Music Appreciation 101

Need a break from all the political talk? I know I do! One of the ways I get away from the craziness of the world is by listening to music. What kind of music depends on my mood at the time and the contents of my MP3 player are very diverse. I've got everything from country to contemporary Christian, classic rock to jazz. There is a song for everything and for everything there is a song.

Music is one of my great passions. As long as I have my tunes, I know I can get through the day. I download a song now and then, but I guess I could be considered a purist because most of the time I still buy CDs. Why? First, because by just downloading a favorite song or two, you miss out on all the rest of the album! There are gems hidden on CDs that people never hear because all they do is download the songs they hear on the radio. How sad is that?

Second, I've been a fan of liner notes since I bought my first Partridge Family album (titled, ironically, The Partridge Family Album) way back in the early seventies. Ok, now I've really dated myself! But seriously, I love liner notes! You just never know what you're going to find out about the members of a band, who they dedicate their songs to, and who even wrote the songs. I like looking up background singers because I have the uncanny ability to figure out who they are and it's fun to check and see if I'm right or not.

This week I've really splurged and bought myself two new CDs. It seems to happen that way, but usually not until after the CMA Awards. Those aren't until next week, so I'd better hide my debit card away now in order to avoid temptation! Of course, I'm not taking it out of my wallet until I buy Brad Paisley's new CD, Play, which drops tomorrow. I've never met a Brad Paisley CD that I didn't like, and this one sounds like another big hit. It is comprised of songs highlighted by Brad's brilliant guitar playing and features several duets.

The first radio release, Start a Band, is a duet with one of my other favorite artists, Keith Urban. B.B. King teams up with Brad on another song. Vote for Brad when you pick up this CD in stores on Election Day.

I mentioned two other CDs that I picked up this week. The first is Jimmy Wayne's new release, Do You Believe Me Now. Spring and I saw Jimmy in concert at Jinglefest 2006 and he really impressed me. I've seen the video for I Love You this Much many times on CMT and heard him tell his story on the Laura Ingraham Show. Jimmy is very talented and I have to say that this album really impressed me. The title song is a powerful ballad about lost love, and is beautifully done. When I listen to his vocals, Jimmy reminds me just a bit of seventies crooner David Gates of Bread fame, but with more depth and richness.

This CD is a nice collection of upbeat songs and ballads that showcase Jimmy's voice. I hope this is the one that will make him more of a household name. Other songs I particularly like: I Don't Come Here to Lose, Stay Gone and I'll Be That.

The other CD that found its way into my shopping cart is the latest release from Little Big Town called A Place to Land. Known for their harmonies on songs like Boondocks, this group caught my ear a while back, but I just hadn't gotten around to getting any of their CDs. After downloading a few tunes, I knew the time was coming.

When I found out that the expanded edition of A Place to Land had the live version of Life in a Northern Town, which features Sugarland and Jake Owens, I knew I had to grab this one.

What a treat this CD is! Full of lively songs and heartrending ballads, it seems like everyone in the group is featured on one song or another, and when they put their voices together, the harmonies are amazing. Every now and then, I catch a little Eagles influence in a line or a verse, and I have to smile.

One of the first songs to get radio play is Fine Line which is a very catchy tune. I'm With the Band is rapidly becoming another one of my favorites. No matter what mood you're in, there is something for you on this CD.

Those are my music preview/reviews for now. Tomorrow I will probably be focused on Brad Paisley's new CD, which I'm sure will be a fine diversion from all the political stuff that will surround us. I can't think of better timing for a much-anticipated release.

One more that I'm anxiously awaiting is American Idol winner David Cook's debut. The self-titled album drops on November 18. I heard the first single, Light On last week on the radio and my first impression was very positive. Saw him perform it on Saturday Night Live and was still impressed so we'll have to see what the rest of the CD holds. David was my pick on this, my first American Idol season, and I think he has a great voice. Hopefully, he won't disappoint.

Music Review: Relient K – Let It Snow Baby, Let it Reindeer!

