Christian Views on Country Music

Reba and Kelly - Will It Blend?

2007-09-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

Down this week from the number 2 spot on the Billboard country music top 25 charts is Rebca McEntire and Kelly Clarkson's countrified duet of Clarkson's pop hit "Because of You" (seen here).

Although I incline more towards country, it's not uncommon for me to flip over to contemporary/classic/pop/soft rock stations if there's no good songs on the country stations, or if it's at a commercial. So I've heard the original rendition of "Because of You" (seen here) from the premier American Idol winner previously. I've heard a few of her songs now, and while I don't go in for her style quite so much, it's clear she's a talented singer.

But now she's thrown in with country diva Reba McEntire to record a new version, with Reba carrying most of the tune.

To borrow a phrase from the Will It Blend? video series, "NO it DOESN'T BLEND!"

Reba's voice has an inescapable and intrinsic country twang to it, which has been perfect for her other songs and made her a legend in the world of country music. Unfortunately, I dislike the content and style of some of her earlier, more notable hits, such as the ballad of the peasant-turned-prostitute "Fancy", or the murder mystery "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia." She scored well with "Somebody" but then moved on to overly sentimental songs such as "He Gets That From Me" and "My Sister."

Unfortunately, Reba's voice simply doesn't blend well with Clarkson's less accented, more classical vocalization. Why it has risen as far as it has is beyond me - if you like the song, listen to the original by Clarkson.

Mixing pop and country is more and more common these days (as Tim McGraw noted in "Back When") but there's a fine line to be walked, and "Because of You" is one that doesn't cross over well in transition.

Garth Brooks Releases New Single

2007-08-27T14:06:00.001-07:00

Destined for a Top 10 (probably Top 1) position, country king Garth Brooks took a respite from his temporary semi-retirement (as he has been known to do from time to time, such as with "Good Ride, Cowboy" and "Love Will Always Win") to release a new single entitled "More Than A Memory" which debuted today on AfterMidnite with Blair Garner. The song was played twice last night, and has been making the rounds of local stations since.

What can we say about Garth? Whether or not you approve of certain songs (such as "That Summer" about a young man who works for a weathered older widow's farm and becomes involved in a sexual relationship with her, or the rough-n-rowdy party-hardy "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til The Sun Comes Up)") or not, there's no doubt that Garth sings and performs with unparalleled energy and enthusiasm, and his efforts have earned him a spot in country music history.

Lambert Almost Shot Boyfriend

2007-07-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

LAMBERT ALMOST SHOT EX-BOYFRIEND DEAD

Country singer MIRANDA LAMBERT once almost shot an ex-boyfriend in the face because she thought he was an intruder.

The 23-year-old, who is currently dating fellow country star Blake Shelton, admits she held a gun at her unnamed ex's head after he surprised her with a late-night visit.
She tells American magazine Blender, "I heard a noise outside my house and saw something flash across the window, so I got my revolver and opened the door like they do on Cops.

"He came around the corner, and I was like, 'That was pretty stupid. I would have shot you and then dragged you into my house, so it looked like you were breaking in.'"

Big and Rich: Big but not Rich

2007-07-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

The firecracker duo known as Big and Rich made ripples behind the microphones with writing and background vocals for artists such as Martina McBride, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill before making their own splash in the country music world. But their singing seems more rowdy than their writing, and it's not just the voices.

Big and Rich forge a unique combination, beating out the styles even of other duos such as Brooks and Dunn, with "Big" Kenny setting his low and nasal voice against the higher voice of John "Rich".

Their appearance is as unique as their sounds; Big Kenny looks like he stepped off the back lot of Mardis Gras (or MTV studios, one) while John Rich sticks with the more contemporary cowboy hat and dressy jacket.

Sound and appearance aside, the content of the group is what often defines them, and you need look no farther than their first big hit, "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)". As usual with songs, the lascivious number's video was even more raunchy than the lyrics. It took months of switching to other stations before I actually gathered an accumulated half of the song in bits and pieces. The song screams "sex" at the listener from beginning to end.

The two found a calmer and more ambiguous sound in their next single, "Holy Water". Reportedly, the song is intended to support battered and abused women, but the lyrics to me did not make much sense.

Their next six singles, "I Played Chicken with the Train," "Big Time" "Our America," "Coming to Your City" "Never Mind Me" and "That's How They do it in Dixie" never even made it to my airwaves.

The two revealed their patriotic colors in the military ballad "8th of November," telling the story of a military skirmish in Vietnam that all but wiped out the 173rd Airborne division. Notably, the song doesn't try to avoid references which "date" the song. (The soldier sung of is is "19 and green" when he leaves for war, and is 58 at the present day, and the chorus states that the 8th of November spoken of is in 1965. Ergo, the song was written in 2004.

