John Rich - "Shuttin' Detroit Down"

[rowdawg21]

Originally posted by kevin59 in the Country News thread, I decided to make a thread for this because it was the greatest gainer on Billboard until Rascal Flatts took over recently. It was sent out to radio on Wednesday, and it already has 2 million AIs on Billboard. That should be good enough for a top 40 debut next week.

[LISTEN]

[someguy]

Are they giving up on "Another You", or is this just a novelty single? "Another You" is at #45 in its third week, so I'd be surprised they're pulling what could've been John's first real hit.

As for this one, I don't like it much, but it is timely.

[joey2002]

i think they're giving up because they see a potential breakthrough song here

[rowdawg21]

Jan 30, 2009 13:22:45 GMT -5 someguy said:

Are they giving up on "Another You", or is this just a novelty single? "Another You" is at #45 in its third week, so I'd be surprised they're pulling what could've been John's first real hit.

As for this one, I don't like it much, but it is timely.

I was surprised at first too but given the start this song is off to, it probably has more potential than "Another You." Also, it appears this song was written in the last two weeks or so and recorded in the last week. Here's a quote from a blog post Producer J made on Wednesday regarding this song: "When the label brought over an unmastered copy to play it for us yesterday, the song was 8 days old... the recording 4 days old."

If this is true, it would explain why they initially released "Another You." They couldn't release "Shuttin' Detroit Down" if it didn't exist yet.

[kevin59]

Sometimes it's not the artists or record labels who decide which songs to release as singles -- sometimes it's the fans! Case in point: the brand-new, runaway hit from John Rich, 'Shuttin' Detroit Down.'

Rich rushed to the studio this week to record the song, and 'Shuttin' Detroit Down' was officially released as a single on Wednesday. It follows 'Another You,' the first radio hit from 'Son of a Preacher Man,' due in stores in May

Source: John Rich Website

[maverick]

He still lacks almost any depth in his music. He really should just give up.

[singingsparrow]

This all but certainly has to be related to the debate surrounding whether the government ought to grant the Big Three auto companies in Detroit a loan in hopes of eventually reversing their net losses or not.

Given John Rich also wrote and recorded a song called "Raising McCain" last year that also wasn't intended for inclusion on an album and rather to promote his personal beliefs (even though Rich has successfully convinced his label to add "Shuttin' Down Detroit" to his solo debut) I wonder if Rich feels he'd rather not try and make it THAT big as a successful solo artist in the foreground, and rather desires to remain a successful Nashville songwriter and collaborator in the background, and primarily release solo offerings in at least the immediate future to satiate the thirst of those waiting for the next Big & Rich release.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[kw9461]

Very interesting that they completely gave up on Another You. It's a very risky move because I really don't expect this song to have any staying power. It will move up quickly because it is topical and relevant, but I don't think it has Top 10 or even Top 20 potential. Plus I don't see it having that long of a stay on the charts. That being said I kind of like the song. Musically, it's a very enjoyable listen (the production isn't muddied down like Another You was), and it seems to fit John's voice well. As someone who really dislikes political songs, I thought this song did a good job of getting a strong message across without being overly narrow-minded or hostile. As I said in the Country News thread, I think John is a bit of a hypocrite for recording this, because he's willing to make money by all means possible, but it's still not a bad song.

[singingsparrow]

Jan 30, 2009 15:30:25 GMT -5 maverick said:

He still lacks almost any depth in his music. He really should just give up.

While I've enjoyed (at least with their earlier two albums) the comical, offbeat performances he's helped fuel as half of Big & Rich, I do agree he is one of the most overrated songwriters in Nashville, whose material since "Comin' To Your Town" has been almost entirely predictable and dry of significance.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[joey2002]

i would have to disagree...i'm not a huge fan, but i think this could be a huge hit - and if anything i think it'll be a great way to breakthrough into his solo career

[zaclord]

they are ditching "Another You"? YAY!

[singingsparrow]

Jan 30, 2009 16:03:53 GMT -5 @zaclord said:

they are ditching "Another You"? YAY!

