Nashville's Young Guns

Nashville's new guard are pushing out the old guard. Hell, the trend for new talent is now making Keith Urban and Brad Paisley seem old.

I don't think is something new for Nashville. And it's usually on display more when it comes to their CMA Awards show. In the 80's, I remember new names coming to the podium, outdistancing stalwarts.

But how Country are these newcomers? Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland don't sound it to me. Miranda Lambert does, but how long is anyone's guess, now that she's a sizable star.

As you saw with the Loretta Lynn tribute, Nashville will always honor its past. But the newbies are coming on stronger than ever before.

Playlist for 11/28

Norah Jones - Featuring

Elliott Smith - Introduction

Bon Jovi - Greatest Hits

Blake Shelton -Best of

Huey Lewis - Soulsville

Neil Diamond - Dreams

More Roy Trakin

More Roy Trakin Rock Hall thoughts (go to #3 and #10)

http://bit.ly/eg9WlT

Excerpt:

"… The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voting must have a public component, if for nothing else than to stimulate debate and make people feel involved in the process"

I and others have advocated this for years. Nice to see Trakin on our side.

Turkey

Thanks to streaming, I've been able to avoid buying albums that I used to just go out and drop money on, take 'em home, and hope they are good.

That's how I, and probably everyone else, used to buy albums. You could read as many reviews as you want, but until you heard the album, you just never know.

So, I can't name one album I bought this year that I thought was a Turkey, even though I streamed some that could qualify.

Score one for the Internet age.

Best of's

Every year, usually right before Christmas, which is when Best of's are released, I cross off more names from the "what artist doesn't have a Greatest Hits compilation" list. The big holdouts remain AC/DC and Metallica. But I think every other artist or group has now been represented. And someday those 2 will give in. In this day and age you can easily compile your own comps, but it's still nice to have something handy in my collection.

Roy Trakin Update

Well, It's official, Roy Trakin is a Nominating Committee Member.
From his HITS Daily Double: Home column, and his review of Bryan Ferry's new album, comes this excerpt

"I nominated Roxy Music for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the last committee meeting, to no avail. After Olympia, a Roxy album in all but name, I’m more convinced than ever they deserve the honor."

Worst Buy

Looks like Amazon.com will be my new CD buying place. Best Buy is a sad spectacle with its shrinking space and Borders is too expensive. Indie stores? Around here, also too high. Better deals on the web.

It's because of this that I can see why people think the CD will be dead in a few years. But then I read that Country fans buy more CD's than any other genre. This doesn't surprise me, but it also doesn't make me think that the end is coming.

Playlist for 11/16

Neil Diamond - Dreams

Brad Paisley - Hits Alive

Bryan Ferry - Olympia

Of Montreal -False Priest

Ray Charles - Rare Genius

Walkman

The announcement last month that Sony was discontinuing the Walkman brought a lot of tears to mix-taper everywhere. I was still making mix tapes until the late 90's. For some reason a Mix Tape always looked better on cassette than CD. C-60 was the best, but sometimes a big 'ol C-90 did the trick.

The Ipod killed the Walkman, but those of us who still have cassette decks in our car or house, and still have a few tapes lying around from the 80's/90's, will always have a place in our hearts for the original.

Crossing Over

Sugarland's Incredible Machine has gotten a lot of grief from critics decrying its lack of Country material. But let's face it, most of today's Country is just Pop music with a slight tinge of twang. That's what I hear on Country Hits Radio. If you want deep Country then you have to go elsewhere. You'll have better luck on Americana stations, or Satellite channels.

What Sugarland is doing is no different than what many other so-called Country artists have been doing since Shania Twain crossed over: pumping up the volume to get played on Top 40, Pop or AC stations.

But why blame them? A lot of their last album was Pop music. Jennifer Nettles' voice is indeed Country, but here she keeps it mostly in check.

