Saturday, June 28, 2003
A pair of current country ballads (yes, ballads, amazingly) - one climbing the chart, one just fallen off - are reminders that there's some twang in the genre yet.
George Strait is the epitome of hard country - when he starred in a movie titled Pure Country it made perfect sense - and a longtime lover (and supporter, and progenitor) of Texas swing, tarted up only slightly from the way Bob Wills played it. On his last few albums, he's strayed the slightest bit from his calling, making records just a twinge more pop-country than he's known for. But going by his latest single, "Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa," he's back to doing what he does best. He pulls the tempo back to a near-halt, and doesn't let the strings get in the way of the crying pedal steel and electric guitar leads. Or in the way of his fine, rich tenor voice, which wraps itself around you like a bearskin rug, singing lyrics of a lost love - which basically no male country singer does better. A stellar return to form from one of the genre's true classics (and class acts).
One of country's hottest, and best, new acts is Keith Urban. His current run from his sophomore effort, Golden Road, is helping solidify him as one of country's brightest hopes for the future. "Raining on Sunday" proves his flair for true country isn't limited to uptempo tracks (i.e. "Somebody Like You") - and proves that he's as true a believer as you'll find in mainstream country in the power of the lead guitar (which he plays the hell out of, along with the banjo). This record feels like a thunderstorm breaching the boundary of a screen window, all wind and rain interrupting a torrid afternoon. But it makes you think of the torrid afternoon, too. Sexy as hell and sumptuous to boot - and Urban ain't bad to look at, either. He's the biggest thing to hit country from down under since Livvy, and deservedly so.
Addendum: Great article by Billboard's Phyllis Stark on the current dearth of country radio hits by women.
George Strait is the epitome of hard country - when he starred in a movie titled Pure Country it made perfect sense - and a longtime lover (and supporter, and progenitor) of Texas swing, tarted up only slightly from the way Bob Wills played it. On his last few albums, he's strayed the slightest bit from his calling, making records just a twinge more pop-country than he's known for. But going by his latest single, "Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa," he's back to doing what he does best. He pulls the tempo back to a near-halt, and doesn't let the strings get in the way of the crying pedal steel and electric guitar leads. Or in the way of his fine, rich tenor voice, which wraps itself around you like a bearskin rug, singing lyrics of a lost love - which basically no male country singer does better. A stellar return to form from one of the genre's true classics (and class acts).
One of country's hottest, and best, new acts is Keith Urban. His current run from his sophomore effort, Golden Road, is helping solidify him as one of country's brightest hopes for the future. "Raining on Sunday" proves his flair for true country isn't limited to uptempo tracks (i.e. "Somebody Like You") - and proves that he's as true a believer as you'll find in mainstream country in the power of the lead guitar (which he plays the hell out of, along with the banjo). This record feels like a thunderstorm breaching the boundary of a screen window, all wind and rain interrupting a torrid afternoon. But it makes you think of the torrid afternoon, too. Sexy as hell and sumptuous to boot - and Urban ain't bad to look at, either. He's the biggest thing to hit country from down under since Livvy, and deservedly so.
Addendum: Great article by Billboard's Phyllis Stark on the current dearth of country radio hits by women.
# posted by Thomas : 6:28 PM
