CMT Blog: 2007 August

Fourteen heartfelt “oh-my-Gods” in one 90-second phone call. It must mean Garth Brooks is touring again.

When Chicago’s US99 listener Joe Rampick won tickets to a Garth Brooks concert on Monday night (August 27), his response was overwhelming. As it should be. Too many times, callers win tickets and barely even muster a thank you. I find myself screaming at my radio and wishing the DJs would declare the winner unfit for of a lack of enthusiasm. But this Joe guy? He deserves those tickets.

According to the breathless dialog from his call to radio DJ Drew Walker on Monday night, Rampick got up at 5 a.m. to listen to Brooks’ new single “More than a Memory.” He counted the number of times the station played the song between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. (ironically, 14 times, as it turned out) and then was the 100th caller. For those of you who won’t take the time to play the podcast, this is the basic script: “Oh, my god. Are you serious? Oh, my god. Are you serious? Oh. My. God. You have to be kidding me. Oh, my god.”

Rampick and a guest will be flown to the private show, which a few Internet sites have reported will take place in Kansas City. No dates have been announced, though. And that’s one of things I love most about Rampick’s reaction. Everyone in this world claims to be so super crazy busy. So it would’ve been easy for him to say “OK, wait. When’s the show? Because Thursdays are bad for me, and if it’s on a Saturday, I’m going to need some advance notice to get off work. And if it’s out of town, I’ll have to get a sitter. You know what? I just don’t think I can do this. I’m so, so busy.”

So to hear Rampick’s complete acceptance of undisclosed details was refreshing. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth and all that. These are Garth Brooks tickets, for God’s sake. A man who hasn’t played an arena show in years. A man who said he isn’t going to tour again until his youngest daughter is grown. A man who you should drop everything for. I know I would. So Joe, if you’re reading this, I’m available.

And Garth, if you’re reading this, stop. Don’t you have a show to get ready for?

It may say “musician” on my passport, but it might be more accurate to describe myself as a professional van driver/passenger. Up here in beautiful Colorado, I am now relaxing after having driven the 19 hours from Nashville. It’s amazing to look out the window and see the jagged mountains so close. I often worry about my muscles going into atrophy due to under-use -- exactly what happened to George Costanza! Sitting in the van for long periods of time can create aches and pains that I can do without -- and there’s really nothing you can do except wait until you get out of the van and have a good stretch.

The key is to keep the mind active whilst sitting there staring blankly out of our Chevrolet’s tinted windows. As we drove through the wide expanse of Kansas, nothing but flat greenness all around, I was lucky to be armed with my iPod. Even though I have over 9,000 songs, I get a little bored with my library sometimes, and so recently I have discovered a whole world of podcasts, many of them completely free! For those unaware, these are essentially little radio shows you can download to your computer and then straight on your iPod. They are fantastic company on the road and often have a new episode every week.

If you’d like an introduction to this world, I would recommend the following podcasts:

Americana Roots Review by Ray Randall: Great new music from the world of Americana. Lots of new stuff you may never heard of before.

Hickory Wind: Mix of bluegrass and Americana from a knowledgeable source.

5 Minutes with Wichita Rutherford: Just take a listen…

A Prairie Home Companion’s News From Lake Wobegon: Perhaps the finest radio-show in the world. Garrison Keillor will whisk you away to his world in no time at all.

This American Life: Awesome stuff here, and now a TV show. Tales of human interest will make the banal interesting, time after time.

The last two aren’t music related, but I think you’ll enjoy them on any long drive you take. Let me know if you have any good podcasts you’d like to share.

If one thing surprised me about this year's CMA nominees, it's that Tim McGraw didn't receive a significant nomination -- and the Dixie Chicks did. The only nomination McGraw received when the announcements were made Thursday (Aug. 30) was in the musical event category for the assistance he and Kenny Chesney gave to their friend Tracy Lawrence in recording his hit, "Find Out Who Your Friends Are." The Chicks, on the other hand, are up for vocal group of the year.

