CMA Awards

Mike Weirauch · Post by **Mike Weirauch** » 5 Nov 2003 8:55 pm

I took Theresa Galbraith's optimistic approach at watching the Awards tonight and actually found them enjoyable. There were parts that I didn't like but as a whole, it wasn't bad. There was lots of steel to be seen and heard tonight. There seemed to be less "bubble gum" rock and more Country than normal. Even Shannanananana sounded good. Toby Keith was good. (I thought I would NEVER utter those words!) Allison Krause is always good. Wynono should have stayed home and Carl Smith should have been called up on stage like all the others in the past. It was not repulsive like it has been in the past.

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 5 Nov 2003 9:14 pm

Wait. The show is over? I'm still waiting for Shania? What is this? Time zones?

Did anyone notice Tater strumming along with Brad Paisley? He looked like a happy pea picker turning it over to the young'uns.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 6 Nov 2003 5:03 am

Ok I'll say it..or ask it...and I will be as respectful as my Momma has taught me..

I am somewhat confused..(story of my life I suppose)

Now lets be clear..I am ( was) a nice Johhny Cash fan..Not a huge fan,but a nice fan..I certainly liked the earliest material way more than the recent years.

I fully agree he is ,was, an Icon..

Now...
Someone can spend there entire career releasing a song, or songs, that can be acclamed as "Song of the Year" etc..record of the Year..album of the Year..even Video of the year..it may only happen one time in an entire career..some are fortunate and it happens several times..

Ok..here it is..you know it's coming..

HURT..by Johnny..I suppose it's a fine song..I never really ever heard it played on the radio..never saw the video..never really saw the CD..Never heard the entire Album..Before last night I actually forgot it existed.

I would ask this question to those in the know..

If Johnny was still with us..would that song , album and video been given top honors?

It seems to me that it probably would not have..considering it pretty much wasn't on any regular play list..or at least not repeated throught the day on any radio play lists..

Was the album at the top of the Billboard sales charts ?

So the song was awarded all the top honors and those that had indredible successful years..( not you Tim or Kenney)are relegated to a back seat ..for what reason ?

If the show and the awards are about overdue or past due or just plain respect or acknowledgement..then say so..

Just call it The CMA Respect Show..Have Aretha Franklin host it...and be done with it.

My feeling is it would have been better served to offer up another honor for Johnny Cash for what he was..an Icon..rather than to award the song, album and video the tops spots..

To me this was clearly exposed for what it was..Johnny passed on and they decided to give him awards..based on his career..and his passing.

So I ask again..if Johnny was still with us..would they have given that song the awards...??

Ok..I think I was respectful here...

T

Oh..and what was up with Rascal Flats trying to spontaneously give there award to Alabama ? Whats up with that ? I think Randy Owens was as disturbed ( clearly put on the spot)about that as the show producers backstage must have been..( does flippin' out come to mind ?)..Hey Rascal Flats..I got news for you..Randy doesn't need your award..he has a wall full of them for well over 20 years of success..You better keep your award..it may be the last one you get..IF you wanna start giving them away say in 20 years from now fine, but giving your award to Randy Owens is like saying
"Hey Man We're better than you now".."But we really dig you old tired guys"...well I guess it's not "LIKE" saying it..it "IS" saying it..

Very strange..at least there shirts were buttond..

By the way..Does Kid Rock have a real name..?
OR is he one of those people like Prince..who doesn't even have a name anymore?

Now I'm dun...[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 06 November 2003 at 05:04 AM.]

Janice Brooks · Post by **Janice Brooks** » 6 Nov 2003 5:31 am

I was upset about Carl s also

As for Cash I would have settled for the video award. American Recordings 4 is not my favorete of the series and why should they choose a single ignored by a lot of country radio.

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

Dale Bessant · Post by **Dale Bessant** » 6 Nov 2003 7:25 am

yes,Kid Rock does have a real name,"Useless"......[This message was edited by Dale Bessant on 06 November 2003 at 07:26 AM.]

Dale Bennett · Post by **Dale Bennett** » 6 Nov 2003 7:30 am

Right on Dale with the Kid Rock name. Useless

Steve Pacholl · Post by **Steve Pacholl** » 6 Nov 2003 7:32 am

As for Cash and his awards. First, the video for Hurt is one of the best (IMHO) videos ever made. It is very powerful. I believe it deserved the Video of the Year Award and should have won the Grammy.

