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Post by bboat11 on Feb 26, 2020 1:40:26 GMT -5
If you can do anything else, Baby, be good to yourself. You can find a nice place, have a good life. Don't worry 'bout me, I'm gonna be alright. You can make a new start, You can see yourself clear. If you can do anything else, do it, But if you can't, Baby, you can stay right here.
2. "If You Can Do Anything Else"
Track #1 Runtime: 4:07 Songwriters: Billy Livsey, Don Schlitz
Placement in the Singles Rankdown: #56 out of 100
When they do you like that, what else can you do But go on Even when you see no reason to? Don't wait to live life cause it won't wait for you.
1. "Go On"
Track #4 Runtime: 3:48 Songwriters: Tony Martin, Mark Nesler
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 26, 2020 1:59:53 GMT -5
This album didn't really produce any singles that have stood the test of time as George's most iconic hits, but it did produce one #1 hit (well, #2 Billboard, #1 Mediabase), and that song managed to reign victorious here! "Go On" has kinda been overshadowed by other #1s on either side of it ("Write This Down" right before it, and the trifecta of "Run"/"Living And Living Well"/"She'll Leave You With A Smile" right after it), and most of us have probably never heard it get any recurrent play on the radio, but apparently we must have found it to be a good single choice! Everybody put it in their top 5 except for .indulgecountry , who had a hunch that he might be the lowest ranker and that proved to be correct. I personally find "Go On" to have a really easy, feel-good melody. That chorus especially is very sneaky catchy. I can see why some might be underwhelmed by it, and totally see why it isn't among his most well-remembered #1s, but I definitely enjoy listening to it. "If You Can Do Anything Else" was a sizable hit as well, peaking in the top 5. It managed to occupy our #1 spot at a couple different points in the middle of the submission process, and was pretty much always within striking distance of the top. Unfortunately, compared to "Go On"'s top 5 ranks and one #9 rank, this one managed to get 3 bottom half rankings in addition to a #9, which ultimately helped sink it even though it also got 3 #1 votes from .indulgecountry , fearlessarrow , and tim . This one has a really catchy melody, and I would have been happy to see either of these win Although, tbh since none of the hits managed to be among his most well-remembered work, I was also kinda hoping this album might have a shot of having an album track winner.... Unfortunately, his album tracks continue to be somewhat more polarizing than his singles. Edit: Just realized that "The Best Day" was the #1 right before "Go On", as a new song from the Latest Greatest Straitest Hits album. However, "Write This Down" was the last #1 from a studio album, so we'll say my claim still stands :)
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 26, 2020 2:08:34 GMT -5
Honky Tonk Time Machine Rankdown: Results Time!
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 26, 2020 2:09:57 GMT -5
We won't start this one tonight, since I got such a late start on finishing the other one. However, this will allow us to make predictions before I start tomorrow! Also, please feel free to comment on the conclusion of the self titled album.... :) Lol
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kamala 2024 truther
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Post by kamala 2024 truther on Feb 26, 2020 7:25:05 GMT -5
"If It's Gonna Rain" deserved top spot, but I'm glad it made Top 5 at least. I knew "Go On" was gonna wind up with the win tho and I'm not upset at it tbh
As for the latest album:
1) What will be #1? Idk tbh, this is such a strong album that it feels like anything could win
2) What will be #13? "Codigo"
3) Which songs belong in the top 5? "God And Country Music," "Blue Water," "Sometimes Love," "What Goes Up," "Old Violin"
4) What song will be most polarizing? "Codigo" Least polarizing? "Every Little Honky Tonk Bar"
5) Which of the singles will place highest? ELHTB Where will it place? Likely in the Top 5
6) Do any of the singles have a chance of missing the top 5? "The Weight Of The Badge"
7) What will be the highest-placing album track? "God And Country Music" Where will it place? Top 3 in a perfect world
8) Which album tracks would you prefer to see do the best? I want "God And Country Music" to take this win home. What a beautiful song and that appearance from George's grandson hit me right between the eyes.
9) Any other thoughts/predictions? What a strong album! (Of course) Nice to see the King of Country back and kickin' it; he's still got it!
