Thats why I always take the stairs ...... HHhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa



ROCKMAN

Indeed Rockie. Who needs sterilized Stones, a soundtrack for your hillbilly family picknick or on your way to your next MAGA convention? 'Easy listening for cowards'. Yeah, somebody out there I guess...

- Doxa



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2022-12-16 01:49 by Doxa.

My first impression is that the set list looks like a dozen other tribute albums from the last two decades.............

__________________________

Not to 'pile on' here, but looking at the tracklist, and the theme of the album, do I really want a countrified SFTD, or PIB, or Miss You?

I would give it a listen but have kind of low expectations for being 'blown away'.

Miranda Lambert's was great, but then that song was already 'in the style' so to speak.

There's already been a couple of similar CDs:

[www.amazon.co.uk]

[www.amazon.com]

The 2nd one does at least include some less obvious songs such as 'Coming Down Again', 'Dear Doctor' and 'Streets Of Love'...















Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022-12-16 10:46 by Congratulations.

How about an "Americana" version, they did a pretty good one for McCartney/Beatles/Wings. "Yellow Submarine" has some cool fiddle playing.

--------------
IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio

Quote
gotdablouse
How about an "Americana" version, they did a pretty good one for McCartney/Beatles/Wings. "Yellow Submarine" has some cool fiddle playing.

Can you define the difference between "Americana" and "Alt Country"? I can't.

Certainly Wikipedia considers them to be much the same thing.


[en.wikipedia.org]

Quote
Congratulations
Can you define the difference between "Americana" and "Alt Country"? I can't.

Certainly Wikipedia considers them to be much the same thing.


[en.wikipedia.org]

No, but reading your name, makes me think Congratulations would have been a nice inclusion on this tribute album - how about it, Steve Earle?

Quote
LeonidP

Quote
Congratulations
Can you define the difference between "Americana" and "Alt Country"? I can't.

Certainly Wikipedia considers them to be much the same thing.


[en.wikipedia.org]

No, but reading your name, makes me think Congratulations would have been a nice inclusion on this tribute album - how about it, Steve Earle?

I couldn't imagine anyone topping West Five's 1965 cover...

Quote
Congratulations
There's already been a couple of similar CDs:

[www.amazon.co.uk]

[www.amazon.com]

The 2nd one does at least include some less obvious songs such as 'Coming Down Again', 'Dear Doctor' and 'Streets Of Love'...

Seems like this is a digital-only release.

“SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL” BY ELVIE SHANE OUT NOW

New Song From Stoned Cold Country, A 60th Anniversary Tribute Album to The Rolling Stones

Forthcoming Star-Studded Album Features Covers from Country’s Biggest Stars: Jimmie Allen, Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Eric Church, Steve Earle, Elle King, Marcus King, Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris, Elvie Shane, Koe Wetzel, The War And Treaty, Lainey Wilson & Zac Brown Band

Music fans everywhere are getting another glimpse into the forthcoming album Stoned Cold Country – a 60th anniversary tribute to The Rolling Stones from some of Country’s biggest names – with No. 1 hitmaker Elvie Shane contributing a spine-tingling version of the band’s acclaimed 1968 hit “Sympathy for the Devil.”

On the track, Shane delivers a stirring performance, showcasing his tremendous talent to blend his distinct vocal tone with any genre. Listen to the song now and pre-save/pre-add Stoned Cold Country HERE.

“‘Sympathy for the Devil’ isn’t what the title would suggest. When given the opportunity to sing on this badass record, I dove headfirst into the lyrics and book that inspired the song,” Shane says of the renowned hit and his experience recording it. “I find it to be more of a cautionary tale. All of these atrocities committed in each line were the doings of us, humans – not the Devil. So have some sympathy for the scapegoat. The message is important. I’m proud to have the chance to put my spin on it.”

Stoned Cold Country will be released this spring on BMG, filled to the brim with reimagined versions of the legendary rock band’s catalogue. Throughout the record, which was produced by Robert Deaton, the participating artists – Jimmie Allen, Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Eric Church, Steve Earle, Elle King, Marcus King, Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris, Shane, Koe Wetzel, The War And Treaty, Lainey Wilson & Zac Brown Band – all inject their own trademark style into the revered music of The Stones across Stoned Cold Country, creating a powerful homage to one of the most enduring, trailblazing and influential bands in the world.