Every year I add at least one new CD to our Christmas collection. This year, my favorite choice by far is Relient K’s Christmas CD, cleverly entitled, Let It Snow Baby, Let it Reindeer!

Relient K has always been known for their clever lyrics and fun musical style, and this CD is no exception. It is a great mix of traditional Christmas carols and silly songs, as well as different twists to old favorites.

Their version of The Twelve Days of Christmas is a rowdy romp which is only outdone by I’m Getting’ Nuttin’ for Christmas and possibly, Santa Claus is Thumbin’ to Town. Each one will have you singing along and tapping your toes.

For the more sedate moments of Christmas, the Silent Night/Away in a Manger medley is a wonderful rendition which really gets down to the heart of what the season is all about.

With 17 tracks, the $10 price tag is a bargain. I absolutely love every single song on this CD and I highly recommend it. It has something for everyone, no matter their age or musical taste.

Here is a list of the titles on the CD:

Have Youself a Merry Little Christmas
Sleigh Ride
Merry Christmas, Here's to Many More
Angels We Have Heard on High
Deck the Halls
12 Days of Christmas
Silent Night/Away In A Manger
I Celebrate the Day
In Like a Lion (Always Winter
I'm Gettin' Nuttin' For Christmas
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Santa Claus Is Thumbing To Town
Handel's Messiah
I Hate Christmas Parties
Boxing Day
Auld Lang Syne
Good King Wenceslas

Jason Aldean, Emerson Drive Concert Photgraphy

(The guys from Emerson Drive wrap their set with a wave to the crowd.)

Spring asked me to write up a quick blog for her because she's so busy. In the aftermath of the winter storm here, our kids have missed way too much school and since mine (finally) went back today, and hers didn't, I guess I can understand that.

(Jason Aldean's Band is smokin'!)

We had a great time at the concert, which you know if you read my blog and looked at my weak attempts at concert photography. If you like pictures, and you like the bands we saw, then you are in for a treat. I have just uploaded three pages of photographs to the web site. In order to view them, just go to www.girlsgoneracin.com/Jinglefest.htm

Jingle All the Way

Last Thursday night, Spring and I were supposed to go to a concert put on by one of our local country music stations, but the nasty winter storm that pounded our area forced a postponement of the event until last night. Judging from the reaction of the crowd, and from our own experience, it was well worth the wait!

(Here we are at the concert, ready to get rockin'!)

We met up early, grabbed something hot to drink because we figured that our general admission tickets (hey, they were FREE!) would force us to stand outside for a while if we wanted to get a decent seat. We needn’t have worried. Upon arrival, we got the best parking spot I’ve ever had at this venue, walked right in and found great seats. Oh, and before I forget, let me say that I brought my Pentax with the zoom and Spring managed to get that big, honkin’ Canon inside too. We weren't really sure we would be able to take them in, but no one seemed to care. Even Cornbread looked right down the barrel of Spring's zoom and shrugged it off.

When you think about it, we weren't doing anything wrong, and we didn't hide the fact that we were taking pictures, so it shouldn't be a big deal anyway. We're not selling the photographs, and the whole point was just to see what we could do under the weird lighting conditions and such. All I can say is that it's a whole lot different shooting a concert than it is a race! It would be a blast to get to do it with no restrictions though, up front, or alongside the stage, even backstage and candid photos. I know that if Spring had her way, she would be shooting CD covers and promos, which would be pefect for her since she has such a great eye for composition and enjoys what she does so much. And hey, I could always work the phones and carry her equipment!

We were right in the middle of a really fun crowd at this concert. I’ve been to a lot of concerts over the years - from full-on rock and roll to contemporary Christian and everything in between – and this was one of the best-behaved audiences I have ever seen. There are times you get stuck with loud-mouthed drunks, or guys who spend the whole concert slobbering all over their girlfriends, or folks who think they know all the words and sing them really loud right in your ear, but can’t carry a tune. This was not one of those nights.

(Our new friends; Michelle, Jake and Zach. Hi guys!)