That song never did it for me either. It just sounded bloodless to me.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[singingsparrow]

Jan 30, 2009 15:54:14 GMT -5 joey2002 said:

"I've been watching the news like everybody else," Rich told Detroit radio station WYCD. "I'm sitting there, getting madder and madder, watching New York and Washington D.C. sling billions of dollars back and forth to each other while the hard-working people in America are just going, 'What in the world is going on up there?'"

I do find the title of the song interesting, nonetheless.

While the vast majority of Americans unmistakably believe that Congress must do something about revitalizing the economy, and see losing the Big Three as being a tragic symbolic loss for our nation, the majority of public opinion is actually AGAINST the proposed multi-billion dollar package to the Big Three without strong conditions and assurance that the Big Three will make earnest efforts to customize new, modernized technology that is more eco-friendly and not more of the same.

Even more notable is that, regionally, opposition is most strident in the South (the Northeast is where approval is highest, although even there more disapprove than approve) and second-highest in the Midwest; the two regions where country music is most popular in terms of audience. Of course this song doesn't illustrate Rich's exact opinion on that particular oft-debated package, yet with a song titled "Shuttin' Detroit Down", many could easily dismiss Rich as supportive of any effort to try and revitalize the Big Three, regardless of how unpopular it is, and may alienate part of the Country audience.

Still, the early popularity is always a good sign.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[rsmatto]

John Rich is actually using the Detroit part to convey how the powers that be in the country are not really caring for those that REALLY drive the economy, the blue-collar worker. I don't see how this song could alienate anyone. It is something we all can agree with, except for maybe the few the song is speaking about, the CEOs who somehow still get golden parachutes. This song is a massive hit.

[joey2002]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXRibzKERpU

check out this link, John Rich explains it a little bit...

[singingsparrow]

I've now heard the song, and lyrically I think it's weak.

There's no character behind the lyrics; it lacks a personal touch to it, a portrait of sorts of someone who has been laid off and may even have his or her home foreclosed in Detroit. To me it just sounded like John Rich either spliced out soundbytes from newspapers, or penned down rhetoric he heard on CNN, then re-arranged them like someone would magnetic poetry on ones refrigerator, then went with it when it sounded naturally in terms of flow to him.

My sentiments actually matched Jim Malec's on 9513 mostly, so I even commented on the song there! ;)

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[43dudleyvillas]

I've gotten to the point that I view most of what John Rich to be opportunistic at best. It wasn't long ago that he was touting his glib panderfest "The Man" as a surefire smash, but I guess that is now pushed aside in favor of this. "Shuttin' Detroit Down" feels like a pander because it grabs at every easy stereotype-based hook there is in the news without offering any unique or moving personal insight into the recession's harsh impact.

I get that John Rich is trying to be the everyman here, the guy who is getting outraged just like the rest of us by what he sees on the TV. But he does so without particular empathy or eloquence. As SunnyScorpio points out, there's no personal touch to the lyrics -- no detailed treatment of an individual's story that resonates, no incisive observation about the nature of gluttony, sacrifice, economic interconnectedness, or anything else, and no call to specific action.

John Rich sets up straw men (a habit of his) so the villains are easy and the world neatly divided into archetypes which may or may not resemble this "real world" John Rich seems to venerate so much. That big business agriculture exists, for example, is an ignorable inconvenience in John Rich's world that poses David the Farmer (or Callused-Hand Plant Worker) up against Goliath the Bloated Boss (or Banker). And of course John Rich taps the simplistic "evil big city folk (errr...except for the good folks of Detroit...they're still cool)" versus "real world heartland folk" meme. That this has been done to death doesn't make John Rich seem any more original or any less out of touch with reality.

From a musical standpoint, I like the instrumental bridge, but think there are too many breaks in the lyrics when the instrumentation comes in and echoes the vocal melody. I think those drag the song out unnecessarily and that the spots are ill-chosen, laying emphasis on inconsequential lines (like "when it don't go your way" and "to come running to" in the first verse). Moreover, the steel guitar feels a bit intrusive after "we don't buy that here" -- that line would have had more punch on its own, I think. Overall, it sounds to me like the instrumentation oversells the song.

