CMLCI Active

Click on the CML Chart Interactive page for details and the link to vote for this week’s CMLCI. There is one 3 Star song being removed, meaning that we just have the 3 Star and 2 Star Polls this week.  Thanks to those who are regular voters.

With it being December, it might be a slow month for the CMLCI, or it might be a busy month.  Only time will tell.  However, when we get the CMLCI for the 1/3 to 1/9/10 edition of the chart, it will be a busy week as we will be adding a 1 Star poll and a 6th song to each Star Level.

Jaron and the Long Road to Love- “I Pray For You”

Talk about an interesting lyric that is opposite of what you would think it would be for this title.  The song starts off with the singer getting advice from a preacher to pray for the “you.” From then out, the singer goes on talking about praying for the girl that broke is heart, but he’s doing it bitterly.  Some examples: praying for the brakes to go out on her car when she’s driving down a hill, praying a flower pot would fall from a window onto her head.

If you take this song lightly, you’ll find that this is actually something that a lot of people have been known to do because the hurt is so bad and their faith isn’t strong as it could be. I don’t think Jaron is condoning praying like that and it’s just a tongue-in-cheek look at recovering from a breakup.

As for a country single, I think it has limited potential, but may get enough airplay to get a little higher than it has right now, but probably not much.  Some of the other songs on their MySpace page are a little more positive, but probably not as interesting.  Take a listen.

Billboard Chart Peak Prediction- Top 60

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Lyrics

Thanks for the visit!  Feel free to comment on this review and please check out the CML Chart Interactive page for how you can participate in the CML Chart!

Single Review Update

I had stated that I would do single reviews on three songs this week, but I am actually only going to do one.  Sugarland’s “Keep You” has apparently been shelved as a single and the new Brooks & Dunn song off the Billy Graham soundtrack doesn’t interest me enough to listen to it and review it.  If the Sugarland single is reinstated or if the Brooks & Dunn song actually starts climbing the charts again, then I might do it.  For now, enjoy my review of Jaron and the Long Road to Love’s single “I Pray For You”

CML Top 60 updated

The CML Top 60 for the week of 11/29 to 12/5/09 is now online.

For the 4th straight week, “Do I” by Luke Bryan graces the top of the chart followed closely yet again by “Bonfire” by Craig Morgan.  Trace Adkins spends another week at #3 with “All I Ask For Anymore.”  Coming in at #4 this week is “Hurry Home” by Jason Michael Carroll.  Sarah Buxton’s “Outside My Window” rounds out the Top 5.  Both Jason Micahel Carroll and Sarah Buxton benefitted from some last minute votes in last week’s CML Chart Interactive as their wins propelled each of them into this week’s Top 5.

New to the chart this week are songs from Jaron & The Long Road to Live (“I Pray For You” at #54), Brooks & Dunn with Mac Powell (“Over the Next Hill” from the Billy Graham movie soundtrack at #58) and Sugarland (“Keep You” at #60).  Check back later this week for my reviews on these singles.

CMLCI Results–11/29 to 12/5/09 edition

The following are the results of the latest CMLCI:

Number of votes listed in ( ), winners in bold

5 Star Poll:
Everyone was voting for 2 songs this week

“Outside My Window” by Sarah Buxton (5)
“Hurry Home” by Jason Michael Carroll (4)
“Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum (4)
“Red Light” by David Nail (3)

4 Star Poll: 
Everyone was voting for 3 songs this week.

“White Liar” by Miranda Lambert (8)
“Hillbilly Bone” by Blake Shelton w/Trace Adkins (8)
“Eight Second Ride” by Jake Owen (4)
“Fifteen” by Taylor Swift (4)

3 Star Poll:
Everyone was voting for 3 songs this week.

“Why Don’t We Just Dance” by Josh Turner (6)
“Consider Me Gone” by Reba McEntire (4)
“Southern Voice” by Tim McGraw (3)
“Sara Smile” by Jimmy Wayne w/Hall & Oates (3)
“I Just Call You Mine” by Martina McBride (2)
“I’m Alive” by Kenny Chesney w/Dave Matthews (2)
“The Truth” by Jason Aldean (2)
“Today” by Gary Allan (1)
“I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes” by Dierks Bentley (1)

2 Star Poll:
Everyone was voting for 4 songs this week.

“That’s How Country Boys Roll” by Billy Currington (8)
“A Little More Country Than That” by Easton Corbin (7)
“‘Til Summer Comes Around” by Keith Urban (6)
“Beer on the Table” by Josh Thompson (5)
“Love Like Crazy” by Lee Brice (3)
“History in the Making” by Darius Rucker (3)

 

Well, it has happened again.  When we have a big week on the CMLCI, we normally have a small week following it.  In this case, small is just a way of saying there is none.  There is no CMLCI for the chart week of 12/6 to 12/12/09. The CMLCI will return the following week.  At this time, I project there to be only a 3 Star song being removed, so it will be another small CMLCI.  I also have a feeling with Christmas music hitting the radio, we might see a small month for the CMLCI.  Once the 1/3 to 1/9/10 edition of the CMLCI is out, we’ll have a big week because of the 2010 changes to the CML Chart. 

Thanks for the visit!