As far as Single and Album of the year. In my opinion a very good album, but did Cash deserve the single and album of the year? In light of the CMA's past history of being a popularity contest would Cash have won if he were still leaving - I doubt it. But then, of the other's nominated, Cash's was the best artistically. As we all know, there are many other artists on idependent labels who are putting out great records and should be nominated.

In my neck of the woods, an AM classic country station plays Cash's Hurt quite regularly. They also play Dale Watson a number of times a day. Not bad for a hick radio station in central MN.

The Hurt video has been widely played on VH1 and is popular with the non-country audience. As a video it has sold well as well. I'll say it again, "A very powerful video." Those who have not seen it. Take the time to be enlightened and see it at Losthighwayrecords.com, or buy the CD that includes the DVD.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 6 Nov 2003 8:07 am

It's only the same as John Wayne's 'token' Oscar for 'True Grit' - I suppose the powers-that-be feel they have to do it.

Weren't Alison and Union Station amazing?

RR

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 6 Nov 2003 8:12 am

I agree that "Hurt" should have won best video, but that's about it.
I was rolling in the floor about the Rascal Flats/Alabama melt down. Randy Owens didn't know what to do. He looked pissed. It looked like the drummer sitting next to him said, "come on, I'll walk up there with you", and they both walked to the stage. Then, CBS cut to a commercial. That was so tense.
Was it me, or did George Jones announce the "Entertainer of the Year" prematurly? Vince introduced George, he came out to a standing ovation, started talking before the appluse died down, grabbed the envelope from Vince, opened it and said "Allan Jackson"! When they havn't even named the nominees yet. They may have just been short on time, but it sure looked like everyone was totally taken by surprise.

kyle reid · Post by **kyle reid** » 6 Nov 2003 8:24 am

The best part of the show was, NO awards for Toby, Kenny, & Tim

Gino Iorfida · Post by **Gino Iorfida** » 6 Nov 2003 8:36 am

A few takes on what I saw:
1) Overall, there must have been monitor issues, because just about EVERYONE sounded to be singing off key at least at first.

2) A good bit of steel playing on there which is refreshing!

3) Toby Keith -- doing a more 'traditional' country song (traditional being not the pop of today, but more of the 70's-80's 'outlaw' country like Waylon, willie etc) however, the cameraman needs to realize that during the steel lead, it was NOT the dude w/ the les paul playing it!!

4) Blake Shelton -- no steel player or harmonica on stage, yet, where did those parts come from? (did they even have a 'pit orchestra', or was it all tracks?)

5) Brooks and Dunn, a band who seems to have been able to survive it all-- they started when country was going pop, and getting popular, did fine, came out with the most successful line dance thing, survived that to do a good bit of country (traditional and non-traditional) etc... but what they performed, I'm sorry, but that song is in my opinion, the "Best Rolling Stones song that the Rolling Stones never recorded".

6) Brad Paisley -- his last CD (Part II) was VERY traditional country sounding, however, what's up with this 'celebrity' song... good to see Dickens on stage with him, though..

7) Rascal Flatts -- so it IS true... all the pop boy bands (98 deg, n'Sync, Backstreet Boys), DID break up and reform as one 'country' band?. And their slap in the face of Alabama... the look on Randy Owen's face is all that needed to be said for that one.

8)Allison Krauss -- is it just me, or does her vocal performance get better every time I hear her. And of course, Jerry Douglass, well what CAN be said about him that already hasn't been said.

9) Vince Gill -- very entertaining this year... and his song is just so true about the current music industry!

10) Johnny Cash -- ok, a man loved and respected by us all, but just because he does a song by a trendy pop guy, and has passed away, but some of the awards were well I dont know...

11) The Johnny Cash tribute good to see Kris Kristofferson on it!! however, Hank Jr. I'm sorry, was in pooor taste... We all know Hank is known to party a bit and all that, but without knowing for sure, the way he was acting, just looked like someone whojust got all coked up (dont want to accuse if it was nto true, but he sure acted like it).

12) all in all, the new country music is leaning toward pop. We all know this, and recognise this, however... I ask you to think back a bit... those old enough to remember the 70's and'80s, when Willie, Waylon, David Allen Coe, Alabama etc were at the peak of the 'outlaw country' movement/country rock... everybody was saying it was the end of country, and that these 'new guys were no good'... 20 years or so later, we see these guys as 'country' and that today's new guys wree not 'country like the waylon, willie etc were'. Even Ronnie Milsap, which many consider as country as you cna get, wan'st very country with songs like 'Stranger in my House' etc... then in the midst of all these 'non-country-country-stars', you have a Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Dale Watson etc who show the odl time coutnry sound...
-- point is, we may not care for the TimMcGraw/Kenny Chesney/Shania's, however if they help keep people tuned into the country stations, people are hearing the steel guitar, and may be the future of this instrument.
[This message was edited by Gino Iorfida on 06 November 2003 at 08:38 AM.]

