Rhinofy-Keith Urban
And they say rock is dead…
Baby boomers are overwhelmed with choice, and no longer living in the hot house of high school they’re clueless as to what to listen to, they want good new music but they turn on the radio and wince, and there’s no trustworthy recommendation engine. But if these people who loved music way back when, who thrilled to both the southern rockers and the L.A. country rockers, could be exposed to Keith Urban, they’d love him, they’d go to the show, they’d testify.
I know, because I’m one of them.
I wrote about being stuck in traffic and discovering Tim McGraw was actually good as I stumbled upon him going up and down the Sirius stations and a promoter in Nashville sent me a list of tracks to check out, I downloaded them, put them on my iPod and didn’t give it another thought until I was hiking in the mountains and I heard "Stupid Boy" on shuffle.
1. "Stupid Boy"
I know, it’s too slow. You wanna rock out. And it’s got a lilting country feel, without the nasality of credibility evidenced on the Nashville records of yore. Still, stay the course, and when you do, you’ll realize this song is right in the pocket.
But the piece de resistance is the solo.
Yup, hang in there, it’s a long song… But then, at about 3:45, it’s like he’s been riding in his pickup truck and gets out and takes a walk, reflects on his life. The slide guitar’s got the humanity and credibility of classic rock, it’s fully alive, evidencing both introspection and the imperfection of life. And then the track builds and Keith starts to wail! It’s almost like listening to a Lynyrd Skynyrd cut, back when Ronnie was in the band, when they built to an incredible flourish that had you nodding your head, totally spent.
"Stupid Boy" is just that good, just that special. You’ll be closed if you just hang in there, this is everything you loved about the music of yore, without being a retread, it’s a whole new spin. You loved all those lengthy songs, from "Free Bird" to "Stairway To Heaven", you know how the instrumental interludes built and built and you just had to hear them again. THIS IS THE SAME THING, THIS IS IT!
And like those classic tracks, it’s not only about the sound, but the changes. And the lyrics.
You’re just a stupid boy
Oh, you always had to be right
But now you lost the only thing
That ever made you feel alive
Regret is the male’s middle name. Women bitch and moan and get over it. Men brood. Play the scenario over in their head. How’d they mess it up?
"Stupid Boy" is a tour de force. And if the rock stations of today weren’t so rigid and calcified, they’d play it.
2. "Stupid Boy"
Meanwhile, Keith Urban writes some of his songs, but not all of them. "Stupid Boy" was written by three people, Dave Berg, Deanna Bryant and Sarah Buxton. And on Spotify, you can hear Sarah Buxton’s version.
And at first it’ll set you back. It’s the same song, but it sounds like it’s being sung around a campfire. But there’s truth in this quieter take. And it’s great to hear the words sung from a female’s perspective.
You never want to ask a woman her opinion, not if you’re a man, because she’s gonna be honest, she’s gonna tell you the truth…
Well, she laid her heart and soul right in your hands
And you stole her every dream and you crushed her plans
You’re taken aback, she’s disappointed in you, she’s angry, you hang your head sheepishly because you know she’s right. You just wanted sympathy, but great country songs are rooted in truth.
Meanwhile, Sarah sets listeners straight, talks about her perspective in the live take from the album "Sarah Buxton and the Pajama Sessions", also included here.
We used to sit up late at night and play Beatles songs on the guitar. You can play "Stupid Boy" too.
3. "Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me"
And the sun is shinin’
This road keeps windin’
Through the prettiest country
From Georgia to Tennessee
And I got the one I love beside me
My trouble behind me
I’m alive and I’m free
Who wouldn’t wanna be me
There’s a road in California… You take the 10 Freeway as far west as you can and it turns into the Pacific Coast Highway, affectionately known as PCH.
You start out in Santa Monica, but it’s not long before on one side you’ve got verdant hills and on the other…the ocean. This is as far as you can go, if you’ve ventured from the east coast, this is it, you’ve made it, you’re finally free.
