Taylor Swift - on CMA last night

[MusicalSchizo]

I think she's better than that....

 

The more I think about it, the more I just think she has a {censored} ear for hearing her own voice and where she is, pitch-wise.

 

There's no doubt the kid can write a song.

 

I think she'd be really smart to take a fat stack of cash, get an excellent teacher, take them out on the road with her, and work with her every day.

 

I bet you'd see a lot of improvement...so long as her hearing issue isn't something she can't overcome.

 

And Kenny Chesney does suck balls live.

 

Darius Rucker sounded bad at the CMAs, but he was actually really good at the show I saw where he opened for Brad Paisley (who is almost as consistent and good a singer as he is a guitarist - and he's a FANTASTIC guitarist). Darius actually sounded better singing his country stuff than his stuff with Hootie and the Blowfish. But not on the CMAs the other night...

 

Brian V.

[Jersey Jack]

Look, I really don't like contemporary country, so for me both Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney are not worth listening to. But, really, to say that they suck as singers is an exaggeration, no?

 

If you want to hear what suck sound sounds like, check out me or my good friends Bob and Neil. Taylor & Kenny suck alright, but not as vocalists.

[romvert]

Look, I really don't like contemporary country, so for me both Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney are not worth listening to. But, really, to say that they suck as singers is an exaggeration, no? If you want to hear what suck sound sounds like, check out me or my good friends Bob and Neil. Taylor & Kenny suck alright, but not as vocalists.

You have to get better at this judging voices thing...LOL Kenny C. does suck balls out ass, while swift is hanging by a thread just because she's ... a girl. But she's still indiscernible as a vocalist. She's just a manufactured pretty face, as Kenny's a manufactured ugly face... bait for trailer trash...

[Tullsterx]

 

I don't think Taylor Swift is such a terrible singer but Kenny Chesney is God awful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQV8bpNbrHs&feature=related

 

 

I just checked them both out. . . no way. . . that clip of Kenny is pretty solid.

 

But Taylor Swift. . . I had no idea she sucked so bad. I just found her 2008 CMA performance of "Love Story"? and that was just god awful!

[MusicalSchizo]

 

Look, I really don't like contemporary country, so for me both Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney are not worth listening to.

 

I think there's good stuff to be found in contemporary country. Brad Paisley comes to mind (though admittedly he goes for the pop and the polish from time to time). But for each Brad Paisley there's a Toby Keith. Zac Brown Band is good, too. They can sing and play their asses off...and they write decent songs.

 

 

But, really, to say that they suck as singers is an exaggeration, no?

 

Not in Taylor's case - and I LIKE her (even her looks aside, surprisingly enough). And Kenny is extremely uneven and weak live.

 

So I'm comfortable with saying they suck. I applaud their success, though. They both have worked hard for it (no matter what you think).

 

Brian V.

[Jersey Jack]

Fair enough--but I'm only saying that their suck is noticeable only in the context of contemporary country, which has extremely high vocal standards, especially on recordings. Are you suggesting, romvert, that Kenny C sucks as much as Bob? If Taylor Swift did a duet with Neil, wouldn't she sound spectacular?

 

My Unified Theory of Country Music:

 

Contemporary Country=Arena Rock in Cowboy Hats driven by conservative, red-state values; very little twang or hillbilly-sounding vocals allowed; drugs of choice: methamphetamine and alcohol

 

Alt. Country=Old-Style twangy Country with a slight kick, founded on liberal blue-state values, progressive, grungy; drugs of choice: weed and alcohol.

[MusicalSchizo]

 

Fair enough--but I'm only saying that their suck is noticeable only in the context of contemporary country, which has extremely high vocal standards, especially on recordings.

 

That's a very fair assessment...Nashville does love its polish. But it's always been that way.

 

 

My Unified Theory of Country Music : Contemporary Country =Arena Rock in Cowboy Hats driven by conservative, red-state values; very little twang or hillbilly-sounding vocals allowed; drugs of choice: methamphetamine and alcohol Alt. Country =Old-Style twangy Country with a slight kick, founded on liberal blue-state values, progressive, grungy; drugs of choice: weed and alcohol.

 

 

You'd be surprised at the level of twang in the vocals of Contemporary Country these days. They ain't all Taylor Swift (who'd be faking if she twanged, since she's from northeast PA)...