“This album is Country Music’s thank you to The Rolling Stones for 60 years of inspiration and providing the soundtrack of our lives. While recording the record, I was reminded that this is a showcase and spotlight on the best we have to offer as a genre,” Deaton says of the project. “From our artists to all of the musicians that played on the record, we boldly state that Country Music is second to none when it comes to artists of integrity and creativity.”

[www.bbrmusicgroup.com]
--

Elvie Shane - Sympathy For The Devil (Official Audio)

Behind the Scenes of Country Music’s Rolling Stones Tribute Album With Producer Robert Deaton and BMG’s Hartwig Masuch

Eric Church, Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde, Little Big Town, Jimmie Allen and more pay homage to the world's greatest rock band on 'Stoned Cold Country.'

By Melinda Newman
2/16/2023

On early ’70s cuts like “Wild Horses” and “Dead Flowers,” The Rolling Stones showed their affinity for American country music. Now, some of top country artists are returning the love — with the 14-track set Stoned Cold Country, out March 17 on BMG.

Featuring Eric Church, Brothers Osborne, Little Big Town, Zac Brown Band, Brooks & Dunn and Ashley McBride, among others, the set is an often-raucous salute to what many consider the world’s greatest rock band on the group’s 60th anniversary. Lainey Wilson’s slow-burning “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” drops tomorrow (Feb. 17), following last month’s release of Elvie Shane’s ominous “Sympathy for the Devil.”

The concept for the album was born over “three bottles of white wine at Angelini [Osteria] in Los Angeles,” says BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch, as his dining companion, producer Robert Deaton, put forth the concept. (It helped that BMG is also the publishing company for Rolling Stones’ main songwriters Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.)

As publisher, “obviously one of your main mandates is to say, ‘Okay, here’s a great catalog of songs’ — and, we all know, there is already one great version,” Masuch says. “’So, what do we do to extend the relevance of those songs in a couple of a dimensions? Here’s an audience, a different genre and a different generation.’ I think that’s a core task of a publisher.”

Even so, Masuch says, the quality of the project was more of a defining factor than the dollars. “A music company should be committed to the cultural DNA it’s based on, not just always looking at things and saying, ‘How much can I make my money back?’ — because that’s a little bit too cynical,” he says. “Of course, we all have to make money and it’s important this will be successful, but I think what drove our discussion was more so the chemistry of the whole thing than having a calculator out [and getting] the publishing royalties on [14] songs.”

Deaton adds that the next step, even though they didn’t need it, was getting Jagger and Richards to sign off on the project. “I feel like we have such reverence for them and their song writing,” he says. “They’re the soundtrack of our lives. I don’t think anybody would want to go as deep on something as we put towards the project without have the blessing and permission from Mick and Keith.”

With the duo’s deep love of country music, it wasn’t a tough sell. “From the early days country music made a real impression on us. There’s an authenticity about country that’s always appealed to me, whether it be Hank Williams, Merle Haggard or a Willie Nelson record,” Richards tells Billboard in a statement. “Also, of course, Gram Parsons was a major player and influence,” he adds of his close friend, the pioneering country rock singer/songwriter.

Deaton, who dubbed the album “a Nashville love letter to the Stones,” says many of the artists, like Church, have long histories with the music: “[Church] said that when he was nobody and just playing guitar in front of 10 people, he got more tips when he played ‘Honky Tonk Women.’ The Stones have been so important to him for so long that it’s been an honor just to be able to say ‘thank you’ on this record.”

Masuch says BMG’s position is to look at such projects in a comprehensive way. Though there is no official word on a documentary, Deaton says, “there were six or seven cameras on every session that we did,” and Masuch brings up the idea of “maybe turning [the album] into a live event, if possible, at a certain point. It would be [amazing] to have those artists in a big venue, performing their favorite songs, and maybe getting one or two members of [the Rolling Stones] to be around.”

