December 23rd, 2007Trisha beats the tops!
As 2007 comes to a close, Nashville has much in common with Hollywood. Both are industry towns that celebrate rejuvenated veterans and young, blond divas.
This was the Year of the Comeback for several veteran acts. The Eagles released their first studio album since 1979, “Long Road Out of Eden,” which topped the country charts and has been certified triple platinum. Quasi-retired Garth Brooks returned to the concert stage and had a No. 1 single with “More Than a Memory.” Billy Ray Cyrus had his biggest hit since the late ’90s with “Ready, Set, Don’t Go,” a duet featuring his daughter Miley (better known to kids as TV’s Hannah Montana).
Three young, blond divas who each had a stellar year are Carrie Underwood, whose sophomore album, “Carnival Ride,” hit No. 1, even as her debut, “Some Hearts,” continued to rack up sales in excess of six million units; Taylor Swift, a chart-topping 18-year-old whose youthful appeal makes her one of the hottest acts in Nashville; and Miranda Lambert, a feisty singer-songwriter whose sophomore CD, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” won over mainstream fans, alt-country listeners and quite a few pop critics.
Here are 10 things that made country music interesting in 2007.
BEST ALBUM: Trisha Yearwood’s “Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love” is commercial country music at its finest. Her rendition of “The Dreaming Fields” (penned by Matraca Berg and Gary Harrison) ranks among the greatest recordings in Yearwood’s illustrious, 17-year career.
BEST CONCERT: Bluegrass trio Nickel Creek teamed up with Fiona Apple for a dazzling Aug. 10 show at Ravinia, creating a vivid memory for fans — who’ll miss the trio now that it’s on an indefinite hiatus.
BEST COMEDIC MOMENT:Kellie Pickler’s televised interview at Wrigley Field on June 12 may have been just a ditzy act, but her popcorn-fueled discussion of the differences between baseball and NASCAR was priceless.
BEST COLLABORATION: Alison Krauss and Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant, under the guidance of producer T Bone Burnett, released the moody, mesmerizing “Raising Sand.”
BEST POST-BREAKUP SONG:”She Don’t Love Me” is the knife-in-the-heart highlight of Blake Shelton’s “Pure BS,” one of the best albums of the year.
BEST ARTIST WHO DESERVES A WIDER AUDIENCE:Patty Griffin received the Americana Music Association’s album of the year award for her brilliant “Children Running Through.”
BEST HIDDEN GEM: One of the year’s best country-rock albums is “Nashville Moon,” found in the “Sojourner” box set (four CDs and one DVD) by Magnolia Electric Co.
BEST MUSIC VIDEO: King Wilkie’s “Captivator” clip demonstrates that you don’t need a big budget to make a memorable video — but you gotta have a great song.
BEST HOLIDAY CD: Mindy Smith’s terrific “My Holiday” is bolstered by contributions from Chely Wright, who penned the jazzy “It Really Is (A Wonderful Life)” and collaborated with Smith on two other excellent tracks.
BEST DOUBLE ENTENDRES:Adults should check out “Let’s Duet” on the soundtrack to “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.”