All around us were teens and early twenty-somethings who were just out to have a foot-stomping good time, and that’s what they did. No boozin’ it up or being obnoxious or anything like that. Instead, they were just downright friendly and we had a good time getting to know them. You guys know who you are, and you really made our night, so thanks! We enjoyed hanging out with you!

(Jason Michael Carroll gets the night going.)

The musical groups were great. First up was Jason Michael Carroll, a guy I had never heard of until the day of the concert, but someone with a very impressive voice. His first release, “Alyssa Lies” is a very moving song about child abuse and he does a wonderful job with it. I loved the fact that it was just Jason singing, accompanied by two acoustic guitars, because I love acoustic guitars. That’s the one instrument I actually attempted to learn, and I even taught beginning lessons as one of my first jobs. That was back when every kid who came to me wanted to learn “Stairway to Heaven,” which really tells a lot about my age!

(Jimmy Wayne performs for the crowd.)

Jimmy Wayne was second up, and I had definitely heard his music before. His songs, “I Love You this Much” and “Paper Angels” are his trademarks. He appeared on the Laura Ingraham Show one morning and told the story behind “Paper Angels” which refers to the Angel Tree Program where kids in need are matched up with folks who provide them with a Christmas gift. It turns out that Jimmy and his sister had been recipients of Angel Tree gifts, which just goes to show that those gifts really do make a difference! Our family participates in this program every year through our church, and our paper angels are right here next to me to remind me to shop for them, but more importantly, to pray for them also. Jimmy did a beautiful job last night, not only sharing his music through his voice and just his own guitar, but sharing of himself as well. His cover of the Hall & Oates classic, “Sarah Smile” was another highlight of the evening, and things just kept getting better.

(Emerson Drive rocks the house!)

The third act of the night was Emerson Drive, and to me, they just stole the show. What a rockin’ great act they have! These guys jammed on songs like “I Should Be Sleeping,” “Good Man” and “Testify.” Wow! I was blown away. It amazes me how many great groups are out there where I sometimes know the songs, but don’t realize who does them. Being a huge music fan, it drives me crazy to think that I might not have paid much attention to them in the past, but I will be making up for that now. One of the best parts of their show was when their fiddle player left the stage and got right down in the crowd to play. He was a lot of fun to watch and it looked like he had as good a time as the fans did.

(Jason Aldean plays for the Jinglefest crowd.)

Last up was Jason Aldean and his band. We started out watching from our seats along the side and just a few rows up from the floor, but it was making Spring nuts that she couldn’t get closer to take pictures, so she went to see what she could do about that. A few minutes later, she came back with floor tickets in hand, having begged them off of someone who was leaving. Score! We made our way down to the floor, and found empty seats just a few rows away from the stage.


(Down on the floor was the best place to get shots like these.)

We had fun down on the floor, and Jason and the band rocked the house with their hits, some new material and then finished up with a couple of Guns ‘n Roses covers, which were really great. It’s a lot of fun for me to hear stuff like that at a country concert because I think there are a lot of folks just like me out there, who have a very diverse taste in music, and enjoy a good mix. The encore cover of Mellencamp’s “Little Pink Houses” was dead on too, and the crowd seemed to really enjoy it.

All too soon the lights came up and it was time to go, and we still had an envelope of photos that we wanted to somehow get to Jason Aldean. We had tried before the concert by talking with one of the guys from the station, but his only advice was for us to “rush the stage.” We nixed that idea, although it did cross our minds several times near the end of the show. Just before we left, we saw this guy hand a drumstick to one of the fans who was still mingling along the stage, and so we decided to see if he could help us out. Spring approached him with the envelope, which contained three photos, a couple of GGR stickers and our business cards, and asked if he could get them to the band. He assured her that he would, so we are hoping that he followed through. Guys, if you got them, can you let us know? Just drop us a line via the web site if you would, please!

It was definitely a fun night and not really such a late one after all. We girls know how to have a good time, whether it’s at the races, a concert, or even just hanging out at the local craft store. Thanks to WIL 92.3FM for hosting such a great concert, and to all the bands who re-arranged their schedules in order to perform. It was a blast!

