Van Zant boys cut a country album

[DRL]

www.rsicopyright.com/ics/prc_main/select_usertype.html?prc=3.5590.3616182



I've always wanted to hear them try a country their probably more country than some of the acts out today.

[Roughneck]

This link just takes us to copyright info. No information on the story.

[LS]

Seems like a naturally logical thing- they were all raised on it...Ronnie was major big into country music and the original plan was that he'd only intended to stay with Skynyrd for a certain period of time (he'd planned on grooming Johnny to eventually take over his spot) and then he wanted to pursue a straightforward country music career...

The major label thing has me leery...but some of the songwriters sound promising (unfortunately- for the most part- the songwriting talent in the family pretty much started and ended with Ronnie ...). Hopefully it won't turn out to be another one of those typically goofy half-baked Nashville pieces of crap...but I guess we'll have to see what happens...
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Van Zant Brothers Go Country

Brothers Johnny and Donnie Van Zant are teaming up to record a country album for Sony's Columbia Records Nashville label. The duo -- respectively best known as latter era Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman and .38 Special singer/guitarist -- will work on the set with producers Mark Wright and Joe Sciafe.

"We've had country music in us our whole lives," Donnie says. "We are having a blast making this album and can't wait for people to hear it."

The brothers are recording songs they've co-written, one co-written with Jeffrey Steele and others written by Craig Wiseman, Rivers Rutherford and Al Anderson.

Although it will be the first Van Zant country album, the as-yet-untitled set will be the fourth offering from the siblings. Their three previously released sets -- 1985's Unidisc "Van Zant" and the CMC International albums "Brother to Brother" (1998) and "Van Zant II" (2001) -- centered on the bluesy Southern rock sound with which they're most often associated.

[DRL]

Sorry about that Roughneck I should've checked it, Thanks LS for putting the article up.

Hopefully it'll be better than the Big & Rich thing that's going on I swear that whole MuzikMafia gimmick had to be thought up by someone at CMT.

[Roughneck]

Big and Rich seem to be the worst offenders yet in the string of guys who want the cowboy image but then don't want to be "too country." What's this Muzikmafia thing? Sounds like someone trying to be a cross between country and rap...CRAP! ;D Wait, I read something about Tim McGraw working with Nelly on a song recently?

[LS]

DRL said:

Hopefully it'll be better than the Big & Rich thing that's going on I swear that whole MuzikMafia gimmick had to be thought up by someone at CMT.

Yeah DRL...those are my suspicions too. All that MuzikMafia BS smells just a wee bit too staged...smells a wee bit too phony...or in other words- smells a wee bit too major label pre-fabricated...with CMT being one big long continuous infomercial for it.

That's what I'm afraid of with the Van Zandt brothers..We all know how the labels play follow the leader - WB has the Muzak club...I'm just hoping Sony didn't sign Donnie & Johnny to spearhead their branch of this phonyass new 'rebel-outlaw revolution' and I'm sure hoping they don't fall for it and let themselves get suckered into it.

And just when everyone thought mainstream couldn't sink any lower...'music without prejudice' - their way of justifying foisting 'performers' that don't possess even the slightest shred of talent on the masses?? That Big & Rich...just totally BAD - can't even sing a single note...it's frigin' scary when somebody can make McGraw sound like George Jones in comparison!! And if pro-tools can't even save 'em in a studio- then I shudder to hear how bad they sound live.

Somehow I'm kinda glad ol' Hoss ain't around to see this...

[LS]

Roughneck said:

Wait, I read something about Tim McGraw working with Nelly on a song recently?

He already did- and it's without a doubt 100% RAP (which I believe even McGraw himself said)... and they're playin' the video on CMT just cause McGraw's on it/in it!! (Not sure about mainstream country radio cause...I don't got none!! ;D )
I mean come on...you're probably too young to remember or even know about it...but back around '90 Tammy Wynette did a song called "Justified And Ancient (Stand By The Jams)" with The KLF...it was a huge international DANCE hit. I loved it- it was a great song- but it definitely wasn't country- it was a dance song. Think it played on VH1 (back when VH1 played videos)- but the old TNN & CMT never showed it and nobody ever even attempted trying to pass it off as 'country' just because Tammy was on it...it stayed on the right music channels and in the dance clubs- where it belonged.