But all ancillary projects were secondary to making the album that served the music, Deaton says. Starting in January 2022, he listened to Stones’ songs “over and over, 100 times, so that I could get the right artists with the right songs … And then I thought about, how do I make it different? How do I make this a tribute to them and also still unique?”

To do so, Deaton had to ensure he had unfettered freedom to make the project he wanted. “Hartwig is one of my dearest friends, and I told him, ‘Listen, I’m getting ready to go deep on this and I need to ask you one question from a business standpoint before I go under here: how many BMG artists do I have to have on the record?’” Deaton recalls. “And he said, ‘Go make the best record you can make. There’s no minimum, there’s no maximum.’” The album ended up with three BMG artists: Wilson, Jimmie Allen and Shane.

As Deaton began casting the album, he says 95% of his attempts to match artists with songs ended up working out. “The only song that I left open was for Zac Brown Band, because they can do so many different things and so many different styles,” Deaton says. On their first conversation, Brown picked “Paint It Black.” Deaton and Wilson also went back and forth on four or five songs and had a false start, cutting “Get Off of My Cloud” before switching to “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

“I went to BMG and said, ‘You know what, I think we got the wrong song’ because it wasn’t country enough,” Deaton says. “When I was trying to put together the record, I found that anything of that era was really hard to fit into our album because we’re being unapologetically country and we’re making a country record. It was very hard. ‘Get Off of My Cloud’ just didn’t fit in the overall arc of the record.”

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” resonated strongly with Wilson. “The Rolling Stones are global music icons, from the musicianship to the swagger to the relatable perspective with songs like ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want,’” she tells Billboard. “Man, if I haven’t had to learn that lesson time and time again. I know that feeling of resisting your fate, that struggle, but I also know that sense of pride and peace when you understand the tough times made way for something better. I try not to take myself too seriously — I’ve heard you can’t be great if you do — so I love the way the production builds into a light-hearted cathartic jam at the end. This song leaves me shaking my head, smiling at myself, and feeling grateful. And that’s what The Stones always did. They made you feel something, and they made you feel good.”

Understandably, Deaton had to occasionally contend with artists’ nerves when tackling the classic rock songs. “Karen Fairchild from Little Big Town said, ‘The only thing I’m concerned about is that Mick is going to hear all this, and I hope he doesn’t go, ‘Well, that sucks,’” he recalls. “Every artist wanted to put all their love into it, which was incredibly refreshing.”

The sessions were recorded without click tracks and with all the musicians playing live together, including the backing vocalists. To increase the authenticity, long-time Rolling Stones touring keyboardist Chuck Leavell played on “Shine A Light,” recorded by Koe Wetzel.

“I wanted everybody in the same room together so that they all could feed off of each other and [have] it be as organic and as real as possible,” Deaton says. “Whatever that Stones thing is that they have [whenever] they’re in a room, I wanted to be able to create that and get as close to it as we possibly could.”

Throughout the album, there are nods to great musicianship, even beyond the Stones. For example, Mickey Raphael, who has played harmonica with Willie Nelson for more than 50 years, opens “Miss You,” covered by Allen. “It ended being a tribute to what I feel are the best musicians in the world,” Deaton says.

A number of tribute albums by country artists have become best sellers, including 1994’s Common Threads: Songs of the Eagles, which the RIAA has certified triple platinum, and Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee, a 2012 platinum set that paired him with top country artists remaking his biggest hits.

Masuch sees Stoned Cold Country having a similar, if not wider, appeal, given the Rolling Stones’ global fandom and “the fascination in nearly all European countries for country music,” he says. Access can be lacking to country acts outside the US, so Masuch says it’s important that the project “will get onto [people’s] iPhones and can create much more excitement for some of the musicians outside of North America than ever before.”

Extending country’s reach has been one of Germany-based BMG’s goals ever since it bought Broken Bow Records in 2017, giving the company an instant foothold in Nashville. “I think it’s imminent that some of these artists will have big international careers,” Masuch says, “and hopefully this project can be one of the triggers in achieving that.”

[www.billboard.com]

Quote
bye bye johnny
Behind the Scenes of Country Music’s Rolling Stones Tribute Album With Producer Robert Deaton and BMG’s Hartwig Masuch

Eric Church, Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde, Little Big Town, Jimmie Allen and more pay homage to the world's greatest rock band on 'Stoned Cold Country.'