But I'll give John Rich this much credit: he has hit his sweet spot in terms of sound, because he sounds better on this than on anything else of his in recent memory. The melody is really familiar and not terribly original, but it works for the populist grab that the song makes. If the song becomes a hit (and I think it will), it will be because it is completely unchallenging.

[ClevelandRox]

I had always liked Big & Rich until I saw John Rich as a judge on Nashville Star last summer. I have to say his attitude on there has made me not want anything to do with the band or him having a solo career at all. =/

[bamafan2102]

Feb 4, 2009 16:00:25 GMT -5 43dudleyvillas said:

I've gotten to the point that I view most of what John Rich to be opportunistic at best. It wasn't long ago that he was touting his glib panderfest "The Man" as a surefire smash, but I guess that is now pushed aside in favor of this. "Shuttin' Detroit Down" feels like a pander because it grabs at every easy stereotype-based hook there is in the news without offering any unique or moving personal insight into the recession's harsh impact.

I get that John Rich is trying to be the everyman here, the guy who is getting outraged just like the rest of us by what he sees on the TV. But he does so without particular empathy or eloquence. As SunnyScorpio points out, there's no personal touch to the lyrics -- no detailed treatment of an individual's story that resonates, no incisive observation about the nature of gluttony, sacrifice, economic interconnectedness, or anything else, and no call to specific action.

John Rich sets up straw men (a habit of his) so the villains are easy and the world neatly divided into archetypes which may or may not resemble this "real world" John Rich seems to venerate so much. That big business agriculture exists, for example, is an ignorable inconvenience in John Rich's world that poses David the Farmer (or Callused-Hand Plant Worker) up against Goliath the Bloated Boss (or Banker). And of course John Rich taps the simplistic "evil big city folk (errr...except for the good folks of Detroit...they're still cool)" versus "real world heartland folk" meme. That this has been done to death doesn't make John Rich seem any more original or any less out of touch with reality.

From a musical standpoint, I like the instrumental bridge, but think there are too many breaks in the lyrics when the instrumentation comes in and echoes the vocal melody. I think those drag the song out unnecessarily and that the spots are ill-chosen, laying emphasis on inconsequential lines (like "when it don't go your way" and "to come running to" in the first verse). Moreover, the steel guitar feels a bit intrusive after "we don't buy that here" -- that line would have had more punch on its own, I think. Overall, it sounds to me like the instrumentation oversells the song.

But I'll give John Rich this much credit: he has hit his sweet spot in terms of sound, because he sounds better on this than on anything else of his in recent memory. The melody is really familiar and not terribly original, but it works for the populist grab that the song makes. If the song becomes a hit (and I think it will), it will be because it is completely unchallenging.

Uhhhhh..what?

Just kidding. I haven't heard this and really don't care to. As I stated in the looking ahead thread, this guy is done. I think it's a shame because I feel he could really bring a lot to country music but he goes about it the wrong way. We get it John, you are a rebel, you do things your own way, you are a bada**. Now just go away.

[singingsparrow]

Feb 4, 2009 16:00:25 GMT -5 43dudleyvillas said:

I've gotten to the point that I view most of what John Rich to be opportunistic at best. It wasn't long ago that he was touting his glib panderfest "The Man" as a surefire smash, but I guess that is now pushed aside in favor of this. "Shuttin' Detroit Down" feels like a pander because it grabs at every easy stereotype-based hook there is in the news without offering any unique or moving personal insight into the recession's harsh impact.

I get that John Rich is trying to be the everyman here, the guy who is getting outraged just like the rest of us by what he sees on the TV. But he does so without particular empathy or eloquence. As SunnyScorpio points out, there's no personal touch to the lyrics -- no detailed treatment of an individual's story that resonates, no incisive observation about the nature of gluttony, sacrifice, economic interconnectedness, or anything else, and no call to specific action.

