Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Post Grammy Ramblings

I love mornings after award shows. I love hearing the reaction - from fans and DJ's alike - to who won what, what everyone was wearing, who was and wasn't there, etc. Those are the kinds of shows I love to produce, and I love to listen to.

Not surprisingly, much of morning radio yesterday focused on the Dixie Chicks and the statement that the GRAMMY voters made by their sweeping their 5 categories. The Simpson's reference was the most repeated thing I heard. The email that came in to XM was overwhelmingly anti-chicks. I just don't think this thing is going to go away.

As polarizing as the trio itself is, the fans are every bit that way too. There are tons of "if you play the Dixie Chicks again I'm cancelling my subscription" listeners. Really. Turn the channel for 4 minutes. You've got 170 others to choose from. There are tons of songs and artists that we play that I don't like. And I change the channel when they come on. Just as I change channels on the television if a stupid (IMO) commercial comes on. I'm not going to demand a channel stop playing something, what kind of censorship is that?

I personally despise drinking and driving. Especially by people who can afford to hire a driver. Let's think about what US Country would sound like if I took my personal beliefs and didn't program anyone who had ever been busted for a DUI. There would be no music from:

Terri Clark. Wynonna - and The Juddds. Trace Adkins. David Lee Murphy. Mindy McCready. Marty Stuart. Deanna Carter. And where would the entire country cluster be if we didn't play George Jones?

I won't force my personal beliefs on the listeners, and I won't force yours either.

On the other side of the issue, the Chicks fans have a chip on their shoulder that isn't helping anything. I couldn't believe the comments I was reading on the Chicks message boards yesterday. Carrie Underwood said she was happy for the Chicks, but that apparently wasn't good enough. So the DC fans now hate her because she said she was happy instead of saying "congratulations" and she should have gone into some long diatribe of support. Please! The woman just won her first GRAMMY awards, I personally think it was rude to ask her to talk about anything else. Let her have HER moment, don't make it into something else. And John Rich was apparently was spotted not clapping for 3 seconds on television after the Chicks won. So he must hate the DC too, acording to the DC message boards, who are calling Big & Rich all kinds of horrible names. UGH! Just because people don't think someone should win an award doesn't mean they hate them.

I personally wouldn't have voted for Alan Jackson for Country Album of the Year. Doesn't mean I don't like Alan, or even that I didn't like the album. Just means there was something else I liked better. You might have caught me not clapping for 3 seconds had he won. Get over it.

Ok, lots of rambling there. But it makes me nautious all the stuff I've been reading.

So get this - they've released the Top 10 Post-Grammy "Bounce" albums... the Dixie Chicks sales were up 823% in the first 24 hours after the show. In the number 2 spot, John Mayer was up 177%. Carrie Underwood was up 64%, which was really good, I think, considering she didn't get to perform anything that was on her album.

Back later with more ramblings on Vince, Carrie, and Rascal Flatts.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow I definetly agree with your ramblings. The DC backlash is just getting ridiculous. Let people feel the way they feel. If the DC fans are so proud of their "freedom of speech" stance, then how logically, can they bash others for their opinions? Its all just funny to me, but congrats to Carrie her awards were well deserved, and congrats to the chicks, for the most part they earned it.

Anonymous said...

AMEN!!!!

Anonymous said...

Agree with you!:) I'm a huge Carrie fan & I like some of the Chicks song too. Awesome blog J:)

Pam said...

I agree if you don't like an artist just the change the station or hit mute for 3 or 4 minutes. Sheesh !! Or listen to CD's you do like or your Ipod. Life's too short people.

Anonymous said...

Hate to say it, but as someone who is on the Chicks message board, not ALL the fans were saying that about Carrie, etc.

I believe that this is happening because of Carrie's first reaction being "no comment" when asked her feelings on the Chicks awards--she only said she was happy after being asked later by someone else. From what's been mentioned in this blog, and other articles I've read, that's not that uncommon of a question. :shrug: I thought it odd since she sang Sin Wagon during her AI days, but I guess now she needs to fit the "mold" and doesn't want to cause a stir. That's alright, her choice.