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Post by tim on Feb 26, 2020 8:01:28 GMT -5
Iâll come back around later to give some post commentary on the results from Georgeâs self-titled release, but hereâs my predictions for the next album:
1) What will be #1? âEvery Little Honky Tonk Barâ for the W-I-N
2) What will be #13? âSing One with Willieâ
3) Which songs belong in the top 5? âEvery Little Honky Tonk Barâ and âSome Nightsâ will likely be in the top two followed by the title track, âGod and Country Musicâ, and âBlue Waterâ
4) What song will be most polarizing? âWhat Goes Upâ or âSometimes Loveâ Least polarizing? âEvery Little Honky Tonk Barâ and âSome Nightsâ
5) Which of the singles will place highest and where will it place? âEvery Little Honky Tonk Barâ at #1
6) Do any of the singles have a chance of missing the top 5? âWeight of the Badgeâ probably gained some support over time but Iâm not sure it wouldâve been enough to propel it into the top five, so Iâll say itâll fall at #6 or #7
7) What will be the highest-placing album track and where will it place? âSome Nightsâ at #2
8) Which album tracks would you prefer to see do the best? The title track, âGod and Country Musicâ and âBlue Waterâ are three of my go-to songs...and Iâd even consider âCĂłdigoâ a guilty pleasure
9) Any other thoughts/predictions? It might be a bit of a stretch to say this but I consider HTTM to be one of Georgeâs best albums since It Just Comes Natural. George sounds so at ease on these songs of which I think thereâs something on here for about anybody to enjoy.
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recordyear
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Post by recordyear on Feb 26, 2020 8:36:00 GMT -5
1) What will be #1? Every Little Honky Tonk Bar
2) What will be #13? The Weight of the Badge
3) Which songs belong in the top 5? Every Little Honky Tonk Bar, Honky Tonk Time Machine, Some Nights, Old Violin, God and Country Music
4) What song will be most polarizing? Least polarizing? Most polarizing: CĂłdigo; Least polarizing: Sing One with Willie
5) Which of the singles will place highest? Where will it place? (Every Little Honky Tonk Bar, The Weight Of The Badge) See Q1 and Q2
6) Do any of the singles have a chance of missing the top 5? The Weight of the Badge, lol
7) What will be the highest-placing album track? Where will it place? Some Nights, #2
8) Which album tracks would you prefer to see do the best? My #1~#3
9) Any other thoughts/predictions? His late-career albums are actually better than his very early-career albums.
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.indulgecountry
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Post by .indulgecountry on Feb 26, 2020 10:55:21 GMT -5
1) What will be #1? Every Little Honkytonk Bar
2) What will be #13? What Goes Up
3) Which songs belong in the top 5? Both 'Honkytonk' songs, Some Nights, and God and Country Music all seem like likely contenders.
4) What song will be most polarizing? Least polarizing? Most: Codigo | Least: Some Nights
5) Which of the singles will place highest? Where will it place? (Every Little Honky Tonk Bar, The Weight Of The Badge) Obviously Honkytonk Bar, lol. It'll be top 3 at least. Badge will be lucky to escape bottom 5.
6) Do any of the singles have a chance of missing the top 5? I don't think 'Badge' is going any higher than like #8.
7) What will be the highest-placing album track? Where will it place? Some Nights seems to be the most raved-about song and I think it could wind up winning this, but if not, I'll guess #2 behind the lead single.
8) Which album tracks would you prefer to see do the best? Some Nights, God and Country Music, the title track, and Take Me Away are all excellent songs.
9) Any other thoughts/predictions? The duet with Willie sucks and I hope it's near the bottom.
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 26, 2020 21:49:10 GMT -5
Who's ready to ride that honky tonk time machine???!?
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 26, 2020 22:00:09 GMT -5
Now I've heard him with Merle, Waylon, and Cash, Jones and Toby; that man is totally gracious. But I'm thinking, "Damn, why not me?" We could even sing it on TV Just like him and old Julio Iglesias.
