A Commentary of Sorts

on the

37th Annual CMA Awards

As I watched the CMA Awards Wednesday night, I jotted down some of my thoughts as the show progressed.  I thought I would share some of those with you, and whether you agree or not, these are just my honest thoughts of some of the acts that performed, the awards that were given and some things that I observed.

Alan Jackson opened the show with a performance of "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere", and it was no surprise to me when Jimmy Buffet showed up in the middle of the song to help him finish it.  I did notice that Buffet threw his guitar pick out to the crowd at the end of the song.  I guess he was thinking he was still in Margaritaville somewhere.

Toby Keith's performance of "I Love This Bar" - about the most boring song I've heard all year.

Brad Paisley's "Celebrity", which was nominated in Song or Single of the Year (I can't remember which) - not the best I've heard from Brad, but better than Toby Keith's song.

Vocal Event of the Year Award went to "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere", which didn't get my vote, but I loved what Buffet said to Jackson in his acceptance speech..."I'm glad I could help your struggling career."  He said it jokingly, of course.

Martina McBride sang "My Daughter's Eyes", great song by a great voice.

Brooks & Dunn's "Honky Tonk Out Of The Girl" was much too rock n' roll to be honky tonk.  The weird thing about this was after they performed the song, they were presented with the Duo Of The Year Award, which caught them off guard and with no time to really make an acceptance speech.    Are there any other duos in country music right now?  I'm not counting Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow...I refuse.

So why are there so many horns in Nashville country bands these days?  Saxophones, trumpets, etc.  What is that all about?

Single Of The Year Award - Johnny Cash "Hurt" - FINALLY!  Way to go, JR.  Wish he were still around to accept it.

Tim McGraw - Sang some song called "Red Rag Top", never looked at the audience once, still can't sing, I just don't get it.

Lots of bells and whistles in the stage back drops, but the performers were dressed very casually this year.  The music was still heavily over produced on songs by Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, and the performances by the Horizon Award nominees.

Dolly Parton and Norah Jones sang a duet to "The Grass Is Blue" that made me write  WOW, WOW, WOW! in my notes (and that was before Vince Gill said "WOW" after the performance).

Rascal Flatts did a song on stage, but it wasn't country.  What WAS that anyway?

I think Kid Rock borrowed a cowboy hat from Kenny Chesney as it was way too big.  (Uh oh, I'm gonna hear it from some Chesney fans about this remark)

Alison Krauss & Union Station got a standing O from the crowd after they performed.  Too cool and well deserved.  They were awesome, and their music was just right.

Video Of The Year Award - "Hurt" by Johnny Cash, directed by Mark Romanek.  Glad to see they got this one right!

Album of The Year Award - American IV: The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash, produced by Rick Rubin, Lost Highway Records.  The  CMA redeems themselves!

Entertainer Of The Year - Alan Jackson.  Couldn't happen to a better guy in Nashville.  At least Koby Teeth didn't get it.  In his acceptance speech, Alan said, "When you step out on that stage and you sing those songs and people are singing along, or they're touched by them, or they light their lighters, that's when you remember what it was all about. And that was making the music and singing it for the people. That's what you start out doing and that's where it's still at. Take all the awards shows, and all the interviews, and all the TV stuff away, and all the money, it's still picking and singing and writing songs."  I think Alan might be one of the very few left in Nashville that remembers what it's really all about.

Speaking of Koby, he was shut out on awards even though he had the most nominations, 7.  The Dixie Chicks were nominated in a couple of categories, but they were also shut out.  Just an observation.  I won't get into the "politics" of this, but I still think the Chicks' "Home" CD deserved an award.

Rascal Flatts won "Vocal Group Of The Year" but called Alabama to the stage and presented the award to them saying, "There are some heroes in this category with us tonight, and they say that they're on their farewell tour, and they're the reason we do this. And, we think they deserve this award. We want to give it to Alabama."  And they did!  Is this a first on publicly passing an award to another nominee who didn't win? 

Martina McBride got the nod for "Female Vocalist Of The Year" against Dolly Parton, Terri Clark, Patty Loveless and Alison Krauss.  She was both stunned and gracious saying, "I'm so honored to be in this category.  Dolly Parton, my God, she's my female vocalist of the year every year."

Big highlight of the night was the tribute to Johnny Cash that Sheryl Crow, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Travis Tritt, and Hank Williams Jr. did on stage by singing some of Cash's music.  Hank did his best Johnny Cash impression and it wasn't bad at all.  Johnny would have loved it, I think.

Some of my favorite quotes of the night:

"God smacked you right up side the throat!"  Vince Gill to Martina McBride after she performed

"Britney and Madonna can kiss all they want.  I want to hear THEM sing!"  Vince Gill after Dolly and Norah performed "The Grass Is Blue"

"It's amazing that my father has such a life that he could expose himself and still never lose his dignity and his charm and his beauty that was in his spirit--it just shone through."  John Carter Cash accepting an award for his father, Johnny Cash

That's a wrap...until next year.
 

                                                                                                      Happy Trails,
                                                                                  Miss Lana

Lana

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