[Roughneck]

Ah, I see what MuzikMafia is. Mista D? Two Foot Fred/60 Cent? Cowboy Troy! Wannabe rappers just like the real wannabe rappers (Oxymoron? ) who try to act like they're tough and from the hood, but are really nothing of the sort. A new Rebelrocker movement?

Yeah, I'm too young for that song. Wasn't listening to country yet. Hell, I was 9. I haven't even heard the song, just saw the infoline on the readout for the music system at work and it had those two together and I was like huh?

[DRL]

I tried to watch the show the other day but I got as far as Save a horse and I lost intrest.I think what gets on my nerves the most is the rethreading of everything old and make it new again.

The name MuzikMafia is just a take on the Memphis Mafia, Yeah Two Foot Fred every time I see him I think of Joe C.(At least Joe C. could Rap.)

Some good news though I saw Charlie Robinson's new video while flipping around now that's a great tune and it was actually was in the top twenty.

[LS]

That's the first thing that struck me about 'em...they're a lame rip-off of Kid Rock's old schtick...and he dumped that at least 5 years ago.

Thing that cracks me up about the incessant regurgitating of 'old' stuff is that it used to take 20 to 30 years for 'revivals'...these days they're so hard up they're 'reviving' trends that are a whopping 5 years old (as in the case of MuzakMafia) or less than 10 (as in the recent 'grunge' revival).

I really like Charlie's new album...I haven't bothered putting on CMT in ages- just curious, he's got two songs on the Texas Music Chart...which one's the video for- New Years Day (an uptempo song) or El Cerrito Place (a ballad)??

[DRL]

Well, I guess I'm gonna have to buy Charlie's new one.
The one that's being played on CMT is El Cerrito Place.
I love the video I thought it wasa very moving video of course that just me I love songs like this one.

[LS]

UH-OH...

Veteran rock duo Heart (??!!) and newcomer Dierks Bentley have joined the performance slate for the 2005 CMT Music Awards. They join previously announced entertainers Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Big & Rich, Keith Urban and Gretchen Wilson for the April 11 show, which will hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy.

Also due to appear during the ceremony are Montgomery Gentry, Lee Ann Womack, Deana Carter, Shooter Jennings, Joe Nichols, LeAnn Rimes, the Warren Brothers, Julie Roberts, Shania Twain and Van Zant. Other celebrity presenters include actors Jeff Daniels, Drea de Matteo, Gina Gershon, Dennis Hopper, William Shatner, comedians Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy and NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers.

As previously reported, Chesney, Keith, Tim McGraw and Big & Rich are the top nominees with four apiece. Country legend Loretta Lynn will be honored with the Johnny Cash Visionary Award.

-- Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.

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Columbia Nashville Moves Up Van Zant Album Release Date

Columbia Nashville has accelerated the release date of Van Zant's first country disc Get Right With the Man to May 10 as the duo's "Help Somebody" single shoots up the Country radio charts.

With a #44 debut, "Help Somebody" was one of the highest chart debuts by a new artist on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks of the last fifteen years according to Billboard experts. This week, the single, one of the most added on the charts, moves to #37 with a bullet. Over the last few weeks, as the brothers visited radio stations around the country, fans found out about the appearances and lined up to meet the musicians. This combination of radio and fan support led to Columbia's decision to move the release date up a full month earlier than planned.

Brothers Johnny and Donnie Van Zant are set to present on the CMT Music Awards on April 11.

It's what I was afraid of...didn't catch the entire song (and haven't heard the rest of the album yet) but from the couple minutes I heard- it's one of those typical icky Nashville 'message' power ballads...

Very sad and disappointing to see how lately so many are stooping so far below themselves...

[LS]

Ok...I take it back. I still don't like the new single- and one other song on the album (which is probably the other one geared to radio release- and sadly they're both the 'country' songs with the steel)...but the rest of the album sounds just like a typical Van Zandt album.