So is it any good? Make a Pop album, as the review in the NY Times said, is okay as long as its a good one. This is an okay album, some good songs will be hits and show up on future compilations, but overall it isn't as good a crossover attempt as the Shania albums. But then what has been since then? Taylor Swift?

Dad

My Dad, Thomas Roy Lane, was an Army veteran. He served 26 years, and fought in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He died on February 5, 2008 at age 74. I think about him everyday, and only wish I could have told him more times than I did how much I love him.

Dad was very proud of his Military service. Now on Veteran's Day, I want everyone to know all he did for his Country. A true American Hero. But more than that, I want him to know that he's always in my heart.

Dad, I love you.

Playlist for 11/9

Bob Dylan - Bootleg Series Vol. 9

Secret Sisters

Shakira - Sale El Sol

Liz Phair -Girlysound

Sufjan Stevens - Age of Adz

Black Mountain -Wilderness Heart

Robbie Williams - The Greatest Hits

Les Savy Fav -Root for Ruin

Belle & Sebastian -Write About Love

Journey To Love Rare & Early Elektra (Mojo Magazine)

All Artist Channels

The week that the Elton John/Leon Russell album came out, Sirius ran one of their all artists channel spotlights on John. Good fun was to be had. Heard songs I haven't heard in decades. And I have most of his albums!

I've said before that the idea of an all Artist channel is excellent. If someone has the catalog, then why shouldn't they have their own channel. Sirius has a Grateful Dead, Elvis, Springsteen and Jimmy Buffet channel, but I wish they had more. If Sirius or AOL (which also has some all artist channels on their Radio link) doesn't want to give you one, then why not stream your catalog on your own website?

Big Over There

I'm listening to this great 2CD Robbie Williams compilation and I begin to wonder how many other artists were big in Europe and never made it here in the States.

The names I came up with, without doing much research, at least had 1 or 2 Top 40 songs, but are still better known overseas:

Slade, Status Quo, Kylie Minogue, Ultravox came to mind real fast. As do lots of Boy and Girl Group bands from the last 15 years.

There are others. Williams may have been "too British" for American ears. His best known song "Angels" was covered by Jessica Simpson in to a minor hit, but listening to all his hits I hear other songs that should have crossed over.

Playlist for 11/2

Darius Rucker -Charleston SC 1966
Duran Duran - Notorious
Old 97's - Grand Theatre
Elton John /Leon Russell - Union
Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown
Rod Stewart - American Songbook V

2011 Rock Hall Predictions

Next month the Rock Hall will announce their latest inductees. Most likely they will stick with 5 names, but for my predictions below I'll add 3, just in case.

Once again, these are my predictions, not my picks.

Neil Diamond - My only sure shot among this years nominees. How foolish will the Hall look after keeping Diamond out for so long, that he could get in on his first time nominated?

Donna Summer - The Committee wants a Disco act in, but which ones will the voters eventually pick? Although Nile Rodgers has serious musician cred, I'm going with Summer slightly over Chic.

Dr. John - This could catch people by surprise, and I'm not seeing him mentioned in many other prediction posts. Dr. John has been making records since the late 60's, and has played with tons of musicians, that might be enough.

Alice Cooper - Like Diamond, this nom has been a long time coming. I believe he took KISS's slot this year in the Rock category. The only thing that could hurt him is that his output since the late 70's has been mostly forgettable. I'm tempted to think that this could be a shoo-in for Cooper, but then I think of how the Hall voters bypassed KISS and didn't induct AC/DC first time on the ballot.

Tom Waits - A big crit and artist fave, he has the 2nd best shot of getting in, behind Diamond.

Alternates:

Beastie Boys - Of the 2 Rap acts, the Beasties have the best shot this year.

Laura Nyro - I don't know why the Hall wants her in so badly. But now on her 2nd try she could sneak in, thanks to a big vote from the critic delegation.

Chic - Forever nominated, this is their 6th. If it's not Donna Summer, then Chic will get the Disco vote.

Bon Jovi - Too popular to ignore?