But, excepting "8th of November," Big and Rich didn't score big with my personal tastes until their recent hit, "Lost in the Moment." The song centers around a wedding, and has a very wholesome, clean sound to it. Although all the details are taking place (parents, candles, flowers, music, vows), all the singer can be is:

Lost in this moment with you
I am completely consumed
My feeling's so absolute
There's no doubt
Sealing our love with a kiss
Waited my whole life for this
Watching all my dreams come true
Lost in this moment with you

Demonstrating once again that discerning individuals can seldom pick an entire group either to love or hate. No artist can be judged by the merit of one raunchy single, or one beautiful ballad. It's song-by-song all the way.

Blake Shelton Helps Thwart Intruder

2007-07-14T18:21:00.000-07:00

Country singer corrals burglar

Country recording star Blake Shelton helped police corral a would-be burglar when Shelton responded to a frantic call from a relative who reported a drunk man in his house.

Shelton's mother, Dorothy Shackleford of Ada, said her brother Dempsey Byrd called for help late one night recently and she and her famous son responded.

"Blake was over at the house, and Dempsey called and said there was a strange man in his house," Shackleford said. "He said he woke up and there was a big man in his house, so Blake and I just jumped in the truck and went over there."

When they arrived, Shackleford said, they looked in through the window and saw a man inside.

"Blake knocked on the door and the man sort of stumbled over and opened it, and Blake said, 'Hey, you're in my house, man,'" Shackleford said.

Shelton then told the man to step out on the porch and Shackleford went inside to check on her brother, she said.

"He wasn't even in the house anymore," Shackleford said. "He had gone over to the house next door and called us. That's when we called the police and they came and took that man into custody."

Shackleford laughed when asked if Shelton had signed any autographs after the ordeal.

"I'm not even sure they (police) recognized him, to be honest," Shackleford said. "Blake just happened to be home in Tishomingo and had come over to the house. I don't think he would have guessed he'd end up helping arrest a man and then end up in the police reports."

Shelton is best known for his recent singles on the country charts, including "Some Beach," "Goodbye Time," "Nobody But Me" and "Don't Make Me."

Giving Alan Jackson His Dues

2007-06-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

I couldn't continue blogging on country music from a Christian perspective without addressing Alan Jackson. Indeed, no discussion on current country music trends would be complete without some mention of Mr. Jackson.

Although there are few songs among Jackson's numerous singles that I enjoy, he is the one responsible for first introducing me to country music. It was shortly after September 11, and I was scanning the stations looking for something new. I suddenly tuned in "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" and had to stop, as this song struck a chord in me, as it did with all of us. Shortly thereafter, I began tuning in regularly to catch other country songs, and I've been a growing country music fan since.

After a few years, I'd caught up with a lot of what I'd missed, including some of Jackson's older singles. There were some that didn't appeal to me, but weren't necessarily bad either, such as "Chasing That Neon Rainbow" and "Don't Rock the Jukebox".

I loved the sound of "Midnight in Montgomery," although I've always wondered why the country music world is so enamored of a man like Hank Williams, renowned for his drinking and drug problems. All kinds of country music artists have recorded reverent tributes to him.

"Chattahoochee" is considered among one of Jackson's earliest popular songs, but again, another one that never appealed to me. In addition, lyrics in the song speak of fogging up car windows but "she wasn't ready" which is a shameful wink of the eye towards the careless fornication so prevalant in culture today.

Likewise, I wasn't impressed with "Summertime Blues," "Living on Love" and "Gone Country," although these songs continue to be aired today, showing that they are still popular.

"I Don't Even Know Your Name" may have been slightly amusing, but again, I've never enjoyed songs that take their humor from the drunken escapades spurred by alcohol.

By the time you get to "Little Bitty" and "Who's Cheating Who" and even "It Must Be Love" they all begin to have the same, and continue to lack appeal.

"Where I Come From" makes me want to tear my hair out, because every time Jackson sings "Where I come from tryin' to make a living, workin' hard to get to heaven, where I come from." For someone who would later release an album of "inspirational" hits, the lyric represents the grossest of spiritual misunderstandings. Romans makes it exceptionally clear that it's not by any works of man that we are able to enter heaven.

"Drive" is probably one of the first songs in Jackson's long line of singles that appealed to me, as it certainly will to anyone who was once young and unable to drive.

"It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" had some appeal, particularly with Jimmy Buffet joining the cast. Though one is forced to wonder how it can be "only half-past 12" and yet still be "five o'clock somewhere."

"Remember When" is absolute musical magic, with the accompanying bittersweet spirit of old age, blending both the morose and the golden into a tragic happiness of memory. It will certainly be some time before this song applies to me personally, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it.

"Too Much of a Good Thing" still lacked a catchy tune and variety on the scale, as did "Monday Morning Church," although the latter had more powerful lyrics (or at least mood) to help it along.

"The Talking Song Repair Blues" was the first catchy song that I could really enjoy. The lyrics were creative and clever, and the music video gave it an additional zing.

Jackson's latest two singles, however, fail to score high, both for me, and for the charts. "Like Red On A Rose" premiered on After Midnite, but the song was rather monotonous, and at times sort of confused. ("I love you like all little children love pennies"? I wasn't aware that all little children loved pennies!) The song pooped out on the charts at #18 -- a dismal performance for a brand-new single from Alan Jackson, the cowboy-hatted gentleman.

