Album Review – Steven Tyler’s ‘We’re All Somebody From Somewhere”
The entirety of mainstream American music is screwed. I’m not just talking about country music here. Look at rock music for example. Anyone willing to start a “Saving Rock Music” outlet up, step up to the plate. Rock music right now is like a M.A.S.H. unit. Dave Grohl was one of the first to go down and have to be wheeled out to center stage in a guitar throne to perform. Axl Rose stole the idea when one of his wheels blew out, and then when Brian Johnson of AC/DC got sidelined due to health problems, the gimpy Axl Rose and his rock throne got drafter to take Johnson’s place.
It’s like a war of attrition just getting rock concerts down the road these days since no new blood is getting pumped into the genre. The decrepit Hollywood Vampires are out there playing casinos and state fairs, and Steven Tyler’s fellow Aerosmith buddy Joe Perry just collapsed on stage, ending up in the hospital. Who are the fast risers in rock, Imagine Dragons? I’d call rock music in 2016 the walking wounded, but they’re not even walking anymore, they’re sitting.
The implosion of the rock genre, especially on radio, has made country a haven for rock stars looking to keep their careers relevant, ultimately spreading the cancer of declining careers to the country format as well. If Steven Tyler’s move to country had anything to do with inspiration or influence, you won’t hear much of it on this new record. This is about launching a solo music career in hopes of receiving radio play, and Big Machine Records’ CEO Scott Borchetta is once again attempting to live out his hair metal fantasies vicariously through label signees (see the Mötley Crüe tribute record debacle, and the recent signing of Cheap Trick).
Steven Tyler is 68-years-old. Ageist country music radio was never going to give him a chance. Country radio won’t even play George Strait and Garth Brooks anymore. They won’t even play Kacey Musgraves and Ashley Monroe. So what in the world would posses anyone to think Steven Tyler’s lot would be any different? Yet Tyler and Scott Borchetta have been trying to shove a round peg through a square hole for over a year now, while not even cracking the Top 30 on radio.
Remember when Garth Brooks decided he was bored with country music, and wanted to launch and alter ego rocker in eyeliner named Chris Gaines? You know what the best decision Garth made during that entire debacle? He stopped. He stopped trying to push something that music fans clearly didn’t want any part of, and something that was polluting his brand and legacy.
But Steven Tyler has not stopped. If Tyler showed up to Nashville over 1 1/2 years ago inspired to do something authentic, that was mostly whitewashed out of the project months ago. What it was replaced by was pathetic, transparent efforts to pander to country radio for a super hit to get people to pay attention to the whole “Steven Tyler gone country” experiment, and failing miserably at this task. Anyone who’s paying attention is just as apt to be pointing and laughing as they are tapping their toes.
The first single “Love Is Your Name” wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t anything that anyone could have expected to gain serious traction in country music. After that stalled, here came the incredibly derivative and insulting “Red, White and You,” and it’s imbecilic line, “Free Fallin’ into your yum yum.” The song performed even worse than “Love Is Your Name.” Say what you want about Steven Tyler, but he possess one of the most iconic voices in all of American music history. And to hear it intertwined with fatuous Bro-Country material and Music Row production is a travesty of the highest order.
So whatever faith you might have had for Tyler to take what seemed like a bad idea from the start and make something worthwhile was slim to none by the time this record was finally released. Yet We’re All Somebody From Somewhere is not a terrible record. Trust me, there are much worse efforts looming out there in country music as we speak. The best way to summarize this effort is to call it an unmitigated mess.
The aptly-named “My Own Worst Enemy” is the five-minute song that starts off the record, and is not half bad at the beginning, finding a sweet sentiment and leaning on the songwriting and Steven’s vocals to carry the tune. But for a few seconds in the swing through the chorus, someone decided what this song needed was a superfluous, cliche electronic drum beat for about five seconds, usurping the mood the rest of the song looks to create. And if that doesn’t do the song in for country fans, perhaps the loud, rock outtro that comprises the last quarter of the song does.
A similar fate befalls the grungy, sludgy “Hold On (Won’t Let Go),” which starts off very interesting and organic, but decides to work in an overlaying electronic ticking that is a place apart from the rest of the mood. Multiple instances on this bloated, 16-track, hour-long record, you wonder just what the hell they were thinking in the control room, especially when they insist on layer upon layer of surplus instrumentation, saddling what are sometimes decent songs, and even smart approaches to setting a desired mood.
