July 2012 – Page 5 – Country Universe

Single Review: Carrie Underwood, "Blown Away"

July 5, 2012 Sam Gazdziak 49

Four albums into her career, Carrie Underwood’s career growth has been fairly stunning.

It’s hard to imagine that the talent-show winner who sang “Jesus Take the Wheel” would morph into a fully fledged pop superstar with speaker-rattling pop-rock songs like “Good Girl” and “Blown Away.”

While the evolution has been fascinating to watch, the problem is that someone who was thought of as the next female country superstar has effectively left country music behind and moved on to bigger things, and it’s a loss for the genre.

Single Review: David Nail, “Someone Like You”

July 5, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 4

You really can’t mess this one up.

“Someone Like You” is going to be covered endlessly anyway. It’s already a standard.

Retro Single Review: Shania Twain, "Ka-Ching!"

July 5, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 3

2003 | Peak: #2 (Europe, Austria, Sweden); #3 (Germany); #8 (U.K.)

Shania Twain at her most deliciously subversive.

“Ka-Ching!” stands in such sharp contrast to her entire catalog that it’s something of a shock that she wrote and recorded it.

Retro Single Review: Dolly Parton, "I Will Always Love You"

July 5, 2012 Ben Foster 5

1974 | #1

Where to start? How do you begin a review of a song as seemingly universal as this one is? I could go on about what a massive success this song was in all the different versions that were recorded. But for now, I’ll just talk about what a fine record this 1974 original is on its own merits.

Album Review: Mary Chapin Carpenter, <i>Ashes and Roses</i>

July 4, 2012 Ben Foster 13

Mary Chapin Carpenter
Ashes and Roses

Mary Chapin Carpenter could be considered an example of the rare artist who releases her best and most significant work right in the midst of her commercial heyday, or whose music might have even benefited from considering the ever-present concerns of what could be grasped by mainstream audiences. In the years since Carpenter’s hot streak ended – She hasn’t had a Top 40 hit since 1999’s “Almost Home” – she seems to have lost sight of the need to bring her thoughts down to an accessible, digestible level.

100 Greatest Men: #49. Toby Keith

July 4, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 7

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List

After first finding success as a smooth country balladeer, Toby Keith got in touch with his sense of humor and aggressive bravado. The combination made him one of the biggest country stars of the new century.

100 Greatest Men: #50. Don Williams

July 4, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 11

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List

As soft-spoken off the record as on, Don Williams became known as the Gentle Giant, as he quietly racked up dozens of hits over the course of two decades.

Retro Single Review: George Strait, &quot;Famous Last Words of a Fool&quot;

July 4, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 1

1988 | Peak: #1

Strait previewed his eighth studio album, If You Ain’t Lovin’ You Ain’t Livin’, with a cover of a minor hit by Dean Dillon from 1983.

Retro Single Review: Tim McGraw, "My Next Thirty Years"

July 4, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 6

2000 | Peak: #1

Age forty is still seen as more of a milestone, but age thirty might be the best place to neatly divide your life.

McGraw captures that feeling of settling in to who you’re going to be, and the growing confidence that you’re really an adult and that you’ve somewhat established yourself.

Single Review: Tim McGraw, "Truck Yeah"

July 3, 2012 Ben Foster 49

Really, Tim McGraw?

Really, Tim McGraw?

How is this not embarrassing?