"A Woman's Life" maintains the same lack of imagination, and melodious variety that make a song worth listening to.

So while I owe Jackson his dues for first snaring me with his heart-jerking "Where Were You," there are times when I fail to see why this man remains a staple in country music.

Josh Turner ('n God)

2007-06-21T13:24:00.000-07:00

The first time I heard Josh Turner, it was a radio ad for the song/album "Long Black Train." Already considering myself somewhat of a country music aficionado, I heard words like "redemption" and "cling to the Father and His holy name" and thought the song would go nowhere. (I had similar impressions of "Jesus Take the Wheel." Clearly, I have a lot to learn.)

I was surprised (pleasantly!) to hear the song make it to mainstream, and rise as high as #13 on the charts. The song, while not varying as much as I like, had true spiritual meat imbedded in the lyrics. It puzzled me to liken sin to a train, but Josh explained in an interview with AfterMidnite's Blair Garner that it came to him in what he would describe as a vision.

Josh's deep, low voice resembled Johnny Cash, and definitely provided another trait to recommend himself for future fame.

His next single, "What it Ain't" did not fare so well; it failed even to make my local stations. Happily, the next song, "Your Man" was more successful. I have a tiny quarrel to pick with Josh about the music video on this song, since Josh was fiddling around with certain areas of the clothing on whomever was playing his significant other for the music video, and it struck me as a little inappropriate.

"Would You Go With Me" solidified Turner's place in the country music arena. The guitar-picking is incredible, and the song is quite catchy. Since joining the eschalon of iPod owners (it's actually not the Apple iPod itself, but it's a portable music player, and I'm happy with it), I've downloaded few songs, but "Would You Go With Me" was one of them.

Just recently, I went to YouTube to search for a music video for "Would You Go With Me" and found one had been posted...by Josh Turner! It turns out that there have been several profiles set up on YouTube for musical figures such as Josh Turner, Johnny Cash, Sugarland, George Strait, Willie Nelson and Shania Twain. Doubtless, not a profile maintained by the artists themselves, but still a nice touch for maintaining a presence among "regular folk."

Turner returns to his gospel roots once again with his latest single, "Me and God." When I first heard the song, I thought it might possibly be taking God a little too lightly, but hearing the song a few more times has lessened this impression somewhat. The song itself doesn't make it onto my favorites simply because the tune doesn't appeal to me.

Josh Turner is off to a great start on his country music career, and here's wishing him well for a bright and productive future.

Gretchen Wilson: The Homeschooling Mom?

2007-06-12T16:45:00.000-07:00

Gretchen Wilson Finishing Her GED For Personal Reasons - Star wants to homeschool daughter

One of the things Gretchen Wilson spoke about at the CMA Fest pre-Stadium concert this weekend was her effort to finally get her high school diploma through GED.

When we asked why that was important for her to do she said it was because she'd told somebody she would do it, she wants to be able to homeschool her daughter.

"It's always something I wanted to do and something I told someone I would do. I said it out loud to somebody and I'm one of those people that I do what I say I'm going to do. But, I think the reason it crept up on my right now is because we just started home schooling my daughter and I'm not eligible to be listed as an educator for her because I don't have a high school education or a GED. It's all her dad right now. I want to be a part of that and maybe, next year when I have my degree I'll be able to," Gretchen explained.

Very admirable of Ms. Wilson to take the initiative in completing her high school education, considering her very rough upbringing. One can certainly see the benefits of homeschooling during an aggressive touring schedule.

But sadly, as a Christian, it is hard to approve of the fact that this child was born out of wedlock. We hope that as Ms. Wilson straightens out her priorities, giving the child a stable living environment with two committed parents is one of them.

"Lucky Men" Montgomery Gentry - Wild at Heart

2007-04-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard those songs that are tailored to specific regions? Having not listened to a lot of country outside my listening area, I have no way of confirming that it is a nationwide phenomena. But songs such as David Ball's "Riding with Private Malone," Buddy Jewel's "Sweet Southern Comfort" and Terri Clark's "I Wanna Do It All" all have phrases conditioned to the listening area.

For example, instead of the lyric "but it picked up that oldies show, 'specially late at night" from "Private Malone" replaces "that oldies show" with a local station's call letters. Clark's and Jewel's songs replace their sports teams with the local sports team in my vicinity.

That's how Montgomery Gentry first grabbed my attention with their latest single, currently riding the charts at #17. Instead of being upset at the Bengals losing, Eddie Montgomery led off the song by saying "But last Sunday when my Wildcats lost, it put me in a bad mood." What was so striking about this is, the Cats had just had their hat handed to them in the NCAA tournament, on a Sunday no less. The song's timing couldn't have been better.

Pulling back to take a more general look at the group, one finds once again that, when sticking to Christian principles, choosing among a group's songs is a selective process. There are several songs that carry with them immorality and other such typical fare.