“It Ain’t Easy” might be the best song on the record, and is decidedly country with plenty of mandolin, fiddle, and steel guitar, yet still seems disjointed in the way the instruments seem to be competing with each other as opposed to complimenting the composition. But it is one of numerous instances where Steven Tyler actually shows a bit of direction and inspiration that the reactionary haters will overlook on their way to telling you how terrible this record is.
But there’s also a host of bad songs that can’t be denied, and pull asunder any positive efforts We’re All Somebody From Somewhere boasts, starting with the title track, and punctuated by “Red, White and You.”
Perhaps the record’s most unfortunate moment comes at track 14 (if you make it that far), and the song “What Am I Doing Right?” The song, and even the approach on this one are fine. But to hear the 68-year-old Steven Tyler sing lines like, “Kiss me know while we’re still young” and put himself in the place of a timid and sweet 16-year-old boy getting laid for the first time is unbearable. Steven Tyler was the sexual id of a generation. Now he’s cutting songs that sound like something on an early Jonas Brothers record. Yet then he turns around an refers to female genitals as an edible. He’s all over the place on this record like a venereal rash he picked up from a transvestite on Aerosmith’s 1987 Permanent Vacation tour. The song “I Make My Own Sunshine” sounds like something Kelsea Ballerini would reject for being too fluffy. “Hold On (Won’t Let Go)” sounds like it was inspired by Scott H. Biram.
The final two tracks punctuate how this record could have been halfway decent with a little direction. His “country” rendition of “Janie’s Got A Gun” is probably more what Aerosmith and Steven Tyler fans were hoping from this record, and his cover of Joplin’s “Piece Of My Heart” isn’t half bad either. Few have accused Steven Tyler of not being a good singer over the years, and despite his advanced age, the pipes haven’t lost any luster or range. It’s just the messiness of the whole thing that has doomed this project. It feels like three records crammed together. If Steven Tyler came to Nashville with any direction, it got lost in the process, and instead of shining a spotlight on it, the radio singles have acted like an anchor on the project. The fact that they ended up with 16 songs tells you they tried all kinds of different directions, and ultimately weren’t happy with any of them.
We’re All Somebody From Somewhere is not a complete washout, and it certainly isn’t any good when taken in total. It’s just an oddity of the “country” music legacy that a few will enjoy, most won’t bother with, and will ultimately be forgotten in the here-and-now rush, and will be looked back upon by history as, “Ha! Remember that time Steven Tyler released a country record?”
1 1/2 Guns DOWN (3/10)
– – – – – – – – – – –
The okay:
The Terrible:
July 18, 2016 @ 11:02 am
Well, that about 2 more stars than I expected.
July 18, 2016 @ 11:19 am
Ridiculous that Steven Tyler ever thought he could get any radio airplay at his age. I think the only two guys above 40 that are still played on “country” radio now are Tim Mcgraw and Kenny Chesney. All hope is lost for country radio the day they stopped playing George motherfuckin Strait and Alan Jackson on “country” radio.
July 18, 2016 @ 4:15 pm
Luke Bryan and Keith Urban are both over 40. And they are both also victims to the “Singing like they’re 20” trope that Steven Tyler is in.
July 18, 2016 @ 11:20 am
I don’t know how to say this without sounding like I’m encouraging arrogance, but… isn’t he concerned about his “legacy”? Let’s be honest, Aerosmith are going down in history as one of the biggest rock bands of all time. I could name a dozen songs off the top of my head from them that might as well be part of the Great American Songbook. What I’m saying is that if I were Steven Tyler I’d be doing my best to constantly remind people that I was the guy who did “Dream On” and “Sweet Emotion” instead of running around playing dress-up in country music. I guess you still have to make a living, but come on, the guy’s a freaking legend and he’s wasting his time with this BS.
July 18, 2016 @ 11:23 am
Totally agree. He doesn’t need to do this bullshit…
July 18, 2016 @ 2:30 pm
Well, my opinion is totally the opposite of you! I love his voice, Still think he’s sexy as hell! What does your age have to do with music? Two songs that I love are ,Gypsy girl and don’t want to leave with someone!
