Garth Brooks- “Midnight Sun”

Review:

Garth, what was your mindset when you were recording songs to include on your latest Wal-Mart project?  After such a powerful song in “More Than A Memory” (which debuted at #1 on the Billboard chart), you’ve followed up with two songs that I really just don’t want to hear on the radio at all.  “Midnight Sun” just doesn’t seem to have that lovability that Garth’s music has had.

From the first listen, I just was disinterested in the song.  Reading the lyrics just doesn’t give me any new desire to hear the song again.  The main theme of the lyric is that a cowboy’s work is never done, which we’ve heard many times in other songs.  Garth could’ve knocked this one out of the park, but it feels as if he was going through the motions when recording it.

Initial Impression: Top 40

I personally think this song is really only good enough to be in the Top 40 right now.  Maybe it’ll grow on me if I begin to hear it on the radio, but it just hasn’t grabbed me right now.

Prediction:  Top 25

The way I see it, this song is about as good as “Workin’ For A Livin’” and I can see them having about the same chart success, but I think in the long run “Midnight Sun” will fall short of where “Workin’” reached  (“Workin’” peaked at #19 on the Billboard chart).

Gary Allan- “Learning How To Bend”

Review:

Gary follows up his smash hit “Watching Airplanes” with a truly emotional song that he could very well sing to any woman that comes into his life.  The lyric is a confessional from a man who is still learning to let someone into his heart, presumably because of past pain.  Gary’s vocal connects with the song and gives it the emotion that it needs. 

Initial Impression: Top 20

Yet another song in today’s group that I feel is good enough to be in the Top 20 right now.  Gary keeps putting out quality music and his hard work and persistance are paying off with radio airplay success.

Prediction: Top 5

I think Gary has another Top 5 single on his hands.  I think the song will grow on people and the radio will play it heavily (eventually).  Since “Watching Airplanes” didn’t go #1, it’s hard to see this song, which I feel is equal to “Airplanes” as reaching where “Airplanes” didn’t go.

Dolly Parton- “Jesus and Gravity”

Review:

Finally, a Dolly Parton song I want to hear on the radio!  I liked “Better Get To Livin’” but I wasn’t a big fan of her voice with today’s sound.  The first thing I noticed about this song was how it sounds “today” and that the “airy” quality to her voice works with this song.  I am not really a Dolly Parton fan, but I have respect for her contributions to Country Music.  With that said, I think we finally have a song from Dolly Parton that today’s radio will play.

The lyric is a heartfelt testimony of realizing how Dolly got so far.  She’s got Jesus to give her wings, and gravity to keep her grounded.  It’s a song that many people can relate to.

Initial Impression: Top 20

I think this song is good enough to be in the Top 20 right now.  The connection Dolly has to the lyric, the fact that it sounds modern and that Dolly’s voice works well with the song makes it a joy to listen to.

Prediction: Top 40

As much as I like the song, I am afraid that too many people are going to be turned off by the fact that it isn’t “Dolly” enough for Dolly Parton to let it grow on them.  I also see many people not truly understanding the meaning, or being turned off by the fact that Jesus is part of the song.  It may be an unfounded fear on my part so I will have to wait and see what Country Music radio does with it.

Kenny Chesney- “Better As A Memory”

Review:

There’s no denying that Kenny Chesney is one of today’s most loved Country Music artists.  There’s no denying that he has some of the last decade’s most loved singles.  There’s also no denying that a lot of Kenny Chesney fans have noticed that his current album is his weakest in a long time and that his singles are becoming more and more typecast.  With all that said, “Better As A Memory” is his best single so far off his Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates album.

This song that personally touched Kenny. Read what his liner notes say:

“I am always in motion and you have to come to terms with that.  Out on the raod, we do live like pirates, always heading somewhere else.  It’s a restlessness.  Experiencing the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, sometimes, all at once.  This song stabbed me right in the heart when I heard it ’cause it is a letter that I have written many times.”

It’s the personal connection with this song that I feel makes the vocal outstanding.  Kenny can sing a ballad with the best of them when he’s connected to it, and it shows with this song.  Great choice for a single!

Initial Impression:  Top 20

This song definitely is good enough to be a Top 20 song right now.  It’s definitely better than “Shiftwork” as it is something I want to hear on the radio.  His previous 3 singles all had that “mundane, we’ve all heard this before” feel to them, with only “Don’t Blink” actually leaving an impression.  It feels to me that he was disconnected with the songs, and that’s why this song is so good–he’s connected.

Prediction: #1

Sung by anyone else in today’s country scene, no matter who, and this song probably makes the Top 10.  With it being Kenny Chesney, I do not see how it’s not going to go #1 eventually.  Once it grows on the fans, it’ll get there.

 Note:

Starting with this week, I am going to review all the new songs to My Top 60 (http://cmlchart.mywebcommunity.org/topsixty.html).  This way, I have a reason to be doing a single review and won’t have to decide which ones to do and which ones not to.

Carrie Underwood- “Last Name”

Review:

I don’t get it.  No, not the song itself.  I understand what the song is saying.  I am sure that there are a lot of men and women out there who have gotten drunk and stupid, and ended up married that same night.  What I don’t get is why is Carrie’s “people” are putting out this song to the radio when there is much better material on her album.  I do think that this song is a “radio worthy” song, but the fact that they haven’t released “Just A Dream” yet is incredible.  I have read places that there is some speculation that they are trying to establish Carrie’s song writing credibility as all three of her singles from Carnival Ride have be co-written by her.  (The fourth and final song on the album co-written by Carrie is “Crazy Dreams” just in case you’re wondering).

Initial Projection:

My initial gut feeling is that “Last Name” is good enough to be a Top 20 song.  I do like Carrie’s vocal on the song, and I have always liked songs that could change either one word or the meaning of one word in the last chorus to put a new spin on the song.

Prediction:

We all love Carrie Underwood’s music.  We love it so much that she’s gotten airplay on the Country charts with two singles that were never official releases in “Inside Your Heaven” and “I’ll Stand By You.”  This is mostly because of the popularity of American Idol, but she’s a star in her own right now.  I’m going to predict that this song will be her lowest charting official song to date (that doesn’t say much since “Don’t Forget to Remember Me was the only one not to go #1 on the Billboard chart, although it did go #1 on the Radio & Records chart befor R&R and Billboard began working together).  I think the fact that it does have a “been there, done that” feel to it (Alan Jackson’s “I Don’t Even Know Her Name was the male version of this song) will ultimately wear on people eventually.  I see this song making it to the Top 5 on the strength of the Carrie Underwood name, but I do not see it making it to #1 or #2 on the charts.