GOLD VANCOUVER SUN

The only slip-up at Faith Hill’s special Whistler date Saturday night was the barely detectable slip she made when she entered arm in arm with two firefighters.

Shout Resort Concerts, contracted by developer Intrawest, owner of Whistler Blackcomb, had organized The Faith Hill Live In Whistler show, which attracted an unofficial figure of more than 10,000 fans to Base 2 of Blackcomb Mountain. Fans, a few of them wearing cowboy hats, made their way to the site by a short chairlift ride or uphill walk from the village below. If it’s to be the model for other shows to follow, the experiment worked; for the right artist, fans are evidently willing to make the trek to the out-of-the-way site.

The stage was set up so that it faced up the hill, which created a natural amphitheatre, and the sound was as good as it gets. Hill’s smoky-edged vocals were in fine form, and she didn’t fail to draw on her most popular songs for the 90-minute performance.

The only disappointment was that her husband, country singer Tim McGraw, who’s supposed to be on location with her, did not appear on stage for a duet. Had it happened, it would have taken the smoothly-run proceedings up a notch and into the realm of more special special event.

It was Hill’s first official concert performance in more than four years, a sort of dress rehearsal for her short run at Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace this week. Hill then returns to her Tennessee home to complete her new album due out by early next year, but she hasn’t committed to a concert tour yet.

So it wasn’t too much of a surprise that a fan would hold up a sign for Hill’s inspection that read: “$400 for the airfare from Buffalo to Vancouver; $200 for the hotel room; and $183 for the concert ticket. Seeing you on your first show back: Priceless.”

Sporting shorter, straighter hair, rhinestone-encrusted jeans and a long-sleeved Tshirt, Hill is a straightforward, utilitarian performer, one who’s fairly reserved as opposed to losing herself in spasmodic vocal histrionics or letting the music hit her body with the force of a lightning bolt. She’s a proper southerner who attended church as a girl and feels passionately about her duties as a mother, so it’s always been a bit surprising that she chose to cover Janis Joplin’s Piece of My Heart on one of her early recordings (Hill had reportedly not heard Joplin’s version beforehand). She saved the song for her encore, and unlike Joplin, was not reduced to a puddle of humanity by song’s end. Hill’s version had a bouncy, flashy, Broadwaystyle ending, which seemed happily upbeat for a heartslasher.

But Hill is less about losing control than maintaining one’s strength and optimism through suffering, and many of her songs were gospeltinged with layers of harmony, funky, toe-tapping rockers, power ballads for cuddling purposes, or, in the case of a new song called Paris — “I believe this is the best song I’ve ever recorded” — tasteful, jazz-inspired Broadway showtune material.

The new song is indeed beautiful, made lush with programmed strings and keyboards supplied by the keyboardist in Hill’s nine-piece band. Hill is a paradox because she has the vocal dexterity and musical sensitivity to pull off a sophisticated, moody arrangement, but she’ll awkwardly cap the moment with: “That was fun!”

She’s also not immune to grand showbiz gestures such as pointing skyward, but at the heart of this singing sensation (who’s sold more than 25 million records) is the consummate entertainment professional — one who believes in composure above disorder. It’s a state of being that makes Hill look nerdy when she attempts air-guitar at the start of a funky rock number, but also what makes her entirely believable when she sings a chin-trembler like Stronger.

Hill expertly pulled off all required listening, including hits Breathe, The Way You Love Me, This Kiss, a neglected gem like the breaking-up heart-scorcher One, the relationship’s-over ballad It Matters to Me, the country lady lament, Bed of Roses, and “for all the girls out there full of spirit and fire,” Wild One. For a second encore, Hill played a gentle cover of Paul McCartney’s Maybe I’m Amazed.

The chilly evening air might have subdued the crowd, who were either seated in plastic chairs or, further back, on the cold ground. Only a few people boogied in the aisles, including a couple who waltzed during one song. And other than a fight that broke out between two audience members for the duration of another song, it was an exceedingly polite atmosphere.

As the sun set pink between two mountains to the right of the stage, Hill’s comeback to the stage proved supernatural.

[WhySoSerious?]

AnaFan said:

in the case of a new song called Paris — “I believe this is the best song I’ve ever recorded” — tasteful, jazz-inspired Broadway showtune material.

The new song is indeed beautiful, made lush with programmed strings and keyboards supplied by the keyboardist in Hill’s nine-piece band.

This does not sound promising.

[drock89]

TCorey said:

This does not sound promising.

No it doesn't.

[Deleted]

TCorey said:

This does not sound promising.

I agree.  Looks like she's going the pop+jazzy showtune route now.

What is she going to tell the press her "roots" are now?  First it was "country."  Then it was "church music" and gospel and "soul" music.  Now are her "roots" jazzy showtune too?