13. "Sing One With Willie" - ft. Willie Nelson
Track #13 Runtime: 4:22
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 26, 2020 22:09:48 GMT -5
"Sing One With Willie" leaves us first, but it was by no means a guaranteed last place contender. It spent the entire submission process in the bottom 3, but the random #2 rank from gardyfan and the random #5 rank from castleoblivion26 helped keep it around #11 for most of the time. Still, this one had four last place ranks, and NINE people put it in their bottom 3. I'm glad George finally got to sing with one of his idols, but frankly, that is the only value that this song has... It does not have a very strong or interesting melody imo, and the lyrics are incredibly cheesy. To top it all off, Willie sounds absolutely HORRIBLE. The novelty aspect of this song ultimately is what did it in, and once it hit last place there was basically no hope of it making another turnaround.
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 26, 2020 22:12:33 GMT -5
gardyfan may not have been happy with the start of this rankdown, but he won't be alone for long! The next song also sports four last place ranks, AND a #2 rank!!!!!
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 26, 2020 22:17:06 GMT -5
I've been lead from temptation Though I was standing at its door. Delivered from evil when I could run no more. I've seen the eyes of God through the eyes of a child. I've thanked Him for my blessings, And I've felt it when he smiled.
12. "What Goes Up"
Track #12 Runtime: 3:58
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 26, 2020 22:22:21 GMT -5
Next we lose "What Goes Up", a classic country faith song. As with most religious songs, this one was bound to be polarizing from the start. Non-believers don't have a whole lot to gain from these lyrics, while believers will probably find it to be touching. Of course, the likes and dislikes for this song are not nearly that simple, because it also has a very subdued arrangement, and the melody kinda takes some getting used to, both of which undoubtedly worked against it when the majority of the album is very well-done ear candy. I am a Christian, and while I really like the lyrics, I find it to be one of the melodically less-memorable songs on this album.
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.indulgecountry
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Post by .indulgecountry on Feb 26, 2020 22:25:00 GMT -5
Oh good I'm pleasantly surprised the Willie duet was last place. Idk why but I didn't expect everyone else to hate it like I did, lol. But yeah, awful song.
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 26, 2020 22:30:34 GMT -5
He swore that oath to protect and serve, Pours his heart and soul into both those words. Lays his life on the line, And the line he walks is razor-fine. Tempered strength is always tough, But he ain't gonna buckle under the weight of the badge.
11. "The Weight Of The Badge"
Track #10 Runtime: 3:46
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 26, 2020 22:39:39 GMT -5
Missing the top 10 by a solid 7 points, we already say goodbye to our first single!!! "The Weight Of The Badge" didn't do much on country radio, and it likewise failed to do much here. In fact, it was in the bottom 2 for the majority of the submission process.
I kinda get why George released it as a single. Law Enforcement really is an insanely dangerous job, and the good ones need all the support they can get. I feel like in our current political environment our good law enforcement officers are not given enough credit, and it is really ballsy to speak out in support of them given the fact that people might misinterpret the song to be in support of some of the corruption and racism that have been coming to light in recent years from law enforcement officers who entered the profession for all the right reasons. The song is done with a positive intent and a touching message; George certainly does not sing this to make a political statement.
However, melodically this song is SO DREARY!!!! UGH, I cannot believe this song got released as a single when songs like "Some Nights", "Honky Tonk Time Machine", "Blue Water", and even "God And Country Music" were also available options!!!!!!!!! He likely wasn't going to get another hit from the album after "Every Little Honky Tonk Bar" anyway, but ANY of those other songs would have at least given him a better chance...
I know that radio play probably wasn't the intent, and he wanted to use his star power to support a cause he believes in, but what a waste of elusive radio momentum :(
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 26, 2020 22:40:54 GMT -5
I'll go ahead and stop there for tonight. We resume tomorrow with our first #1 loss already!!!!!!
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kamala 2024 truther
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Post by kamala 2024 truther on Feb 26, 2020 23:28:24 GMT -5
I'll go ahead and stop there for tonight. We resume tomorrow with our first #1 loss already!!!!!! And I already know it's likely mine. This album (despite the Willie duet) is not off to the greatest start but honestly this is a very strong album so...
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recordyear
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Post by recordyear on Feb 27, 2020 0:23:12 GMT -5
There are some songs that are worse than Sing One With Willie and What Goes Up in the album...
