2004 CMA award comments

[Deleted]

I didn't see a thread for comments on the CMA awards so I decided to start one.  {Warning:  Spoilers ahead for those that have not seen the show.}

My comments on the whole CMA award show can best be expressed with this..

The sound has been horrible tonight.

The winners have been predictible, except for 1.

The audience has been predictible...and they definitely wanted to send a message to Shania Twain tonight.  I can tell you that right now.

The 1 winner that was a true, genuine shocker was Keith Urban and he was extremely[/U] off key, but he still got a standing ovation for his performance. :o

Martina got her 7th Female Vocalist trophy tonight. She now has 4 from the CMA and 3 from the ACM. 

Big & Rich were horrible.  They came out, rapped, jumped around the stage, took a shot at Johnny Cash in their song, told the audience about their brand of country and just looked foolish.

I guess it didn't matter.  Big & Rich got a standing ovation.

The...uh...performance by Big & Rich, and the audience's puzzling/disturbing reaction to the performance, pretty much summed up how the whole night has gone.

Terrible.

[WhySoSerious?]

Wow, surprised by Martina's win. 4 for her. One more and she'll hold the most wins all to herself.

[Deleted]

Well, the show's over now.

If anyone had any doubts about how much Nashville, particularly the CMA and ACM groups, HATE Shania Twain, just watch tonight's CMA show.

No matter how off key or rude the performance is, everyone except Shania and 2 other people have gotten Standing Ovations.

Big & Rich come on the CMA stage. They rap, take a swipe at JOHNNY CASH, and hop around the stage like fools - all while screaming at the top of their lungs about their brand of Country music.

They get a standing ovation.

Gretchen tries to get so loud on her ballad that she ends up screeching really loud.

She gets a standing ovation.

Keith Urban goes way off key and also has sound problems with his very rock-style performance. He gets a standing ovation.

Shania and Billy come out on stage and do a fun, upbeat version of "Party For Two" that was more On-key, and sounded better, than 99% of the other performances tonight and they don't even get a golf clap from the industry.

Same thing every year. I am so sick of this.

[KMCB]

I haven't seen the show yet, but I have seen the winners. The only surprise, and a nice one, is Keith Urban. He deserved it this year.

The duo category simply needs to go. I wonder if MG & B&R cancelled each other out or what, because both of those acts seemed to have been more in the public eye the past year than B&D. At this point, I think B&D could sing the ABCs and win. This category is not relevant anymore...

Martina... love her, but yawn. Someone else should have won this year.

And dare I say... the reign of Toby Keith is OVER. Maybe now he can get back to making good music and get over the crap he's put out since "How Do You Like Me Now?"...

I'll post more after I watch the show... (But since I didn't yet, what was the audience reaction to Shania?)

[WhySoSerious?]

Who else didn't get a standing ovation? (I haven't seen the show)

Standing O's are overrated anyway.

[drock89]

Shania got screwed. As did Toby. "Hey Good Looking" was horrible. Country just lost millions of fans. But HEY! Kenny won EOTY. Congrats! Now you can go practice kissing Nashvilles *buttox* somemore while we all watch. Again, congrats!

I miss Vince. B&D weren't funny. Actually, the best laughs came from Dolly. Shania didn't help either, only 1 "co-hosting" moment. No, wait, 2. Oh boy!

Big and Rich make country look stupid. Just stupid.

A true congrats to Gretchen. You deserve it.

The performances were mediocre.(sp?) Martina, Reba, that was about all I enjoyed. Even Shania didn't impress me much.(pun intended). Something was missing. It wasn't very original.

Another wasted year. When will the CMA begin to recognize true talent. IMO, they show cased it once. Which award? You make the call

**steps off soapbox**

[drock89]

TCorey said:

Who else didn't get a standing ovation? (I haven't seen the show)

Standing O's are overrated anyway.

Montgomery Gentry with "Gone".

[WhySoSerious?]

Poor Terri Clark, she gets no respect. I thought this was gonna be her year.

Very pleased for Keith Urban, though. Much deserved.

[jimmy74747]

I'm very happy with the Keith Urban & Kenny Chesney wins. Both guys looked very humbled and appreciative of what they accomplished. Kenny deserved EOTY having the best selling album of the year and putting on a great live show.

Rascal Flatts, Brooks & Dunn, Gretchen and Martina all were expected to win and did. I don't think no surprises makes this a bad show. You can make a good case for all four winning.

"Live Like You Were Dying" rightfully won Song & Single of the Year.