My observation about the Chicks is in no way political. I like their music -- a lot -- but I'm not interested in what Natalie Maines has to say about the war and politics. I should point out, too, that I'm also not interested in what any other celebrity has to say about war and politics -- whether it's Charlie Daniels or Toby Keith or Sean Penn or Tim Robbins or ... well ... any of them. There are better sources of information and enlightenment, but I certainly defend everyone's right to freedom of speech.

The surprising thing about the Chicks' vocal group of the year nomination is that they simply didn't do much to earn it during the official eligibility period of July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2007. According to the CMA's official wording, "Singles, albums, music videos and qualifying products for the vocal event must have been first released during the eligibility period." This doesn't specifically address the issue of what qualifies for a vocal group nomination, although but you'd think any accomplishments should take place during the same time span. The Dixie Chicks did not release an album during the eligibility period. And if they released a single to country radio, it must not have received much airplay. Their last single to reach Billboard's country charts, "Not Ready to Make Nice," was released in March 2006.

As I recall, the Dixie Chicks didn't even tour after July 1, 2006, but McGraw sure did. His Soul2Soul tours with wife Faith Hill were among the hottest concert tickets in the U.S. during 2006 and 2007. McGraw's latest album, Let It Go, was released in March and has sold more than 1 million copies. Two of his singles released this year hit the Top 10 -- "Last Dollar (Fly Away)" and "I Need You," the latter a duet with Hill. And surely the CMA voters wouldn't discriminate against McGraw for stealing the show at this year's Academy of Country Music Awards show when he performed "If You're Reading This," a song he co-wrote with the Warren Brothers. He hadn't even formally recorded the song when Let It Go was released, but public demand forced McGraw's management and record label to release the live recording as a single.

The Dixie Chicks did get some airplay on non-country radio stations, so maybe that's what turned the tide for them with CMA voters. Or maybe it's just because there aren't as many vocal groups around, so the competition isn't quite as severe as it is in most of the other categories. And, let's face it, against Rascal Flatts and Little Big Town, the Chicks don't have a snowball's chance of winning.

Wait! I just figured it out! The Chicks' nomination obviously stemmed from Shut Up and Sing, the documentary about the uproar in the aftermath of Maines' infamous comment about George W. Bush. Think about it: Country music is seldom the central theme of a feature film, so this obviously fits within the CMA's mission to "guide and enhance the development of country music throughout the world."

Rollin' down the road this week on the Big Dog Daddy tour with Toby Keith. We got to stop at home for a few days last week before heading out to Cleveland, Ohio, and Darien Lake and Saratoga, N.Y. Saratoga was a real trip for us. We attended a Warrior/Trainiac pre-party where we were greeted by Chugs the Chicken. Chugs comes from a promotion that the record label ran on us earlier this year, "Flynnville Train ... the new face of country, don't be chicken." Our fan club is having a contest right now, and one of the contestants used this chicken costume to promote our album that's coming out Sept. 11.

This week's "behind the scene" person is Terry Cummings. Terry is our bus driver. He spends many hours behind the wheel and is responsible for our safety. Terry has been driving for eight years and has driven for many great artists. He's a good man and it's been a pleasure getting to know him. I like to ride up front, so we've had many late night conversations going down the road.

Last week, Marra asked about the Elvis tribute with Joe Perry. Joe and Toby filmed the song "Mystery Train" for an Elvis Presley tribute show. Unfortunately, we didn't have the opportunity to meet Joe because they were filming him all day and there really wasn't a good time to hang out. They did an excellent job though and it was an honor to be able to stand at the side of the stage and watch.

