Rodney Carrington Makes Comedy Sound County
If George Strait was a pervert, he'd sound a lot like Rodney Carrington. Because Rodney Carrington sounds an awful lot like George Strait.
His singing, anyway. And he's not a bad guitar player either. I knew Carrington was funny from seeing him in a Trace Adkins video and catching some of his stand-up act on the Internet. But after seeing him live this weekend, I was stunned to discover what a dead-on country voice he has.
His set list had all his classic hits. The ones that sound country, until he gets to the really dirty lyrics. "Show Them to Me," "Titties & Beer," " Put Your Clothes Back On," "Letter to My Penis," "Rhymes With Truck" and "White Shirts in Rain" (the one he wrote with Toby Keith when they were taking breaks from writing their movie Beer for My Horses). Beyond the really, really raunchy lyrics and the genuine twang, though, you can hear some flawless singing.
Like when Carrington described his arrival at Toby Keith's "Four Seasons of a house," he described the gates opening and Josh Groban music starting to play. He then launched into a flawless a cappella imitation of Groban's "You Raise Me Up." And at the end of the show, he sang one serious song, a tribute to his late friend Barry Martin, "Angel Friend." All of which left no doubt in my mind that Carrington has a better singing voice than half the artists on the charts right now.
But if you listen past the voice, Carrington's also got the down-home analogies of Dolly Parton ( "It was so quiet you could hear a rat pissin' on a cotton ball"), the starving-artist gene of Jimmy Wayne ("I was drinking Chicken & Stars out of the can for three years") and the stories that are peppered heavily with y'all, reckon and fixin'.
Tulsa's funnyman has a new album of just songs due out in 2009. He could very well sit down with Nashville best writers and crank out some up-tempo songs and weepy ballads, and sing the hell out of them. But for the sake of maintaining his distinctive voice, I hope Carrington stays true to his uninhibited roots.
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Kim says:
Josh Groban and Rodney? that’s mixing metaphors I must say. I love his stuff and hope he never backs down. He and Folk Uke are my two favorite “perverted” artists. they should get together!
Shotgun says:
I watched “Beer for my Horses” this weekend, and I couldn’t stop laughing.
Rodney is nothing if not genuine…and…he’s “hotter than doughnut grease!”
I agree, he’s got a great singing voice. In the movie, when he’s telling a fishing story, it turns out that the big fish on the end of the line was a…snappin’ turtle..! I know people that talk and act exactly like that.
I just wish Cletus T. Judd had had a bigger role in the movie..it would have been hilarious to see him and Rodney together.
(I also LOVED the bathroom scene where Rodney is taking a piss while singing…It was hilarious!)
Those guys know how to promote a culture…warts and all. I wish more artists in the country industry would jump on board.
luvncountry says:
I want to rent this movie SOON- sounds great! I love Cledus too and his older videos. Originally I was disappointed to hear the movie BFMH wasn’t a (serious) take off of the video with Willie, but now I think I’ll take funny over dramatic.
Thanks for the high-five on the movie Shotgun. I want to see if this is something we actually agree on for a change. lol
I still think Toby & Willie could pull off a good serious western too, with a great storyline/script & maybe another
actor that’s known for good westerns.
Charlie says:
One of the best all around entertainers I’ve seen in some time, everything I’ve seen with him in it from the movie to his stand up routin are a breath of fresh , due to the fact that it’s crisp, funny, original, and down right fantastic I recomend anything Rodney does to all my frends keep it up pal you are an Angle friend to us all who need a laugh thanks for everything and keep it up
Charlie