By Melinda Newman
2/16/2023

On early ’70s cuts like “Wild Horses” and “Dead Flowers,” The Rolling Stones showed their affinity for American country music. Now, some of top country artists are returning the love — with the 14-track set Stoned Cold Country, out March 17 on BMG.

Featuring Eric Church, Brothers Osborne, Little Big Town, Zac Brown Band, Brooks & Dunn and Ashley McBride, among others, the set is an often-raucous salute to what many consider the world’s greatest rock band on the group’s 60th anniversary. Lainey Wilson’s slow-burning “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” drops tomorrow (Feb. 17), following last month’s release of Elvie Shane’s ominous “Sympathy for the Devil.”

The concept for the album was born over “three bottles of white wine at Angelini [Osteria] in Los Angeles,” says BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch, as his dining companion, producer Robert Deaton, put forth the concept. (It helped that BMG is also the publishing company for Rolling Stones’ main songwriters Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.)

As publisher, “obviously one of your main mandates is to say, ‘Okay, here’s a great catalog of songs’ — and, we all know, there is already one great version,” Masuch says. “’So, what do we do to extend the relevance of those songs in a couple of a dimensions? Here’s an audience, a different genre and a different generation.’ I think that’s a core task of a publisher.”

Even so, Masuch says, the quality of the project was more of a defining factor than the dollars. “A music company should be committed to the cultural DNA it’s based on, not just always looking at things and saying, ‘How much can I make my money back?’ — because that’s a little bit too cynical,” he says. “Of course, we all have to make money and it’s important this will be successful, but I think what drove our discussion was more so the chemistry of the whole thing than having a calculator out [and getting] the publishing royalties on [14] songs.”

Deaton adds that the next step, even though they didn’t need it, was getting Jagger and Richards to sign off on the project. “I feel like we have such reverence for them and their song writing,” he says. “They’re the soundtrack of our lives. I don’t think anybody would want to go as deep on something as we put towards the project without have the blessing and permission from Mick and Keith.”

With the duo’s deep love of country music, it wasn’t a tough sell. “From the early days country music made a real impression on us. There’s an authenticity about country that’s always appealed to me, whether it be Hank Williams, Merle Haggard or a Willie Nelson record,” Richards tells Billboard in a statement. “Also, of course, Gram Parsons was a major player and influence,” he adds of his close friend, the pioneering country rock singer/songwriter.

Deaton, who dubbed the album “a Nashville love letter to the Stones,” says many of the artists, like Church, have long histories with the music: “[Church] said that when he was nobody and just playing guitar in front of 10 people, he got more tips when he played ‘Honky Tonk Women.’ The Stones have been so important to him for so long that it’s been an honor just to be able to say ‘thank you’ on this record.”

Masuch says BMG’s position is to look at such projects in a comprehensive way. Though there is no official word on a documentary, Deaton says, “there were six or seven cameras on every session that we did,” and Masuch brings up the idea of “maybe turning [the album] into a live event, if possible, at a certain point. It would be [amazing] to have those artists in a big venue, performing their favorite songs, and maybe getting one or two members of [the Rolling Stones] to be around.”

But all ancillary projects were secondary to making the album that served the music, Deaton says. Starting in January 2022, he listened to Stones’ songs “over and over, 100 times, so that I could get the right artists with the right songs … And then I thought about, how do I make it different? How do I make this a tribute to them and also still unique?”

To do so, Deaton had to ensure he had unfettered freedom to make the project he wanted. “Hartwig is one of my dearest friends, and I told him, ‘Listen, I’m getting ready to go deep on this and I need to ask you one question from a business standpoint before I go under here: how many BMG artists do I have to have on the record?’” Deaton recalls. “And he said, ‘Go make the best record you can make. There’s no minimum, there’s no maximum.’” The album ended up with three BMG artists: Wilson, Jimmie Allen and Shane.