Still as a whole, even some of the wilder songs by the group appeal to me. The mix of Eddie's deep drawling voice and Troy's lighter, wilder voice create a blend that can only be described as rugged, raw and untamed. True, at times their songs are rebellious and vulgar. But at the heart is a more elemental tone, a testosterone-pumping purpose of manhood, not to be rowdy and brash, but to be wild at heart.

Of their earliest works (from 1999 on), I've heard "Hillbilly Shoes" and "Daddy Won't Sell the Farm" which are mostly boasting on what being a country boy is, and don'tcha mess with them country boys.

"My Town" (which is on Patriotic Country, one of my few exclusively country CDs) was an excellent downhome tune, mirrored later with songs such as Podunk.

Although I've never been brokenhearted over losing a woman, "Speed" remains one of my favorites in the Mongomery Gentry repertoire. Admittedly, I don't like the part about how he wants to get rid of his truck because it's where they first made love, his woman and him. Once again, merely spoken casually in passing (to a greasy car salesman no less!) adds to the flippant attitude towards sexual intimacy that is par for the course with most country music songs. Still, the song's tune almost drips with the heartache, and is a good rainy- or bad-day song.

"H*ll Yeah" is where we come to the beginning of the more vulgar Montgomery Gentry songs. And if you've ever had the displeasure of seeing some of the music video, you know the women tearing off their shirts and dancing on the bar in their underwear (and/or bending over to expose parts of their behinds) makes it even worse. This is a song that gets a big fat station-switch when it comes on.

Until writing this entry, I never knew the group contributed to one of my all-time hated songs, The Truth About Men. (Tracy Byrd stole the show with "The Keeper of the Stars, but that's another entry for another time.) Just like Terri Clark's "Girls Lie Too", the song draws on far too many conclusions about the scratching, burping, boozing redneck stereotypes, and leaves as much of a distaste in my mouth as any Gretchen Wilson song you can conjure up.

"If You Ever Stopped Loving Me" gets a little too rock-n-roll for my tastes, and uses some language which I'm not find of, and usually gets the big old switcharoo too, when it comes on, which is not very often lately.

"You Do Your Thing" seems to have the right ideas on military service, disciplining children, actions and consequences, and praying to God. It gets everything right except the big picture. Today's liberal luminaries frequently extol the virtues of tolerance, which is in keeping with this song. It's a "live and let live" kind of thing. The question is, how far to we take or leave this idea of "You do your thing, I'll do mine"? Hey, Iran! You can kill your daughters for the sake of family honor! You can beat your women to death for peeking out from their gunnysacks! You can train more terrorists and send them over to Iraq with weapons to destabilize the region! You can strap crude bombs to your children and send them to their deaths! You do your thing; we'll do ours. Right or Wrong is a bit more absolute than that. Luckily, we have laws that recognize sometimes "your thing" ain't right. On a similar note, the song was relatively flatline; too low, too slow, and it didn't go anywhere of interest. It didn't even crack the top 20.

"Gone" is another one that gets "gone" from the station when it comes on. It rings in as the third unpleasantly rowdy, cacophonous songs from the group.

"Something to be Proud Of" marked a new trend of songs for the group. Hearkening back to "My Town," the story is of a young boy who loves to hear his father's war stories. Eventually, he leaves town on an adventure, and is hit with real life and responsibility. There's part of me that is bothered by the father's words of encouragement not to worry about making minimum wage in caring for his family. The son is worried that his father is ashamed of how he turned out, but the father consoles him that he is working, putting food on the table, and providing for his family. I'm irritated only because I hate to see people become content with just getting by. Granted, sometimes you meet people and you're glad they aren't in a position of greater influence. But surely everyone hears the inner call to make a greater impact in this world; limiting yourself to a high school education and minimum wage jobs (another stereotype of rednecks, probably closer to the truth than others) means greater limits and restraints on being all you can be later in life.

"She Don't Tell Me To" is a brilliant song that, knowingly or not, reflects ideology and psychology being taught by Dr. Laura Schlessinger. The main point being, don't nag or harangue your husband into doing what you want; love and reward him into doing it. The message of the song is exactly that; the wife is so loving and dear to the singer that he's in home early from Saturday night outings with "the boys," and in the pew on Sunday morning. My all-time favorite line:

And she don't even know that she keeps me lookin' for the next right thing to do, cause she don't tell me to

Men aren't that hard to figure out, really. And this song sums it up perfectly. We're not animals to be punished or rewarded. But any human responds more to positive feedback and reward than negative shaming and nagging.

Montgomery Gentry then took on a redemptive air with "Some People Change" which, like Carrie Underwood's single "Wasted," extols the virtue of rejecting the destructive lifestyle, whether the vice is racism or alcohol. The song will no doubt breathe some life and hope into the lives of those whose struggle is with the vice itself, but with a loved one's vice.