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Post by George Strait Junkie on Feb 27, 2020 1:22:49 GMT -5
I'll go ahead and stop there for tonight. We resume tomorrow with our first #1 loss already!!!!!! I swear if itâs mine this thing and all rankdowns are cancelled cause that ainât right
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Post by ladyđfan on Feb 27, 2020 11:37:43 GMT -5
Tag me please, Iâd like to see how âSome Nightsâ and âBlue Waterâ do :)
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Post by tim on Feb 27, 2020 17:00:19 GMT -5
I just couldnât find it within myself to put âSing One With Willieâ last but it leaving first wasnât a shock. I was actually in attendance at the concert in Nashville when they sang this which was recorded for a special on A&E but it has yet to air. I find âWhat Goes Upâ to be rather dreary overall and it was easily my least favorite song from the album on my first listen. I tried giving it a second chance again for this rankdown but I honestly could barely make it to the end before just wanting to hit skip. This isnât an album track Iâm ever going to revisit and Iâd even say itâs somewhere at or near the bottom of Georgeâs discography for me. I was somewhat expecting âThe Weight of the Badgeâ to do a little better if only because I thought it mightâve grown on some after its single release, but then I realized that LBTrocks didnât show up for this rankdown so the little support it did end up receiving wasnât going to be enough. Iâm rather ambivalent about this song as it is and as mentioned before it just simply shouldnât have been a radio single.
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 27, 2020 20:11:10 GMT -5
Tag me please, Iâd like to see how âSome Nightsâ and âBlue Waterâ do Oh wow, if I'd have known you were so invested, I would've tried harder to make you participate ;)
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 28, 2020 20:56:49 GMT -5
Love was just a word, and all our promises We never meant to keep. Or so I thought. She was a sometimes love, But sometimes love hangs around a little too long.
10. "Sometimes Love"
Track #6 Runtime: 3:54
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 28, 2020 21:08:45 GMT -5
I'll go ahead and stop there for tonight. We resume tomorrow with our first #1 loss already!!!!!! And I already know it's likely mine. This album (despite the Willie duet) is not off to the greatest start but honestly this is a very strong album so... I'll go ahead and stop there for tonight. We resume tomorrow with our first #1 loss already!!!!!! I swear if itâs mine this thing and all rankdowns are cancelled cause that ainât right Y'all can keep resting easy!!!!!! Your #1s are safe...for now (RIP to kamala 2024 truther's #3 tho... That's not much better than #1...) There are some songs that are worse than Sing One With Willie and What Goes Up in the album... You, on the other hand, must REALLY not be happy after this last reveal. "Sometimes Love" kicks off the top 10, taking recordyear's #1 with it unfortunately. I hadn't realized quite how strong the lyrics to this one were until I looked them up a moment ago! The whole description of a friends-with-benefits situation that the male ends up getting hung up on is very tenderly and compassionately done. Unfortunately, I find the melody to this one to be quite weak. The strong verses are pretty much ruined for me when the chorus kicks in with a discordant minor key, which is also one of the big complaints I have about "The Weight Of The Badge". I feel like in both instances, the minor notes in the chorus take away from the overall appeal of the song, because they turn the really pretty verse melodies into something intentionally NOT pretty...
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recordyear
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Post by recordyear on Feb 28, 2020 21:27:27 GMT -5
Definitely not have the same taste with you guys when it comes to George Strait songs... I don't really care for the minor key but the way George sings that chorus is so smooth even though it is a melody with so many turns.
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Post by bboat11 on Feb 28, 2020 21:35:44 GMT -5
Wild horses couldn't drag me away, Not today, not tonight, not any other time. Girl, it ain't gonna happen If you're wondering or asking. It's the farthest thing from my mind, Any place, anywhere, neither here nor there, Girl, that ain't happening. Can't pull no fast ones. Nothing's gonna take me away from you.
9. "Take Me Away"
Track #9 Runtime: 2:58
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recordyear
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Post by recordyear on Feb 28, 2020 21:38:31 GMT -5
Now this is a boring song that I can never remember the melody of any part.
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kamala 2024 truther
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Post by kamala 2024 truther on Feb 28, 2020 22:17:27 GMT -5
Like recordyear my George taste must be different lol Glad my #1 is still in; hoping it gets to the spot it belongs in. And it's about time my bottom 3 took a hit
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