As Deaton began casting the album, he says 95% of his attempts to match artists with songs ended up working out. “The only song that I left open was for Zac Brown Band, because they can do so many different things and so many different styles,” Deaton says. On their first conversation, Brown picked “Paint It Black.” Deaton and Wilson also went back and forth on four or five songs and had a false start, cutting “Get Off of My Cloud” before switching to “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

“I went to BMG and said, ‘You know what, I think we got the wrong song’ because it wasn’t country enough,” Deaton says. “When I was trying to put together the record, I found that anything of that era was really hard to fit into our album because we’re being unapologetically country and we’re making a country record. It was very hard. ‘Get Off of My Cloud’ just didn’t fit in the overall arc of the record.”

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” resonated strongly with Wilson. “The Rolling Stones are global music icons, from the musicianship to the swagger to the relatable perspective with songs like ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want,’” she tells Billboard. “Man, if I haven’t had to learn that lesson time and time again. I know that feeling of resisting your fate, that struggle, but I also know that sense of pride and peace when you understand the tough times made way for something better. I try not to take myself too seriously — I’ve heard you can’t be great if you do — so I love the way the production builds into a light-hearted cathartic jam at the end. This song leaves me shaking my head, smiling at myself, and feeling grateful. And that’s what The Stones always did. They made you feel something, and they made you feel good.”

Understandably, Deaton had to occasionally contend with artists’ nerves when tackling the classic rock songs. “Karen Fairchild from Little Big Town said, ‘The only thing I’m concerned about is that Mick is going to hear all this, and I hope he doesn’t go, ‘Well, that sucks,’” he recalls. “Every artist wanted to put all their love into it, which was incredibly refreshing.”

The sessions were recorded without click tracks and with all the musicians playing live together, including the backing vocalists. To increase the authenticity, long-time Rolling Stones touring keyboardist Chuck Leavell played on “Shine A Light,” recorded by Koe Wetzel.

“I wanted everybody in the same room together so that they all could feed off of each other and [have] it be as organic and as real as possible,” Deaton says. “Whatever that Stones thing is that they have [whenever] they’re in a room, I wanted to be able to create that and get as close to it as we possibly could.”

Throughout the album, there are nods to great musicianship, even beyond the Stones. For example, Mickey Raphael, who has played harmonica with Willie Nelson for more than 50 years, opens “Miss You,” covered by Allen. “It ended being a tribute to what I feel are the best musicians in the world,” Deaton says.

A number of tribute albums by country artists have become best sellers, including 1994’s Common Threads: Songs of the Eagles, which the RIAA has certified triple platinum, and Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee, a 2012 platinum set that paired him with top country artists remaking his biggest hits.

Masuch sees Stoned Cold Country having a similar, if not wider, appeal, given the Rolling Stones’ global fandom and “the fascination in nearly all European countries for country music,” he says. Access can be lacking to country acts outside the US, so Masuch says it’s important that the project “will get onto [people’s] iPhones and can create much more excitement for some of the musicians outside of North America than ever before.”

Extending country’s reach has been one of Germany-based BMG’s goals ever since it bought Broken Bow Records in 2017, giving the company an instant foothold in Nashville. “I think it’s imminent that some of these artists will have big international careers,” Masuch says, “and hopefully this project can be one of the triggers in achieving that.”

[www.billboard.com]

I actually really love that covers album. Probably my favorite one, and the one I listen to the most.

Zac Brown Brown debuted their live version of "Paint It Black" at the 02 Arena, March 12:

Stoned Cold Country (Trailer)







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023-03-14 16:28 by bye bye johnny.

Quote
Doxa
Indeed Rockie. Who needs sterilized Stones, a soundtrack for your hillbilly family picknick or on your way to your next MAGA convention? 'Easy listening for cowards'. Yeah, somebody out there I guess...

- Doxa

Upon sober reflection, I'd say this is sort of like the Stones doing covers of their favourite blues musicians on the early albums.

Did the world 'need' to hear Little Red Rooster or Mona or I Can't Be Satisfied by this band (well I say yes, but I'm biased). It was both a tribute and a trail for non-blues listeners to see the bands influences.

In this case, tribute albums like this showcase the bands music for new generations, some of which may think, I really like that song, I wonder what the original sounds like?

I won't be a buyer of this album but then I don't think anyone on this board is the target market either!