This week, we have been heading for California. It's a long ride from Saratoga N.Y., but it's been enjoyable. It's a great time to catch up on some rest. We're looking forward to visiting our friends in San Francisco at KBWF where we will be on the morning show before we play in Mountain View, Calif. Looking forward to a great week in California. Talk to ya next week. -- Tommy Bales

Life isn't fair. My dad used to say that all the time, and the inequities and randomness of it all become clearer every day. As the nation observes the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the contrasts between lives is one of the things that hits people most about it. Thousands of families lost everything they owned and were crammed into shelters while the rest of us watched the story unfold through the news from the comfort of our own homes thousands of miles away.

One of the oddest contrasts of that disaster was found for me in the tale of two people involved with the song "Southern Nights," which was a hit 30 years ago. As soon as you heard the title, you probably thought of Glen Campbell, who recorded it. The song was written by Allen Toussaint, a New Orleans figure who produced Patti LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade" and wrote Lee Dorsey's "Working in the Coalmine."

The dichotomy between Campbell and Toussaint could not have been much greater on Aug. 29, 2005. Glen received word that he was being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, a significant milestone in his career. Toussaint boarded up his home and went to a shelter to ride out the hurricane, his very life hanging in the balance.

Both musicians made changes in their residences that year -- one by choice, the other by force. Just months before, Campbell had sold his toney mansion near a Phoenix golf course and moved to California's elite Malibu neighborhood, where, oddly enough, Tanya Tucker also recently moved. Like many other Louisianans, Toussaint is still displaced. He originally moved to Baton Rouge and now resides in New York. His home is being rebuilt, and he does intend to move back to the Crescent City.

I don't have a lot of other valuable insights. It's not like the same kinds of contrasts don't play out all the time: Tim McGraw, for example, moved to Nashville the same day Keith Whitley died; Johnny Paycheck recorded the biggest hit of his career in Nashville the same day that Waylon Jennings got busted on cocaine charges. But Katrina really underscores for me a couple of old adages: Life isn't fair, and much of life is out of our control. What we do with those facts goes a long way toward determining who we are as people.

The nominees for the 41st annual CMA Awards will be announced Thursday (Aug. 30) in Nashville and New York, and I’m ready to make a bold prediction: Brooks & Dunn will be nominated for vocal duo of the year. And, to give you even more insider information, don’t be at all surprised if they win in that category when the awards show takes place Nov. 7 in Nashville. They’ve having a good year, you know.

The truth is, of course, that Brooks & Dunn have won the vocal duo prize for 14 of the past 15 years. Montgomery Gentry’s win in 2000 must have given the champs a strong dose of reality. After that happened, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn got serious again and started making some of the best music of their career.

The nominees in the vocal duo category are generally the same ones who were on the previous year’s list -- give or take a name. In addition to Brooks & Dunn, last year’s nominees included Big & Rich, Montgomery Gentry, Van Zant and the Wreckers. Despite the success of the Wreckers’ debut album, some folks in Nashville are always a little suspicious (if not downright resentful) when a pop artist decides to delve into country. And now that Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp have announced plans to put the Wreckers on hold while making solo albums, it will be interesting to see if CMA voters take them seriously enough to grant them a second nomination.

In addition to those artists, there have been a lot of vocal duo nominees since 1992, the year Brooks & Dunn edged out the Judds at the awards show. The first name that always comes to mind is the Bellamy Brothers, whose humor and financial security allow them to joke about never winning, despite numerous nominations. But do you remember some of the other vocal duos who have been nominated during Brooks & Dunn’s reign? That list includes Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Baillie & the Boys, the Kinleys, Sons of the Desert, Brother Phelps, John & Audrey Wiggins, the Lynns, Thrasher Shiver, Baker & Myers, Darryl & Don Ellis, Orrall & Wright, the Raybon Brothers and Blue County. I have to admit that I’d forgotten about several of those, myself. But I’m sure if you asked any of them, they’d tell you it’s an honor just to be nominated.

In a bit of a surprise, Garth Brooks is topping Kenny Chesney on the most-added radio list this week. Brooks' "More Than a Memory" edged out Chesney's "Don ‘t Blink" 76 adds to 70 as the most added new single at country radio this week, according to Country Aircheck. By comparison, the most added radio single this year has been Carrie Underwood's "So Small" with 94 adds, followed by Rascal Flatts' "Take Me There" with 86. Brooks and Chesney follow.

