Sturgill's new project....

4,517 Views | 53 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by Echoes97
Macarthur
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very intriguing.....

BennyBlancoFromTheBright
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AG
Prime0882
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In.
Know Your Enemy
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I'm curious.
Johnny Danger
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Saw him at Moody Theatre and he puts on a hell of a live show. Can't wait for the album, no telling what direction he'll go. I'm betting fuzzy, dirty guitar sounds with crazy pyschadelic lyrics.
cnn is the enemy of the state and should be treated as such
Know Your Enemy
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Johnny Danger said:

Saw him at Moody Theatre and he puts on a hell of a live show. Can't wait for the album, no telling what direction he'll go. I'm betting fuzzy, dirty guitar sounds with crazy pyschadelic lyrics.
I've seen him twice and walked out both times but I still love his records.
Diggity
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You should see him again so you can walk out three times
Know Your Enemy
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Nah, I've wasted enough money on his concert tickets.
Know Your Enemy
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CastleRock said:

Junkhead said:

Johnny Danger said:

Saw him at Moody Theatre and he puts on a hell of a live show. Can't wait for the album, no telling what direction he'll go. I'm betting fuzzy, dirty guitar sounds with crazy pyschadelic lyrics.
I've seen him twice and walked out both times but I still love his records.
I'll take the bait. Why did you walk out twice?

Because it was terrible. The first time had a lot to do with the venue as well but a good show would've kept me around.
Another Doug
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Nirvana Lyric:
He's the one
Who like all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
Don't know what it means

SS Lyric:
He's the one who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
Don't know what it means to love someone



He is literally the dude Cobain was warning us about
rbtexan
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S
I realize in advance I'll get flamed for this, but I've absolutely never understood why this guy gets so much attention. Very pedestrian songwriter, still classified as a country artist even though he clearly isn't, and has yet to live up to all the hype IMO.

To each his own, but his music doesn't move the needle for me at all.
Jimbo Franchione
Diggity
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No kidding. He doesn't sing any songs about dirt roads
Liquid Wrench
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Quote:

has yet to live up to all the hype
I think he's hyped pretty appropriately. He isn't constantly on TV or car commercials. I have no idea if he's on the radio. Nobody's shoving him down anyone's throats. But his music is great when I'm in the mood to listen to it.
Liquid Wrench
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Quote:

He is literally the dude Cobain was warning us about
And what about that guy Doug?
Know Your Enemy
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What hype did he have? Honest question.
Liquid Wrench
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All I can think of is that he was on SNL one time.

And it was pretty badass, imo.
Redstone
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Although he's not Top 40 Bro Country, I like Simpson quite a bit. Excited for the new project, and will purchase at first availability, just like 3 prior releases (my process is: pre-order, quickly received and listened to, first detailed review on this forum).
rbtexan
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He was absolutely hyped, although not as much lately. He did an album that sounded reminiscent of Waylon Jennings and he got a ton of press about being the "savior/future of country music". Did the late night show circuit, made a big scene because he didn't get invited to the CMA awards...I don't have the time or interest in looking up all the stuff written/said about him, but he was absolutely hyped.

In response to this snarky comment
Quote:

No kidding. He doesn't sing any songs about dirt roads

You're right, now that I think about it, his lyrics and songs are so atrociously vapid and borderline nonsensical, he does sort of fit right in with the garbage they're trying to pass off as country music these days.
Jimbo Franchione
AggieChemist
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I like Sturgill, I like his 2010s version of outlaw, I love his voice... but that album with all the brass instruments was hot garbage.
Know Your Enemy
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AggieChemist said:

I like Sturgill, I like his 2010s version of outlaw, I love his voice... but that album with all the brass instruments was hot garbage.
I didn't like it at first but it really grew on me the more I listened to it. It's a damn good album.
Jim01
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I've never been able to really get into Sturgill, though he seems like he'd be right up my alley.

I will say that every time I've seen him on a talk show or anything like that he doesn't sound great to me and I find him annoying. He seems to keep his eyes closed and then constantly moves his head around and pulls away from the mic so that every line just kind of trails off and you can't hear him that well.


Ag_07
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Junkhead said:

AggieChemist said:

I like Sturgill, I like his 2010s version of outlaw, I love his voice... but that album with all the brass instruments was hot garbage.
I didn't like it at first but it really grew on me the more I listened to it. It's a damn good album.


Same here

I also appreciate it knowing the purpose and reasoning behind the album.

I like Sturgill because his music provokes thought and you've gotta do some digging to fully appreciate it.
Gigem314
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I like Sturgill. He's a bit of a loose cannon, but I like his alternative sound. It's a blend of old-school outlaw country and Waylon with a touch of 70's singer-songwriter. His last album had a bit of funk to it as well. But I really like that wrote many of those songs for his son, and as a new father of a son it really spoke to me.