What I liked was that everyone got to perform. There had to be 25 of them over the course of the three hours. Gives the fans what they want. Gretchen Wilson, Martina McBride and Brooks & Dunn had the best performances tonight. Kenny & Keith weren't at their best live, but having seen them both before in person, and the attitude they showed that I mentioned above makes up for it.

[Deleted]

KMCB said:

(But since I didn't yet, what was the audience reaction to Shania?)

The audience reaction was worse than I expected.

I did not expect a standing ovation for Shania.

I also did not expect the audience to be so blatantly Hate-filled towards her.

There were countless bad performances tonight. From horrible sound problems to performers being off-key and just screaming.

The CMA voice-over guy said there were 24 performances in total tonight.

Out of those 24, I would say 19 of them ALL got standing ovations.

Shania and Billy's performance was not one of them.

Ironically, Shania and Billy's performance was one of the most On-key of the night. Minimal sound problems as well.

When Shania & Billy were done, the audience could barely manage a golf clap. >:(

Even Big & Rich got a standing ovation. Big & Rich brought out a "black rapper," which I believe was even part of the lyrics in their...song, and they took a shot at Johnny Cash. They said country music used to be about Johnny Cash, but now it's "Big & Rich COUNTRY" or something like that.

I guess it didn't matter. Big & Rich got a standing ovation for it.

Basically, the audience was a lot colder than usual to Shania. I couldn't believe it, especially given all of the performances that did get standing ovations.

Oh well. Another award show. Another trophy for Martina. Another knife in Shania's back.

Next comes the "People's Choice," AMAs and Grammys...Yay.

[Dustin]

Reba was just amazing, and she looked HOT tonight!

Dustin

[Hunter]

I actually thought Sara was gonna win Female Vocalist. I can't even begin to tell you what all she has accomplished this year. And Martina? What in the world did she do? I mean, I like Martina, but it shouldve been given to someone else.

[WhySoSerious?]

Enough with the over-the-top Shania rhetoric. Knives in the back, and hate-filled? Isn't that a bit melodramatic.

They didn't jump out of their seats and rush the stage for her? They aren't required to. Who cares?

[someguy]

I agree with most of the sentiments that the show wasn't that great. The sound was very off tonight on almost all the performances. It sounded like Troy Gentry, Dierks Bentley & Kenny Chesney' smicrophones weren't even on at some points during their performances.

The highlights, performance wise, for me were Reba (as usual), Martina and Shania & Billy. Even if the audience was especially rude to Shania tonight, she sounded excellent and on key during the entire song (which is more than I can say for the majority of the performances tonight). I guess I'm so used to seeing the country industry treat Shania so poorly that I don't even notice it anymore.

Big & Rich's "performance" had to be one of the worst things I've ever seen. Don't know what else I can even say about it.

As far as the winners go, the only ones that truly surprised me were Keith and to a lesser extent, Martina. Martina had a good year, not her best, so I thought that either Terri or Sara would take it (though I was really pulling for Reba). Keith's win came as a shock to me and I'm happy for him, though I would've preferred Kenny Chesney.

[KMCB]

MusicSTFan said:

Even Big & Rich got a standing ovation.  Big & Rich brought out a "black rapper," which I believe was even part of the lyrics in their...song, and they took a shot at Johnny Cash.  They said country music used to be about Johnny Cash, but now it's "Big & Rich COUNTRY" or something like that.

I guess it didn't matter.  Big & Rich got a standing ovation for it.

Hmm. Obviously, I will have to watch. I am a huge MG fan, and they almost always get a standing O. I wonder if they've made another bad single choice.

Anyhow, you obviously don't like B&R, but... the song to which you refer contains the line "Rock and roll used to be about Johnny Cash." This was not meant to degrade Johnny, just to say that he was a hit in the rock and roll genre as well as country. Big & Rich have a controversial method, but their message, IMO, is excellent: there is room for many incarnations of music.

It's terrible if the audience was that overtly negative toward Shania. She is hard-working and entertaining and deserves better than that. I don't really care for 'Party for Two,' but to disrespect an artist's live performance when they are working to support the genre is wrong.

Anyway, I'll shut up 'til I watch it! ;)

[Deleted]

TCorey said:

Who else didn't get a standing ovation?  (I haven't seen the show)

Standing O's are overrated anyway.