Finally, we come to number four in the duo's streak of genius; "Lucky Man." In the country counterpart to Pollyanna's Glad Game, the singer steps back from a bad-day groove and examines his life as a whole. And surprising to find, his life really isn't that bad. He is married to a good woman, his parents are both still alive, his job is treating him well, and each day is another day given to him to be his little boy's father.

There's no doubt that Eddie and T-Ro are living lucky (read: blessed) lives. Currently, they're riding a lucky streak on the charts also. Let's hope they take a hint and steer away from the more raucous revelry while not losing the lush yet untamed sound to their songs.

Underwood Carries Another #1 Hit

2007-04-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

Carrie is back, scoring big with "Wasted" which is a positive return from "Before He Cheats." This time, echoing the Montgomery/Gentry song "Some People Change," the song is about redemption, and returning from the brink of disaster. Presumably, "wasted" refers not only to recovering from alcohol or drugs, but simply not throwing away your life. Instead, live for the moment, live for the future, live for the present.

The tune is also very well-strung, although she sings it at such a high pitch that it makes my own throat ache. Not only are the notes high, but also the fervor and intensity behind them. That song has to be taxing on the vocal chords. But that's too late; an artist must be very careful in choosing a song, and if it hits the top 20 or greater, then it will be in great demand from concert audiences nationwide, who won't stand not to hear their favorite song played.

Keep your ear tuned, and heed Carrie's advice; don't spend any more time wasted.

"Come To Bed" (Or, "The Gretchen Wilson mating call")

2007-03-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

If you asked me to name an artist who most embodies the shadow of the country music spotlight, the first name that would leap to my mind is Gretchen Wilson. Her rapid-fire rise to stardom was built on the self-admittedly hard-core song Redneck Woman featuring the glorification of bars, sex and in-your-face raunchy behavior.

Wilson let no doubts about her party-hardy personality remain when she expounded on lyrics from Redneck Woman with her follow-up, Here for the Party, where she boasts of her drinking and flirting skills, and how she wears her jeans a little tight so she can "watch the little boys come undone."

Then came the oh-so-pleasant and encouraging When I Think About Cheatin' where Gretchen explains that the only reason she doesn't give in to the temptations of other men is because the one she truly loves would leave her, and that would make her feel bad. Gee, I guess that works for the thousands of married couples whose marriages collapse because of infidelity.

Then in 2005, rising to the #2 spot on the charts, Gretchen sang about what she would to if someone like her came along and tried to steal her man away. And in a brazen move, the following lyric appears in the song:

Now honey I'm a Christian, but if you keep it up I'm gonna go to kickin' your pretty little butt, is that clear enough?

What Gretchen's idea of a Christian is, is anyone's guess. But the Lord Jesus said, "by their fruits will you know them" and anyone can see what kind of tree Wilson is from the fruit she bears. Furthermore, the implication of the lyric is that a good little Christian doesn't do any butt-kicking. Someone should break that news to the great heroes of the Old and New Testament, including Christ's excursion into the Temple to drive out the money-grubbing televangelists.

Next, Gretchen lauded the merits of drinking one's self into a stupor in All Jacked Up.

Following that, Gretchen actually scored well on the morals chart with I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today, which promptly tanked on the charts, her lowest ranking since her debut. This was the first song from her that I didn't smash the radio knobs in an effort to turn off.

Next, a musical marriage of opportunity, Gretchen sang Politically Uncorrect with Merle Haggard. Like her previous single, this song barely made it into the Top 25.

Following that, Gretchen released California Girls, which may have been the first mention of Paris Hilton in a country music song. The song comes off as a politician attempting to identify with a certain demographic, in this case the stereotypical country redneck crowd. Hence, references to fried chicken, Merle Haggard and George Jones.

And finally, we come to Gretchen's newest single, currently populating the charts at #32. The song is a tender effort at reconciliation, perhaps similar to Terri Clark's I Just Want to be Mad but with more romantic overtones. Except, if you catch the song on CMT as I did a few weeks ago (before I'd heard the song on the radio) there was no doubt about what the song about. Gretchen Wilson rides a horse out to her significant other, and they both make it back to their home before a storm opens up on their picturesque farm. Evidentially, whatever offense Gretchen is appealing to be forgotten was not terribly big, and for the rest of the song, the two are ripping clothes off of each other and having sex. Sure, fine, if their married, but don't show US that. The song might be okay, but falls under the heading of "only okay for married people," and regardless, they shouldn't act it out on the screen. (And yes, for those of you out there saying "just turn it off!", I did.)

So, in conclusion, Gretchen Wilson praises and embodies those great American values of profanity, drunken binges and seduction. While claiming to be a Christian, she personifies every value contrary to Christian doctrine. What an excellent role model.

Gretchen Wilson: maybe one day she'll stop representing the darkest side of country music.

Kenny Chesney - More encouragement for bums

2007-03-04T15:19:00.000-08:00

I've met people who remind me of Kenny Chesney. People whose only care in the world is to look good (tan, muscular, etc.), to have a girlfriend (family, children and perhaps that whole "love, honor and cherish" thing are optional) and to have enough beer money are all they worry about.

