But even someone who is tepid on Jamey can see that The Guitar Song deserved a CMA nomination for best album. If the mainstream is going to use Jamey to say, “Look, we do have traditional artists that we accept and promote,” then they need to follow through with it. This may have been Johnson’s only chance at a CMA nomination, and the powers that be blew it.
This is going to be a long one. So for those short of attention, let me summarize by saying that compared to most of the independent/Outlaw/underground country I am used to listening to and reviewing, this album is somewhere between mediocre and average. But compared to the rest of the material coming from major labels in Nashville, this album is remarkable.
When it boils right down to it, what is it going to take to Save Country Music? Hard work, education, and grass roots efforts are one way, but the magic bullet would be an artist that could rise above all the arguments dividing country music, and offer widespread appeal through a new approach while also […]