Quote
treaclefingers

Quote
Doxa
Indeed Rockie. Who needs sterilized Stones, a soundtrack for your hillbilly family picknick or on your way to your next MAGA convention? 'Easy listening for cowards'. Yeah, somebody out there I guess...

- Doxa

Upon sober reflection, I'd say this is sort of like the Stones doing covers of their favourite blues musicians on the early albums.

Did the world 'need' to hear Little Red Rooster or Mona or I Can't Be Satisfied by this band (well I say yes, but I'm biased). It was both a tribute and a trail for non-blues listeners to see the bands influences.

In this case, tribute albums like this showcase the bands music for new generations, some of which may think, I really like that song, I wonder what the original sounds like?

I won't be a buyer of this album but then I don't think anyone on this board is the target market either!

Yeah. In that sense we should give credit to Trump as well for introducing Stones music for new audiences. Damn the band for stopping the campaign.

But seriously, yeah, I guess it is like you said, introducing archaic stuff for new audiences, but to me it sounds like they are using - like Trump - some already familiar stuff for their own aims. True that country is incredibly popular in the States nowadays, but I guess the Stones still are a pretty household name in music (even though it could be that there are new country fan generations never knowing anything about rock music).

And will the country fans, who are used to those safe and sure, soft and bland sounds, even like the raw-sounding, edgy originals? I don't know. Say, if some polka artists record an album of Stones covers, will the polka audiences be that impressed by the original Stones versions? Honestly, I never been that convinced that any of these genre-crossing tributes ever really worked for people actually falling love with a new, unfamiliar genre. For example, I don't think the classic rock albums by LSO from the 70's - the concept of a symphony orchestra playing rock anthems - much inspired the people loving classic music to listen rock bands. It was LSO selling a helluva amount of albums, since the rock fans dug the idea hearing their favourite music in this 'classical' form.

The analogy between the early Stones covering blues numbers and these country people doing Stones stuff is a good one, but it does not work in one important sense: The Stones supposed to be a blues band, so they play music from their own genre, something that constitutes what they are (in hindsight, and probably in regard to BLUE & LONESOME, we could say that it is a pop or a rock band doing blues covers, but that's anachronism). Of course, this helped to popularize this genre and the original masters. Analogy - even not that perfect either - would be these modern country stars to play some not so well-known country numbers by not that well-known country masters from the past.

- Doxa



Edited 7 time(s). Last edit at 2023-03-15 02:21 by Doxa.

Nothing post-1978.

Granted, although Miss You is closer to blues than country, and country is just the blues, seems a bit conservative.

Not that anyone needs to hear a countryfried version of Start Me Up but certainly there are others that could've been done.

Maybe there will be a Volume 2.

Album Review

Various Artists - Stoned Cold Country

By Alli Patton

Stoned Cold Country does The Rolling Stones justice, delivering back-to-back country-fied bangers full of fire, fun and feeling.

Tribute albums are fairly common in country music. It seems almost like tradition for artists to tip their hats to the legends that came before. What is unique about the genre’s latest tribute collection, Stoned Cold Country, is who they’re honoring.

Rock icons The Rolling Stones have undoubtedly left their mark on music, and the country genre is no exception. Swapping testimony of the band’s influence, country mainstays and sensations du jour have banded together to countrify some of their biggest hits. As a result, Stoned Cold Country is a 14-track love letter to the rockers as they ring in their sixth decade together.

The collection opens with Ashley McBryde’s hard-driving take on ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’. Her twanged-up rendition gets most of its power from her defiant vocals. As she sneers the resolute lyrics, the song begins to twist, taking the shape of a song all her own.

Many more songs on the tribute also pack a punch. Brothers Osborne and The War and Treaty deliver a burning version of ‘It's Only Rock 'N' Roll (But I Like It)’. The tune starts out with warm vocals that soon ignite into a smoldering earworm. Jimmie Allen’s blues-tinted ‘Miss You’ is also all heat as the intense harmonica opener sets everything ablaze.

