Congratulations ...
To the Dixie Chicks for winning 5 grammies last night. And to Carrie Underwood for getting new vocalist of the year. But that's for an American Idol post.
Congratulations Dixie Chicks ... you successfully gave the finger to the fan base that made you a star. You won for best Country album without being played on country radio. I'm not entirely sure who votes for winners of the Grammies, but the mere fact that you're album was nominated in country categories makes me want to gag.
And you know ... it's not even about what you said about the President anymore. I was over that months, heck weeks, days! after it happened. But you kept going. You apologized for your remarks and then you took it back. Then you attacked patriotism and patriots. You released a song that you wanted played on country radio entitled "I'm not Ready to Make Nice." Well FINE!! I'm not ready to hear your music, buy your music, sing your music or whatever.
You accuse me of censoring you because you exorised your right of free speech ... but I'm merely demonstrating my own similar freedoms. Unfortunately ... the Grammy's demonstrated theres (and their political points of view) and gave the Chicks 5 awards. They beat out Mary J. Blige, James Blunt, Gnarls Barkley, and Corinne Bailey Rae. As far as mainstream goes, I'd say they probably were the best of that bunch. And I'd say that since I haven't heard or purchased any of the other 4. Maybe that's what drove the academy's decision.
But I've definitely heard better songs ... and I've definitely bought better albums. But I've never been a fan of who wins the grammy's anyway. I used to buy those compilation CD's, when I was younger (teenager) ... but after awhile they were just people that I didn't really like. I have to say they've gotten better ... but I don't own a CD made by a single person at the grammies last night.
So congratulations Chicks. You found a fan base. Now if only you could find a radio station to play you.
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***Updated***
I just wanted to point out that while the Dixie Chicks were nominated for 5 grammy's, they weren't nominated for a single Country Music Award. While this doesn't bother me concerning 4 of the 5 grammies they won ... the Country Album award just tweaks my nose. So, so many better albums deserved the recognition. Including Josh Turner's album. And while it can be argued the the CMA's left them out for political reasons and if that's okay than so is the Grammy's giving them awards for political reasons ... I'd like to point out that the Country Album nominees at the CMA's were ... Brooks and Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Alan Jackson, Kenney Chesney, and Brad Paisley. All of these people are really, really awesome singer/songwriters. All of them can be heard on Country Radio. And if you want to find someone else that's hugely against the war but still manages to keep their country fan base ... talk to Faith Hill and Tim McGraw ... country royalty. Faith Hill was nominated for female vocalist of the year.
In protest to the Chicks winning a Grammy in a Country category, even though they have proclaimed themselves that Long Way Home is not a country album, I'm going to listen to country all day long. And you know ... I can't comment on whether or not the Chicks album is any good ... I haven't heard it. But I'd wager money that half the people that gave them the standing ovation when they won haven't heard it either (you think Ludacris is a Chicks fan?? come on now ...). But they do know about the political controversy ... and that's enough to make them Dixie Chicks fans.
I'm gonna listen to Toby. There's no better way to irritate the Dixie Chicks then to be a Toby Keith Fan. And if it's good enough for the United States Military it's good enough for me.
"Cause Justice is the one thing you should always find, you've gotta saddle up your boys, you gotta draw a hard line and the gunsmoke seven will sing a victory tune and we'll all meet back at the local saloon. And we'll raise up our glasses against evil forces singing ... wiskey for my men! Beer for my Horses!"
And for the last and final time ... the Chicks are not victims. Nothing happened to them. They are not heros. They stepped on the toes of their fans and said stupid things like Any fan of Reba isn't a fan of ours. What??? Why would you say that? And Reba??? Why in God's green earth would you distance yourself from the Queen of Country? Nashville is a lot harder to get into than stupid Hollywood and the Chicks spit on their doors. So what did Nashville do? They spit on them. And the Dixie Chicks get labeled Martyrs.
That's like me telling you you're stupid and ugly, you not wanting to be my friend any more, and then me crying saying you're being unfair to me.
GROW UP.