John Rich sets up straw men (a habit of his) so the villains are easy and the world neatly divided into archetypes which may or may not resemble this "real world" John Rich seems to venerate so much. That big business agriculture exists, for example, is an ignorable inconvenience in John Rich's world that poses David the Farmer (or Callused-Hand Plant Worker) up against Goliath the Bloated Boss (or Banker). And of course John Rich taps the simplistic "evil big city folk (errr...except for the good folks of Detroit...they're still cool)" versus "real world heartland folk" meme. That this has been done to death doesn't make John Rich seem any more original or any less out of touch with reality.

From a musical standpoint, I like the instrumental bridge, but think there are too many breaks in the lyrics when the instrumentation comes in and echoes the vocal melody. I think those drag the song out unnecessarily and that the spots are ill-chosen, laying emphasis on inconsequential lines (like "when it don't go your way" and "to come running to" in the first verse). Moreover, the steel guitar feels a bit intrusive after "we don't buy that here" -- that line would have had more punch on its own, I think. Overall, it sounds to me like the instrumentation oversells the song.

But I'll give John Rich this much credit: he has hit his sweet spot in terms of sound, because he sounds better on this than on anything else of his in recent memory. The melody is really familiar and not terribly original, but it works for the populist grab that the song makes. If the song becomes a hit (and I think it will), it will be because it is completely unchallenging.

I think Jim Malic went a little too far in his review on the 9513 blog when he said this in his review of "Shuttin' Detroit Down":

*

"Of course, the position being put forth here is one more in line with a liberal ideology. After all, a true market-centric conservative would show little sympathy for a dying industry, probably encouraging that the government let that industry fail if it can no longer be efficient and competitive in the marketplace. Rich is right that, when it comes to bailouts, there has been a significant difference in the treatment of the financial sector and the auto industry, although it is somewhat unexpected to hear that confessed by someone as starkly conservative as this former Fred Thompson-for-President supporter."

*

While he has a point, it was still unnecessary for him to inject this politically-charged paragraph into the review, and judge the song on its own merit.

Having said that , however, Malec's right on the money from there:

*

“Shuttin’ Detroit Down” is a topical attempt at discussing a very complicated problem. It doesn’t consider any of the reasons why the economy is in such a bad position in the first place, nor does is discuss why the Detroit auto industry is teetering between life and death.

Instead, Rich boils the problem to its most jingle-like form, bringing a hook that rings hollow. Who, after all, is shutting Detroit down? The song spends most of its time attacking bankers, but it would be a hard sell to say that bankers are responsible for the downturn of the auto industry, which was struggling well before the broader financial crisis. Is Rich implying that the government is shutting Detroit down? We don’t know, because Rich doesn’t find it necessary to develop the thought behind the title."

*

I say this recognizing that most listeners obviously won't de-construct the song like the both of us have, or Malec has, and rather simply embrace it because it sounds anthemic.........but the bottom line is what has made artists like Bruce Springsteen and post-American Fool John Mellencamp memorable is that they make their middle American characters human in their songs, and have narrative, cinematic detail into what it's like to live in their shoes. John Rich doesn't accomplish that here. I'm not questioning his sincerity in caring very much for what's happening to the average blue-collar worker in Detroit..........I'm questioning his stubborn habit in telling, rather than showing, it.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[singingsparrow]

Feb 5, 2009 0:55:02 GMT -5 joey2002 said:

done??? hahaha just wait till this song hits #1...i just know it will be a huge hit...people are going crazy over it, and the song is still stuck in my head! LoL

I wouldn't be surprised if this pulls a "Have You Forgotten?" and soars to the top almost entirely due to riding a wave based on a wide-sweeping current event.