July 20, 2016 @ 2:34 am
Sexy? You are insane. Looking at this manlady drag queen makes me want to throw up. You need an eye examination.
July 18, 2016 @ 7:56 pm
I guess you still have to make a living
Well, I would hope he didn’t spend that much of his Aerosmith money on hookers and blow, but you never know…
July 18, 2016 @ 11:33 am
It’d be cool if people listed any (all?) decent new rock acts?
I would steal BBS back and have this as my New Rock Triumvirate:
Blackberry Smoke
Temperance Movement
Rival Sons
Some others show promise (Nathaniel Rateliffe?, Alabama Shakes??), but when I scroll through a list of new supposed rock acts they all seem to be either Metal bands or some lightweight boutique act.
I’m looking for straight up rock.
Probably Off-Topic, though.
July 18, 2016 @ 11:39 am
I don’t mean to be disparaging, but Rival Sons hasn’t struck me as anything more than a Led Zeppelin tribute band in terms of sound and appeal, but that’s just me. If anybody else happens to agree it might speak to why they haven’t taken off, aside from the fact that 1970s blues rock isn’t in style these days.
July 18, 2016 @ 12:13 pm
Essentially, rock has Black Stone Cherry, Blackberry Smoke, Whiskey Myers, The Drive-by Truckers, and maybe some bands like Shinedown or 3 Doors Down. Also the bands you mentioned. But rock is in bad shape right now.
July 18, 2016 @ 12:15 pm
I guess you could maybe count Kid Rock. Maybe.
July 18, 2016 @ 12:57 pm
All these names I’m seeing though, I don’t consider them straight up rock bands. Blackberry Smoke, Whiskey Myers, The Drive-By Truckers are way more Southern rock. Alabama Shakes and Nathaniel are throwback acts. Who is the Led Zepplin and Aerosmith of our time? Coldplay? Have you heard their latest single?
July 18, 2016 @ 1:07 pm
Jack White and The Black Keys are the only mainstream rock acts with anywhere close to that kind of juice, I think. Hoping for better from the Black Keys, as their last one didn’t do much for me.
July 18, 2016 @ 1:32 pm
That’s kind of my point, that southern rock is the last kind of rock music that is still doing alright.
Coldplay isn’t rock, at least not in my opinion.
July 18, 2016 @ 1:37 pm
That’s my point, that southern rock is the last kind of rock music that is still doing all right, along with blues rock(Govt Mule, the Tedechi Trucks Band).
I don’t consider coldplay to be rock.
July 18, 2016 @ 7:58 pm
Who is the Led Zepplin and Aerosmith of our time? Coldplay?
I sure as shit hope not. They make Train sound like freaking Iron Maiden.
July 19, 2016 @ 6:56 am
Well stated, good sir. Coldplay is an aptly named group, as their music leaves me feeling…cold. There’s no rock nor roll in their sound. Chris Martin is a weak singer and a lame front man. I love a plethora of sounds, but if you’re going to rock, then rock.
Coldplay to me is the Sam Hunt of the rock world.
July 19, 2016 @ 7:35 pm
Coldplay to me is the Sam Hunt of the rock world.
I had never thought of it like that before, but that is an excellent, on-point observation! They are indeed about as rock as Sam Hunt is country.
July 19, 2016 @ 11:57 pm
the Senator nails it .
July 19, 2016 @ 8:20 am
What about Kaleo? Their album is pretty rock n roll and pretty darn good.
July 20, 2016 @ 7:52 pm
Check out All Them Witches.
July 18, 2016 @ 1:13 pm
The three you identified are my current favorites. Also, black stone cherry and black star riders. For a great mix of rock, Americana and country ala the Eagles, the wild feathers are fantastic.
July 18, 2016 @ 2:22 pm
Alter Bridge
Tremonti
Can’t go wrong with either of these.
July 18, 2016 @ 2:57 pm
http://wgntv.com/2016/04/15/the-next-great-american-rock-n-roll-band-the-wild-feathers-perform-their-new-song-overnight/
July 19, 2016 @ 8:30 pm
I’m not sure if they count strictly as “Rock”, but I’ve been really digging the new Dolly Shine CD, Walkaround. It has a definite rock sound to it.