And when you drive up PCH, from Santa Monica to Pacific Palisades to Malibu, Zuma and beyond, you drop the convertible top, open the sunroof, lower the windows and BLAST THE MUSIC!
If you’ve got more questions than answers, Don Henley’s "Boys Of Summer" feels right, but usually you’re elated. And no soundtrack is better than "Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me". Don’t be thrown off by the acoustic instruments in the intro, pay attention to that electric guitar that comes in screaming, this is a train, pulling out of the station, building steam, get on it, put your head out the window, let the breeze blow back your hair and revel in how fucking great it is to be alive.
(Meanwhile, I’ve got a couple more plays of "Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me" than "Stupid Boy" in my iTunes library, 104 to 102. Yup, that’s how many times you spin great music, don’t think of one play on Spotify, think about how many times you listen to the greats!)
4. "You’ll Think Of Me"
Truly a masterpiece.
I woke up early this morning around 4 AM
With the moon shining bright as headlights on the interstate
I pulled the covers over my head and tried to catch some sleep
But thoughts of us kept keeping me awake
I remember it vividly. July 4th 1981. I was finally in my new apartment after three years of living together. I thought I was over her, I’d slept with someone else, but when that misguided adventure ceased I was a displaced person, unrooted in life. And I stayed up this entire holiday night listening to "Sandinista!" over and over again, because I couldn’t sleep, even when the sun came up.
That’s what heartbreak’ll do to you.
Take your records, take your freedom
Take your memories, I don’t need ’em
Take your space and take your reasons
But you’ll think of me
And she did. But it took me half a year to find out.
But the next time, with a different person, when I was left behind…I still wonder, does she think of me? She was so determined to go.
And when they do physical possessions are irrelevant, the whole world is irrelevant, all you can do is be haunted by them.
Forget the modern media culture, where people fuck like bunnies and crawl from the wreckage of failed relationships into brand new connections. That’s not how it happens at all. You spoke to them every day, they knew your innermost thoughts, you literally were inside of each other and now they’re GONE?
As for those people who say they can remain friends… I guess your relationship wasn’t that good to begin with, or you’re secretly still in love, because if you were truly together, it’s too painful to connect.
Listen to this record, there’s so much more. If you’ve ever stayed in the heartbreak hotel, you’ll get it.
5. "Raining On Sunday"
I know, I know, I’m focusing on the slow burners here.
Still, this is such a magical track.
Pray that it’s rainin’ on Sunday
Stormin’ like crazy
We’ll hide under the covers all afternoon
The beginning of a relationship, when just being in each other’s presence is enough, no activity is necessary. We’ve all been there, and if you haven’t been yet, your time is coming. If you’re young, hang in there, if you’re old, take a chance, love is worth the risk.
6. "Raining On Sunday"
Was written by Radney Foster, listen to his version.
7. "I Told You So", "Georgia Woods", "’Til Summer Comes Around", "Days Go By", "Somebody Like You", "Long Hot Summer", "Better Life"
Just a bunch more tracks for you to check out.
8. Live From AOL Sessions
Unfortunately, this is all acoustic and you have no idea how positively loud and rockin’ Keith Urban is live.
Sure, like the country acts, Keith can really sing and play, there’s no faking it involved. Well, some country acts fake it, but no Australian acts, the Aussie acts KILL live, that’s how you make it Down Under.
Still…
If you’ve never seen Keith Urban live…YOU’RE IN FOR A TREAT!
There are FOUR GUITARS!
Yup, a drummer and a front line of axemen. It’s an assault. But it doesn’t have you holding your head, but throwing your arms up in the air, exulting in joy.
You can go see the classic rock acts on their close to last time through, or you can go see something brand new, that’s still alive, that’s still being formed.
Forget the famous wife, set aside your bias against country, you’ll love Keith Urban.
If you just give him a shot.
Here’s your chance.