Let me put it to you this way, the only people who did not get standing ovations, that I remember, are:

1) Shania - of course

2) A couple of the Horizon nominee performers - minus Gretchen {Gretchen got one, of course, despite screaming/screeching at the end. Some of the other Horizon performers weren't so lucky, including the Turner who sang "Long Black Train". I don't remember him getting a standing O.}

Toby and his daughter got a mixed reaction - Some people stood up. Some didn't. At first I thought it was a full standing O, but once the camera panned out I wasn't so sure.

Keith Urban, Gretchen and Big & Rich all got Standing Ovations for scratchy performances.

I think Rascal Flatts even got a standing O.

Pretty much everyone got a standing O, no matter how bad they were.

The standing ovations were clearly not based on the actual performances tonight.

[drock89]

KMCB said:

It's terrible if the audience was that overtly negative toward Shania. She is hard-working and entertaining and deserves better than that. I don't really care for 'Party for Two,' but to disrespect an artist's live performance when they are working to support the genre is wrong.

Anyway, I'll shut up 'til I watch it! ;)

That sums it. Whether its Shania or anyone else, when they are working to support what you LOVE you don't degrade them. Hell, her feelings may have gotten hurt. She may never come back.

And I wonder, how did that make Billy feel?

[Deleted]

someguy said:

I agree with most of the sentiments that the show wasn't that great.  The sound was very off tonight on almost all the performances.  It sounded like Troy Gentry, Dierks Bentley & Kenny Chesney' smicrophones weren't even on at some points during their performances. 

The highlights, performance wise, for me were Reba (as usual), Martina and Shania & Billy.  Even if the audience was especially rude to Shania tonight, she sounded excellent and on key during the entire song (which is more than I can say for the majority of the performances tonight).  I guess I'm so used to seeing the country industry treat Shania so poorly that I don't even notice it anymore.

Big & Rich's "performance" had to be one of the worst things I've ever seen.  Don't know what else I can even say about it.

As far as the winners go, the only ones that truly surprised me were Keith and to a lesser extent, Martina.  Martina had a good year, not her best, so I thought that either Terri or Sara would take it (though I was really pulling for Reba).  Keith's win came as a shock to me and I'm happy for him, though I would've preferred Kenny Chesney.

I agree with you on everything you just said...except the Kenny Chesney part at the end. ;)

Anyway. I share your feelings about Big & Rich, Shania and the rest.

[bamafan2102]

Haven't seen the whole show but listened to most of it on the radio.

The Martina song is a good tearjerker but for the love of all that is good please stop releasing sappy sad songs. She is too damn good to have to pull the sympathy card.

Rascal Flatts to me had the best performance of the night. Just the three of them and Gary was pretty much on key.

Montgomery Gentry?????? You do Your thing was not their best effort but this song Gone is terrible. It sounds like Down Came A Blackbird from Lila McCain. And they sounded terrible.

How can the biggest show of the year for the genre of Country Music have such sound problems??? These people are supposed to be pros. How can they sound good if my three year old son is doing their sound? Actually he could have done better.

This is going to ruffle some feathers but I just can't stand Gretchen Wilson. I got the new copy of Country Weekly today and she says she likes to chew tobacco. Wow, I never would have guessed that.

Brad and Alison deserved at least one award for WL and got it. Tim's song deserved everything it got because it is so powerful. I liked what Brad said about country radio warming up to a double suicide drinking song.

I went to Chesney's show in Birmingham this year and although he is not my favorite it was an excellent show. He has been around for a while and deserved eoty.

I just can't get over the sound problems. And it seems to happen every year. Like I said I haven't seen the whole show so I didn't see how the audience reacted to Shania. I just don't get it. Her stuff is great, her voice is great, she has sold SOOOOOO many albums it isn't even funy. She carries most of the female artist on her back, and gets nothing in return. Not sure what she needs to do but it looks like it doesn't matter what she does. How can you not put her in the Female catagory??? Alison Krauss?? Don't get me wrong but sell some albums and have more than two or three hits first. More comments when I see the whole show.

I also can't believe they cut Kenny Chesney off after 30 seconds. This guy has been in the business for at least ten years and when his big moment arrives they rush him off the stage. I know that at some point you have to stop him because he would go on and on, but he didn't even have time to gather himself. I noticed more than once on just the parts that I saw that the presenters were strecthing out their speeches. Especially at the end with Dolly running her mouth about New York next year and going back over some winners from the past. She should have just walked out and gave out the award and let Kenny get his time. But it was Dolly and she can't say just one or two words.

[Lee]

MusicSTFan said:

Ironically, Shania and Billy's performance was one of the most On-key of the night.  Minimal sound problems as well.