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 6 Nov 2003 9:01 am

Thanks Mike!

I enjoyed the show. Alot of fine steelplaying being seen and heard.
I have issues like everyone else. I know everyone isn't always happy.

I also agree with Tony about Johnny Cash. I wonder if?
I disagreed with Rascal Flatts giving there award to Alabama because I've never been a big fan. I think it was a nice jesture, out of respect perhaps.

Janice Brooks · Post by **Janice Brooks** » 6 Nov 2003 9:14 am

Some steel/dobro moments

Randell Curry/Brad Paisley
Robby Flint/Alan Jackson
Gary Morse(Dobro)/Deriks Bently

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

Bill R. Baker · Post by **Bill R. Baker** » 6 Nov 2003 9:39 am

I did not see any of the CMA so what was the deal with Carl Smith?

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 6 Nov 2003 10:08 am

Some thoughts and highlights:

The guy who played some great pedal steel, and managed to become invisible at the same time. I can't do either one of those.

The mixer letting the banjo player drown out Jerry Douglas through most of their song. A couple of measures into Jerry's ride, the mixer noticed he couldn't be heard and turned him up.

So, one you couldn't see, and one you couldn't hear. Guess that averages out - to average production.

Dolly and Nora - whodda thought? Man, they tingled my spine so much I stopped playin' along and just listened with my mouth open.

I think Hank, Jr. was trying to do a tongue-in-cheek imitation of Cash's mannerisms. Whether he was skunked or not, who can ever tell?

Mostly lots of great music, great performers, great steel.

Looked like they had a time problem at the end, and George made up too much of it. Do you think they told him to do that?

And as Vince says, "It's a young man's town." Commercial country music is a contemporary popular art form, not a museum collection. Always has been. And if you think that stuff is rock, you ain't heard much rock lately. And Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow bringing country music to MTV and rock stations all over the country is fantastic. Maybe the lynch mob needs to go home now. Where's Marshall Dillon when we need him?

[This message was edited by David Doggett on 06 November 2003 at 10:13 AM.]

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 6 Nov 2003 10:31 am

All I saw was the Alan Jackson thing, and I think AJ is definitely one of the "good guys" in music today.

But, come on... fashion wise the "torn-jeans-as-casual-formal" thing is SOOOOOOO last week!

It reminds me of the guy who came up to Ray Charles and told him "I'm really hep to what you're putting down," and Ray replied "I'm hip you're hep."

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Dale Bessant · Post by **Dale Bessant** » 6 Nov 2003 10:47 am

yes I missed the Carl Smith deal as well,would someone please fill us in....

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 6 Nov 2003 10:55 am

Dale, when they inducted Carl into the Hall of Fame, they didn't call him up on stage. After showing some clips from his career, Vince Gil just asked Carl to stand up, and he got a standing ovation. It seemed a little anticlimactic, considering the award.

David Cobb · Post by **David Cobb** » 6 Nov 2003 11:12 am

I'd loved to have heard what Randy Owens whispered to his drummer compadre and what Randy whispered to members of Rascal Flatts as he walked onstage.
Truly an awkward scene.
Kid Rock (aka Robert James Ritchie) looked healthy, in a Keith Richards kind of way.
Alison Krauss and the gang were fantastic as always.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 6 Nov 2003 11:51 am

Carl Smith should have not only been on stage, he should have played! No matter how it came out. Disgraceful that he wasn't at least called up. Kid Rock WISHES he could sing country. Still I get the feeling that he is promoting country music. He doesn't belong on stage at the awards. He's a white guy who trys to act black, like he's ashamed of his own race.
I thought the show was one of the better one in years. Thats not saying alot.

Dale Bessant · Post by **Dale Bessant** » 6 Nov 2003 11:55 am

thanks David..doesnt seem quite fair....

Rich Weiss · Post by **Rich Weiss** » 6 Nov 2003 12:07 pm

There was a time when a standing ovation actually meant something. Now, everyone gets a standing ovation. It means nothing.