I don't think he's the greatest thing as sliced bread, but I like his sound. Different is good. The country-pop formula gets tiring.
Definitely Not A Cop
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I like his music, but I really like him more. The "Who the **** is Sturgill Simpson?" Shirts he was selling after the Grammy nomination were hilarious, and he had a great bit on the Colbert show where they were messing with these stoned guys at a Waffle House.

And his show was badass, I didn't realize how much of a jam band they are, but the dude can shred.
Tobias Funke
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Love his music. Surprised I didn't love his live act the one time I saw him, but it was a festival and he didn't really seem like he wanted to be there.

And to say he is overhyped is hilarious. Maybe by folks within the music industry for a short period of time, but most of the general population don't know who this guy is.
rbtexan
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I'll make this one small disclaimer. I would dislike Sturgill a lot less if he hadn't been such a crybaby about not being accepted by the mainstream - particularly the country market, which he clearly doesn't fit in. You don't hear Jason Isbell ***** about it (who, by the way, is a far superior songwriter and MUCH closer to being 'country' than SS).

It's possible that a lot of what I saw/heard/read locally never got national coverage, but it was absolutely a thing.

And when I say he isn't country, I'm not defining that as the current garbage. I struggle to think of an era where he ever would've been considered 'country'. The closest I can think of would be the brief singer/songwriter era in the 70s, but even then he would've seemed like a piece that didn't quite fit.

Musically I never have and still don't get it, but I recognize that a lot of people like his stuff. I have no issue with that, there's a reason why Baskin Robbins has 31 flavors of ice cream - to each his own. But I take exception to his past complaining about not being played on a radio format he didn't fit into in the first place. Sort of like that awful Steve Tyler country record. Stay in your lane, bro.
Jimbo Franchione
Know Your Enemy
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You don't think his first two albums are country?
Macarthur
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You and I have discussed this and I respect you and your opinion for obvious reasons. However,

rbtexan said:

I'll make this one small disclaimer. I would dislike Sturgill a lot less if he hadn't been such a crybaby about not being accepted by the mainstream - particularly the country market, which he clearly doesn't fit in. You don't hear Jason Isbell ***** about it (who, by the way, is a far superior songwriter and MUCH closer to being 'country' than SS).


I have to say, I find this a bit strange. Isbell has not been shy about his criticism of Nashville. He even named his album a bit tongue in cheek.

I guess we could split hairs about who sounds more country, but to say SS doesn't have a country sound is peculiar to me.




Quote:

And when I say he isn't country, I'm not defining that as the current garbage. I struggle to think of an era where he ever would've been considered 'country'. The closest I can think of would be the brief singer/songwriter era in the 70s, but even then he would've seemed like a piece that didn't quite fit.


I have read articles before that folks wanted to say Waylon did things that didn't exactly fall into the category of country. I think that's kinda the whole point...

Quote:

Musically I never have and still don't get it, but I recognize that a lot of people like his stuff. I have no issue with that, there's a reason why Baskin Robbins has 31 flavors of ice cream - to each his own. But I take exception to his past complaining about not being played on a radio format he didn't fit into in the first place. Sort of like that awful Steve Tyler country record. Stay in your lane, bro.



Agree completely with the first part, but the Steven Tyler comparison kinda falls apart because Tyler has built a long career NOT being country. I think we all can understand why he isn't country. I just don't see any similarities between that and SS.
rbtexan
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First of all, I want to say how much I've always enjoyed our interactions on the boards. Even though we often disagree on things, I appreciate how we've always tried to be respectful of each others' opinions - I know you certainly have, and I hope I've held up my end in that regard.

In regards to Isbell - Jason has absolutely been critical of Nashville and the country market, just like me and many of my peers have. He never, however, has done so with the agenda of wanting to, or thinking he should, be played on the country format - at least to my knowledge. I put his comments/criticisms in the same context as those of Tom Petty, who said (paraphrasing here) that current country music is bad 70s rock with fiddle and steel guitar. Petty wasn't lobbying to get played on country stations, or complaining that he wasn't - he was expressing an honest disappointment in a genre of music he had an affinity for. Which is what Jason had done, and continues to do. SS on the other hand absolutely felt like his music should be played on country radio and was pretty downright pissed about it.

I recorded an EP for MCA/Decca in 1996. I know now, and knew at the time, that the chance of that project being a commercial success, or accepted on country radio, was a real hail mary. It was not in fact successful, but I'm very content with that. It was the album I wanted to make, I'm proud of it, it got some great reviews, and I'm thankful I got the opportunity. It flies all over me when I hear an artist complain in a way that insinuates they somehow should be a bigger star/more successful than they are.