The real question is: "Will this have any staying power after it peaks?" Because the lyrics lack description, I can't see this song having a long shelf life.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[joey2002]

Feb 5, 2009 16:02:50 GMT -5 @singingsparrow said:

Feb 5, 2009 0:55:02 GMT -5 joey2002 said:

done??? hahaha just wait till this song hits #1...i just know it will be a huge hit...people are going crazy over it, and the song is still stuck in my head! LoL

The real question is: "Will this have any staying power after it peaks?" Because the lyrics lack description, I can't see this song having a long shelf life.

yeah i'm not sure about the shelf life, but as i'm writing this the song is playing again on the radio...LoL...it is gonna be a smash hit for at least a short time, like i've been saying since it first came out - if nothing else, it will serve its purpose for John Rich and get his solo career off to a flying start!

[singingsparrow]

Feb 5, 2009 16:38:41 GMT -5 joey2002 said:

Feb 5, 2009 16:02:50 GMT -5 @singingsparrow said:

The real question is: "Will this have any staying power after it peaks?" Because the lyrics lack description, I can't see this song having a long shelf life.

yeah i'm not sure about the shelf life, but as i'm writing this the song is playing again on the radio...LoL...it is gonna be a smash hit for at least a short time, like i've been saying since it first came out - if nothing else, it will serve its purpose for John Rich and get his solo career off to a flying start!

Yet I can't help but wonder if most people will only care about this song, and who wrote and performed this song won't really cross their minds.

After "Lost In This Moment" hit #1, suddenly every subsequent release off Big & Rich's most recent album failed to even achieve the peak positions of all their earlier singles that never even reached the Top Ten. What this tells me is that, when either Alphin or Rich, whether as a duo or as solo artists, release individual songs that stand out, they could explode, but their names lack clout when it comes to buoying parades of successful singles.

If "Lost In This Moment" could top the chart, but no Big & Rich follow-up could go Top 30, what's to say John Rich is guaranteed a follow-up hit should "Shuttin' Detroit Down" top the Country chart, regardless of how radio-friendly or non-radio friendly his debut will be overall, especially when "Another You" failed to ever go Top 40, despite his name recognition?

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[kevin59]

Video For First Single “Shuttin’ Detroit Down” Will Star Mickey Rourke and Kris Kristofferson!

The video for “Shuttin’ Detroit Down” was shot over two days in West Nashville. Rich met Rourke in a New York City bar about two years ago and have stayed in touch. Rich thought Rourke would be a perfect fit for the video and asked Rourke to participate. Rourke flew into Nashville from Moscow the day before and Kristofferson, who Rich also asked to participate in the video, flew in from Los Angeles.

Source: John Rich Website News (3.19)

Video: Behind The Scenes (CMT)

www.cmt.com/videos/cmt-news/356692/cmt-insider-news-now-32009-john-rich.jhtml?

[joey2002]

Mar 19, 2009 16:05:34 GMT -5 kevin59 said:

The video for “Shuttin’ Detroit Down” was shot over two days in West Nashville.

In other news, for two days, Nashville was completely shut down... ;)

[drock89]

I have to say I'm not impressed at all with this song.. I was listening to Horse Of A Different Color and realized just how much I miss Big & Rich, at their best, before they got caught up in the rush of the Row.

[rsmatto]

Feb 5, 2009 16:52:11 GMT -5 @singingsparrow said:

Feb 5, 2009 16:38:41 GMT -5 joey2002 said:

yeah i'm not sure about the shelf life, but as i'm writing this the song is playing again on the radio...LoL...it is gonna be a smash hit for at least a short time, like i've been saying since it first came out - if nothing else, it will serve its purpose for John Rich and get his solo career off to a flying start!

Yet I can't help but wonder if most people will only care about this song, and who wrote and performed this song won't really cross their minds.

After "Lost In This Moment" hit #1, suddenly every subsequent release off Big & Rich's most recent album failed to even achieve the peak positions of all their earlier singles that never even reached the Top Ten. What this tells me is that, when either Alphin or Rich, whether as a duo or as solo artists, release individual songs that stand out, they could explode, but their names lack clout when it comes to buoying parades of successful singles.