Being on key does not make up for the song. When you watch a COUNTRY MUSIC award show like this and you hear songs such us "Monday Morning Church" and "Whiskey Lullaby", it is hard to be enthused about a song like "Party For Two".

Shania has had some great songs, anyone can see that by looking at the tracklisting for her Greatest Hits. But Party of Two is not one of them. In my opinion her older songs are far better than this song. Even as recent as "Forever and for Always", she was better.

I wouldn't blame the audience or industry. The song is what should take the fault.

[Lee]

bamafan2102 said:

Rascal Flatts to me had the best performance of the night. Just the three of them and Gary was pretty much on key.

I agree they were great tonight.

[Deleted]

TCorey said:

Enough with the over-the-top Shania rhetoric.  Knives in the back, and hate-filled?  Isn't that a bit melodramatic.

It is not being melodramatic at all.

Every year since "The Woman In Me" came out in 1995, Shania has had knives dug into her back.

When the CMA and ACM awards come around, it seems like it's time to twist the knives and see how much pain they can cause.

Tonight, along with last year's blatant snub, was the most blatant display yet about their feelings toward Shania.

If they will clap and even stand up for a performance that was obviously Off-key and not even give Shania & Billy the benefit of a nice clap, what does that tell you?

They didn't jump out of their seats and rush the stage for her?  They aren't required to.  Who cares?

Obviously fans care. Obviously reviewers care. Reporters care.

They all make note of things like that. Example: "[insert artist's name] got a standing ovation and deafening applause from the crowd."

That is who cares.


To make myself clear here I will say this: I, and other fans, do not expect the audience to jump out of their seats proclaiming that Shania's performance was the best in history.

Just some RESPECT or even a little common courtesy would be nice.

To stand up and applaud performances that were not even on key, only to stay seated and not even clap after one of the few performances that was on key?

That is more than a little disrespectful. It was unprofessional and, for the lack of a better word, just plain rude.

[Deleted]

Lee said:

Being on key does not make up for the song.  When you watch a COUNTRY MUSIC award show like this and you hear songs such us "Monday Morning Church" and "Whiskey Lullaby", it is hard to be enthused about a song like "Party For Two".

Shania has had some great songs, anyone can see that by looking at the tracklisting for her Greatest Hits.  But Party of Two is not one of them.  In my opinion her older songs are far better than this song.  Even as recent as "Forever and for Always", she was better. 

I wouldn't blame the audience or industry.  The song is what should take the fault. 

I'm sorry but I don't agree with you there.

You don't have to be a Shania fan to see what kind of a deal she's getting from the industry.

"Party for Two" not country enough?

Did you even see or hear some of the songs tonight?

You've got people doing Off-key rock style songs getting standing ovations.

You've got a duo jumping and screaming around a stage with a "black rapper" rapping. They got a standing ovation.

If "it's not country enough" is your argument, it doesn't work too well. Especially after tonight's CMA show.

Shania's "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?" and "No One Needs To Know" songs were a lot more country than quite a few songs that were performed on tonight's CMA show.

Back when Shania was doing songs like those she did not get any respect from the CMA back then either.

So the "it's not country enough" reasoning just does not fit.

[Journey]

I am so glad Keith Urban won. He deserved that!

I liked SHEdaisy's "slam" at how they finally got men playing on country radio or something like that. Maybe next year they'll actually have a female nominated in the entertainer of the year award. Doubt it though.

I like Shania but the song was just okay.

Martina did not deserve Female Vocalist. Sara, Reba or Terri did. I love Martina but she sings the same song with different lyrics now. Go back to Evolution and before please.

Josh Turner sang his song before a commerical break I don't think you could even tell if anyone gave him a standing ovation but what's the big deal. If they stand at all of them, then that means nothing anymore.

Brooks & Dunn didn't deserve to win either. So predictible.
Does anyone know what the cut-off date for this award show was? Cause I wonder if the success of Red Dirt Road got them the award.

[Deleted]

My picks:

Best Performances[/U]

Shania Twain & Billy Currington
Reba


Worst Performances[/U]

Big & Rich
Keith Urban
Gretchen Wilson
Julie Roberts
Faith Hill
Kris K.
Randy Travis
.
.
.
Many more...
.
.
.
and the performance by the Sound crew...just terrible.



Those are the ones I remember the most.

[Lee]

MusicSTFan said:

I'm sorry but I don't agree with you there.

You don't have to be a Shania fan to see what kind of a deal she's getting from the industry.