Another interesting aspect is that Brooks refuses to allow his single to be available as a download, because he's an "album guy." Of course, if he's an album guy, why is the radio single so important? Well, because country radio airplay pushes album sales. If the only way you can buy the single is to buy the album, the reasoning goes, then people will buy the album. Some people will, anyway. It's also quite possible that since Brooks has been "retired" from country music for so long, this current young downloading generation simply has no idea who he is and doesn't care.

OK, I’m on Cloud #15,467,676,789.

As some of you may know, I played my debut on the Grand Ole Opry on March 2, 2007. I cried my way thru the entire performance. I was crying before we ever started playing, because the tech asked where I wanted my mic. He said, "So do you want your mic in the 'Circle'?" My response was "DUH!" So, Miss Waterworks over here started boo-hooing before the song even started. Anyway, long story short is that I can never take that moment in my life back and it was THE WORST performance I have ever done on THE MOST IMPORTANT stage I have ever played, and I wouldn't change a thing. I was petrified that I had screwed up so bad that I was sure that Pete Fisher (the Opry manager) would never allow me to set foot on that stage again, but, in fact, he did: Friday and Saturday night (Aug. 24-25). I got to work on Friday and at both shows on Saturday. I would like you to know that I didn't cry, but I was really nervous. Loretta Lynn says that if you don't get "good" nerves before every show, you might just need to find some other line of work. Well, Loretta Lynn, I was nervous enough for everyone there. But it was "good" nerves. Guess I'm in the right line of work then. ... HA!

The Grand Ole Opry is an institution for country music, and it is an honor to say that I have played there. Porter Wagoner introduced me Friday night and Jim Ed Brown introduced me Saturday. I have no words for what it feels like to have these LEGENDS that I have literally known of and loved my whole life stand on the stage with me and talk about me and welcome me into their beautiful world of country music like I have been a friend of theirs for the past 30 years.

Their Manuel and Nudie outfits that they all wear make me weak in the knees. These are the most sparkly get-ups you will ever see, and you need sunglasses to stand in the presence of Little Jimmy Dickens because he wears so many rhinestones.

Jimmy C. Newman stopped me backstage to tell me he had enjoyed my performance and asked ME to autograph my CD for him! What?!

Mel McDaniel is still so unbelievably cool and the most down to earth dude I have ever met. All I have to say is, "STAND UP ... TESTIFYYYYYYY!"

Jan Howard was a doll, and we went over and sang at the Midnight Jamboree, the second longest-running country music radio program ever. That was such a treat and honor to be asked to do that.

There are so many of these wonderful heroes of mine that are at these Opry shows weekly, and if you have never been, you might wanna consider going. I cannot ever remember getting nervous like I've been there. My hands shook to where I almost couldn't play guitar. But it's an amazing nervous!! The best part is that two of my really good friends and bandmates got to play it with me.

Traditional country is where it’s at, folks. These people I'm speaking of are the singers and writers that shaped the guys and gals that are country singers today.

The most disheartening part of the whole show for me was afterwards when I walked off stage and someone (who I look up to and love and respect but shall remain nameless) came up to me and said, "WOW, you sang a Kitty Wells song?” (He stated it as a question). I replied, "Yessir." Well, he then proceeded to tell me that that wasn't what he was referring to. He said, "Before you sang and as you were introducing the song, you said, ‘Are there any Kitty Wells fans here?'" Half the audience responded. He said it was a disgrace.

I tried to explain to him that this is why I enjoy playing that type of music. I feel obligated to at least do my part in educating those people that don't know they like real "country" music.