If she goes the showtune route this time, she better not blame other people again if it fails.  She tried that during "Cry" and it backfired.

She needs to make up her mind about her "roots" and quit blaming other people when things don't go her way.  It got old really fast.

[Deleted]

Out of those albums listed at the top of this thread, I have to say that Shania Twain's "Greatest Hits" album is the one I'm most looking forward to. (As if you could not have already guessed that by looking at my signature. ;) )

I think the Toby Keith one could be good too. However, his 2nd single had better be much better than the 1st single from that album. His 1st single did not impress me.

The George Strait "Greatest Hits" type album almost seems pointless to me. How many "Greatest Hits" cds has George released? It seems like he just had one out not too long ago. Plus, he had a Box Set out too. I just think it's much too soon for another collection of his hits. That is jmo.

[WhySoSerious?]

I'm going to reserve my judgement until I hear it, but jazz-inspired broadway showtune material is the absolute last thing I want to hear Faith singing.

She will flounder again at country radio if this is the route she's going.

[musicfan_84]

You people need to calm down. This is ONE SONG for the love of God. On every album there is usually one or two songs that have a different style to them. And also, just so you all can be at rest, at the show, she said that "Paris" won't be a song that will be heard on the radio.

And you know what? I think if Faith makes music that is either like her "Faith" album or "Breathe" then it will be hugely successful.

You people are stressing out over one song that won't even be a single.

[WhySoSerious?]

musicfan_84 said:

You people need to calm down. This is ONE SONG for the love of God. On every album there is usually one or two songs that have a different style to them. And also, just so you all can be at rest, at the show, she said that "Paris" won't be a song that will be heard on the radio.

And you know what? I think if Faith makes music that is either like her "Faith" album or "Breathe" then it will be hugely successful.

You people are stressing out over one song that won't even be a single.

LOL. This is the only info we have to go on, so how do you know the whole album isn't like it? Maybe the one or two songs in a different style are the ones that sound moderately country and the rest sound like Broadway showtunes. No one knows.

[someguy]

This doesn't sound like great news to me either. Also, looks like the album has been pushed back. The article says early next year, when the Fall has been reported all along.

[drock89]

musicfan_84 said:

And you know what? I think if Faith makes music that is either like her "Faith" album or "Breathe" then it will be hugely successful.

I agree here. But in stressing out, like TC said, its all we have to go by, an omen of such.

[musicfan_84]

Well I talked to a friend who attended Faith's show in Vegas last night. She performed the "Paris" song as well as a new uptempo, "This Kiss"-like song called "USA is A-OK"

It sounds like another patriotic tune, but it isn't at all. All it says is to look around and see what we have and how great it is. He said it is just a fun, upbeat song. I can't wait to hear it!

[drock89]

I can't wait to hear Faith's new stuff either.

[anafan]

More on Faith...

www.cmt.com/news/articles/1490113/20040811/hill_faith.jhtml?headlines=true

Faith Hill Goes to Vegas
Superstar Returns to the Stage, Unveils New Songs During Caesars Palace Concert

LAS VEGAS -- Is it a safe bet that Faith Hill will reposition herself as a superstar in country music? That question remains unanswered by the first of her four concerts that began here Tuesday night (Aug. 10).

On one side of the coin, she has lost no confidence in the four-and-a-half years since she last headlined a tour. She's still gorgeous and comfortable, taking time to visit with people in the audience. And most importantly, when the song suits her, the woman can definitely deliver.

Yet, others might suggest Hill all but folded her country cards after her 2002 album, Cry, received mixed reviews, and the title track barely broke into country's Top 20. As an indication of how far she drifted from the format, two tracks -- "Free" and "There Will Come a Day" -- had potential as huge dance hits, a la Cher, based on hearing them live.

So, what will the next album sound like? In other words, pop or country? Hill told a Las Vegas tourist magazine she's no longer even answering that question. However, she offered the audience at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace two songs from the forthcoming project.

One is called "Everything's A-OK in the U.S.A." While some may question whether that's a truly accurate assessment, the upbeat melody does stick in your head, although the lyrics appear to be somewhat opportunistic and silly. Darrell Scott, one of the most talented and insightful writers in Nashville, wrote the song, which makes it even more of a disappointment, especially considering that his catalog includes Travis Tritt's "Great Day to Be Alive" and the Dixie Chicks' "Longtime Gone" and "Heartbreak Town." (Scott is playing mandolin in Hill's band during her Vegas reign. Some of the other sidemen looked familiar, too, but she only introduced Scott and backup singer Bekka Bramlett.)

The second new song is called "Paris." She says it's one of her favorite songs she's ever heard. The ballad's theme is typical of contemporary country music -- listing all the things you'd do for somebody, such as tear the Mona Lisa into little pieces. She added that it will likely never be a single. And that's OK with her, she said, because all of her favorite albums include songs that weren't meant to be singles.

