Like Hugging A Porcupine
Mar 7, 2005 16:55:49 GMT -5
Post by drock89 on Mar 7, 2005 16:55:49 GMT -5
LIKE TRYING TO HUG A PORCUPINE
by Jimmy Carter
--allaccess.com
Jimmy is always on the ball. Toby has a right to be pissed as do other acts (cough Shania cough). Why is it that the biggest artists get the least? Reba ring a bell? The Chicks? Faith? I wonder
WOW! He says EXACTLY what I and TCorey argued about. Country radio DOES NOT want to play new music!!! And it is killing them! The radio format is dying, people aren't listening, and the genre will go downhill..
Pop wannabees? Admit it. Every label in 1996 wanted to find their Shania or Garth. Were there some creations? I think so.
Gretchen, go girl. I do think she is the most promising thing in the last year. I wish her the best, can't wait for the follow-up!
Nashville needs to quit playing games and get their sh*t together. They need to realize what sells, who's hot, and stop trying to force themselves into the fans minds. They will tell you what they want, don't dicate to them what they must buy, hear, and live with.
I'm done :) I am going to email Jimmy and I will post that here too!
by Jimmy Carter
… reporting to you high over Oklahoma.
I’m looking down at Oklahoma City from 40,000 feet, and it’s making me ponder this week’s most complicated subject: Toby Keith.
This guy is a handful on any scale. He’s mad as Hell and not going to take it anymore if you listen to what he says about award shows and dealing with his record company. The award show thing has been an open wound for years. We all have watched him frown and squirm as he sits in the audience watching others go to the podium to get the statue. He now as decided to just not play the game in that arena. He told the Grammy people to go to Hell when they asked him to be part of this years Southern Rock salute. The award giving/winning/earning game is just that … a game. It’s one that TK doesn’t even want to think about in the coming years.
Toby has sold 25 million CDs in his lifetime. He’s earned fortunes from his songwriting and his exciting concerts. Still he’s pissed off.
But when all is said and done, is he really more misunderstood than upset? This big ole boy is plain spoken and that is what shocks and freaks out people.
Toby thinks he knows what is best for Toby. For the most part he’s been proven correct. His batting average is HIGH. The thorn in his paw right now may be the lack of perceived success of the last 3 songs.
“Mockingbird” was dead on arrival. It can be debated whether or not it should have ever been sent out as a single. Probably NOT is the answer. “Honky Tonk U” is not his best work and has not locked in the masses as some of his other songs have. I grew to like “Whiskey Girl,” but only with time.
Toby has some great radio songs in his catalogue. Evergreens that sound as good today as they did when they came out. His relationship with the old “Mercury Gang” is one not unlike Wyatt Earpe and the bad boys of Tucson or Dodge City. Toby does not like A&R meetings with “some people” at this point in his career.
Bottom line: Toby is a great patriot and his devotion to the military is very honorable. Toby seems to be an excellent and devoted parent. Toby is a success in the music industry on any scale you want to evaluate him. Toby needs an IMAGE change in the worst way. All those good things and he still comes across as a grouch and a pain in the ass. Things that may not even be true. I’m not sure how this gets fixed, but the mass audience MAY be fatiguing from the fussy, just-got-out-the-wrong-side-of-the-bed Toby. Someone give this guy a HUG.
On to another confusion of the week. What is the deal with this Muzik Mafia thing? Even after watching this presentation at CRS I still am confused. They are either as ground breaking as New Math or just one big bar band that got lucky when they recorded “Louie, Louie” or “Bottle of Wine”!
Gretchen is a star and those resisting that success are simply stupid. She’s a talented gal and like it or not she’s a major reflection of a lot of the country audience. “When I Think About Cheatin’” was a better song than radio gave it credit for. Stop resisting “Country” music and stop trying to be half ass pop wanna bees. I thought we were over that.
Some of the Muzik Mafia stuff is just as weak as some of the things that came out of the Beatles Apple Corps. Anyone remember Jackie Lomax or Wonderwall by George Harrison ?
They have a possible x-box or playstation game coming. They have taken over the former Mandrell mansion as the Plowboy Mansion. This whole thing has “crash and burn” written all over it. I hope it becomes everything they want it to be, but history is NOT on their side.
