j j on letterman

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 18 Sep 2010 7:39 pm

yuk...a funny thing
yuck...an icky thing

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 18 Sep 2010 8:43 pm

I saw it live and liked it, and I like it even better the second time.

What kind of steel was that? It sounded great and looked like it might be home made.

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 18 Sep 2010 10:57 pm

Jim Smith wrote: What kind of steel was that? It sounded great and looked like it might be home made.

BMI

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 19 Sep 2010 7:30 am

Not all unpretentious music is solid - in fact a lot of it is not, to my tastes. I think this was very solid.

I always thought that one of the basic qualities that made country music 'good' was it's unpretentiousness. My bad, Dave. $:\$

But I still don't get the negativity. Feels like sour grapes, to me.

Like you said, you can't please everybody. It's not sour grapes, not with me, anyway, I don't play out anymore so I have no axe to grind.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 19 Sep 2010 8:21 am

yak....a funny, icky animal that lives on sour grapes.

Roger Miller · Post by **Roger Miller** » 19 Sep 2010 10:31 am

Jerry, first of all I've seen David Allen Coe when I said, "there is now way that man could have sang and written all those good songs and look like a George Clinton Rip off". Give me a stinking break, JJ is a good singer and writer, mind you no George Jones, but damn good. Live up to it buddy, his bank account is bigger than mine, maybe yours to. By the way Cowboy Eddie is no slouch, plays damn good if you ask me.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 19 Sep 2010 11:58 am

I don't get his popularity at all. He is very boring (although probably a better songwriter). I believe he catapulted to stardom after an awards show where he received an award for writing "Give It Away", by George Strait. I'd never heard of him before that. A classic example of being able to achieve stardom by riding on someone else's coat tails.

I can't really comment on the band, as I haven't paid close enough attention to them. I never heard anything that reaches out and grabs my attention. I've always heard great things about Eddie Long. But being a great player behind a lacking entertainer isn't the best stage for great players.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 19 Sep 2010 1:38 pm

I don't think Jamie's a great singer, either. He's written some good songs and I applaud that!

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 19 Sep 2010 8:00 pm

I always thought that one of the basic qualities that made country music 'good' was it's unpretentiousness. My bad, Dave.

There's a lot of unpretentious music out there (even country music) that isn't 'good', to my tastes - i.e., I don't like it. That is neither here nor there, but I think it would be a fallacy to argue that country music is 'good' because it's unpretentious, or that some other music is 'bad' because it is pretentious. There are musicians whose music and/or personae are, to me, pretentious. But I cannot deny the quality and sometimes virtuosity of their music.

I think it's interesting to, basically, argue that it's fine to gratuitously blast away at someone else's music, but somehow off-color to make a comment on that type of behavior. My own take - if I make a statement that I know to be controversial, I should very well be prepared to take some heat. Hey, they tell me heat is good for you in reasonable quantities.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 20 Sep 2010 6:59 am

OK, maybe 'good' was not the best choice of words. Maybe 'solid,' (your term,) or 'authentic' would have been better?

Three chords and the truth, right?

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 20 Sep 2010 7:45 am

Richard Sinkler wrote: I believe he catapulted to stardom after an awards show where he received an award for writing "Give It Away", by George Strait. I'd never heard of him before that. A classic example of being able to achieve stardom by riding on someone else's coat tails.

Just because you didn't hear about him before doesn't mean that he wasn't out there doing it.

Jamey Johnson had already written a couple of Trace Adkins hits before "Give It Away" was even written. He had an album on the charts, and his first single "The Dollar" made it into the top 15 on Billboard, months before George did "Give It Away".

That's some peaty tough standards, when you can only achieve stardom after George Strait has a number one hit with one of your songs. Doesn't matter that you already have a track record of writing number one hits, and that your major record label album makes it on the charts. I guess till someone gets an award for writing a George Strait song, they're just a nobody.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 20 Sep 2010 8:48 am

I see he has been co-writer on several notable hits of the recent past, including this baby, which only made it to #2.
$:\$
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honky_Tonk_Badonkadonk

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 20 Sep 2010 4:02 pm

From Wikipedia;

By 2005, Johnson had also been signed to a recording contract with BNA Records. His first single, entitled "The Dollar," was released that year, followed by his Buddy Cannon-produced debut album (also entitled The Dollar) in March 2006. "The Dollar" went on to peak at #14 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. The album's second single, "Rebelicious," failed to enter the charts and Johnson was dropped from BNA.
After the loss of his record deal, Johnson divorced his wife and took on a reclusive lifestyle, residing in a friend's house while working on his songwriting.[4] He wrote several songs for other artists. In 2006, George Strait reached #1 on the Country chart with "Give It Away," a song which Johnson co-wrote with Bill Anderson and Cannon. This song became Strait's 41st #1 on the Billboard country charts, setting a new record for most #1s on that chart.
In 2007, Trace Adkins charted with two more songs that Johnson co-wrote: "Ladies Love Country Boys" and "I Got My Game On," the former being Adkins' first #1 in 10 years. Also in 2007, Joe Nichols reached Top 20 with "Another Side of You," another song co-written by Johnson. This song was the first single on Nichols's album Real Things, which also contained "She's All Lady," a song that Johnson originally recorded on The Dollar.