Which brings us back to the Cry album. One of that project's most redeeming songs, "Stronger," proved a highlight of her set -- with white stars glimmering on the screen behind her, spotlights gliding along the stage and a knockout vocal performance. She followed it with "Cry," but on the screen, she opted for stock footage of rivers and streams rather than the music video where she's soaking wet and the car changes colors when she touches it.

In the music business, people are prone to write somebody off after a disappointing album. But don't discount the power of Hill's catalog. After nearly five years away from the stage, it's refreshing to hear her sing songs like "Wild One," "It Matters to Me" and "The Way You Love Me." And if Gladys Knight ever hears Hill's more soulful rendition of "Let Me Let Go," she'd probably put it in her own show, just across the street at the Flamingo. That's high praise.

Hill opened the 90-minute set with "Let's Go to Vegas" and closed the encore with "Piece of My Heart." The crowd also basked in the duet of "Let's Make Love" with surprise guest Tim McGraw, the first song of the encore. The spontaneous screaming reaction from the crowd implied that more than a few country fans were out there, with the squealing drowning out the first few lines of McGraw's verse. In a city largely built on sex, these two can still teach everybody a thing or two about passion and chemistry.

With a new album due later this year, expectations are high for Hill. After all, she can still attract a following. The theater appeared to be filled to near capacity, despite steep ticket prices. And it must be said that she's been nothing but a classy ambassador for country music during her recent pop phase. But what didn't work in 2002 isn't likely to work in 2004 either. Country radio would surely hate to lose her, but just about the only thing they can do is let the chips fall where they may.

[drock89]

This still says album out this year... :o ???

[Deleted]

That last article about Faith's performance is even less promising than the first.

So Faith's first new songs are "Paris" and "Everything's A-OK in the USA"?

"Everything's A-OK in the USA"? Honestly.  That is the title of the song?

Something tells me that Toby Keith's "Angry American" song and just about all of the other previous patriotic or USA-themed songs will sound like works of art next to "Everything's A-OK in the USA."

Is there a trend, or artist, that Faith won't follow?  Can she at least find better songs to use when she follows those trends?

When she does go off and do something different, it usually turns out terrible.  When she gets criticism for her actions and songs Faith blames other people and whines.

Judging by what I'm hearing about her new material, her new album had better not include any material like those 2 songs.  If it does, I don't want to hear anymore whining from Faith if things don't go right for her.

Seriously.  "Everything's A-OK in the USA"?  I can't get over that one.

[musicfan_84]

CMT got it wrong it's called "USA is A-OK" and if you read my post, it isn't even a patriotic song.

[WhySoSerious?]

That article is spot on. Unless Faith makes an effort to make country music, country radio isn't going to be compelled to play her. Here's hoping that she's back on track, but I have my doubts.

[anafan]

An article from USA Today:

Springing into fall
By Brian Mansfield, special for USA TODAY

Tim McGraw knows business is good when he looks out from the stage and can't see green. "We've had tons of sellouts, and we've been outside," the singer says. "It's tough to get sellouts outside, there's so much lawn."

McGraw's not the only country singer who has noticed business picking up lately. Country tours have been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dim concert season. Sales of country albums are up 11% over 2003, and that's with only one of the genre's superstars — Kenny Chesney — releasing an album in the first half of the year.

With a star-studded fall release schedule that begins Tuesday with McGraw's Live Like You Were Dying, the genre could be looking at its best year since Garth Brooks' heyday. Nine of country music's superstar acts will release albums from next Tuesday through Thanksgiving.

The artists responsible for the big nine country superstar album releases for fall have sold more than 175 million albums since Nielsen SoundScan began tabulating record sales in 1991. New albums and release dates:

Tim McGraw, Live Like You Were Dying
Aug. 24
26.3 million albums sold since 1993

Alan Jackson, What I Do
Sept. 7
29.9 million sales since 1991

Keith Urban, Be Here
Sept. 21
2.6 million since 2000

Rascal Flatts, Feels Like Today
Sept. 28
3.9 million since 2000

George Strait, 50 #1 Hits
Oct. 5 (one new song)
31.9 million since 1991

Brooks & Dunn, The Greatest Hits Collection Ii
Oct. 19 (four new songs)
17.9 million since 1991

LeAnn Rimes, This Woman Oct. 19
(also releasing a Christmas album same day)
17.6 million since 1996

Toby Keith, Greatest Hits 2, Nov. 9 (three new songs)
16.1 million since 1993

Shania Twain, Shania Twain's Greatest Hits
Nov. 9 (three new songs)
29.1 million since 1993

"My guess is, with the numbers we're going to post, (country album sales) could be anywhere between 25% and 30% up over the previous year," says RCA Label Group chairman Joe Galante.

