quote:
Originally posted by The_Thin_Man
I recall the Rev's comments on Van Lear Rose in a previous post. Is there any explanation as to why it nabbed 2 awards? Is it simply the sexy (in a non-sexual way I would hope) media pairing of Jack and Loretta? Heard mixed things about the record. Non-fans of either would be advised to step away from it, I presume?
Well, lets start by saying that one of Loretta Lynn's biggest fans here in Ireland is wee Daniel (O'Donnell).
Yes, I didn't much like Van Lear Rose. To recap, the following is what I wrote at the time, "Loretta Lynn's latest album 'Van Lear Rose'(produced by Jack White) has been one of the worst received country records of 2004, selling a lousy 215,000 units since its release on April 27 2004. Touted by all the old farts, insert the name of your favourite 'hip' disc jockey here, as a "career best", it still sounded like the mewling of the neighbour's cat as recorded in a toilet with an eight year old dictaphone...My main beef with the record is that it is altogether crap, bad songs, sung badly, played badly, recorded badly, you name it. If the record has a sound then it is the sound of 'crap'. White didn't just mess up the job, he didn't know what the job was in the first place. He appears to lack the talent to simply record something properly. My mother could record a phone message better than he can. Jesus, they'll sling a Grammy at anyone nowdays. By the way, Prince spent his time backstage at the 2004 Grammys by teaching Beyonce musical scales. He should have included Jack White in his masterclass. Prince, now there is a real musician".
I stand by it all.
Why did Lynn win ? Well, I guess because the Grammys felt that she and Jack appeared to something groundbreaking with country music in 2004, as opposed to Steve Earle who actually did something groundbreaking with 'The Revolution'. However Earle did win Best Contemporary Folk album.
Lynn's competition in album was not exactly classic. She was up against Tift Merritt, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw and Gretchen Wilson, none of whom made consistantly good albums but all of whom had big, big hits - which ultimately matters more to country fans. I have said this before, the concept of the 'album' is not a big thing in country music.
The Bluegrass category was a much tougher gig to fight but Ricky Skaggs is the reigning king and the field is his right now.
Overall, I thought that the awards given to Gretchen Wilson, Skaggs, Sruggs, McGraw and The Dixie Chicks (The Chicks' stance on Bush aside) are more indicative of mainstream country music tastes than Lynn & White and that the future of the music lies not with them but with Earle and bands such as Drive By Truckers.
By the way, I urge y'all to buy a CD called, 'Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues 1945-1970' which won Best Historical Album and which charts the music made by the R&B musicians resident in Nashville during that period including the wonderful Arthur Alexander whose 'Anna' was later covered by The Beatles.