"Party for Two" not country enough?

Did you even see or hear some of the songs tonight?

You've got people doing Off-key rock style songs getting standing ovations.

You've got a duo jumping and screaming around a stage with a "black rapper" rapping.  They got a standing ovation.

If "it's not country enough" is your argument, it doesn't work too well.  Especially after tonight's CMA show.

Shania's "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?" and "No One Needs To Know" songs were a lot more country than quite a few songs that were performed on tonight's CMA show.

Back when Shania was doing songs like those she did not get any respect from the CMA back then either.

So the "it's not country enough" reasoning just does not fit.

I'm sorry, I am not trying to be rude.

In response to some of the other performances, I did not like Big & Rich's performance at all. I saw them in concert in September cause they opened for Tim McGraw and I have disliked them since. Why they got a good reception from the audience is beyond me.

Shania's older material was also mentioned in your post. I loved those songs and I do not think it was fair for her to be treated poorly by the industry.

I just don't think any great reaction should have been awarded to her for "Party for Two". Where as you clearly disagree. It's all opinion.

[Deleted]

Lee said:

I'm sorry, I am not trying to be rude. 

In response to some of the other performances, I did not like Big & Rich's performance at all.  I saw them in concert in September cause they opened for Tim McGraw and I have disliked them since.  Why they got a good reception from the audience is beyond me. 

Shania's older material was also mentioned in your post.  I loved those songs and I do not think it was fair for her to be treated poorly by the industry.

I just don't think any great reaction should have been awarded to her for "Party for Two".  Where as you clearly disagree.  It's all opinion. 

I didn't think you were rude. I was not trying to be rude either. I am sorry if I came off sounding that way.

I just basically wanted to state that the "it's not country enough" reasoning does not make sense.

When you look at the work done by Shania over the ears and the work done by other artists over the years & then take a look at how Shania has been treated by the industry over the years when compared to other artists, the "it's not country enough" idea does not fit.

That is all I meant.


You're right about the "Party For Two" reaction being a matter of opinion. We feel differently. It's not a big deal. :)

[gcook]

Wow... what a night of... disappointments.

* Any chance that Big&Rich had to win me over as a fan was lost last night. That was, in a word, awful. Anyone that would give that sorry excuse for a performance a standing ovation...

* I didn't think Gretchen squeeled last night. I thought, for as much pressure as was on her, she performed wonderfully!

* Why oh why did Josh Turner only get to do half his song before commercial when every other artists got to do almost all of their song. I mean, come on, he was on key and doing a great job... which is more than I can say about Dierks and Julie.

* Kenny winning was a good thing, but his voice sounds wore out.

* Reba, Terri, Sara, and Martina gave the most consistent performances of the evening! And I wonder why they are only grouped in one category.

* Alison and Brad did an awesome job!!! They are both very smooth and consistent.

* Toby Keith's daughter sings better than he does.

* Billy and Shania were okay... I just didn't feel the sense of chemistry they seemed to have in the video.

AWARDS: I was happy for Kenny and Keith as well as Gretchen, but I do think Terri and Sara had banner years for themselves.

[bks]

Thought the sound on the show was awful and the production qualities overall really bland. Very dissappointing...

But some still sounded great -- Sara Evans, Martina, Rascal Flatts...and the Keith and Kenny wins were nice...

[AwayFromTheSun]

I thought the show overall was one of the best.? I thought Reba was awesome and looked Very Beautiful! I'm upset she didn't get the Female Vocalist Of The Year.? I was disgusted at Martina's win.? I used to love her, especially during the "Evolution" days.? However, Martina's music is just getting worse and worse...with the exception of "How Far".? I lost respect for her because she has become a stuck up person.? She shows it too. I'm glad for Kenny's wins and Tim's :)? I was afraid they were going to give the album of the year to Toby Keith(Shock N Yall su*ks..except American Soldier)...even though I wanted Kenny..because out of the 5..Kenny's album blew the rest out of the water. I was totally caught off guard by Keith Urban's Male Vocalist win.? Finally, shame on CBS and the CMA for disrespecting Kenny Chesney at the end of the night. I guess it's just be thankful he got it finally and deserved it!? In my opinion the WORST performance of the night was Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss with "Whiskey Lullaby".? They were way off key.? Alison Krauss said on CMT the other day she got drunk before recording Whiskey Lullaby. Now, if she were to say she got drunk before the performance on the CMA's I would believe it because that's how bad it su*ked.

Shawn