It just doesn't make sense to me. They get rewarded for being insulting and combative to country music leaders and fans. They were so talented. The first song I ever country danced to was "Cowboy Take me Away." And "Wide Open Spaces" represented my journey to college and what I was trying to do. Everything on those first two albums is a jewel.
But I'm sick to death of magazine covers and article titles saying they've been censored ... they haven't been censored! Their diarrhea of the mouth imploded their own Country music careers. And now ... because they sound too Country for the pop stations and not rocking enough for the rock stations ... all that's left for them is Top 40.
But none of their songs are Top 40. So they are left without a home "without genre" as they said.
So yes, the Grammy academy gave them 5 awards ... but fat lot of good it will do them. After President Bush is out of office and another President has been elected ... this non-affair will go away and the press will have nothing left to talk about regarding the Chicks. They will slowly fade away into the nether regions of music culture since they burned every bridge they had in Nashville. And they will still sound too country for Hot 97 or 106 Kiss FM ... and slowly future generations won't hear of them. They will be mentioned in passing as "Remember that group who sang that Cowboy song? That was a really good song," and that will be all.
And even still ... the former fans of these girls are labeled as bigots and book burners and facists who are trying to inact a censoring program. And that's something the Chicks did on purpose. They spun the news cycle so the boycott looked bad on the boycotters. And while in most instances that wouldn't be effective, with a MSM that believes in their cause they had an audience.
I assure you, that with every quote that came pouring from Natalie's mouth ... my mouth dropped open in shock. When they said what they said in London, I was shocked, I wrote a letter, and I was done with it. But she kept going, and going, in one interview hating on Reba and Toby, in the next Patriotism, in the next Lubbock and Texas ... really ... honestly ... why couldn't you just stop? There's freedom of speech, and then their just being stupid. After she opened her mouth the first time and got the negative reaction ... it's like she just opened the flood gates.
I'm so sorry this has happened. I'm sorry you were stupid and said stupid things that you can't take back. I'm sorry you hate Lubbock. I'm sorry you hate country music, because you really are very gifted in that arena. I'm sorry that the Grammy's nominated you for 5 awards not for your musical talent, but for your political message.
Maybe you should give up music and run for office.
Congratulations Dixie Chicks ... you successfully gave the finger to the fan base that made you a star. You won for best Country album without being played on country radio. I'm not entirely sure who votes for winners of the Grammies, but the mere fact that you're album was nominated in country categories makes me want to gag.
And you know ... it's not even about what you said about the President anymore. I was over that months, heck weeks, days! after it happened. But you kept going. You apologized for your remarks and then you took it back. Then you attacked patriotism and patriots. You released a song that you wanted played on country radio entitled "I'm not Ready to Make Nice." Well FINE!! I'm not ready to hear your music, buy your music, sing your music or whatever.
You accuse me of censoring you because you exorised your right of free speech ... but I'm merely demonstrating my own similar freedoms. Unfortunately ... the Grammy's demonstrated theres (and their political points of view) and gave the Chicks 5 awards. They beat out Mary J. Blige, James Blunt, Gnarls Barkley, and Corinne Bailey Rae. As far as mainstream goes, I'd say they probably were the best of that bunch. And I'd say that since I haven't heard or purchased any of the other 4. Maybe that's what drove the academy's decision.
But I've definitely heard better songs ... and I've definitely bought better albums. But I've never been a fan of who wins the grammy's anyway. I used to buy those compilation CD's, when I was younger (teenager) ... but after awhile they were just people that I didn't really like. I have to say they've gotten better ... but I don't own a CD made by a single person at the grammies last night.
So congratulations Chicks. You found a fan base. Now if only you could find a radio station to play you.
_________________________________________
***Updated***
I just wanted to point out that while the Dixie Chicks were nominated for 5 grammy's, they weren't nominated for a single Country Music Award. While this doesn't bother me concerning 4 of the 5 grammies they won ... the Country Album award just tweaks my nose. So, so many better albums deserved the recognition. Including Josh Turner's album. And while it can be argued the the CMA's left them out for political reasons and if that's okay than so is the Grammy's giving them awards for political reasons ... I'd like to point out that the Country Album nominees at the CMA's were ... Brooks and Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Alan Jackson, Kenney Chesney, and Brad Paisley. All of these people are really, really awesome singer/songwriters. All of them can be heard on Country Radio. And if you want to find someone else that's hugely against the war but still manages to keep their country fan base ... talk to Faith Hill and Tim McGraw ... country royalty. Faith Hill was nominated for female vocalist of the year.