There are so many people that EVERYONE has heard of: Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline. Well, if you love them, you WILL really LOVE MISS KITTY WELLS. She influenced every single one of them. All of you reading this, if you haven't heard of her, it's definitely time that you go get every record you can find with her on it. She is the Queen of Country Music as far as I'm concerned. She doesn't have the bold and controlled voice that Patsy and Tammy had, but she has this unique voice with such a directness to it, that made you think every time you heard it.

I'm just sayin' ... .

P.S. -- The Grand Ole Opry will NEVER be uncool! If I ever sell out an arena, it will not make me as nervous as performing in front of those people that are standing backstage watching you work at the Grand Ole Opry!!

It wasn't too long ago that country performers routinely incorporated a title with their name, the idea being that such an addition gave them a little extra boost in stature and individuality. Thus, Roy Acuff was the King of Country Music, Kitty Wells the Queen and Tammy Wynette the First Lady. The practice went a long way back. Jimmie Rodgers billed himself as the Singing Brakeman (and later bore the title of Father of Country Music). Grand Ole Opry patriarch Uncle Dave Macon was known as the Dixie Dewdrop. Eddy Arnold gained fame as the Tennessee Plowboy (but gradually eased away from that designation as he sought a broader, more urbane audience). Tennessee Ernie Ford styled himself as the Old Pea Picker, and Ernest Tubb labored as the Texas Troubadour. Patti Page was the Singing Rage.

Sometimes these titles were conferred on performers by their admirers and sometimes by their paid promoters. But whatever its origin, the value of a title lay in whether or not it stuck and eventually became synonymous with the performer's name.

Before there was a Gary LeVox, Vern Gosdin was the Voice. Roy Rogers was King of the Cowboys, Bill Monroe the Father of Bluegrass, Hank Snow the Singing Ranger, Johnny Cash the Man in Black and Tom T. Hall the Storyteller. Generously proportioned Kenny Price of Hee Haw went to his grave as the Round Mound of Sound. Ranger Doug Green of Riders in the Sky continues to call himself (albeit puckishly) the Idol of American Youth.

So here's what I'd like to know: What do you think would be fitting honorifics for the likes of Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill (separately or in tandem), Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert or any other act of your choosing? Here's your chance to influence country music history. The floor is yours.

Rascal Flatts' new album, Still Feels Good, is coming out in a few weeks. Fans won't be disappointed with the upcoming release because it sounds like what they've put out in the past -- infectious contemporary country music with impressive rock solos from Joe Don Rooney's guitar. The group certainly didn't deviate from their authentic sound.Listening through the tracks, the one that caught my attention the most was "Winner at a Losing Game." To me, it is hands-down the best song on the album. And it's the only song on the album they wrote completely by themselves. No co-writers involved. It melodically sounds familiar to Gretchen Wilson's "When I Think About Cheatin'," but it lyrically captures the same sincere longing of heartache. "Winner" expressively exhibits the human condition in love.

I think the boys got inspired by the Beatles while making the album recorded at Nashville's Blackbird Studios, which is decorated with tons of Fab Four memorabilia. For example, the track "She Goes All the Way" (featuring Jamie Foxx on vocals) has lyrics similar to the end of Abbey Road -- "And in the end/The love you take/Is equal to the love you make." In the Flatts' song, the chorus goes, "Giving more than she takes/‘Cause it's more the love the makes/She goes all the way."

The last song is the most vivid one I've heard in a long time. "It's Not Supposed to Go Like That" opens with two boys playing cowboys with their father's real pistol, saying, "You'll be good, and I'll be bad." As the verse continues, one of the boys pulls the trigger and kills the other. Listening to the opening, I can see the scene as Gary LeVox sings the lyrics. It's eerily visual.

Also they covered the Beatles' "Revolution," but it won't be featured on the CD. It's only available through a digital download. Listening to it, I didn't want to like it. The Beatles are my all-time favorite band, and I'm very skeptical of other artists covering their work. It's substantially similar to the original, except for the harmonic "ooh's" and "aah's" in the background vocals. I encourage everyone to listen to it and develop their own opinion on the Rascal Flatts version.