Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Blogging the 38th Annual CMA Awards (while wondering if I'm the only P&J voter who does such a thing):
8:08PM PST: Shania presents Song of the Year right off the bat (after a great opening perf by Tim McGraw of "How Bad Do You Want It?") - and yup, it goes to Tim's "Live Like You Were Dying," which only a pigfucker could argue with. What a great, classic, CMA-winning-sounding song to follow in the fine tradition. Wow, and the songwriters get a standing "O." Oh, no he di'n't! One of the winners (both Nashville men) just said "I wanna have Tim McGraw's baby."
8:14PM: Gretchen Wilson performs "When I Think About Cheatin'," her new single, which proves definitively that she's got the goods. Not only does she sing superbly, but this song is stone country: it could've been a single 30 years ago. It's always been one of the standouts on the album, and I'm so glad it's a single now.
8:20PM: Whoa! This new version of "Mockingbird" by Toby Keith and his daughter Krystal (who's got some pipes on her, good-not-great but still good) is radically, well, Toby. Sure's hell don't sound like James Taylor, that's for sure. It's all bluesy an' shit, and I like it enough to make it tip the scales on whether or not I should get his Greatest Hits 2, and the answer's "hell yeah." Plus it's got "You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This," one of the best tough-guy ballads evah.
8:27PM: Nice, succinct tribute to Ray Charles from - hell, either Brooks or Dunn, I don't know - nicely reminding people that Ray was country, too.
8:31PM: Martina McBride can do these set pieces in her sleep, can't she? And you wonder why she's the reigning Female Vocalist?
8:35PM: Vocal Event goes to Brad [Paisley] and Alison [Krauss]! Woo HOO! I do so love that the CMAs award real country music.
8:39PM: Thanks to Big & Rich's perf of "Rollin'," the word "crunk" was just heard for the first time at a country awards show. God bless America. Or at least Big & Rich.
8:51PM: It was just an aside, but whoa, "Whiskey Lullaby" took Video of the Year! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you CMA Award winner, Rick Schroeder. [He directed.] But why the fuck wasn't "Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)" even nominated?! Single, btw, went to Tim. I'm starting to sense a sweep... could this be his year to win Entertainer?
8:56PM: Billy Currington looks so much like a sexy '70s gay porn star - but did you hear the news in today's USA Today? Shania originally asked Toby to sing "Party for Two" with her - and he said yes! But, unfortunately, their schedules didn't sync up. Doing "Party for Two" as a reworking of the video was NOT such a good idea, however. But I guess with a song as gloriously cheesy as this, there's not much alternative.
9:12PM: First sighting of leather pants, on a guitarist in Kenny Chesney's band. Are they from International Male?
9:15PM: Lord, Reba's "He Gets That From Me" is a gut-punch of a song - and have you seen the video? It's so Reba, and it's so great.
9:17PM: Second sighting of leather pants, on a member of Lonestar. Thank goodness they're not performing, just giving out Vocal Duo. To, whaddaya know, Brooks & Dunn, for the 13th of the last 14 years. Excuse me while I stifle a yawn.
9:25PM: It's Action Jackson (that's Alan), doing his new single, "Monday Morning Church," with the incomparable Patty Loveless on backing vocals. Damn, their voices sound good together. Patty's one of the finest performer's I've ever had the privilege of seeing live, on 2002's Down from the Mountain tour. Hearing her harmonize with Ralph Stanley was truly chill-inducing, in a good way. And re: "Church," if it's the big hit I assume it'll bee, wanna bet it'll be up for some of these trophies same time next year?
9:29PM: Randy Travis won Album of the Year back in '87 with Always and Forever, and now he's presenting it - just like the Grammys like to do (have previous winners present Album, I mean). And oh. My. Gosh. It goes to Kenny's When the Sun Goes Down, who's not only seated in the front row next to Reba, but gets a standing "O" - not so surprising, in that it's his first-ever CMA Award. I think, however, that this is the first major misstep of the CMAs tonight: i.e., 10 years from now, no one's going to think, "yeah, that Kenny Chesney album sure is/was a classic!" But you can't get 'em all, I guess.
9:44PM: Terri Clark's performing with an all-girl band (which led the bf to ask, "Are they all-lesbian?" I replied, "Well, they're from Canada." Brickbats to the usual address). Shame about the live version of "Girls Lie Too" being so damned limp, even if the studio version does feature one of '04's funniest lines: "Yeah, that looks good! Comb it over like that. *Growl!*"
9:48PM: Is it just me, or do Pat Green and Phil Vassar look a little alike?
9:56PM: Hall of Fame: Willie, of course, inducts Kris Kristofferson, singing the hook from "For the Good Times." And - oh, wow, this makes sense - Faith Hill singing the 1971 Single of the Year, written by Kris, Sammi Smith's "Help Me Make It Through the Night." As much as I love Randy Travis, though, something feels a little off about hearing him sing part of "Sunday Morning Coming Down" - maybe 'cause I don't buy that he's ever "wish[ed] to Lord that [he] was stoned." How much do you love that all four of the Highwaymen are finally in the Hall of Fame?