 

I live in the land of Texas Country, and I think you might love a lot of these artists. If you get a chance, listen online to kvet.com (one of the radio stations I work for that plays traditional country) in the evenings from 7-12 central time and you can hear a great show called "The Roadhouse" that is all about Texas Country. They'll sneak in some alt.country stuff, too. I think you might like it a lot.

 

Brian V.

[Tullsterx]

 

Fair enough--but I'm only saying that their suck is noticeable only in the context of contemporary country, which has extremely high vocal standards, especially on recordings. Are you suggesting, romvert, that Kenny C sucks as much as Bob? If Taylor Swift did a duet with Neil, wouldn't she sound spectacular?

 

 

Taylor swifts vocals suck in the context of contemporary popular music. Not in the context of country music alone. I realize that Neil Young couldn't win a Karaoke contest but neither could Taylor Swift. And that is frankly pretty shocking to me. Most new contemporaty artist have excellent vocal ability. Frankly, her vocals are below the high school talent show level. I know a little about amateur/local country vocalists and there are many, many around where I live that just completely blow her out of the water. Personally, I don't think she shouldn't be singing in public.

[Jersey Jack]

You'd be surprised at the level of twang in the vocals of Contemporary Country these days. They ain't all Taylor Swift (who'd be faking if she twanged, since she's from northeast PA)... I live in the land of Texas Country, and I think you might love a lot of these artists. If you get a chance, listen online to kvet.com (one of the radio stations I work for that plays traditional country) in the evenings from 7-12 central time and you can hear a great show called "The Roadhouse" that is all about Texas Country. They'll sneak in some alt.country stuff, too. I think you might like it a lot. Brian V.

 

 

Thanks, I'll certainly check this out. I've actually heard a few decent things by Brad Paisley and Keith Urban, and I'm a huge Jamey Johnson fan (but he neatly straddles contemporary and outlaw country, imo). Brad and Keith are awesome Telecaster players, and that counts for something.

 

(I also habor huge, desperate crushes on Reba McEntire and Martina McBride , if that counts. I especially like watching them perform on TV with the sound turned off. )

 

Seriously, though, I don't much like the conservative, often jingoistic politics that flourishes in this crowd--remember what happened to the Dixie Chicks? I also don't much like the whole "hat act" aesthetic. This is probably an after-effect of my disdain for Garth Brooks (), who to my mind almost single-handedly destroyed country music.

 

[MusicalSchizo]

Thanks, I'll certainly check this out. I've actually heard a few decent things by Brad Paisley and Keith Urban, and I'm a huge Jamey Johnson fan (but he neatly straddles contemporary and outlaw country, imo). Brad and Keith are awesome Telecaster players, and that counts for something.

Well, they both straddle the line between country and pop, much like great artists like Vince Gill did before them. Jamey's really cool - he has that bluesy country thing down and writes really great songs.

 

(I also habor huge, desperate crushes on Reba McEntire and Martina McBride , if that counts. I especially like watching them perform on TV with the sound turned off. )

Reba looks like a rat to me, but Martina is just lovely.

 

Seriously, though, I don't much like the conservative, often jingoistic politics that flourishes in this crowd--remember what happened to the Dixie Chicks?

My wife's station STILL doesn't play the Dixie Chicks...and they live near here! They'd fit perfectly on the station, and yet, they're strangely absent from the air in the most liberal city in their home state. It's all because the program director is a right-wing douchebag.

 

I also don't much like the whole "hat act" aesthetic. This is probably an after-effect of my disdain for Garth Brooks ( ), who to my mind almost single-handedly destroyed country music.

I don't know, Kenny Rogers, Eddie Rabbitt, and Alabama (not to mention John Travolta) got some good smacks in on it back in the early 80s...I think it had gone mainstream/pop long before Garth came on the scene. I agree completely that he created the hat act phenomenon that destroyed country music in the 90s, for sure. Most of that {censored} is HORRIBLE. Thankfully that's over...and many artists don't even wear hats anymore - some wear baseball caps! I think the pendulum is swinging toward a little more traditional feel, though it is still quite polished.

 

Speaking of which, Miranda Lambert's new record is actually really good.

Brian V.

[gsgard]

 

It annoys me when people can't sing live...all the people I love are/were good live. I haven't seen this performance so I can't judge Taylor, but in my experience, most "singers" are not good live. Such a shame. An annoying shame.

 

 

Agree. That's probably why the American Idol show has produced some winners. If you can't sing live and acapella, you don't get very far on that show.