Nashville

[Debb70]

I agree about the limitations of Taylor. I have defended her over the years, mainly because she is fairly mild and doesn't set a horrible image with drinking, sex, etc. for the younger kids. I get that. And some of her little songs are sweet. I do think that her success was money driven and once that got going, Nashville had to support her. There were millions of dollars at stake. Just like it's portrayed on the show.

Taylor will be 23 years old in December. I think it's old enough to graduate the music up a little. She doesn't need the money, so I'm not sure why she's stuck in that tween level with her music. Have you heard her latest song entitled "We Are Never, Never, Getting Back Together?" She thinks it's GREAT? I saw her introduce it and she does. My 12 year-old niece could have written it. Very odd IMO.

[pretlitdev]

Ooh, don't get me started on Taylor Swift, or a ton of the other 'country' artists on the scene today, including Carrie Underwood. I think they only reason they're labeled country is because it's cheaper to slap on the autotune and push them through the country charts than it is to do the same in LA or New York. I think labels also believe that being promoted as country is going to give them a legitimacy that pop maybe lacks because country is driven by the story-song and very strong writing (or course, that rep is going to go down the drain if these pop divas keep getting promoted as country music) and I also think they like to call themselves country because there's an idea that there's more longevity in country music than pop (somewhat justified...if their albums had been in the pop bins, we would have already forgotten many of these people other than as one hit wonders) And I really think that they drag down the quality of actual, talented artists trying to stay relevant. Dierks Bentley, for example, is an incredible songwriter, but one of his latest singles has a hook that says "5-1-5-0, somebody call the po-po". And Tim McGraw goes from Live Like You Were Dying to Truck Yeah. SMH

Sorry, got off on a rant, but it's frustrating living in Nashville, going out and seeing the quality of artists playing all day every day at most bars in this town and knowing they're going unsigned because of the crap that's out on the radio. I love Corey Smith's song If That's Country laughing at the formula to make a country star. Or Aaron Watson's Something With A Swing To It where the first verse goes I was thumbing through the channels and I saw a sight to see/a so-called country singer there singing on MTV/And I began to think had she ever heard of Hank/Had she ever been to Texas where Bob Wills is still the king and then calls out Nashville for making "music that sounds like a dadgum disco".

I love that this show is showing the frustration of real artists trying to make it in the world today (although I think it's a nice little touch that Rayna's dad greased the wheels for her) I hope they cool it down on the whole angle of Juliette hopping on and off any man who can help her career-the casting couch storyline is well known- and expose some of country music's dirty little secrets. Like how Swift's dad actually did pay for her first record to be made and get her signed, and then gave another fat little check to get her on the George Strait tour. Or about how around the time Taylor and Carrie broke out, that it was common practice for labels to buy radio time to increase spins and push an album up the charts, thus increasing exposure and leading to more sales. I think this show will get very interesting as long as they don't go the obvious route.

[Debb70]

Good points about the country artists who aren't really country artists and those at the top who are barely talented. Why? It does boggle the brain.

I will say that I do think Carrie is a talented vocalist. (Check her out on You Tube, singing How Great Thou Art with Vince Gill) That was the performance of her lifetime IMO. Whether she is country anymore is open for debate.

[bee stung lips]

Good points about the country artists who aren't really country artists and those at the top who are barely talented. Why? It does boggle the brain.

I will say that I do think Carrie is a talented vocalist. (Check her out on You Tube, singing How Great Thou Art with Vince Gill) That was the performance of her lifetime IMO. Whether she is country anymore is open for debate.

Carrie's performance of that song was amazing indeed!

Re Taylor Swift:BLECH! Help me gawd, I simply cannot endure another one of her nasally, thin-voiced, syrupy, pseudo-country songs, chronicling her zero-substance-ridden, puppy love relationships post break up, EVER again!

I'd take a gazillion warbly-sounding Bob Dylan and Neil Young-sounding voices over hers.

GAAAAAHHHHH!

[buttahfly]

i liked the show . . . i am not a country music fan, but i still enjoyed it. i have way too much other stuff to watch on wed nights tho, so i'll be watching online. God i love having that option!