10:10PM: I "heart" Keith Urban.
10:12PM: Is it just me, or do Dierks Bentley and Billy Currington look a little alike? Of course, the major difference between them is that Dierks is gonna be around for a while, I think, and makes great singles like "How Am I Doin'."
10:15PM: Male Vocalist is Keith Urban! This is by far the night's biggest upset, and Nashville is thrilled - another standing "O." I love his self-deprecating-ness: "I thought I was just rounding out the category." Welcome to the big leagues, Keith - and damned if you don't deserve it.
10:18PM: My home state's WFMS is the only station to win both Air Personality and Station of the Year in its class (Large Market), so congrats to them.
10:24PM: Damn if Julie Roberts doesn't sound like a career artist, even if she won't win the Horizon Award. Because of course Gretchen does; fortunately, she also sounds like a career artist.
10:31PM: Proof that the bf is not a country fan, or even listener: he's kinda-sorta freaking out over Montgomery Gentry's outfits, i.e. "they're strange, and jump around strange[ly] ... and [Eddie Montgomery]'s mike stand is chain-link!" Third sighting of leather pants on Montgomery, btw. And their performance was really half-assed.
10:39PM: Hall of Fame: Reba classily reads the Teleprompter and inducts the man who signed her, Tanya Tucker, George Strait, and Garth Brooks, among many others: Jim Fogelsong.
10:41PM: Rascal Flatts are the male, country version of Wilson Phillips, without the lineage. That's not meant as a compliment.
10:51PM: I like this take on "Hey Good Lookin'" - the Jimmy Buffet and friends version - because it feels like a lot of fun. And frankly, it works better live, when it's a little ragged and rough around the edges. [I'm still glad this lost Vocal Event, though.]
10:55PM: Where would country music be without Dolly Parton? She's here to hand out Entertainer to... Kenny Chesney?! Stunning. Yeah, he had a big year (another #1 album on both the country and pop charts, more #1 country singles, and a huge tour), but I'm still shocked; he just doesn't seem to have the gravity for this award. And will Toby ever win this? [Oh, and CMA? You do NOT play the Entertainer of the Year off the stage just so that CBS affiliates can make their late news right on time.]
10:58PM: David Wild wrote the show?? David friggin' Wild?!?! Good night, indeed.
8:08PM PST: Shania presents Song of the Year right off the bat (after a great opening perf by Tim McGraw of "How Bad Do You Want It?") - and yup, it goes to Tim's "Live Like You Were Dying," which only a pigfucker could argue with. What a great, classic, CMA-winning-sounding song to follow in the fine tradition. Wow, and the songwriters get a standing "O." Oh, no he di'n't! One of the winners (both Nashville men) just said "I wanna have Tim McGraw's baby."
8:14PM: Gretchen Wilson performs "When I Think About Cheatin'," her new single, which proves definitively that she's got the goods. Not only does she sing superbly, but this song is stone country: it could've been a single 30 years ago. It's always been one of the standouts on the album, and I'm so glad it's a single now.
8:20PM: Whoa! This new version of "Mockingbird" by Toby Keith and his daughter Krystal (who's got some pipes on her, good-not-great but still good) is radically, well, Toby. Sure's hell don't sound like James Taylor, that's for sure. It's all bluesy an' shit, and I like it enough to make it tip the scales on whether or not I should get his Greatest Hits 2, and the answer's "hell yeah." Plus it's got "You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This," one of the best tough-guy ballads evah.
8:27PM: Nice, succinct tribute to Ray Charles from - hell, either Brooks or Dunn, I don't know - nicely reminding people that Ray was country, too.
8:31PM: Martina McBride can do these set pieces in her sleep, can't she? And you wonder why she's the reigning Female Vocalist?
8:35PM: Vocal Event goes to Brad [Paisley] and Alison [Krauss]! Woo HOO! I do so love that the CMAs award real country music.
8:39PM: Thanks to Big & Rich's perf of "Rollin'," the word "crunk" was just heard for the first time at a country awards show. God bless America. Or at least Big & Rich.
8:51PM: It was just an aside, but whoa, "Whiskey Lullaby" took Video of the Year! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you CMA Award winner, Rick Schroeder. [He directed.] But why the fuck wasn't "Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)" even nominated?! Single, btw, went to Tim. I'm starting to sense a sweep... could this be his year to win Entertainer?
8:56PM: Billy Currington looks so much like a sexy '70s gay porn star - but did you hear the news in today's USA Today? Shania originally asked Toby to sing "Party for Two" with her - and he said yes! But, unfortunately, their schedules didn't sync up. Doing "Party for Two" as a reworking of the video was NOT such a good idea, however. But I guess with a song as gloriously cheesy as this, there's not much alternative.