July 19, 2016 @ 10:51 pm
Want new original actual rock music? Check out these irreverent SOBs from Colorado.
The Yawpers
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ReIZ7tS8PXM
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dke3IQvva2I
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BtuwACf7foM
July 20, 2016 @ 8:11 am
The 4 on the Floor is straight up Rock n Roll. A lead singer who supplies the lyrics, half the lead guitar and charisma. Lots of fun to see live. Snippets of their music appear on the ins and outs of Fox Sports, Duck Dynasty (especially the Netflix versions) The golf channel… several others. They are also the “house band” at Minnesota Twins games.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IE_y3Hg0I8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IE_y3Hg0I8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rUpyEzVXSM
July 20, 2016 @ 8:29 pm
Uncle Lucius is one. Quaker City Nighthawks. That’s about all I got…
July 18, 2016 @ 11:39 am
He’s way more country than Sam Hunt.
July 18, 2016 @ 11:40 am
That picture is horrifyingly funny.
July 18, 2016 @ 11:41 am
Scarily, I heard several songs from this debacle being played on Sirius Outlaw over the weekend. Granted, I know they tend to include music that borders from other genres, but please tell me there isnt going to be some push to have Tyler viewed as an anti-establishment “music outlaw” because this crap isnt selling with the teens and soccer moms immersed in pop country radio.
On a related note, I’ve seen both Alice Cooper and Def Leppard in concert during the last month or so, and both put on fantastic shows. And why? It’s because even while putting out new music in the past few years, neither act ever sought to change their sound or alienate their fan base. Hey, Steve. Your Aerosmith fans are calling and longing for the good old days. Its sad to think that, while “we’re all somebody from somewhere”, somebody whose been everywhere still doesn’t know where he wants to be or who he is.
July 18, 2016 @ 1:01 pm
I love a lot of old classic rock acts and listen to that music all the time. But when the median age of your acts is over 60, and it’s only nostalgia acts that comprise your biggest draw, you’ve got a problem as a genre.
I’m not trying to criticize rock or specific artists or bands. But the lack of viable new talent in rock is the reason we’re seeing folks like Steven Tyler, Cyndi Lauper, Darius Rucker, that guy from Poision etc. etc. making country records.
July 18, 2016 @ 7:54 pm
Trigger, I couldn’t agree more. It pains me to think that, unless something changes in the next 10 years or so, there won’t be any rock concerts to attend.
Having been born in ’80 and growing up in the NY/NJ radio market, there has certainly never been a shortage of rock radio stations from which to choose throughout my life. To me, it always seems as if “the next wave of rock and roll acts” fizzle out within a few years, usually after their sound grows stale amongst the teenage/mid-twenties demographic who, once hitting a certain age of musical maturity end up reverting back to listening to the classic rock sounds of the 60s, 70s and 80s. Theres a reason why, 20, 30, and 40 years later, acts like the Stones, Paul Mccartney and Springsteen are still selling out stadiums around the world. Does anyone envision Imagine Dragons or any of the other “next big bands” that have come along in the last 20 years (Linkin Park, Korn, Limp Bizkit) playing year long stadium tours 15-20 years from now?
To come full circle in my rant, can we blame Steven Tyler (& Aerosmith) for the advent of the downfall of rock radio as we knew it? Is it safe to say that their BS collaboration with Run DMC in the late 80s that ultimately led to the end of rock as we knew it? Sure its taken about 25 years to end up in the state it is now, but lets take a look back to the late 90s when Tim Mcgraw began his crap hip hop collaborations – just about 20 years ago if I’m correct. Look at what mainstream country music has become – save for a few acts, void of any real new talent emerging. Instead of learning from rock’s mistake, country radio has been on the freeway to follow it to its sad state it’s in today.
July 18, 2016 @ 11:48 am
“Rock music is screwed.”
I was actually listening to a local modern rock station the other day and it occurred to me that the genre is plagued with many of the same issues as country is at present, and not just commercially. Half of the songs are pop-oriented with electronic flourishes and hip hop machinations. There’s almost no pure rock and roll or hard rock on modern radio — if artists aren’t playing pseudo-grunge they’re playing Linkin Park pop crossover stuff.
