Country Music Blog: Videos

Living in downtown Nashville, it's not hard to find something to do on the weekends, or any night of the week for that matter. I think sometimes I take for granted the fact that I live in the heart of Music City, a stone's throw from the Ryman Auditorium and mere blocks from some of the world's greatest honky-tonks. So, last weekend, my friends and I ventured out for a Tennessee Saturday night and some live country music.

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"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."That famous quote from Sigmund Freud cautions against forcing meaning into events or objects where there is none.

Most of the time, when recording artists put out positive uptempo songs, the point is to not think too deeply, just to simply breeze through the moment and try to embrace some bit of energy or happiness. That is pretty much the point of Alan Jackson's new single, "Good Time," in which a working man celebrates his weekend away from the grind.

Jackson drew a comparison a week ago between that song and some of his earlier uptempo numbers, including "Chattahoochee," which was released as a single 15 years ago this week (May 10). Jackson didn't expect much with the song, figuring it was about a river that was personal to him but unfamiliar to most people outside his home state of Georgia. Instead, the thing took off and became one of several signposts in his career.

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In an age when Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley and I all wear the same size jeans, it feels good to see Keith Anderson and James Otto so comfortable in their own bigness. It's tempting to get into all kinds of "size matters" and "live large" clichés, but I won't.
I will say, though, that I think these two guys have found the key to a woman's heart: the bigger you are, the more petite she'll feel. At least, that's my takeaway from their new videos.

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Have I been listening to the next IBMA song of the year? I know it's already got my vote. Rhonda Vincent's recording of Jerry Salley and Lisa Shaffer's "I Gotta Start Somewhere" swept me away the first time I heard it. Most of us can recall a romantic breakup we didn't want to happen and the hollow, helpless feeling that followed it. That's the dark emotional territory this song explores, and Vincent's forlorn rendering of the lyrics make the terrain all the more bleak.

Now Vincent has further enhanced the song with a music video, thus enabling us to see as well as hear her misery. It's an effective piece of film that stays fairly faithful to the lyrics. The normally vivacious singer really does look distracted and heartbroken as she goes through the motions of ridding herself of a painful memory. My only qualm is that the director has her driving around in a stylish old convertible when her mood clearly calls for more somber equipage, perhaps a hearse. But there are some telling touches, too, as when she thumbs through a stack of old vinyl albums and lingers over a Dolly Parton record, or when she momentarily loses herself completing a jigsaw puzzle. She looks the most empty when she's back in her room removing her earrings after a date that hasn't worked out.

Here's hoping the video will expose the song to audiences that might otherwise never hear it. And I'm urging members of the International Bluegrass Music Association to pay it special attention. This is music worth awarding.

Since I tend to get a bit lonely on Sundays, I try and occupy my time accordingly. I can usually be found amidst the isles of books at Borders perusing through titles I find most intriguing but probably will never buy. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love to read, but I won't be purchasing North American Trees or Treasures of Tutankhamun anytime soon.

After purchasing some overpriced hologram butterfly wrapping paper, I set off for home. By this time it was pouring down rain and the overcast skies really weren't helping my already dreary state of mind. Read more...

I thought I knew Ashton Shepherd. But now, I realize there's another side to her. I know this, because I've just seen the second video for her debut single "Takin' Off This Pain." The first one was the epitome of a Shaun Silva video.

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Editor's Note: To kick off Bluegrass Month in May, the CMT Music Blog is proud to debut Rhonda Vincent's new video, "I Gotta Start Somewhere."

2008 is off to an incredible start. What a way to celebrate the new year with a No. 1 album. And WOW ... 7 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard. Next to be released is the new video of "I Gotta Start Somewhere." It's always exciting to shoot a new video, though I walked barefoot by a creek in summer clothes in 40 degree weather and ended up with bronchitis. And do you know, they didn't even use the creek shot.

Dallas Henry did a great job and his entire crew was great to work with. Check out my possible love interest in the video. Vance Mitchell is the guy at Clampett's Hardware Store. Watch for him in the current Acura car commercial. It's always fun to have guests when we shoot a video. Who would have known that the little girl in my "If Heartaches Had Wings" video would eventually become Hannah Montana? So look out for Vance. This was my seventh career video. I can't say they're exactly FUN to make, but they're sure fun when they're finished. Be sure to watch!

"If Heartaches Had Wings" video

One of my best friends in Nashville is 89 years old. I know to some this may seem rather strange having a friend four times your age, but to me, this makes no difference. Actually, I think it makes our friendship that much sweeter. Sometimes I think there are certain people we are supposed to meet in life. I'm convinced Betty is one of those people. She let's me call her "Grandma" and says I'm the granddaughter she never had. I know it may all sound like a Hallmark card, but as much as she thinks she needs me, I need her, too. She says she gets lonely because most of her family has passed away. I get lonesome too. Mine live too far away.

I called her last night around 10 o'clock. It had been a week or so since I had heard her soft-spoken, shaky voice. She's a night owl, so I knew she'd still be awake. I caught her in the middle of washing dishes, and we chatted for nearly an hour. She told me about how she missed her husband who passed away years ago and reminisced about better times. Being the eldest of six, she helped raise her sisters and brothers, and I began to feel her smiling through the phone as she spoke about them.

Talking to her helps me put everyday life in perspective. I now try a little harder to grab on to each memory. When I hear Trace Adkins' "You're Gonna Miss This," it always makes me think of her. I don't want to look back and miss this moment I'm living in right now. I hope someday I, too, can have the privilege of living to be an old woman. Like Betty, I want to know that I soaked up my youth and treasured my time before it inevitably passes me by.

One of the coolest country videos I've seen in a while is Josh Turner's "Another Try." In the opening shot, a suitcase shoots up from the ground, over the bridge and right into his hands. Sounds like it could be cheesy, but it isn't -- thanks to the latest film technology. Plus, I know exactly where that bridge is, because I ride my bike out there in the summer and fall, and it always makes me nervous because it's so high.

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I've seen my fair share of dancing on award shows. I use the word "dancing" loosely because most of the time it seems quite awkward and bizarre. Beyonce, for instance. I've tried to understand her strange convulsion-like hip movements and arm spasms. Maybe I'm missing something in the dance world, but it usually looks forced and unnatural. Most of the time I watch artists dance because of the entertainment value, not because of their actual talent. But during the CMT Music Awards, I watched one artist in awe: LeAnn Rimes completely blew me away. Not only did she flawlessly sing "Nothin' Better to Do," which she co-wrote, but she moved like a professional throughout the entire song, not missing a single beat. Check out the performance.

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