If "Lost In This Moment" could top the chart, but no Big & Rich follow-up could go Top 30, what's to say John Rich is guaranteed a follow-up hit should "Shuttin' Detroit Down" top the Country chart, regardless of how radio-friendly or non-radio friendly his debut will be overall, especially when "Another You" failed to ever go Top 40, despite his name recognition?

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

Noah,

Having just Reviewed (www.roughstock.com/reviews/john-rich-son-of-a-preacher-man) the CD, I can tell you that there is more than one Top 10 hit on the CD as it's not even close to the 'out there' stuff from the B&R albums.

[singingsparrow]

Mar 20, 2009 0:06:43 GMT -5 rsmatto said:

Feb 5, 2009 16:52:11 GMT -5 @singingsparrow said:

Yet I can't help but wonder if most people will only care about this song, and who wrote and performed this song won't really cross their minds.

After "Lost In This Moment" hit #1, suddenly every subsequent release off Big & Rich's most recent album failed to even achieve the peak positions of all their earlier singles that never even reached the Top Ten. What this tells me is that, when either Alphin or Rich, whether as a duo or as solo artists, release individual songs that stand out, they could explode, but their names lack clout when it comes to buoying parades of successful singles.

If "Lost In This Moment" could top the chart, but no Big & Rich follow-up could go Top 30, what's to say John Rich is guaranteed a follow-up hit should "Shuttin' Detroit Down" top the Country chart, regardless of how radio-friendly or non-radio friendly his debut will be overall, especially when "Another You" failed to ever go Top 40, despite his name recognition?

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

Noah,

Having just Reviewed (www.roughstock.com/reviews/john-rich-son-of-a-preacher-man) the CD, I can tell you that there is more than one Top 10 hit on the CD as it's not even close to the 'out there' stuff from the B&R albums.

But it also doesn't tread too closely to the sound of "Another You", does it, aside from "Everybody Wants To Be Me" and "Turn A Country Boy On"?

The first single certainly didn't generate any real excitement ("Shuttin' Detroit Down" is actually the second single).

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[43dudleyvillas]

Chris Willman of the Huffington Post interviewed John Rich about this song. The whole article is worth reading, but I want to highlight a particular portion of the article, including a quote from John Rich that I think sums up the problem with this song and with his writing in general:

Of course, this particular song is railing against corporate welfare, a cause that can unite righties and lefties alike. But that begs certain questions: If we resist all stimulus or bailout programs because of the potential abuse by "fat cats," won't the little guys in Detroit, and elsewhere, who'll suffer right along with the suits [sic], if nothing is done? "To be perfectly honest with you, I think that level of finance and politics, and understanding a company the size of the big three, is so far above my head that for me to comment on it would not even make sense. What my song deals with is the absolute rage that the American people feel by watching how recklessly their tax dollars are spent..."

That's the thing. Complexity and interconnectedness is merely an inconvenience for John Rich. He is essentially admitting here that he goes for the lowest common denominator emotional appeal, actual resemblance to reality be damned. I think this is especially irresponsible when you're doing a topical song. Rich builds his emotional appeal on oppositions (real or implied): "real world" (versus out of touch politicians, I guess); "New York City town" and Washington, D.C. versus Detroit and the farmers. But these oppositions are ones that are more convenient to believe in than they are reflective of economic and political reality.

I get that the complicated web of credit default swaps and the like is difficult for many to understand. But that's no excuse for John Rich to basically say, "To hell with it all, I'm angry and I'm going to talk about this in the terms I want to even though I don't know what I'm talking about." Rich may think he's not commenting on "that level of finance and politics," but he is. And "Shutting Detroit Down" doesn't challenge us to think; if anything, it's a rejection of thinking. That's dangerous and lazy. Moreover, it's typical of the kind of pandering John Rich has done lately.

[Zazie]

That's a terrific post. In fact, the whole thread has been outstanding. Kudos to all the participants. "Opportunistic" is a fine word to describe Rich.

I think I do understand credit default swaps. Anybody who thinks I should hijack the I Told You So thread for an extended lecture on the value of market regulation to capitalists, say "aye."