As for AC/DC, longtime bassist Cliff Williams announced the other day that he was retiring from the band after their current tour as it was a “changed animal.” You can now add AC/DC to the list of rock & roll embarrassments. Angus Young is the only original member left, not to mention the only Back In Black alumni still in the band.
“Scott Borchetta’s hair metal fantasies.”
Are Aerosmith and Cheap Trick considered to be hair metal these days? Neither has really ever struck me as a part of that scene the way Poison and the like were.
—–
Ultimately, Steven Tyler’s country career is the archetypal “rock star changes genres” story, as we’ve all been saying. However, I think with lyrics like the ones to “Red, White & You”, his transition is much more obvious than some others. Aerosmith and Tyler in particular have always had a voracious sexual aesthetic and he apparently couldn’t keep it in his pants long enough to even PRETEND he was going to make some real country music. At least Aaron Lewis is walking the walk a little better these days, even if his lyrics still aren’t cutting it.
Next up, Brian Johnson announces a “country” career after he is unable to reclaim his job (despite having correcting devices implanted in his ears) in the wake of Angus Young’s mid-life crisis.
July 18, 2016 @ 1:03 pm
Even the “best” song on the record is just dismal. The piano sounds very disjointed and out of tune. It doesn’t sound very good at all.
July 18, 2016 @ 1:12 pm
Rock music isn’t dead it’s just isn’t mainstream anymore there are plenty of great rock bands out there and no I don’t mean that atrocious band imagine dragons. Country and rock are the same the great musicians don’t get played on the radio that’s the way it is with every genre though.
July 18, 2016 @ 2:41 pm
agree that there is outstanding new rock music around
Mastodon for example. New album in the works.
Some (not many) rock guys have done some decent non rock music, Robert Plant, for instance.
July 18, 2016 @ 1:17 pm
I’m about halfway through it… there are some really bad lyrics peppered throughout, some production choices that seem like they were made on a whim (I think in one song, at one point, the music just stopped for a second and he interjected some non-sequitur… but it was before my coffee kicked in and I might have (am hoping) imagined it. I actually kind of liked “I make my own sunshine” in the context of an album he must have known on some level was not going to fly. I read it less as fluff and more a middle finger to detractors.
I plan on finishing the experience and then probably never getting near it again.
July 18, 2016 @ 1:42 pm
“Remember when Garth Brooks decided he was bored with country music, and wanted to launch and alter ego rocker in eyeliner named Chris Gaines? You know what the best decision Garth made during that entire debacle? He stopped.”
Pure gold. Just brilliant.
July 18, 2016 @ 2:33 pm
Trig, I loved your stuff about the “implosion” in rock as a genre. Twenty years ago, it seemed absurd for the Stones to still be touring at 55, and here they are still going. Meanwhile the listings pages are filled with mediocre bands of the 90s and 00s doing their one notable album from start to end, ad infinitum. Country seems the only genre where (some) artists continue to have a voice and be relevant into their twilight years (Mr Tyler excepted).
July 18, 2016 @ 2:35 pm
Love this record. Red White and You baby!
July 18, 2016 @ 3:26 pm
Me about Steven Tyler = Zzz.
July 18, 2016 @ 3:33 pm
I can tolerate Steven Tyler being country that Sam Hunt and Old Dominion.
July 18, 2016 @ 4:05 pm
I’ve said it before here on SCM and I’ll say it again . The last REAL , honest genre left is Bluegrass. You want GREAT singing ?..you got it . You want GREAT picking ?…you got as much as you can eat …You want classic give-a-damn songwriting with timeless narratives and messages delivered with HEART ? you got it .You want REAL instruments ? …you got it by the busload . You want tradition ?..got it …got it and GOT IT !!!
Bluegrass music is and always was EVERYTHING country music should be and isn’t in the slightest any more .Give it a chance and watch how it resonates on all fronts with just about any serious music lover anywhere . I’d wager that even a soccer mom couldn’t escape the clutches of the right Bluegrass song . There is and there never was any shortage of it , either . There’s no age prejudice by radio like there is with country and rock …no expiry date and NO CHEATING . Either you can pick and sing and write it or you can’t . I rest my ( mandolin ) case .