9:12PM: First sighting of leather pants, on a guitarist in Kenny Chesney's band. Are they from International Male?
9:15PM: Lord, Reba's "He Gets That From Me" is a gut-punch of a song - and have you seen the video? It's so Reba, and it's so great.
9:17PM: Second sighting of leather pants, on a member of Lonestar. Thank goodness they're not performing, just giving out Vocal Duo. To, whaddaya know, Brooks & Dunn, for the 13th of the last 14 years. Excuse me while I stifle a yawn.
9:25PM: It's Action Jackson (that's Alan), doing his new single, "Monday Morning Church," with the incomparable Patty Loveless on backing vocals. Damn, their voices sound good together. Patty's one of the finest performer's I've ever had the privilege of seeing live, on 2002's Down from the Mountain tour. Hearing her harmonize with Ralph Stanley was truly chill-inducing, in a good way. And re: "Church," if it's the big hit I assume it'll bee, wanna bet it'll be up for some of these trophies same time next year?
9:29PM: Randy Travis won Album of the Year back in '87 with Always and Forever, and now he's presenting it - just like the Grammys like to do (have previous winners present Album, I mean). And oh. My. Gosh. It goes to Kenny's When the Sun Goes Down, who's not only seated in the front row next to Reba, but gets a standing "O" - not so surprising, in that it's his first-ever CMA Award. I think, however, that this is the first major misstep of the CMAs tonight: i.e., 10 years from now, no one's going to think, "yeah, that Kenny Chesney album sure is/was a classic!" But you can't get 'em all, I guess.
9:44PM: Terri Clark's performing with an all-girl band (which led the bf to ask, "Are they all-lesbian?" I replied, "Well, they're from Canada." Brickbats to the usual address). Shame about the live version of "Girls Lie Too" being so damned limp, even if the studio version does feature one of '04's funniest lines: "Yeah, that looks good! Comb it over like that. *Growl!*"
9:48PM: Is it just me, or do Pat Green and Phil Vassar look a little alike?
9:56PM: Hall of Fame: Willie, of course, inducts Kris Kristofferson, singing the hook from "For the Good Times." And - oh, wow, this makes sense - Faith Hill singing the 1971 Single of the Year, written by Kris, Sammi Smith's "Help Me Make It Through the Night." As much as I love Randy Travis, though, something feels a little off about hearing him sing part of "Sunday Morning Coming Down" - maybe 'cause I don't buy that he's ever "wish[ed] to Lord that [he] was stoned." How much do you love that all four of the Highwaymen are finally in the Hall of Fame?
10:10PM: I "heart" Keith Urban.
10:12PM: Is it just me, or do Dierks Bentley and Billy Currington look a little alike? Of course, the major difference between them is that Dierks is gonna be around for a while, I think, and makes great singles like "How Am I Doin'."
10:15PM: Male Vocalist is Keith Urban! This is by far the night's biggest upset, and Nashville is thrilled - another standing "O." I love his self-deprecating-ness: "I thought I was just rounding out the category." Welcome to the big leagues, Keith - and damned if you don't deserve it.
10:18PM: My home state's WFMS is the only station to win both Air Personality and Station of the Year in its class (Large Market), so congrats to them.
10:24PM: Damn if Julie Roberts doesn't sound like a career artist, even if she won't win the Horizon Award. Because of course Gretchen does; fortunately, she also sounds like a career artist.
10:31PM: Proof that the bf is not a country fan, or even listener: he's kinda-sorta freaking out over Montgomery Gentry's outfits, i.e. "they're strange, and jump around strange[ly] ... and [Eddie Montgomery]'s mike stand is chain-link!" Third sighting of leather pants on Montgomery, btw. And their performance was really half-assed.
10:39PM: Hall of Fame: Reba classily reads the Teleprompter and inducts the man who signed her, Tanya Tucker, George Strait, and Garth Brooks, among many others: Jim Fogelsong.
10:41PM: Rascal Flatts are the male, country version of Wilson Phillips, without the lineage. That's not meant as a compliment.
10:51PM: I like this take on "Hey Good Lookin'" - the Jimmy Buffet and friends version - because it feels like a lot of fun. And frankly, it works better live, when it's a little ragged and rough around the edges. [I'm still glad this lost Vocal Event, though.]
10:55PM: Where would country music be without Dolly Parton? She's here to hand out Entertainer to... Kenny Chesney?! Stunning. Yeah, he had a big year (another #1 album on both the country and pop charts, more #1 country singles, and a huge tour), but I'm still shocked; he just doesn't seem to have the gravity for this award. And will Toby ever win this? [Oh, and CMA? You do NOT play the Entertainer of the Year off the stage just so that CBS affiliates can make their late news right on time.]
10:58PM: David Wild wrote the show?? David friggin' Wild?!?! Good night, indeed.
# posted by Thomas : 11:00 PM
