SATURDAY NIGHT JUKEBOX
FEATURING NEXT WEEKEND
My Store
Showing posts with label Country Rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Country Rock. Show all posts
NEW COUNTRY JUKEBOX
| Powered by eSnips.com |
My Store
Is Shania Twain a TRUE COUNTRY GIRL?
Even now, Shania has an uphill battle to prove herself as a country artist. Selling albums by the quantity doesn’t make her a country legend, probably a commercial one. In the long run quantity doesn’t win the hearts of country music audience, but quality does. I am not criticising Shania for the wrong reasons, but these are facts which should be mentioned and considered. I love her for the person she is and her unique music style. I also respect her ability to crossover, moreover bringing pop to country music, but I would like to see her establishing herself more towards being a county music legend. I think she owes this to the country fans. Of all the traditional country numbers she might have performed, I could only remember when she performed duets with Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. Is there anymore? Can someone mention them if I had left out any. Facts states, Shania was born a country girl and had almost similar life like Loretta. They grew up with such humble roots and country music had a huge effect on their life, which heavily influenced both their music as an adult. But will Shania end up like Loretta?
Looking back at her limited albums, Shania’s self-titled debut album “Shania Twain” which was released in 1993 was unsatisfactory, and didn’t capture the hearts of country music audience. Why? Was it due to the fact that she didn’t give her full passion and commitment to country music? Some people believe so, and subsequently she was alienated from the Nashville music scene. Some critics felt Shania is a much better pop singer than country singer. Her debut album was pretty average for country. The songs are routine and the production was flat. Shania warbles and gabbles as though her mind is elsewhere, yes mainstream. After the flop country album, Shania was hanging around with rock album producers, and subsequently married one. At this point in time, she felt the need to crossover to pop after her failure with country audience. With the guidance and help of the mainstream producer she released her second album “The Woman In Me” in 1995. This album was produced in a way that it suits both music genres. The producer knew beforehand what to expect from the country audience and that’s why it was produced with some assurance. You can even see differences in her music videos, if you compare her earlier singles and the older ones. This was the album which promoted Shania as a crossover artist. This album was released to the country chart and many country audiences at first seen this album as her second failure. Indeed country music audience didn’t fancy her music. The album became popular only when she decided to fully commit the album into mainstream by changing her act. The producer of her album subsequently remixed most of her songs to sound more pop which was intended for international mainstream markets. The producer killed off the country style instrumentation, and put in more upbeat pop tempo. Her third and fourth albums “Come on Over” and “Up” was also packaged more towards the mainstream audience, even they called it country but it was never one, not traditional, but I could classified it as country rock/pop. Hopefully one day, Shania will get out of Europe and move to Nashville and make a genuine country album. When will the day be? Frankly, I am hoping for it to be soon. Come on Shania, get cracking!
100% POP
Country
Country
Country or Pop? You decide
100% Pop
Duets with some legends but is she one?
SugarLand Rock On - Enjoy The Ride
Sugarland is back, but no longer a trio, with the sudden and mysterious exit of Kristen Hall. Probably she has other plans of her own, but the saddest part is I can’t see her name mentioned on this album, even though she was one of the core founders and main song writer of this group. This is a break or make album for Sugarland and after listening to it, I am able to declare that Sugarland will be around for a while. Once again this album is country pop/rock or should I say those “yuppie yihaoooo” type of music. What’s happening to this group album covers. It looks like something came out from the 70s. Anyway, we should not judge the book by its cover right. Most of the songs in this album are tough, lean, direct and in their way poignant. I like the song “Country Line” with crunchy six-strings, popping snares and kick drums, and mandolins and fiddles with an ornate B-3 to fill in the spaces, rock & roll meets the folksiness of country music. The music sounds more like one of Shania’s numbers. Sugarland firmly place themselves in the context of the new 21st century country to be sure, but even more in the context of rock & roll's grand tradition of breaking out of the rut and inviting others to do the same thing. So rock on Sugarland, probably Bon Jovi is around the corner to cut another video.
SugarLand - Enjoy The Ride
The Dixie Chicks - Bye Bye Dixie, Hello LA
Oil Oil Oil so much oil, I am getting dizzy....
Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
MY STORE (Click to Enter)
Buy All Contemporary Albums Here
