Jun 3, 2009

Jun 2, 2009

Nashville P.D. Gets Smart

Good thinking Nashville!

John Rich's Songwriting Tips #9

Keep it in the pocket. Today's country audience doesn't want to hear about giving a girl the ol' one eyed monster, even if that's what's on your mind. Soccer mom Madison wants to hear how wrong she was done by her ex husband (in a humorous manner of course). She wants to hear about love and thinking back to teenage days and drinking wine from a Dixie cup. Not about how your last threesome went awry when one of the parties turned out to be a Bobbi with a "y." Safe: God, pie, beer, mama. Not safe: herpes, rope burns, naked slap fights.

Not actually written by John Rich.

Jun 1, 2009

.99 Review: Mark McKinney

Mark McKinney - Middle America

The People's Take

Oh Yeah! (5 Stars) – Awesome song! Great lyrics, tight players, love the drum fills (you don't hear those kinds of licks on a country record), and I will be excited to hear the rest of the new album! The bridge adds a lot of energy to carry the song home- my favorite part.
by eye ballers

Middle America (5 Stars) –
Modern day classic!
by cabo robo


My Take

Somewhere between Mellencamp's small town laments and The Warren Brothers' occasional faux-losiphizing lies Mark McKinney's "Middle America." It's a fairly catchy ode to life in southwestern central Gambia, I mean ...middle America. This song falls somewhere between a modern day classic and a big steaming pile of poop. It all sounds pretty good to these ears, and Mark does a pretty good job of summing up what middle-Americans are going through these days. My main issue is with the hook. Is there such thing as middle pride? Is he referring to those of us between coasts or just the landlocked among us? He mentions that middle is
between left and right (whew! thanks for clearing that up!) but is that a political statement or a geographic one? Who is supposed to sing along? And are we supposed to feel okay about putting the American dream on a high interest plan? Isn't that what got us in this mess to begin with? Towards the end of the song, Mark pulls an Eric Church and starts listing the finer points of residing in the places in America that aren't tops, bottoms or edges. I'm thinking people on the lower right side can experience rock music too Mark. Now that I've started thinking too hard about this song, I realize you're not supposed to do that. Just roll down the windows and proclaim your middle-Americanness!! Hooray debt!

Total value: .45/.99












The Checklist
Church/God
Check mark symbolMama
Boots
Name Dropping
Dying Person
County Fair
Lost Love
Check mark symbolLove
Check mark symbolHometown Pride (Middle pride, anyway)
Kindly Advice
Truck
Whiskey
Check mark symbolBeer
Check mark symbolLife Affirmation
Check mark symbolUSA
Soldiers
Pop Sheen
Star Power

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