Kenny Chesney seems intent on encouraging this lowlife breed of slothful bums by singing songs glorifying their way of living.

Whether it's singles like "Young," "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem," or songs like "When the Sun Goes Down, "Keg In the Closet" and his latest, "Beer In Mexico," if Kenny's philosophy is the same as his songs, the good life is the unlived life, where you spend as much time trying to get out of work as actually trying to do work. Of course there's times when you feel like saying the heck with work. "Take This Job" or "Five o Clock Somewhere" (neither of which were sung by Chesney) are classic "I hate working" songs. But have you ever truly spent a weekend doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING? I have. You start atrophying. You feel worthless. Maybe it's just me, but I wasn't made to be a couch potato. In the long run, I don't think anyone is. Perhaps Kenny's "Living In Fast Forward" shows a few regrets of that busy-yet-empty lifestyle lauded in previous songs.

There's another sub-category of these songs that Kenny sings: these nostalgic retrospectives, losing one's self in a memory too exclusive and unique to appeal to many. Songs in this category include "Summertime," "Keg In the Closet," "Anything But Mine," "I Go Back," "There Goes My Life" and "Don't Happen Twice." Give it a rest, Kenny. Not all of us can look back to romancing some gal on the 50-yard line, or swimming with bikini-clad women in ponds, or leaving bottles of Yoo-Hoo on the car floor.

I'm not ragging on 'ol Kenny completely. The guy isn't exclusively buried in these categories of music, and thank goodness. Kenny Chesney has a soft side to him, a side shown in songs of genuine, tender love. I'm speaking of songs like "You Save Me," "Who You'd Be Today" (some DJs on a local station about brought me to tears when they played Who You'd Be Today in honor of a pregnant woman who was killed in a freak accident in the city), "The Woman With You" (which feminists must have hated him for, because the song implies that a highly successful working woman finds her greatest pleasure in simply being a woman to a man) "The Good Stuff" and "You Had Me From Hello." (Reportedly, "You Had Me From Hello" was written based on a line from a film starring Renee Zellweger, who later married Chesney, a marriage lasting four months.)

As usual, I find that if I'm searching for songs that I as a Christian can aspire to, I have to pick and choose from among an artist's songs, but in general, be rather turned off by most of the artist's other songs, as well as the artist himself.

Martina Sings "Anyway"

2007-01-07T21:09:00.000-08:00

In her first single release since "I Still Miss Someone" (which never made it to my airwaves) and "Rose Garden," Martina McBride has released a new single entitled "Anyway."

I was listening to the premiere of the single on AfterMidnite with Blair Garner, and immediately loved the song. The message is inspiring, and the music fits perfectly.

Click here for lyrics, and listen to the song.

In life, a lot of things are judged as meaningless, that nothing is accomplished through life, love or prayer. McBride cuts through the pessamistic voices and extends a hand and an invitation to sing (live, love, pray) anyway. There is worthwhile joy and beauty to be found in the "worthless" things such as these. McBride even takes the lyrics and applies them to herself by singing: "You can pour your soul out singing a song you believe in that tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang. Sing it anyway."

Not a lot of people are reading or will read this blog, I expect.

But, I'll blog it anyway.

Watching Rodney Atkins' "Watching You"

2007-01-07T20:50:00.000-08:00

Rodney Atkins' latest, "Watching You" has now climbed to #2 on the Country Billboard charts.

I was delighted with Atkins' single "If You're Going Through Hell," and it was one of those songs that I could peg as headed for the top. (Unfortunately, it stayed at the top so long, I began to grow tired of it.)

But "Watching You" seems to be one of those contrived "Awwwww" songs. In country music, there exist a select group of songs whose attempts to be touching and elicit purrs and choruses of "awww" are overdone. That's what strikes me about this song. (Another example of such a song would be Reba's "My Sister.")

The song is still cute, even with the blatent ad for McDonald's thrown in. The basic gist of the song is that, while driving along with his little boy in the car seat, a father is forced to slam on the brakes. This induces the dad to spout a four-letter word, which his little boy repeats. (The song is sung from the first-person perspective of the father.)

This humbles the father into realizing his good AND bad traits are being passed down to his son, and he starts some new trends for his "buckaroo."

The song passes on a good lesson, and has a relatively catchy tune, but again, I still can't shake the feeling that the "awww" factor is a little forced. I predict a rapid fall after the song peaks on the charts.

Seasonal repeats; cause/effect or effect/cause?

2006-12-11T14:10:00.000-08:00

I've noticed that a lot of country stations seem to replay songs during seasons or times of the year that hearken back to their first release. I have nothing but anecdotal evidence to suggest this, but I noticed that songs which have been out for a while, and haven't enjoyed much air time according to my careful scrutiny, seem to crop up again.

Example, Tim and Faith's "Like We Never Loved At All." The song had a great flow, and vocals. I have fond memories of driving to class at 6:30 AM through a thick, falling snow and listening to the song play on the radio.