In protest to the Chicks winning a Grammy in a Country category, even though they have proclaimed themselves that Long Way Home is not a country album, I'm going to listen to country all day long. And you know ... I can't comment on whether or not the Chicks album is any good ... I haven't heard it. But I'd wager money that half the people that gave them the standing ovation when they won haven't heard it either (you think Ludacris is a Chicks fan?? come on now ...). But they do know about the political controversy ... and that's enough to make them Dixie Chicks fans.
I'm gonna listen to Toby. There's no better way to irritate the Dixie Chicks then to be a Toby Keith Fan. And if it's good enough for the United States Military it's good enough for me.
"Cause Justice is the one thing you should always find, you've gotta saddle up your boys, you gotta draw a hard line and the gunsmoke seven will sing a victory tune and we'll all meet back at the local saloon. And we'll raise up our glasses against evil forces singing ... wiskey for my men! Beer for my Horses!"
And for the last and final time ... the Chicks are not victims. Nothing happened to them. They are not heros. They stepped on the toes of their fans and said stupid things like Any fan of Reba isn't a fan of ours. What??? Why would you say that? And Reba??? Why in God's green earth would you distance yourself from the Queen of Country? Nashville is a lot harder to get into than stupid Hollywood and the Chicks spit on their doors. So what did Nashville do? They spit on them. And the Dixie Chicks get labeled Martyrs.
That's like me telling you you're stupid and ugly, you not wanting to be my friend any more, and then me crying saying you're being unfair to me.
GROW UP.
It just doesn't make sense to me. They get rewarded for being insulting and combative to country music leaders and fans. They were so talented. The first song I ever country danced to was "Cowboy Take me Away." And "Wide Open Spaces" represented my journey to college and what I was trying to do. Everything on those first two albums is a jewel.
But I'm sick to death of magazine covers and article titles saying they've been censored ... they haven't been censored! Their diarrhea of the mouth imploded their own Country music careers. And now ... because they sound too Country for the pop stations and not rocking enough for the rock stations ... all that's left for them is Top 40.
But none of their songs are Top 40. So they are left without a home "without genre" as they said.
So yes, the Grammy academy gave them 5 awards ... but fat lot of good it will do them. After President Bush is out of office and another President has been elected ... this non-affair will go away and the press will have nothing left to talk about regarding the Chicks. They will slowly fade away into the nether regions of music culture since they burned every bridge they had in Nashville. And they will still sound too country for Hot 97 or 106 Kiss FM ... and slowly future generations won't hear of them. They will be mentioned in passing as "Remember that group who sang that Cowboy song? That was a really good song," and that will be all.
And even still ... the former fans of these girls are labeled as bigots and book burners and facists who are trying to inact a censoring program. And that's something the Chicks did on purpose. They spun the news cycle so the boycott looked bad on the boycotters. And while in most instances that wouldn't be effective, with a MSM that believes in their cause they had an audience.
I assure you, that with every quote that came pouring from Natalie's mouth ... my mouth dropped open in shock. When they said what they said in London, I was shocked, I wrote a letter, and I was done with it. But she kept going, and going, in one interview hating on Reba and Toby, in the next Patriotism, in the next Lubbock and Texas ... really ... honestly ... why couldn't you just stop? There's freedom of speech, and then their just being stupid. After she opened her mouth the first time and got the negative reaction ... it's like she just opened the flood gates.
I'm so sorry this has happened. I'm sorry you were stupid and said stupid things that you can't take back. I'm sorry you hate Lubbock. I'm sorry you hate country music, because you really are very gifted in that arena. I'm sorry that the Grammy's nominated you for 5 awards not for your musical talent, but for your political message.
Maybe you should give up music and run for office.
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