[norealityhere]

I missed it last week, so thought I'd watch tonight.
I usually like Hayden. Did not like her or her acting at all on this.
Always like Connie.
Overall, not sure that I'll continue with this. I think I expected a lot more.

As far as the Taylor Swift comparison, I happen to think Taylor is great and a terrific role model for young girls.

[mindy384]

Carrie's performance of that song was amazing indeed!

Re Taylor Swift:BLECH! Help me gawd, I simply cannot endure another one of her nasally, thin-voiced, syrupy, pseudo-country songs, chronicling her zero-substance-ridden, puppy love relationships post break up, EVER again!


GAAAAAHHHHH!

One thing I find incredibly interesting about this show is that EVERY singer we have heard is about a MILLION times better than Taylor Swift could ever hope to be (minus Hayden, who, arguably, is still better)...some of the actors/artists they have found are just spectacular. In all seriousness though, if Nashville has talent like this just hanging around then I need to plan a trip asap!
On a sidenote, I think Taylor Swift has a great, clean image but that doesn't make her a great vocalist (far from it)--she just happens to be marketable. And, as many folks here know about my POV, if people are willing to spend money and she's what they want then I say more power to them and her.

[SpringMaiden27]

Saw an interview this evening on the news with the actors that portray Gunnar & Scarlett. He's British, and she's Australian! They can sing, but wow the fake southern accents on those two. Also, something is off with Hayden's portrayal of Juliette. It's almost like she's not comfortable with the underside of the character. I'm really interested in the political drama storyline. I hope everyone settles into their roles so we watch this story unfold.

[pretlitdev]

One thing I find incredibly interesting about this show is that EVERY singer we have heard is about a MILLION times better than Taylor Swift could ever hope to be (minus Hayden, who, arguably, is still better)...some of the actors/artists they have found are just spectacular. In all seriousness though, if Nashville has talent like this just hanging around then I need to plan a trip asap!
On a sidenote, I think Taylor Swift has a great, clean image but that doesn't make her a great vocalist (far from it)--she just happens to be marketable. And, as many folks here know about my POV, if people are willing to spend money and she's what they want then I say more power to them and her.

Please do come visit! This is a great town with fabulous music, and so many incredible venues. Part of what makes this place so great is that you can park down near Broadway and be within a few blocks dozens of incredible, historic places. And a lot of the bars on Broadway, 2nd Ave, and Printer's Alley have live music most of the day and night.

Taylor....well I have mixed feelings about her image. On one hand, I think it's great that she's not out drinking/smoking/partying and throwing her life away like a lot of the young stars. On the other, I don't think her brand of sunshine and sparkles, Disney version of life is particularly healthy either. I guess I can see how young girls can relate, wanting everything about life to be absolutely perfect, but that's pretty unrealistic. And I think they way she writes a nasty little song about every guy who dumps her is very petty. But on the whole, I wouldn't have an issue with her if she wasn't on country radio. She belongs on pop. I don't like the Jonas Brothers or Lady Gaga either, but I don't have any stations programmed that would play that. Taylor, on the other hand, I have to hear every time I get in my car and that infuriates me because she isn't country.

I too, am amazed that they got such great actors who can sing so well. I actually kinda like Hayden's singing voice. She sounds more authentically country singing than she does talking (someone needs to bring in a dialect coach because her idea of a southern accent is killing me) I'll admit it though, I felt so bad for Juliette at the end when she thought Deacon was going to bring her up on stage to sing the song they wrote. The look on her face just killed me.

[causingchaos]

I liked Juliette not getting to go up on stage. I watched again and again I felt if they dropped her out of the show completely I'm not sure I would miss her at all. I found myself flipping away during all her parts because I just didn't care. I was way more interested in Connie's character and the girl at the bar.

My only other issue with the show is casting. I can't keep characters straight and there's a lot of characters on this show. Even though these folks look different what it boils down to to me is a bunch of old guys, bunch of blond woman and a bunch of younger brunette guys.