CMT Blog: 2009 November

Is it bad if the only part of this song I really truly like is the chorus? "Cold Beer" is mostly a Colt Ford song, and he has this whole country hip-hop fusion thing going on. I'm sure there are people out there who love that, I'm just not one of them. But, I do agree with the general spirit of the verses about being more than ready for a cold beer. I just can't quite keep up with the rap. God love Jamey Johnson, though, for softening that rapid-fire cadence with a solid country groove as he sings the guts of the song: "Well, pass me a cold one, buddy, it's that time again/That neon sign says 'open' and I'm here with all my friends/So just keep them taps a flowin', the first round's all on me/And as long as they keep pourin' 'em, y'all we ain't gonna leave." I don't know how the two of them hooked up for this tune, but if they do a couple more songs together, they might just make a rap fan out of me someday.

I remember the first time I ate at Cracker Barrel. It was Thanksgiving 1994, about three months after moving to Nashville to attend Belmont University. One of my friends invited me to join her and I ordered your typical Thanksgiving dinner -- and I remember calling home, saying it was one of the most delicious holiday meals I'd ever eaten. Looking back, I probably shouldn't have told that to my mother, who is an excellent cook, by the way. (Please send cookies.) That memory crossed my mind today while I was listening to Alan Jackson's new album, Songs of Love and Heartache, part of the extensive Cracker Barrel collection. Casual fans will know several tunes ("Here in the Real World," "Remember When") while longtime admirers will be pleased to find outstanding album cuts such as "Tropical Depression" and "Rainy Day in June." For the final track, Jackson brilliantly covers Gene Watson's "Nothing Sure Looked Good on You," about a guy who made it through the poor times with his ex before she moved on to a wealthier man. That's love and heartache for you.

Though she said "Aloha" to Oahu last week, Lee Ann Womack's trip to Hawaii wasn't for vacationing or sightseeing. Instead, the Grammy-winning performer welcomed home 3,500 troops who've been serving in Iraq for over the past year. Partnered with the USO, Womack greeted the men and women and their families to a private performance at Sills Airfield. "The troops have a special place in my heart," she said. "Working with the USO to welcome home these brave men and women is a great opportunity for me to show them how much I appreciate their great sacrifice." This isn't Womack's first time greeting the troops. In fact, she's traveled to Germany, Kuwait, Iraq and Italy to share her music and gratitude. Perhaps we can take a lesson from her this holiday season. As we sit down to enjoy our food and family this week, let's say a prayer of Thanksgiving for those who are serving their country overseas.

A Taylor Swift concert is good for a lot of people. Especially her opening acts. That's why Gloriana's Cheyenne Kimball is so grateful to Swift. I talked with Kimball after the country group won the breakthrough artist award at Sunday night's (Nov. 22) American Music Awards, and she knows how big of an opportunity Swift gave the band.

"We absolutely could not have done this without being in front of 20,000 people a night," Kimball said. "Taylor discovered us when we were out on a radio tour and there was some buzz about the band. So she just called us and invited us to go out on tour with her." Since then, the band's been collecting fans from coast to coast. Those fans obviously took their loyalty seriously when it came time to text in their votes for this fan-voted AMA.

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Since being launched in 1987, the A Very Special Christmas series of compilation albums has raised more than $100 million for the Special Olympics. The newest addition, A Very Special Christmas Volume 7, was released this week with tracks from Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Gloriana, Miley Cyrus, the Carter Twins, Colbie Caillat, Sean Kingston and Ashley Tisdale, among others. Check out this video clip that includes some behind-the-scenes footage and from the new project.

She may consider herself a "Backwoods Barbie," but today (Nov. 24), Dolly Parton is a bona fide city girl with the opening of her Dolly Parton's Trinkets & Treasures store right in downtown Nashville. It's in an old storefront on 2nd Avenue, right next door to the Wildhorse Saloon. Her music and videos will fill the air as her fans can pick up CDs, DVDs, T-shirts, hats, mugs and things for kids and tweens. And if you are one of the first 500 shoppers to spend more than $20, you'll get a free Backwoods Barbie tour book. I know from her video blog that Parton loves this time of year because she says, "The colors that God paints all the leaves with are amazing, and that cool morning air that you only feel in the autumn is just this side of heaven." So it makes sense that she'd choose fall to open the store. Well, that and the fact that even in a crummy economy, music memorabilia makes a perfect Christmas gift for any country lovers on your list.

The holidays always seem like a time for familiar things, but those things don't always have to be cheery. How about Patsy Cline's classic "Leavin' on Your Mind"? Sure, it's a heartbreaker, but it always reminds me of home. Or at least, packing up to leave after the season is over. (Sorry, mom.) Maybe I figure that by remembering that before I get there, I'll be sure to appreciate the time more. It takes a few minutes to get into Lorrie Morgan's version of the song, since this is also a behind-the-scenes clip, but the payoff is worth it. When Morgan tenderly offers her first line, you'll feel it hit you in the chest.

Let this be a warning to any singer considering how provocative to go with an awards show number: If you're a man and you make out with a man on live television, you may lose a few gigs. Good Morning America just canceled Adam Lambert's appearance because of his controversial American Music Awards performance. (He's still set to be on The Early Show and the Late Show With David Letterman so maybe they're more OK with that kind of thing.) I thought maybe I was the only one who thought his Rocky Horror-meets-soft-porn thing was too much. But now that GMA pulled the plug, I'll bet other artists will consider how far they can push the sexuality envelope. In a post-show interview Lambert explained the man-on-man kiss thusly: "Sometimes you just are in the moment. Adrenaline is a crazy, crazy, crazy feeling. All the sudden you just have this rush that comes over you, and things happen." I'm just relieved that the sexiest country music ever gets is when Carrie Underwood performs in hot pants and peignoirs.

I feel like I already know this Josh Kelley. Mostly that's because he's the brother of Lady Antebellum's frontman Charles Kelley, which means a signature soulful sound is in his blood. Plus he was already making some pretty cool pop-rock-folk type music before. And now he's told Entertainment Weekly, "Country is where I'm going to live out the rest of my career. This is the style and level of songwriting that I've always wanted. I'm coming home." His first foray into country is "Gone Like That," and I think you can tell from the too-short taste of it that his voice is a natural fit for country. As an added bonus, he can kind of play the pedal steel. But his cello skills? Those need some work

If you don't think of Elvis Presley as a romantic guy, then your mind will be quickly changed by an enlightening new DVD, Love Me Tender ... The Love Songs of Elvis Presley. If you were around during Elvis' prime, you already know he possessed one of the most charismatic personalities in modern music. It seems like every time the cameras caught a performance, women were just screaming their heads off. But if you've never seen any vintage concert footage, Love Me Tender is a terrific place to start. Narrated by Ashley Judd, the program is heavy on music, giving viewers a chance to swoon over the Memphis superstar, starting with "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" all the way through "I'll Remember You." Awww, those songs are so sweet. Much of the footage was new to me, including a lively duet with Frank Sinatra and numerous movie clips where he's serenading his co-stars. Plus it includes many of my favorite Elvis tunes, such as "It's Now or Never," "Always on My Mind" and especially "The Wonder of You." A companion CD is available as well but there's no substitute for seeing the man on stage. Watch and understand what all the fuss is about.