Music Review: Brad Paisley Christmas

We've done book and movie reviews here, so I figured, hey, why not music? Since Spring and I are both huge fans of music, it only seems right that we throw in an album review now and then. As a big fan of Brad Paisley, I just couldn't resist grabbing a copy of his Christmas release while at Wal-Mart yesterday during my ongoing chase for Cars diecast.

Out just in time for Christmas, Paisley's newest release is a compilation of classic Christmas songs (Winter Wonderland, Away in a Manger, Silver Bells and the like) combined with several of Brad's original compositions. As on all of his CDs, there is an instrumental, and on this album it's a beautiful version of Jingle Bells, performed in Paisley's own unique style.

There is a formula to Paisley’s CDs that fans have come to expect and he does not disappoint us here. He always includes a hymn, at least one or two funny songs, and starting two or three CDs ago, an episode of the Kung Pao Buckaroo series. The Kung Pao Buckaroos consist of "Little" Jimmy Dickens, Bill Anderson and George Jones, who play country music cowboys on what is supposed to sound like an old radio show. The dialog generally consists of lots of double entendres, a little singing, and several inside jokes. On the Christmas CD, the Buckaroos attempt to sing Christmas carols but are continuously “bleeped” because the lyrics are politically incorrect. The bit is really funny, and pokes fun at those in our society who are offended by virtually anything to do with the Christmas holiday.

Among the other original compositions is Penguin, James Penguin, which is a cute, bouncy song about a secret agent Penguin who assists Santa in his annual duties. A take off on James Bond, the song is fun and something kids and adults will both enjoy.

The highlight of this CD for me is Born on Christmas Day which features a recording of then 13-year-old Brad Paisley in his first live performance on a show called Jamboree USA. The song begins with Brad being introduced and then he begins to sing the song. The second verse is sung by Brad as an adult and it wraps with adult Brad singing with his teen self. When I think about how cool it is that this recording exists, and that someone came up with the idea to use it in this way, I get chills. The song is so sweet, and the lyrics about the “little important baby” really say all that needs to be said about why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.

In summary, I would give this offering a solid thumbs up. It’s one that I will look forward to listening to every Christmas for years to come. If you want to treat yourself to a great new CD that will get you in the Christmas mood, this one will do it!

Song List:
1. Winter Wonderland
2. Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy
3. I'll Be Home For Christmas
4. Away in a Manger
5. Penguin, James Penguin
6. 364 Days to Go
7. Jingle Bells (Instrumental)
8. Silent Night
9. Born on Christmas Day
10. Silver Bells
11. Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday

To listen to a clip of the songs, or purchase individual downloads, check out www.bradpaisley.com

Girls Get Rockin’

(Val) It’s Tuesday afternoon and right now, our temps are in the sixties. Amazing for November. What’s even more amazing is that by Thursday evening, we’re supposed to be below freezing, with some nasty precipitation on the way. Of course, the timing is perfect, because Spring and I have tickets to a concert that night, and because this is a general admission event, we will need to get there early and stand in line to get decent seats. Oh yes, I am so looking forward to the cold…not!

The upcoming concert should be fun. Performing along with Jason Aldean and Taylor Swift will be Emerson Drive, Jack Ingram and Chris Young. Yes, it will be full night of foot-stompin’ country and we will be there to witness it all. We are still working on getting credentials in order to shoot the event, but time is running out and no one has come through yet. If they don’t, then we will just kick back and enjoy the show, and if they do, we will do our best to get some great pics to share with you.

Spring shot Jason and his band back in April when we were at our first race at Gateway and she’s hoping to get another crack at this whole concert thing. I think it would be cool, and I’m more than willing to go as her assistant. We figured this would be a great way to get out and do something while racing season is in hibernation mode.