BTW …I’m amazed that ANYONE takes this Steven Tyler , Sheryl Crow , Jewel , or any other obvious pop-entrenched wannabe’s country whims seriously at all . I think it says more about any listener who DOES take it seriously than the ‘ artist’ trying to scam us with it .
July 19, 2016 @ 2:43 pm
a-freaking-men Albol buddy ol pal!
Bluegrass is the great American genre, made by real people, most of whom have real jobs and aren’t corrupted by their celebrity status.
I’ve seen Dailey and Vincent do half an hour taking requests, saw Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper twice, and just saw Bela Fleck and Chris Thile a couple nights ago…
What Bluegrass needs badly is people with a little musical sense.
Too much Bluegrass is just way too fast and way to loud, and most Bluegrass festivals go the same way, a few big acts like Rhonda Vincent padded by a bunch of unknowns who sound like Bluegrass cliches and all sound like they’re trying to outplay each other…
the whole Bluegrass community needs to sit down and study Ricky Skaggs’ “Ancient Tones” album and learn how to play the blue, because everybody’s got the grass… a million and one bluegrass players and you get all the grass, but only a half dozen who can play it blue.
plus the Bluegrass canon consists of maybe a few dozen songs that we’ve all heard to death, and the acceptable repertoire really hasn’t expanded in the last couple decades to include anything new or fresh…
Do we really need another recording of “John Henry” for instance? how about instead another recording of a criminally overlooked bluegrass gem “It Rains Everywhere I Go.”
July 19, 2016 @ 6:24 pm
I hear ya F2S…but can’t completely agree .
There is certainly the sound-alike factor BUT once you get into Bluegrass you can go a hundred directions in terms of honest playing , singing and songwriting . I’ll just say it …some may consider Bluegrass a ‘ gateway drug’ in this respect. But its undeniably timeless , honest , traditional and as I stated earlier …you either CAN or CAN’T play and sing it …there’s no squeaking by with synthesizers , drum machines autotuning or just sub-par picking . The bar has been raised by each new generation and it was bloody high already . Now THAT’S something you cannot say about country , pop or too many other genres . In fact the bar is consistently lowered , as we’ve all witnessed over the past decade or more . As the educated music listener can hear the differences between the Boston Symphony and the high school stage band , a bluegrass fan will certainly learn to separate the wheat from the chaff once he’s been bitten by the bluegrass bug . There’s TONS of great stuff waiting to be discovered once a music listener tires of being pandered to and ‘consumerized ‘ by the mainstream genres .
July 18, 2016 @ 4:29 pm
The man’s a genuine embarrassment. Not that, as a fan of late 1960s/1970s classic rock, I ever cared for either him or Aerosmith as a band (they are WAY too overplayed on classic rock radio); but when it comes to country music, which I got into in large part because of several 70s rockers who had a genuine love for and knowledge of the genre, he just jumped on the Bromeister Bandwagon, which was already something of a freak show, and became the bearded lady of the place.
I shudder at the possibility of this becoming a real success because there are suckers for this stuff out there, not realizing that Steven Tyler is what I believe Southerners would call a Carpetbagger.
BUYER BEWARE.
July 18, 2016 @ 4:49 pm
“The implosion of the rock genre, especially on radio, has made country a haven for rock stars looking to keep their careers relevant, ultimately spreading the cancer of declining careers to the country format as well.”
Exactly. This. Exactly this.
July 18, 2016 @ 4:54 pm
The Steven Tyler album is a train wreck. Not because it’s Steven Tyler trying to do country, but becauseist’s disjointed and confusing and weird.
Much like real country music, real rock is hard to find anywhere near the radio or mainstream. Others have mentioned some of my favorites: The Temperance Movement, The Wild Feathers, Rival Sons.
Some more to check out:
Black Star Riders
The Struts
Dorothy
Jasmine Cain
Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown
The Amorettes
Rock is much stronger in Europe and South America. Here in the US, were too busy listening to bro country and Katy Perry to know about the good stuff.
July 18, 2016 @ 5:18 pm
The Sheepdogs are pretty good.
July 18, 2016 @ 5:22 pm
This is intended as mild constructive criticism Trig, but I wish you wouldn’t devote time to reviewing stuff like this. We all know what drecjnitbis going to be.