Likewise, Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take the Wheel" released during the winter season, and I hadn't heard it very often until that time of year rolled around again.

Even Brad Paisley's "Mud On The Tires" (a great summer song) was released in the winter, and was heard on the radio a few days ago.

Is my hypothesis true that stations tend to replay songs on or about the "anniversary" of their release?

And if so, is it because the DJ did it on purpose? Or because the times of year make the DJ remember to what he or she was doing last year, thereby bringing the song to mind, thereby sparking him/her to put the song in the lineup? Or is it just that the songs jump out at me because the time of year makes me think back to the memories of songs and seasons?

Beats me.

But ain't it great how songs can stick in your mind and help solidify memories?

Underwood Carries Song to #1

2006-11-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

It was only a matter of time before Fourth Season American Idol winner Carrie Underwood made the leap from sweetheart to street walker. Hollywood and music industries quickly force such conversions, it seems.

After touching favorites like "Inside Your Heaven," "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "Don't Forget to Remember Me," the blond-haired beauty is now strutting back alleys, sporting shades, a leather jacket (which she eventually sheds to reveal her pink bra straps), jeans three sizes too small (and a swagger to prove it) and a Louisville slugger.

Crap.

Here, I thought, was an artist that could carry a song about redemption to the Top 10, and sound good doing it. Now she's had to go and ruin the ride.

I downloaded "Inside Your Heaven." "Don't Forget" wasn't a huge hit for me, but I still enjoyed it. I should have known it would only be just a matter of time until she turned to the Dark Side.

The song's lyrics consist of talking about how, while her cheating boyfriend is messing around with someone else, she lays siege to his "pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive" and details the damage in the chorus, with the verses describing what she imagines the ex-boyfriend is doing with his new girlfriend.

From a CSI perspective, carving the name into the seat was a stupid move, as vandalism happens to be a crime, no matter what the previous emotional provocation might have been. (And in the video, she leaves the bat behind. Hel-lo, finger print central!)

From a moral perspective, the song glorifies the vengance taken upon the deserving ex. The tune is a fun one, and if set to different lyrics, I'm sure I would enjoy it very much. But somehow, I just can't identify with jilted girls bashing up the cars of their cheating boyfriends.

Congratulations on your #1 hit, Ms. Underwood. (The song has since slipped to #4.) Now can we consider this a temporarly lapse in judgement, a brief pothole in the pavement of your career, and we can look forward to some more wholesome, uplifting messages and tunes in the near-future?

In Bad Faith

2006-11-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

Faith Hill Says CMA Freakout Was a Joke

I'd love to think the best of Faith about this, but a close watching of the video shows no joke. Look especially at Faith's face when she turns away. She's rolling her eyes, and clearly both hurt and frustrated.

In the words of my favorite Geico caveman...

"But Pa! That ain't country!"

2006-11-01T20:31:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed Pixar's latest movie like anyone else who enjoys good movies. It wasn't as phenomenal as some of their earlier works like Toy Story 2 or The Incredibles. But it was a great film.

Adding to the effect, Pixar commissioned America's heartland performers for some musical magic, including Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley.

Paisley's song was shoved to the end credits, sadly, but still fit with the warm, feel-good close of the movie.

Rascal Flatts' rendition of Life is a Highway is playing the airwaves right now. And it is a perfect example of a problem in country music.

Life is a Highway ain't country.

I don't care if they put it on the country charts and country stations hail it as country and play it in their lineups. There is nothing about the song that is country.

Other examples: Rascal Flatts' "Me and My Gang" or Trace Adkins' "Honkey Tonk Badonkadonk." (Which is one of the most repulsive songs since "Save a Horse.")

Now, nothing is wrong with some modern sounds to classic styles. Countless artists are doing this now. Besides using the modern instruments and sounds in the recording studio, production whizzes take the songs and remix them with the artist's voice in different pitches to create the illusion of perfect harmony with "background vocals". Sweetening them up in the studio like that may be cheating, but let's face it, the songs sound pretty good that way.

But come on. Stop putting non-country songs on the country stations.

Tim McGraw - An exercise in elasticity

2006-10-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

When I think of Tim McGraw, the one word that comes to my mind is "eclectic." (Look it up.)

There are so many of his diverse singles that are enjoyable and uplifting. While pondering what I would write for this entry, I flipped on one the local country stations and heard one of my favorites, Indian Outlaw. This song (along with "Real Good Man," which is a rather repulsive song if you ask me, "Something Like That" and "Do You Want Fries With That?) showcases Tim's "bad boy" side.

Then you have "Nostalgia" songs like "Don't Take the Girl," "Just to See You Smile," "Red Ragtop," (a tragic but real-life song about a boy who defrauds a girl, and then she winds up pregnant and gets an abortion) and "One of These Days."

Then Tim has his "Down-home Country" category, including "Down on the Farm," "My Next Thirty Years" and "Back When."