Big and Rich: They can do concerts and generate energy like a power plant. It is so refreshing to see some do something other than just stand there. On the other hand, when you place a bar at a point where you have midgets, tall black rappers and who knows what else as part of your show, how do you top that ever time you come back to town?
Shaking my head at Toby as he wears a $50,000 bling-bling ring, scratching my head at the Muzik Mafia, so now what at CRS? Well, lots of newcomer acts as always. Did any break out? Maybe ONE and maybe more. But the one act I could see as the real thing is Blaine Larsen. He’s the real deal. Young and every bit as much potential as we have seen from some of the big guys at the top right now. Randy and Alan come to mind. Time and luck will tell.
Kenny Chesney falling down and getting a ankle injury has the behind the scenes people running around. Those sold out shows getting moved around and postponed is causing headaches. He fell down some stairs and has a softball like ankle. My daughter did a similar thing at her high school tennis practice a year or so ago. It looked worse than it was, BUT it still bothers her, and it still swells up on her. She says Kenny may not be running around in the week or 2 they think.
This puts opening act Gretchen Wilson in a mess, too, but maybe she will use the extra time to record and maybe just REST.
Corporate radio and its mission to play as few new songs as possible and not worry about careers or anything else is still the number one problem in all of radio. Corporate radio and consolidation has been a bad deal for the listeners and the public in general. It’s painful to watch how faceless corporations have stripped all of radio of its passion and turned it into prechewed pablum.
The big city stations have always been sort of like they are now, but where this corporate takeover seems to have really hurt is in the B and C smaller towns. The big guys came in and paid too much for Ma and Pa operations and are raping these stations. It’s so sad to watch, and you know who you are. I don’t know what can be done to fix it. You feel it every year as the CRS crowd feels so different. It is hard to put your finger on it but you know it’s true.
The music shown off this week is pretty good. Very fresh. More traditional in some ways and off the scale nuts in others. Cute girls still want to be the next Reba and more than one group this week wants to fill Alabama’s shoes. Some folks are just never going to be stars no matter how much money is behind them. Others just can’t be cast aside. It was fantastic to see Ronnie Milsap get the night’s only standing ovation on the RCA boat. He’s a classic and still a great artist. Like wine, some things do get better with age.
I’m looking down at Oklahoma City from 40,000 feet, and it’s making me ponder this week’s most complicated subject: Toby Keith.
This guy is a handful on any scale. He’s mad as Hell and not going to take it anymore if you listen to what he says about award shows and dealing with his record company. The award show thing has been an open wound for years. We all have watched him frown and squirm as he sits in the audience watching others go to the podium to get the statue. He now as decided to just not play the game in that arena. He told the Grammy people to go to Hell when they asked him to be part of this years Southern Rock salute. The award giving/winning/earning game is just that … a game. It’s one that TK doesn’t even want to think about in the coming years.
Toby has sold 25 million CDs in his lifetime. He’s earned fortunes from his songwriting and his exciting concerts. Still he’s pissed off.
But when all is said and done, is he really more misunderstood than upset? This big ole boy is plain spoken and that is what shocks and freaks out people.
Toby thinks he knows what is best for Toby. For the most part he’s been proven correct. His batting average is HIGH. The thorn in his paw right now may be the lack of perceived success of the last 3 songs.
“Mockingbird” was dead on arrival. It can be debated whether or not it should have ever been sent out as a single. Probably NOT is the answer. “Honky Tonk U” is not his best work and has not locked in the masses as some of his other songs have. I grew to like “Whiskey Girl,” but only with time.
Toby has some great radio songs in his catalogue. Evergreens that sound as good today as they did when they came out. His relationship with the old “Mercury Gang” is one not unlike Wyatt Earpe and the bad boys of Tucson or Dodge City. Toby does not like A&R meetings with “some people” at this point in his career.
Bottom line: Toby is a great patriot and his devotion to the military is very honorable. Toby seems to be an excellent and devoted parent. Toby is a success in the music industry on any scale you want to evaluate him. Toby needs an IMAGE change in the worst way. All those good things and he still comes across as a grouch and a pain in the ass. Things that may not even be true. I’m not sure how this gets fixed, but the mass audience MAY be fatiguing from the fussy, just-got-out-the-wrong-side-of-the-bed Toby. Someone give this guy a HUG.