Besides looking forward to the upcoming concert, we are knee-deep in basketball season here at home. With my son on two teams, and my daughter managing her high school’s boys varsity team, we pretty much eat, sleep and breathe hoops around here come winter. On top of that, we are all big Kansas fans so when the Jayhawks are on, our tv is tuned in and we’re cheering. Last Saturday night’s game against Florida went a little late for me, and I missed the amazing overtime win, but I heard all about it from the three night owls in my family.

The Cars diecast collecting is still maddening, but at least we are starting to find the “rare” vehicles now. It’s funny how just a few come out and folks immediately start driving up the prices on eBay, when if they would just wait a bit, they could find them for the regular price at the store. We are now down to looking for just a few of the new releases, including Hamm, Brand New Mater, Dirt Track McQueen and Buzz & Woody. Other than that, I know Caleb has them all, and I have most of them myself. Yes, I caved and started my own collection, which is really stupid but the cars are just so darned cute! They were just too much for me to resist.

So that’s the news from here at home. December is almost here, and then Christmas and all it entails. Once the holidays are over and the kids are back in school, it will be a fast-paced race to spring and racing season, baseball and (sniff!) my daughter’s high school graduation. Would someone please pass the tissues?

Life in Technicolor

(Val) As I sit here in my kitchen, glancing out at the beautiful colors God himself painted on our Bradford Pear trees, I am overcome with what an amazing artist He is! It’s hard to believe that it’s the second week of November when the temperature outside is supposed to get into the upper seventies today and the sky is such a vivid blue. Makes me wish there was a race to go to, because the weather is perfect!

Although it will be a few months until I get to attend any races, my pal Spring is headed to sunny Phoenix for this weekend’s NASCAR Nextel Cup event. With garage access that we managed to finagle via a friend who works at Roush (THANK YOU JC!!!), and armed with her big ol’ Canon, I know Spring is going to have the time of her life. I hope the weather is as perfect there on Sunday as it is here today.

It has been a long-time dream of Spring’s to go to a Cup race, and to get to see it from the inside out ought to spoil her for any future events. She will be in the garage area when she can, and then in the grandstands for the actual race. I know she is hoping to get to participate in some pre-race activities as well, so it will be interesting to see what she gets herself into.

This week has been tumultuous, at best. Despite the crazy outcome of the elections, the rest has been good. Disney-Pixar’s Cars came out on Tuesday, so Spring and I met at the local Wal-Mart, picked up our copies of that (the bonus copies with the Rascal Flatts video and behind-the-scenes stuff of course!) along with Keith Urban’s new CD, Love, Pain and the whole crazy thing. After watching the CMA’s on Monday night, I could have spent a lot more on new music, but I limited myself to Keith’s new CD, although Sugarland’s latest will probably be next.

Cars on DVD is just as good as it was on the big screen, with the exception that I can watch it whenever I want to! So far, I’ve played it twice, and watched all the bonus features. I love the making of the Rascal Flatts Life is a Highway video. Those guys are so awesome, and seeing the set and the things that go into the making of the video is really cool.

While we were chatting over breakfast on Tuesday, talking about the future of GGR and what we want to do over the winter, the photos of Jason Aldean came to mind. I decided to contact someone about getting them on his web site, and managed to hit pay dirt. They were looking for new photos to add to his site, and it looks like they will be using a few of the shots Spring took at Gateway back in April. Yay!

With that in mind, and the Keith Urban CD booklet in front of us, Spring mentioned how much she would like to shoot a CD cover for a band. We started thinking about how fun it would be to go check out some local bands and see if we could get anything going there. Then, this morning, I’m surfing around Jason Aldean’s site to see if the photos are up yet (they’re not) and I decide to check out his schedule. It turns out that he, along with Taylor Swift and three other bands will be in our area later this month at a free concert put on by a local radio station. I thought Spring was going to come through the phone when I called her about that!

So now we are trying to figure out how to get credentials so we can cover the event. We’ll let you know here what happens, so wish us luck!

Besides the concerts and Spring’s coverage from Phoenix, we have a few other things in mind to fill in those long winter months ahead. Keep checking back for more information on our plans, and as always, thanks for your support!