Keith Urban- “’Til Summer Comes Around”

A lot of people criticize Keith Urban for his style of music because it is on the pop end of mainstream country and that he is one of many artists that releases one radio fluff single after another.  After scoring another #1 with “Only You Can Love Me That Way,” a song I absolutely loved when I bought his album, was stoked when it was released, but now admit that it did nothing to dispel the radio fluff stigma, Keith releases a song that I thought he never would. 

“’Til Summer Comes Around” is a different sound for Keith and a different take on the summer romance song.  The song talks about the heartache experienced when a summer love doesn’t return when she said she would and how the main subject of the lyric keeps repeating the same dreary cycle until summer returns.  The lyric vividly expresses the depressed mood of the main subject and Keith’s vocals connect with the lyric enhancing the mood of the song.  You have to give Keith credit for being a good singer on this song as it needed a perfectly executed vocal to work.  Radio stations are already giving this song a lot of airplay and I think that they will continue to do so and make this another #1 for Keith.

Will this song undo the stigma that Keith has?  Am I exaggerating this stigma and this song is just another in a long line of quality singles from Keith?  Time will tell.  For now, I feel confident in another #1 for Keith.

Billboard Chart Peak Prediction- #1

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Lyrics

Thanks for the visit!  Feel free to comment on this review and please check out the CML Chart Interactive page for how you can participate in the CML Chart!

Montgomery Gentry- “Oughta Be More Songs about That”

How do you get to mention all the stereotypical country songs in one song?  Write a song stating that there ought to be more songs about the seldom touched subjects of country music and contrast them to the ones everyone sings about. What this song does in the verses is talk about songs the singer likes and has sung about while the chorus runs through inspirational subjects they think more songs should be about.

Eddie Montgomery’s voice sounds good with the lyric and you can believe that he really believes what he’s singing about.  With the end of Brooks & Dunn’s career coming to a close, Montgomery Gentry is about to become the “iconic” duo that all new acts are going to have to compete with for awards, recognition, etc.  With songs like this one, it’s not going to be very long before Montgomery Gentry will become a “legendary” duo and forever be mentioned in the same breath as Brooks & Dunn.

Billboard Chart Peak Prediction- #1

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Thanks for the visit!  Feel free to comment on this review and please check out the CML Chart Interactive page for how you can participate in the CML Chart!

Clay Walker- “She Won’t Be Lonely Long”

I personally miss the days when Clay Walker had hit after hit and was relevant. The last few years, he’s been slowed by his MS, but has shown that he can still make good music.  “She Won’t Be Lonely Long” is Clay at his best.

From the first note out of his mouth, this sounds like the Clay from the late 90s that was a legit hitmaker.  While the lyric isn’t anything new, Clay makes it interesting.  The hook, “if she’s lonely now, she won’t be lonely long” says all you need to know about the song.  However, this is the Clay Walker that any fan that’s been around for more than a decade still remembers and still wants to hear.  While his days of getting most of his singles to the Top 10 are gone, he’s still good enough for at least one an album.  This song is going to be that one for sure.  The next question is how good is the rest of the music on his upcoming ninth studio album?  If there are more songs like this on this album, it probably is his best album since Rumor Has It.

Billboard Chart Peak Prediction- Top 10

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Lyrics

Thanks for the visit!  Feel free to comment on this review and please check out the CML Chart Interactive page for how you can participate in the CML Chart!

Chris Young- “The Man I Want to Be”

After finally breaking through after his win on Nashville Star by getting a #1 single, Chris Young is after another big hit.  “The Man I Want to Be” is a story of a man who is begging God to help change him into and being optimistic that the woman he loves will still that the man that he wants to be.  The lyric is one that a lot of men can relate to because, let’s face it, we are stubborn and need to be torn down before we realize that we aren’t being who we want to be, just who it is easy to be.

It took Chris a while, but he seems to have found some music that fits his voice and that he can pour his heart into.  “The Man I Want to Be” has big hit written all over it.  Unlike “Gettin’ You Home,” this song isn’t going to take a long trip up the charts before catching on fire.  People love this song now and that’s going to make it Chris’ second big hit.  Whether it can make #1 depends on what songs it has to compete with when it gets to the top, but I think it’s got a chance.

Billboard Chart Peak Prediction- #1

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Lyrics

Thanks for the visit!  Feel free to comment on this review and please check out the CML Chart Interactive page for how you can participate in the CML Chart!

Zac Brown Band- “Highway 20 Ride”

Four singles, four different subjects.  After a song about country living, a song about love, and a son about drinking, the Zac Brown Band releases a song about regrets and heartbreak.  “Highway 20 Ride” is about a man who drives down Highway 20 to visit his son every other Friday.  The main subject of the song implores his son not to think about him as a man who didn’t care at all, just that it was a situation where mom and dad couldn’t work things out.

Zac Brown connects with the lyrics and you can feel the heartbreak while listening to the song.  This is the most vulnerable song on The Foundation and I think it makes a great single. With two #1’s and a #2 (that should’ve been #1), it’s hard to imagine that such a touching song couldn’t do the same.  Ultimately, I think it will miss #1, but it will no doubt be a Top 5.

Billboard Chart Peak Prediction- Top 5

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Lyrics

Thanks for the visit!  Feel free to comment on this review and please check out the CML Chart Interactive page for how you can participate in the CML Chart!