Birth Of A New Album

When an artist puts out a new creation, it’s an exciting thing. Morgan Wallen put out three new songs, gave the album title and listed the more than 30 tracks for his next project, due in March.

The three songs were put on YouTube, a lyric video and it’s off to the races. His third album and, again, three dozen songs. Are all “ready for radio” gems? Maybe not, but if you are old enough to remember the Beatles’ “White Album,” you were thrilled by the big productions and the simple ones. New material from your favorite act is still exciting.

Legendary songwriter Bobby Braddock was excited this week when he found out that Brad Paisley recorded one of his songs for a new album. Kenny Chesney has too. Getting a cut is still a thrill for a songwriter, even if you are Bobby Braddock.

New album, new songs, new car, new month … we all like NEW. Always enjoyed covering the Grammy Awards because you were for sure to hear something new, probably from someone new to you.

How exciting might it be to hear Molly Tuttle for the first time, or Luke Combs? Lizzo had a song I liked this year. You never know where new will find you.

I discovered a charity series called Wild Honey. It’s done maybe yearly in California for Autism Healthcare Collaborative Think Tank. WildHoneyFoundation.com is new to me! Go to YouTube and search “Paul Rock,” and all these amazing songs pop up. Original members of The Lovin’ Spoonful do a joint appearance for the first time in decades. BIG band with lots of percussion, strings, horns … the works. They do Beach Boys songs. Go look. NEW!

See, this new thing is fun! YouTube is a great place to get lost. The new Springsteen song, “Burnin’ Train,” was played live for the first time this week in Tampa.

Nothing wrong with OLD either, The Grammys help you discover why you loved music so much in the first place. Soundtracks, jazz, classical … MUSIC! Medicine for the soul!

Saw a long trade publication article about the Grammys not representing Country music well. The answer for Music Row: join the Academy and VOTE. That will help cure the situation. Right now, the Country rollercoaster in not collecting CHR/Top 40 pop listeners. It happens.

Morgan Wallen’s fans, I bet, are not just Country. Chris Stapleton’s fans are just Country either. Country artists wanting to serve and grow their audience need to make art, not disposable music. Fun songs are great. Not everything has to be meaningful. The whiskey/truck/beer swigging stuff just keeps floating to the top. Enough.

Zach Bryan is not for everyone. It takes some patience. He is not writing nursery rhymes. Jelly Roll isn’t either. It can’t all be that deep, but what a wide variety of music under the Nashville banner these days.

Can’t wait for some of the NEW I know is coming this year. Expand your world. A lot of junk in the pile, but a diamond or too as well!

Willie Nelson in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? Sure, but it is so wrong for Grand Funk Railroad, Foreigner, Three Dog Night, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Patsy Cline and, yes, the Doobie Brothers? Jim Croce, Chubby Checker, Boston, Kansas … I have to stop … blood pressure going up. And The Muscle Shoals Swampers? Outrageous!