Sorry Alvin, but as I read this, he had the one song (the Dollar), which I never heard played on the radio, then got canned. "Give it Away" was in 2006. The Trace Adkins songs came a year later, except Honky Tonk... in 2005

I don't question his ability as a song writer. I even enjoy playing "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" -- Sorry Barry, it slipped out.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 20 Sep 2010 4:04 pm

I even enjoy playing "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" -- Sorry Barry, it slipped out.

I understand, Richard, it's a visual thang, right?

Roger Miller · Post by **Roger Miller** » 20 Sep 2010 6:21 pm

Yeah, his looks is not quite George Joneshiss, but for one thing, do not show him where you hide the knives in the kitchen, or check his shoes for explosives.

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 20 Sep 2010 7:48 pm

Richard Sinkler wrote:From Wikipedia;
By 2005, Johnson had also been signed to a recording contract with BNA Records. His first single, entitled "The Dollar," was released that year, followed by his Buddy Cannon-produced debut album (also entitled The Dollar) in March 2006. "The Dollar" went on to peak at #14 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. The album's second single, "Rebelicious," failed to enter the charts and Johnson was dropped from BNA.
After the loss of his record deal, Johnson divorced his wife and took on a reclusive lifestyle, residing in a friend's house while working on his songwriting.[4] He wrote several songs for other artists. In 2006, George Strait reached #1 on the Country chart with "Give It Away," a song which Johnson co-wrote with Bill Anderson and Cannon. This song became Strait's 41st #1 on the Billboard country charts, setting a new record for most #1s on that chart.
In 2007, Trace Adkins charted with two more songs that Johnson co-wrote: "Ladies Love Country Boys" and "I Got My Game On," the former being Adkins' first #1 in 10 years. Also in 2007, Joe Nichols reached Top 20 with "Another Side of You," another song co-written by Johnson. This song was the first single on Nichols's album Real Things, which also contained "She's All Lady," a song that Johnson originally recorded on The Dollar.
Sorry Alvin, but as I read this, he had the one song (the Dollar), which I never heard played on the radio, then got canned. "Give it Away" was in 2006. The Trace Adkins songs came a year later, except Honky Tonk... in 2005

I don't question his ability as a song writer. I even enjoy playing "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" -- Sorry Barry, it slipped out.

Thank you, that was my point exactly. That he had already had some commercial success before he wrote the George Strait hit. He wasn't riding anyone's coat tails.

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 23 Sep 2010 11:33 am

The first time I heard JJ I liked him right off. I didn't know who was playing steel but I liked it whoever it was and it's real country whether you like the look or not. I think we'll be seeing a lot of this guy. I did see him in person but only for three tunes at the Waylon Days event in Leipers Fork, Tn a few weeks ago. He knocked that crowd out with just a flat top and appeared to be very humble and grateful to have been invited to be there. I like the rawness if his stuff and he writes some killer lyrics.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 25 Sep 2010 9:37 am

yeah...badonkadonk is some killer lyrics alright. and very sensitive. i heard merle is going to cover it.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 28 Sep 2010 5:26 am

Yes, co-writer! Merle might get air play if he covered the tune.

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 28 Sep 2010 5:45 pm

nothing to write home about like you said, but good for them.

nice of Axl Rose to make an appearance on guitar!

Rick Nicklas · Post by **Rick Nicklas** » 28 Sep 2010 7:36 pm

If you get a chance, go to his website http://www.jameyjohnson.com/videos.aspx and get a load of those "On The Road Videos". Eddie Long does some really fine exchanges with the lead player in "High Cost of Living and In Color" and the band is really tight for being so loose. Smokin and drinkin and pickin some really kicka$$ tunes. I like the part where he signs the guys glass eyeball. These guys enjoy the heck out of what they do and Eddie gets the limelight between and on almost every song on "That Lonesome Song" album. In fact it's almost like listening to a steel guitar album. His guitar is a keyless BMI Universal-12.