Sounds like the "anti-Chicks" listeners are just as polarizing as the fans.

But there must be something good about the Chicks winning all those Grammys, for sales to be so through the roof.

Anonymous said...

the first thing that I heard was when Carrie was asked what she thought about the Chicks basically giving the finger to the country music establishment, and she said something like " I don't like to talk about anybody giving the finger to anybody" and she asked for a different question...they rephrased it and she said she was happy for them. Several sources have quoted this.

but i agree that after her first grammy wins she shouldn't have to be discussing everyone else's wins...let the girl enjoy it!

Producer J. said...

For the record, I didn't say ALL Chicks fans were saying bad things about Carrie. Nor am I saying ALL anti-chicks people are rude.

I still say that it was rude to go pushing the Chicks thing on Carrie. Especially if it was brought up twice. And even more especially if the questioner phrased the question around "giving the finger" to country music. Carrie was very wise, IMHO, to not comment on that. That's a no-win.

With all things - unless you're there to hear everything for yourself, you're reliant on what you read. Some outlets may choose one quote to use, some may use another. Just as some reports quote one acceptance speech and some quote others. I've seen the headline "Chicks ready to make nice." Which lead me to think for a minute they'd said something related to country radio / fans. In reality, it was said in one of the all-genre acceptance speeches and not related to any of that.

Pam - please don't tell people to listen to CD's or their Ipod. Really... we have 7 or more country channels. XM is all you need. :-D

Thanks for the discussion everyone! Would love it if the anonymous posters would sign their name or a city, just so when people respond they don't have to call you "anonymous #1" or something. Glad to have you here!

Unknown said...

What drives me nuts is that the most important thing is getting lost in all of this. The music. I'm not saying people shouldn't be allowed their opinions about artists, but the whole point of music is MUSIC. The way these songs touch us, not the way we're irritated by the artists. Of course there are artists I don't particularly like, mostly because of their style and a lot of times because they are OVERPLAYED - but often enough they release music that touches me and I just have to go with it. Music is a great communicator. (I obviously am not. :) )

Not trying to be preachy... it just annoys me that music, specifically country music, is drawing such a division line for itself. A music that I've spent most of my life clinging to for it's "truth-telling" appeal and lately it seems to have turned itself into a sex-driven, fluff-filled genre. I know I'm generalizing but there is something truly missing. I try to maintain a hope that it will come back soon. When does that child go off to college? :)

Oh, and XM rocks - although mine is in my truck right now which is buried in a 4 foot snow drift. Giddyup blizzard!

Anonymous said...

I will respectfully disagree about the Dixie chicks. I don't it is about not liking their music or not liking them personally. They made a political statement that many disagreed with and some just don't like artists using their position to further their political views. When I go to any concert, I want to hear the music, not someone's political or religious views. I don't request that a station not play their music, I just would not listen to that station. That is my perogative.

Anonymous said...

Teach, your comment leads me to ask if you've been to one of their concerts... as they are not a venue for the Chicks to discuss their political views. They never had before 2003, and they haven't since then. When they made that one comment in 2003 they weren't setting up a platform, it was in the middle of a specific time and place in history. Just days before the U.S. invaded Iraq. (And not to mention, the journalists who reported on it didn't even capture her whole quote.) They are certainly not using their artistic merits to further their political views--in fact, there are other country artists who are much more political that we hear nothing about--i.e., Mary Chapin Carpenter, Emmylou Harris, even the Eagles if you want to throw them in there.

Anonymous said...

My main point is that I am not interested in actor's / performer's political views. I think those are best left unsaid, especially when you are performing or accepting awards. I also think you have to accept what happens when you do state those views and you are in the public eye. If you don't like the consequences, then keep your mouth closed. No, I have not been to their concerts. I did not go before 2003 and I certainly will not go now. However, let me clarify that the only concerts I would consider attending now is Garth. I am not into concerts and really don't listen to the radio that often. I was just basically trying to explain what I thought was the difference between what happened with the Dixie Chicks and if you do not like someone's music.

sandi said...

Thanks to the Carrie fans who are invading the Chicks board just to post their Carrie love. :)