Says Wade Jessen, Billboard's director of country charts: "It's a business of pennies right now, but the pennies seem to be adding up. This summer, we've seen the country chart do in excess of 800,000 units a week." (Country sales as a whole — including albums not on the chart — averaged 1.2 million units a week in the second quarter, about 10% of total album sales.)

"Last year, it was falling below 500,000, and everybody was going, 'We can't support a town on this. What are we going to do?' "

Several factors are contributing to country's upswing. One of the more unusual may be the sound of pop radio. "The other formats have gotten very left-of-center," Galante says. "Either you're rocking hard, or you're really on the hip-hop side. It's left a vacuum in the center, because there's not any great pop music out there."

At the same time, country has developed strong new acts of its own for the first time in years. Debut albums from Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich, Dierks Bentley, Buddy Jewell and Josh Turner all have been certified gold this year. That confluence has some industry experts likening country's current state to 1989, when future stars Brooks, Alan Jackson and Clint Black surfaced within a few months of each other, sparking a period of unparalleled growth for country.

"It just takes a couple of breakthrough things to jump-start the whole business," says CMT senior vice president/general manager Brian Phillips. "I always worried when people said, 'It'll cycle back through; it always does.' You think, 'Well, a lot of things have changed since the last cycle.' But all the evidence, statistical and anecdotal, is pouring in that it has come roaring back."

The success of so many rookie artists means that people scanning the radio dial now have reason to stop on their country station for longer than a couple of songs.

"In the past, a Garth Brooks would explode the format," Galante says. "Shania Twain would explode the format. The Dixie Chicks would explode the format. Then it got really shallow underneath. Now, all of a sudden, you have greater depth across the board. It remains to be seen how many of these people are here five years from now. But right now they're here."

Affordable tours prosper

Meanwhile, the economy might be playing a role in the success of this year's country tours.

"The country artists tend to keep their ticket prices down," Pollstar editor in chief Gary Bongiovanni says. He notes that the $48 average price for a Chesney ticket is $10 below the average for a top-50-grossing concert and that Chesney was the highest-drawing act during 2004's first half, behind Prince.

Three country tours — Shania Twain, Chesney and Alan Jackson with Martina McBride — landed among Pollstar's 10 top tours of 2004's first half.

Meanwhile, CMT recently posted its third consecutive record quarter, a rise in viewership attributable almost entirely to the arrival of a younger demographic. In fact, July was the country-music cable channel's most-watched month ever in the 18-49 demographic. (CMT averaged 136,000 viewers aged 18-49 through July 25, according to Nielsen figures.)

"When country's hot, it gets everything, not just 35-plus, not just women," Phillips says. "It cuts a swath across America."

Nashville is bringing out the big blades to do the cutting. "The stars are lined up like planes at LaGuardia during rush hour for takeoff in the second half of the year," Phillips says.

McGraw, 37, has the advantage of taking off first, and his album is fueled by a title track that topped Airplay Monitor's country chart in a faster-than-usual seven weeks. He'll follow the album with a featured performance in the Billy Bob Thornton movie Friday Night Lights, out in October, and a TV special.

"This album came together as sort of a tapestry of life," the singer says. "It's got a lot of life lessons and little vignettes in it." The single brought to mind the death in January of his father, former baseball pitcher Tug McGraw, though the singer downplays the effect of that loss on the making of the album.

"I don't think (his death) affected the songs I chose or the way the album sounded," McGraw says. "My emotions were certainly raw when I was recording the album. If anything, there might be more emotion in it."

Keith Urban ready for the big time

Keith Urban appears to be on the rise. On Sept. 21, the Australian singer/guitarist, 36, releases Be Here, an album that should propel him to headliner status.

"He's one of those guys who becomes an overnight sensation after 10 years busting it on the road," says Bill Kennedy, Capitol Nashville vice president of sales.

"(Be Here) is as big a priority as I've seen here since we put out the last Garth Brooks record," Kennedy says. "It's getting that kind of treatment."

Next year, however, probably will see few superstar country acts releasing albums, at least until the fourth quarter. Instead, Nashville will have to turn to its younger acts, hoping for a smash sophomore album or perhaps the emergence of a third star from the MusikMafia, the local scene that produced both Wilson and Big & Rich.

"We're going to have to rely on something brand new, like Gretchen Wilson," Jessen says, "or a real heavy hitter from one of these artists who have shown serious promise like Josh Turner, Dierks Bentley, Billy Currington and Joe Nichols — although he's already on his second album. Those guys are three minutes away from spending a lot of time in the top 10.

"Right now, we have the makings of a new, contemporary movement in country. We'll see if it's sustainable or if we just happen to have hit a little pocket of something interesting. Some of the superstar albums that are coming out are going to help answer that for us."

www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2004-08-19-country-music_x.htm