Most Overrated Country Star(s)

Stephen Gregory · Post by **Stephen Gregory** » 18 Aug 2003 12:26 pm

Okay, Who do y'all think fits the bill. Lots of awards, weak vocals, mediocre musicianship, below average songwriting abilities, but lots of recognition. Fire away!

Bill Moore · Post by **Bill Moore** » 18 Aug 2003 12:40 pm

The obivious one: Tim McGraw, Also, I've always thought Hank Williams Jr. was way overated, especially his song writing. It seems that he only records his own songs, no matter how bad they are.

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 18 Aug 2003 1:02 pm

You could pick 8 of the top ten charted singers on this months chart. No shoes no shirt, no talent.; it's all about hype...

------------------
@^@

Donna Dodd · Post by **Donna Dodd** » 18 Aug 2003 1:05 pm

Kenny Cheesecake is my pick!

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 18 Aug 2003 1:19 pm

Chesney, McGraw, Brooks & Dunn, Mont./Gentry, CHRIS CAGLE ( a special award for mediocrity here!), Hank Jr, certainly.

I'd also nominate a host of faceless nonentities, some of whom have plagued the Opry stage in the last year or so - their names have mercifully slipped my memory.

I'll put Kenny C. at the top of my list because, while he's no better or worse than the others, he sounds (in his all-too-frequent interviews!) as though he's starting to believe all his publicity

------------------
Roger Rettig

David Cobb · Post by **David Cobb** » 18 Aug 2003 2:20 pm

Chesney, McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Barf Gooks, Trisha Yearwood, Toby K.

Stephen Gregory · Post by **Stephen Gregory** » 18 Aug 2003 2:24 pm

How about an act that was actually named "Artist of the Decade"?

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 18 Aug 2003 2:39 pm

From a vocal standpoint, Sawyer Brown.

The lead singer must have been a rock and roller at one time. All he had left was about a 6 note range. Go listen to one of their recordings and have a good listen to the lead singer and all the melodies to the songs--- no range at all. Kind of like listening to Mark Knopler sing.

Gary Carriger · Post by **Gary Carriger** » 18 Aug 2003 2:53 pm

David,
Trisha Yearwood....??? You're kidding, right? You may not care for her choice of songs - but she is a great singer. IMHO, she is one of the best voices ever in C&W.
Gary

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 18 Aug 2003 3:05 pm

Trisha Yearwood is a monster vocalist. Definitely world class. If you haven't seen her live you wouldn't know.

Eddie Lange · Post by **Eddie Lange** » 18 Aug 2003 3:40 pm

Hey take it easy you guys on Hank Jr. We all know he has recorded some crap, but remember the entire Old Habits album, the entire Hank Jr and Friends album, Whiskey Bent, Heaven Cant Be Found, etc. Of course he can pick great songs too i.e. Eleven Roses from Darrell McCall and I'd Rather Be Gone from Merle and many others.

David Cobb · Post by **David Cobb** » 18 Aug 2003 5:49 pm

OK, I'm not a Trisha fan because I've always thought she came across as a bit full of herself. And these days I cringe at her concert video duet with Garth that's been airing on the tube. They act like two people who need to get over themselves. She's never seemed that "country" to me. More like a gal who's too willing to do the cross-over thing, grab the bucks and go for more of a Celine Dion or Streisand take on things.
Now I'll risk contradicting myself and say that I absolutely love what she did with "How Do I Live" and what Paul Franklin did on that tune. And I have found a couple of tunes on her CD's that I could get into. Like you guys said, she may have some pipes, but I'll leave it for someone else to appreciate. And on we go.....

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 18 Aug 2003 6:17 pm

Kenny, Toby, Tim, Jr..

I'm not sure Brooks + Dunn belong on this list..Although I am not a huge fan I think Dunn is really a pretty good singer...