Several renditions of the Stones’ classics just make sense, like Brooks & Dunn’s ‘Honky Tonk Women’. If the duo knows two things, it’s honkin’ and tonkin’, so the song, while not necessarily a standout among the bunch, seemed a natural fit. Elle King ’s take on ‘Tumbling Dice’ was also perfect for the country newcomer who injected a lot of her rock origins into the attitude-fueled tune. Lainey Wilson was another well-suited artist for ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’. She ditches the children’s choir and the subtle symphonics of the original for a three-chords-and-the-truth take on the hit, a stripped-back version that echoes with the songwriter’s sincerity.

Where some tracks rock, others roll to the wayside. While Steve Earle’s strained vocals on ‘Angie’ are the perfect match for the pained ballad, his rendition gets lost in the bunch. The same goes for Eric Church’s take on a powerhouse classic like ‘Gimme Shelter’. The star tries out his Jagger-isms for a spell, but they fall short against the raucous arrangement. Little Big Town’s distantly wailing ‘Wild Horses’ wouldn’t stand out either if their glorious four-part harmonies hadn’t come through in the chorus.

Not one song on the album really strays away from the original. The artists certainly turn up the dial, but by no means do they toss out the blueprint. Overall, Stoned Cold Country does The Rolling Stones justice, delivering back-to-back country-fied bangers full of fire, fun and feeling. The tribute album is a well-rounded re-imagining of some of the rock icons’ greatest songs.

9/10
Stoned Cold Country is out on Friday 17th March via BBR.

[holler.country]

While I'm not a big fan of about 99% of these Neo-Country artists and their music, some of these covers aren't too bad as far as Neo-Country Stones covers go
And I would think the Stones will be highly honored and enjoy much of it, if not all of it - after all, they have a tight connection with some of these bands and artists.
I believe it was the Zac Brown band who opened for the Stones somewhere (or they were scheduled to), and maybe others who are on this album? Maybe Eric Church?
And then there's the association with other Neo-Country artists such as Brad Paisley who not only opened for them (at least once), but he also performed with them on stage.
His performance of Dead Flowers with the Stones even made it on to the HONK album!!! Not a great version by any means imo, but the Stones must have liked it enough to include it on the album

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Quote
Doxa
A nice homage, but musically stuff to play in elevators, right?

- Doxa

Totally agree. Lifeless.

Quote
Doxa

Quote
treaclefingers

Quote
Doxa
Indeed Rockie. Who needs sterilized Stones, a soundtrack for your hillbilly family picknick or on your way to your next MAGA convention? 'Easy listening for cowards'. Yeah, somebody out there I guess...

- Doxa

Upon sober reflection, I'd say this is sort of like the Stones doing covers of their favourite blues musicians on the early albums.

Did the world 'need' to hear Little Red Rooster or Mona or I Can't Be Satisfied by this band (well I say yes, but I'm biased). It was both a tribute and a trail for non-blues listeners to see the bands influences.

In this case, tribute albums like this showcase the bands music for new generations, some of which may think, I really like that song, I wonder what the original sounds like?

I won't be a buyer of this album but then I don't think anyone on this board is the target market either!

Yeah. In that sense we should give credit to Trump as well for introducing Stones music for new audiences. Damn the band for stopping the campaign.

But seriously, yeah, I guess it is like you said, introducing archaic stuff for new audiences, but to me it sounds like they are using - like Trump - some already familiar stuff for their own aims. True that country is incredibly popular in the States nowadays, but I guess the Stones still are a pretty household name in music (even though it could be that there are new country fan generations never knowing anything about rock music).

And will the country fans, who are used to those safe and sure, soft and bland sounds, even like the raw-sounding, edgy originals? I don't know. Say, if some polka artists record an album of Stones covers, will the polka audiences be that impressed by the original Stones versions? Honestly, I never been that convinced that any of these genre-crossing tributes ever really worked for people actually falling love with a new, unfamiliar genre. For example, I don't think the classic rock albums by LSO from the 70's - the concept of a symphony orchestra playing rock anthems - much inspired the people loving classic music to listen rock bands. It was LSO selling a helluva amount of albums, since the rock fans dug the idea hearing their favourite music in this 'classical' form.