I would prefer reviews of artists who more likely fall within the tastes of the readers here. Lately it seems like lots of articles discuss the mainstream artists in a negative way. I certainly share the opinion. However, I would sooner read reviews of people I have heard of, like Elizabeth Cook who has a new album out, or some of the good stuff you identify that is new to me.
July 18, 2016 @ 8:12 pm
Hey Tighthead,
I appreciate the criticism, and it’s a criticism I see often. I feature tons of new artists, but unfortunately those reviews don’t always get the same amount of attention as the negative ones. I personally wrote more positive reviews in both 2014 and 2015 than any other major journalist in country music, and I’m on pace to do the same in 2016. I don’t know that it’s physically possible to review more music than I do. One problem is people think that if I want to post a positive album review, all I have to do is to choose to do so as opposed to writing a negative one. But that’s just not the case. There is nothing I take more seriously than what I decide to devote my time writing. And the big question I ask myself is if I’m passionate about the subject. Because otherwise, all I end up doing is staring at a blank screen, and nothing gets written.
2016 has been the worst year for music since I started this website, and I firmly believe that, and that follows the second half of 2015 which was also pretty terrible. It doesn’t mean there aren’t some excellent albums out there, but there simply haven’t been two or three great albums per week for me to review. You mention the Elizabeth Cook album. The other big trend in 2016 is independent country artists releasing non country records: Elizabeth Cook, Sturgill Simpson, Robert Ellis, Bonnie Bishop, and on and on and on. It doesn’t mean these are bad albums by any stretch, but I run a country music website and it makes it difficult to feature them. Sometimes I do feature non country albums.
It’s simply not me wanting to feature a cool country artist you’ve never heard of that’s going to blow your mind. That artist must exist. And in 2016, they are very few and far between, while artists who blew our minds in the past are putting out non country albums. I’ve listened to more albums so far in 2016 than I ever have looking for the next Sturgill Simpson or Elizabeth Cook. And I’ve found a few. But don’t think for a second that I’m not featuring them because I want to write a negative review. There is nothing more rewarding than finding that needle in the haystack and helping launch a career. But the sinners are the ones who most need to hear the sermon.
July 18, 2016 @ 10:05 pm
You do a great job, and you’ve introduced me to countless artists over the last year or so, most recently Luke Bell(who’s amazing).
July 20, 2016 @ 6:24 pm
Fair enough Trigger. That is a longer and more thoughtful response than I expected, and I appreciate you taking my thoughts in stride. It’s not like you owe me anything.
Basically what it boils down to is I would prefer we all just ignore shit like Tyler going country. However, It’s your site, your vision and your labour so I fully understand. Thanks and be well.
July 18, 2016 @ 5:35 pm
Anybody else still have the Chris Gaines CD? I have every studio album Garth has released. It’s not as bad as it was made out to be, some good songs and Garth showed some impressive vocal range. As for Tyler, I doubt I will listen to any of the album. Aerosmith could still be out there like the Stones but Tyler might have alienated his band mates with this project, especially Joe Perry.
July 19, 2016 @ 11:12 am
I have the Chris Gaines album Dave . And I agree with you …its a terrific record writing and performance -wise . I loved it from the get-go and was NEVER a Garth fan .Its way more country than today’s “country” ..ironic that at the time it wasn’t considered so . Garth has never hidden his rock influences . But as a songwriter first , I have always appreciated the writing on the Chris Gaines project and hell …..even Garth gets bored . Why else would he be major-ly touring the country like there’s no tomorrow . Besides …” If tomorrow never comes” , Garth can say he’s done it all , thanks in part to his friend Chris Gaines .
July 20, 2016 @ 8:36 pm
As the great Todd Snider once said (paraphrased), “People called that record a failure. It wasn’t. It sold two million copies. I wish I had ever sold two million copies.”
July 18, 2016 @ 7:14 pm
Have Always loved Aerosmith and always will yet I will not buy this album and cannot believe he decided to do this. To comment on the rock scene there are still decent rock songs Rob Zombie just released a new album that isn’t bad at all and I have heard and read that godsmack as well as metallica are on the verge of new albums being released. I am a outlaw country fan and have resorted back to rock because of the MIA Hank3 and hope he has more in store for his fanbase
July 18, 2016 @ 7:22 pm
i haven’t even listened to this yet but i did watch wheeler walker jr’s facebook live review and well let’s just say his review was much more negative than yours
July 19, 2016 @ 8:22 am
me and the wife watched that..