Put those other guys on a stage alone with an acoustic guitar and you would clearly have a candid camera episode.

t

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 18 Aug 2003 7:13 pm

WAD/

Confederate Railroad.

I saw them at a Coloseum Show here in Portland, and the bandleader the "drummer" was about the worst I'd EVER heard. His whole band had evidently bailed and he used Chely Wright's players.

He SUCKED.

Most of the others mention have some redeeming qualities.

I'll have to think about it during work tomorrow.

EJL

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 18 Aug 2003 9:18 pm

I forgot Shania Twain. She will probably end up doing rap.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 19 Aug 2003 2:23 am

I STILL say Hank Jr. - I can't abide that beer-swilling 'redneck' southern rock 'thing' at the best of times, and he is too ordinary for words - if it hadn't been for who is father was, we'd have been spared his efforts altogether.

I included Brooks & Dunn as I've yet to hear a sensitive song from them - until I hear them challenged in this way I can't really judge - that awful thing 'She Don't Know She's Beautiful' is one of the dumbest records ever, and they seem to revel in that three-chord mediocrity.

At the other end of the scale? Check out Joe Nichols' singing on his current CD - he articulates every note, his pitching is spot-on, he phrases everything beautifully and he has 'chops' to spare! There's not a poor track on the whole record.

I wonder if Kenny & co (see above) can even tell the difference - it'd be nice to think that some of the less-talented vocalists might listen to the 'great ones' rather like we all marvel at the best steel-players, but I fear that their egos might prevent it...

RR

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 19 Aug 2003 2:26 am

Hey, Bill

If we had a Music Police, Kenny Chesney might end up doing time....

Donna Dodd · Post by **Donna Dodd** » 19 Aug 2003 5:47 am

Roger, Brooks and Dunn did what I would consider a sensitive tune. It's called "When it comes to Love, I've got a lot to learn". Might just be "When it comes to Love". It's on the Brand New Man album. I enjoy their music very much. (I've never understood why so many people consider them Vanilla) I listen to them in the privacy of my own car. Isn't that respectful of me??

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 19 Aug 2003 8:43 am

I'm gonna have to listen to some country radio on the drive across the southland next week.
Then I can know who I disliike too!

I have seen Shania on the Super Bowl show, but the rest besides Hank jr. are just names.
And Hank never floated my boat to much anyway.

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 19 Aug 2003 9:56 am

quote

"that awful thing 'She Don't Know She's Beautiful' is one of the dumbest records ever, and they seem to revel in that three-chord mediocrity."

Actually, that was not B&D, but Sammy Kershaw...

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 19 Aug 2003 11:29 am

'She Don't Know She's Beautiful'

I've NEVER been a Sammy Kershaw fan,(or Doug either,for that matter) but that song title has to get an award for the "Dumbest Song Title Of The Year". Most "beautiful" girls not only know it,they make sure that everyone else does too!

------------------
<pre> ~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
www.ntsga.com</pre>

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 19 Aug 2003 12:22 pm

Most of the new (male) singers, and singer/songwriters I see on the Opry are no better than you see down on Broadway...playing for $25 plus tips. Typical "bar room band" stuff.

Most of the females seem a bit above "average", at least the kind of "average" stuff I'm used to hearin' in bars and clubs. There does appear to be far too much Whitney Houston influence among them, though.

Stephen Gregory · Post by **Stephen Gregory** » 19 Aug 2003 12:50 pm

Okay, But what about that BAND that was named Artist of the Decade?

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 19 Aug 2003 1:03 pm

Give it to Chesney for no talent and dumbest song title yet. She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy
Now there's one that'll go down with Why Don't We DDDDDDo it in The Road or You're the Reason Our Kids are Ugly

Donna Dodd · Post by **Donna Dodd** » 19 Aug 2003 2:33 pm

re: She thinks my tractor's sexy
________________________________

Don't laugh, but . . . well, . . . I consider tractors to be sexy. So I get a kick out of the song.
John Deere Donna