The analogy between the early Stones covering blues numbers and these country people doing Stones stuff is a good one, but it does not work in one important sense: The Stones supposed to be a blues band, so they play music from their own genre, something that constitutes what they are (in hindsight, and probably in regard to BLUE & LONESOME, we could say that it is a pop or a rock band doing blues covers, but that's anachronism). Of course, this helped to popularize this genre and the original masters. Analogy - even not that perfect either - would be these modern country stars to play some not so well-known country numbers by not that well-known country masters from the past.

- Doxa

I don't think we're in complete disagreement with any of this. In fairness, the Stones already 'went country' with lots of examples so it's not like they ever went Polka and the 'Polka album' in question would turn on a bunch of new 80 year old listeners (ha ha, like the stones themselves!).

Stylistically country stars doing Stones songs 'could' be good, it's just that the artists chosen, OR, the way they chose to play them just isn't all that inspiring.

Take the Johnny Cash version of "Hurt"...utterly fantastic. If a decent country artist could reimagine a Stones track like that, that would be worth the price of admission and I'd buy a CD. It's not so much 'country as the genre' that would be the problem...who doesn't love a Stones country song?...it's how they are choosing to present these songs (and maybe some poor song choices as well).

Yeah, treacle, I don't think we really disagree that much at all. Just sharing some thoughts, emphasizing different angles.

I especially agree that that kind of album could be done if done properly. Like what Cash did. Or, in analogy, like what Dylan made with Sinatra stuff. Those albums have an artistic point (and the concept is a bit different). But this STONED COLD COUNTRY is just a 'tribute' - easy-listening versions of Stones originals and from what I have heard pretty close to originals. So there is not really any artistic point or ambition. It shouldn't be taken more than that. An 'innocen' tribute to honour The Stones and attract country audience. Actually I shouldn't be that hard on it.

But I am. And that's only because 'modern' country music just annoys me so much... You know, I tried to listen the covers, but damn I just couldn't: I don't think what it is but somehow the predictable, cliche-full way they sound and sing just go to my nerves... So cheap. Making elevator music out of the Rolling Stones. Damn!

So I think the only problem here, and on where all my arguments are based on or coloured by, is my personal taste... Usually I avoid showing my opinion about music I don't really 'get', but this modern country muzak is an exception. With The Beatles.

- Doxa



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2023-03-16 23:38 by Doxa.

Steve Earle - Angie





Maren Morris - Dead Flowers





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Full album > [www.youtube.com]

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Quote
Doxa
Yeah, treacle, I don't think we really disagree that much at all. Just sharing some thoughts, emphasizing different angles.

I especially agree that that kind of album could be done if done properly. Like what Cash did. Or, in analogy, like what Dylan made with Sinatra stuff. Those albums have an artistic point (and the concept is a bit different). But this STONED COLD COUNTRY is just a 'tribute' - easy-listening versions of Stones originals and from what I have heard pretty close to originals. So there is not really any artistic point or ambition. It shouldn't be taken more than that. An 'innocen' tribute to honour The Stones and attract country audience. Actually I shouldn't be that hard on it.

But I am. And that's only because 'modern' country music just annoys me so much... You know, I tried to listen the covers, but damn I just couldn't: I don't think what it is but somehow the predictable, cliche-full way they sound and sing just go to my nerves... So cheap. Making elevator music out of the Rolling Stones. Damn!

So I think the only problem here, and on where all my arguments are based on or coloured by, is my personal taste... Usually I avoid showing my opinion about music I don't really 'get', but this modern country muzak is an exception. With The Beatles.

- Doxa

There are other examples for sure but for me Melanie's Ruby Tuesday is a fantastic example of what you 'should' do if you're covering a Stones song. Whether or not you even like it (and it's pretty hard not to like), she's made it her own and that makes it memorable:

I'm listening to it now on Spotify - I think it's a big compliment to the Stones that these "real" country artists are covering them. But ofcourse, their songs were always being covered already by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, etc. Not bad for some boys from England!

I appreciate the sentiments behind this release, talented musicians and some nice covers. What I really take away from it is just how
eff-ing great The Rolling Stones are. But I already knew that.

I agree even as a huge country fan that this was a pretty shallow attempt at a tribute.

This was my favorite live country cover of the Stones:
video: [www.youtube.com]