Wheeler holds no punches. LOL
July 20, 2016 @ 8:39 am
I watched that, too…..that was freaking gold.
July 18, 2016 @ 9:49 pm
You know, Pat Boone singing metal suddenly doesn’t seem so bad…..
July 19, 2016 @ 1:04 pm
I saw a band open Trombone Shorty Friday nite..
The Record Company..
They happened to be playing Saturday at the Out of the Box fest in Boston and I saw them again.
Really good Rock and Roll..
I’ve not been listening to much Rock… There just aint anything I’ve been excited about.
People have mentioned previously, and they’ve been on rotation with me:
Alabama Shakes
Temperance Movement
Blackberry Smoke
They all are kinda throwbacks I guess as someone else said.
Trigger, there hasn’t been a ton of great music this year, but there have been some stellar albums that I’ve been listening to a lot:
Sturgill
Brandi
Margot Price
Austin Lucas (I met him Sunday at a show in this tiny lil bar in NH.. He hung out with me at the bar for a long time.. We shot the shyt.. Really cool Kat).
Luke Bell
The Dave Cobb album
I’ll take high quality over quantity.
July 19, 2016 @ 4:43 pm
I watched Wheeler Walker Jr’s review on Facebook pretty damn funny. Ironically a dirty talking comedian is still more country than Steven Tyler
July 19, 2016 @ 10:38 pm
8.5 out of 10
Strong album throughout. Tyler creates an epic honest into with “my own worst enemy”. Yes it builds up to a rock finale, but then that is tyler. The title track is a hoot, “we’re all somebody from somewhere out there”…dynamite stuff, this ain’t country, its funkry! ” love is your name” grows with each play , “Somebody new” is the best track on the album. “I make my own sunshine” and “Sweet Louisiana” are catchy as hell” and will keep your girl happy, while The Good, the Bad, the Ugly and ,Me, Gypsy Girl and “What am i doing right” will keep the rock fans happy. Kudoos to a very good debut cd!
July 20, 2016 @ 8:01 pm
I think you’re looking for the Taste of Country website.
It’s that way.
July 21, 2016 @ 2:51 pm
Since the subject of Rock ‘n Roll being either pretty much dead or at least in hibernattion…..Here’s Gene Simmons’ thoughts from a Rolling Ston article/interview from a couple of years back. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/gene-simmons-rock-is-finally-dead-20140907 Does anyone remember 10 years ago when Bon Jovi decided to climb through the ropes of the country music ring? Not that they were the first to try it, but this article and all the posts I’m reading made me think about that. At least they had ‘Wanted Dead or Alice’s to make a case for the shift. Steven Tyler and Big Machine were probably counting on the Aerosmith fan base to make this record a success. If it was promoted as a rock record, it may have gotten some better results. I don’t listen to rock radio anymore since it’s all still classic rock….which is fine and Thank God for radio stations that still play classic rock…..but ST has carved his own niche as one of THE most identifiable voices in rock over several decades. I just don’t see why he would feel the need to want o make a country album. Money? Staying in the consciousness of fans? Hard to say. Great article as always, Trigger!!!
July 21, 2016 @ 2:52 pm
Ugh….I detest My apologies, folks!!!.
July 21, 2016 @ 2:53 pm
I detest TYPE-O’S!!! Aaaarrgghhhhh!!!!
July 22, 2016 @ 11:30 am
At the risk of getting kicked, I will come out and say it: I like it. It’s certainly listenable, which is so much more that country radio offers today. I know most will pick it apart just to make an impression on Trigger, but I like to try and be honest with myself. Really, its pretty good, though I admit to not being a music critic.
July 23, 2016 @ 3:40 pm
Mainstream rock may be dead but it is alive and well in the Christian Rock market
Bands like Switchfoot, Needtobreathe, and Thousand Foot Krutch have all experienced album releases that were met with high sales and good reviews, while Christian Rock icons Skillet and Disciple have albums on the way.