Then Tim sings Family/Love Songs, like "I Like It, I Love It," "Let's Make Love," (which is all about sexual intimacy, basically, and while that's okay for the married folk, it's not very helpful for unmarried Christians waging the Thought War) "She's My Kind of Rain," "Watch the Wind Blow By" and his most recent single, "My Little Girl."

Some of Tim's songs also classify under what I would call the Profound category, songs like "Drugs or Jesus," "Live Like You Were Dying" and perhaps "Bring On The Rain."

I would not consider myself a "fan" of Tim McGraw's. Particularly given his remarks about Presidents Bush and Clinton, but also because I am not a fan of any one singer, but rather of certain songs. This is the case because most artists have good songs, and songs which disagree with me as a Christian.

Tim's latest song, My Little Girl, comes from his upcoming film debut "Flicka," and adds a large selection of nostalgic, sentimental violins and stringed instruments to the background. I of course cannot yet know the feelings of fatherly love, but if I were, this song would probably match perfectly with it.

It's great to hear genuine family virtues such as love and devotion come over the airwaves. 10 out of 10 stars for Tim's latest, "My Little Girl."

Brad Paisley's "She's Everything"

2006-09-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to figure out when exactly Brad released his new single "Everything to Me" but regardless, it's only made its way down the pike to local radio stations, thus I only heard it for the first time mere days ago. Ironically, it was on a station which isn't known for carrying premiere singles. And I would have heard it on the other two stations, which DO carry premiere singles.

We're real Brad Paisley fans here at CVoCM. Most of his songs are about life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. A few exceptions are "The Fishing Song" (where Brad sings about chosing fishing over his wife when his wife presents that ultimatum) and "Alcohol" which is supposed to be a fun drinking song, but glories a little too much in the 'booze-it-up' lifestyle.

Whiskey Lullaby was not so much an immoral song as a sad sing singing about the tragic consequences of an immoral lifestyle. Combined with the soft tones of Alison Krauss, the song's melody itself was excellent.

But the basic point is, Brad's style makes him one of the few artists whose albums decorate my shelf.

So anyway, down to his new single, She's Everything. If you're not competent enough to punch in "Lyrics to 'Everything to Me'" then, here's the link: Lyrics to "Everything to Me" by Brad Paisley at Cowboylyrics.com.

Like "Little Moments" before, Brad is singing quietly yet earnestly about how he loves the little things about the singer's wife. Off the heels of "Brand New Girlfriend" ("a use 'em and lose 'em" attitude), the song refreshes us with the singer's intent to have his wife in the rocking chair beside him when he's 90.

Also like Little Moments, Brad sings about love even in the unhappy moments (such as Mondays, or when the cake burns, etc).

Another quiet love song from Brad earns a 9.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. Keep 'em coming, Brad.

Starting off...

2006-09-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

This blog takes a critical look at current country music songs as they are released, as well as reviewing already-existing songs.

There will be no specific format. We'll just blog as songs pop into our head. In our area (that's the royal "we" by the way) there are at least three or four country music stations, so there's not going to be a shortage for the foreseeable future.

We'll review artists' radio singles almost exclusively, as album-buying gets to be expensive, and will almost always include some song that decreases the album's worth.

We enjoy country music a great deal, so we'll not just be giving the moral thumbs up or down on a song. We'll critique the style as well as substance.

So with that in mind, now you know what to expect from this blog. Enjoy.

Un-Holy song hits #1

2006-09-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

Steve Holy was once considered a one-hit wonder for his song "Good Morning Beautiful" which we at Christian Views enjoyed.

Another single "Go Home" encouraged goodness and reconciliation.

And now, Steve Holy has hit the jackpot with his new single "Brand New Girlfriend." Jackpot, meaning billboard hits.

Morally, the song is at the bottom of the heap.

It begins as a ballad, with the singer relating how his girlfriend felt a need to back away from the relationship. Holy soon breaks out the pizazz when he explains that he reacts the way "any gentleman would do." (We know it's a tongue-in-check expression, but one wonders where this concept of "gentleman" comes from?)

Now the singer can do nothing but brag about how he got a brand-new girlfriend, explaining that they lie on the beach wearing "nothing but a smile" and playing "kissy-kissy." In the song's bridge, however, the singer himself is showing signs of hesitancy when he mentions that his new opposite is hearing wedding bells and making plans.

Yes, a grand specimen of moral decay once again crosses the country music airwaves and hits it big. Cheap is the word, date-em-and-hate-em is the action. The song makes it sound like a big pile of laughs to dump your old girlfriend and get a new one. As if they are commodities, and you can just trade an old model in for a new one. And not only do you start looking for new love interests, but you fly them out to the weekend and engage in all sorts of illicit activities without so much as an admission of fondness.

No doubt you'll accuse us of taking the light-hearted song too seriously. We'll simply ask why it is that we would want to take romantic relationships lightly. And furthermore, we'd like to direct your attention to the following article as evidence why this song deserves the big red zilch.

Study: Sexy Lyrics Lead To Sex Sooner