I fully support an artist breaking new ground, and pushing the envelope. Where you and I would probably disagree is, I don't think recording an album that pretty much sounds like old Waylon Jennings accomplishes that. To address another question I was asked on the thread - no, I don't think his first two albums were country, I would classify them as Americana....although it absolutely was as close to country as he's gotten, and there were moments that I feel like it was country. His recent music is absolutely not, which was what I was really talking about.

Here's the thing, and this is probably the crux of why he gets under my skin. He made a choice to follow his heart and record music that was true to his soul - I honor and respect that, it's what we're all supposed to do. He did not, however, record music that fit the country format as it currently stands. Now it is an entirely fair (but separate) point to debate that country radio SHOULD play more artists like Sturgill and/or Isbell, and I would probably tend to lean towards agreeing with that in principle. However, when as an artist, you choose to follow a music direction that has you swimming against the current of the mainstream, you have to understand that there's a very good chance it's not going to be successful for you (in the traditional sense of how success is defined). I think it's pretty ridiculous to basically record a project that sounds nothing like anything that's being played on the radio (regardless of what era we're talking about) and then complain when it doesn't get played on the radio. That's precisely what Sturgill did, and has continued to do to some degree.

I'm not trying to convince anyone that enjoys his music that they should do otherwise. Like I said, to each his own. I get annoyed only when he gets anointed as some sort of savior of country music. To be clear, I'm not at all suggesting anyone on here has done that - but it has been said and written, and certainly discussed ad nauseam at least locally so much so, that to throw myself under the bus, I probably sometimes overreact and respond to comments/opinions that aren't actually there. I'll try to keep that in mind going forward.

Lastly, yes the Steven Tyler analogy was pretty weak in hindsight....I was in a hurry to get out the door and didn't put as much thought into it as I should have, my apologies. I do stand by the "stay in your lane" portion of that comment though. SS is an arguably great Americana-ish artist. He is not, IMO, remotely close to a great country artist, deserving of the success and attention he has indicated he feels he is due. Hope that clears up my position.
Jimbo Franchione
Liquid Wrench
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I didn't know about the Steven Tyler album until this thread. I sampled a couple tracks on youtube and they sound like laughable, cynical attempts to cash in on bro country.
Macarthur
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Good post and I think you made fair points.

I think a point to make that would be useful in this discussion is for you, given your background, to define what you think 'country music' is...you've made the point several times about the format.

It would help me, and probably others on here, that we have a common frame of reference for what 'The industry' considers the 'country music format'.

Because I will say, this may lead us down the rabbit hole of your point about country music being a bad rock band w/ a fiddle player. I certainly agree with that quote, so that could logically lead to the conversation of does the industry themselves even know what is the real 'country music format'.
Macarthur
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And I guess my last post regarding Sturgill is I see your point about him not being country, but I do think he still does 'some country songs'. So I suppose that Americana label is probably more accurate. But to my last post, is something say like, his cover of The Promise just as country as anything Florida Georgia Line has put out?
Know Your Enemy
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You sound bitter & jealous. Just sayin'.
Elmo Lincoln
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I, for one, appreciate RB's insight into the Nashville world. I'm a life long Country Music fan. Over the last 10-20 years, I've increasingly become an Americana fan. I very much appreciate each of them for what they are (no reason to legitimize bro-country here, by the way, so I won't digress on that topic). And to the extent we need to categorize such things, I agree that SS more properly fits under the wide, catch-all genre of "Americana".

To narrowly discuss his actual music - I actually largely agree with RB on SS's talents. I think he's a mediocre songwriter. His sound is cool at times. Other times (maybe most of the time), I think it's kind of a mess. His vocals could be great, but damn he can't finish off a single word in his songs. It annoys the hell out of me. He seems angry about everything all the time, which doesn't really bother me, but it gets old. If he's going to be that pissed and vocal, at least back it up with some good songwriting (i.e. Steve Earle). Otherwise the shtick just gets tiresome and boring.

Now, about him being a cry baby about not getting airplay in the Country format...I dunno, man. I see both sides of the argument here. To play the devil's advocate to RB, County needs some damn creativity. The format, as it currently stands, has lost its way worse than ever before. So even if SS is more accurately categorized as Americana, that genre is so vague it doesn't really have a proper home. I'd argue it's good for the Country format to play more SS. Now, to the extent he's *****ing about his own lack of acknowledgement in the industry - yea that's lame. But to the extent he's *****ing about the refusal of the Country Music establishment to expand its horizons and play music like his...well, that resonates with me.

And lastly, I completely agree with RB that Isbell is a superior artist in just about every way.

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