On to another confusion of the week. What is the deal with this Muzik Mafia thing? Even after watching this presentation at CRS I still am confused. They are either as ground breaking as New Math or just one big bar band that got lucky when they recorded “Louie, Louie” or “Bottle of Wine”!
Gretchen is a star and those resisting that success are simply stupid. She’s a talented gal and like it or not she’s a major reflection of a lot of the country audience. “When I Think About Cheatin’” was a better song than radio gave it credit for. Stop resisting “Country” music and stop trying to be half ass pop wanna bees. I thought we were over that.
Some of the Muzik Mafia stuff is just as weak as some of the things that came out of the Beatles Apple Corps. Anyone remember Jackie Lomax or Wonderwall by George Harrison ?
They have a possible x-box or playstation game coming. They have taken over the former Mandrell mansion as the Plowboy Mansion. This whole thing has “crash and burn” written all over it. I hope it becomes everything they want it to be, but history is NOT on their side.
Big and Rich: They can do concerts and generate energy like a power plant. It is so refreshing to see some do something other than just stand there. On the other hand, when you place a bar at a point where you have midgets, tall black rappers and who knows what else as part of your show, how do you top that ever time you come back to town?
Shaking my head at Toby as he wears a $50,000 bling-bling ring, scratching my head at the Muzik Mafia, so now what at CRS? Well, lots of newcomer acts as always. Did any break out? Maybe ONE and maybe more. But the one act I could see as the real thing is Blaine Larsen. He’s the real deal. Young and every bit as much potential as we have seen from some of the big guys at the top right now. Randy and Alan come to mind. Time and luck will tell.
Kenny Chesney falling down and getting a ankle injury has the behind the scenes people running around. Those sold out shows getting moved around and postponed is causing headaches. He fell down some stairs and has a softball like ankle. My daughter did a similar thing at her high school tennis practice a year or so ago. It looked worse than it was, BUT it still bothers her, and it still swells up on her. She says Kenny may not be running around in the week or 2 they think.
This puts opening act Gretchen Wilson in a mess, too, but maybe she will use the extra time to record and maybe just REST.
Corporate radio and its mission to play as few new songs as possible and not worry about careers or anything else is still the number one problem in all of radio. Corporate radio and consolidation has been a bad deal for the listeners and the public in general. It’s painful to watch how faceless corporations have stripped all of radio of its passion and turned it into prechewed pablum.
The big city stations have always been sort of like they are now, but where this corporate takeover seems to have really hurt is in the B and C smaller towns. The big guys came in and paid too much for Ma and Pa operations and are raping these stations. It’s so sad to watch, and you know who you are. I don’t know what can be done to fix it. You feel it every year as the CRS crowd feels so different. It is hard to put your finger on it but you know it’s true.
The music shown off this week is pretty good. Very fresh. More traditional in some ways and off the scale nuts in others. Cute girls still want to be the next Reba and more than one group this week wants to fill Alabama’s shoes. Some folks are just never going to be stars no matter how much money is behind them. Others just can’t be cast aside. It was fantastic to see Ronnie Milsap get the night’s only standing ovation on the RCA boat. He’s a classic and still a great artist. Like wine, some things do get better with age.
--allaccess.com
Jimmy is always on the ball. Toby has a right to be pissed as do other acts (cough Shania cough). Why is it that the biggest artists get the least? Reba ring a bell? The Chicks? Faith? I wonder
WOW! He says EXACTLY what I and TCorey argued about. Country radio DOES NOT want to play new music!!! And it is killing them! The radio format is dying, people aren't listening, and the genre will go downhill..
Pop wannabees? Admit it. Every label in 1996 wanted to find their Shania or Garth. Were there some creations? I think so.
Gretchen, go girl. I do think she is the most promising thing in the last year. I wish her the best, can't wait for the follow-up!
Nashville needs to quit playing games and get their sh*t together. They need to realize what sells, who's hot, and stop trying to force themselves into the fans minds. They will tell you what they want, don't dicate to them what they must buy, hear, and live with.
I'm done :) I am going to email Jimmy and I will post that here too!
