"Let Me", will serve as the lead-off single to Pat Green's upcoming album, due out later in 2008. The song is also Green's thirteenth chart single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. The song received a "thumbs down" review from the country music site The 9513. Critic Brady Vercher felt that Green got "lost" in the song's melody, and that the production nearly drowned out his voice at the end. Also, he stated that the song sounded like "a case of a producer not realizing what works for an artist and applying his little bag of tricks to attempt to garner radio success rather than pushing both their boundaries to create something worthwhile."
The above was taken from wikipedia regarding Pat Green's newest single, "Let Me", from his upcoming album due later this fall. As many of you know, Pat is one of my favorite artists of the last decade and I've stood behind him and his music through some good and, more recently, some bad releases. Not only did his rendition of "Texas in 1880", with former Foster & Lloyd frontman Radney Foster, inspire me and my guitar wielding sidekick Ashton to pick up our guitars and begin forging our own country music destiny but his music (the old, the new and the in-between) generally makes me happy. Pat really does put a smile on my face. Even though my musical tendencies seem to be darker and a little more introspective across the board, Pat seems to lift up my spirits when the billboards and b.s. get me down. After all, who isn't happy when they're down at their local Mexican restaurant having taco and beers. Anyway, this isn't my point. There are some who believe that Pat Green is a crazy sell-out who forgot all about his "true" fans and others, some would call bandwagoners, think he's the second coming of country cool. I for one think he's a little bit of both. To illustrate.....
A few weekends back, the wife and I ventured down to New Orleans to catch Mr. Green at The House Of Blues, one of my favorite venues to watch bands and one I hope to frequent in the near future with my band in tow. While in The Big Easy we went to the aquarium (reminding me why I don't have kids, yet also kinda making me wish I did), ate beignets at Cafe Du Monde (delicious), walked around the French Quarter (It seems to be making a healthy comeback and generally felt cleaner and safer than pre-Katrina), ate our fair share of cajun cuisine (I'm a sucker for some crawfish etoufee!), and stood in the rain for over an hour so we could be the first people through the doors and claim our rightful spot front and left center of the stage. Green & company did not disappoint. They tore a set as far reaching as 3 (aka Take Me Out To A Dancehall) and Baby Doll, along the way doing impressive takes of old and new, including an awesome rendition of Southbound 35 with an interlude of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers "Runnin' Down A Dream" which I found to be both CraZy & cOOl! However, the coolest and craziest part of the show had to be when, during a particularly sweet moment of "Dixie Lullaby", Pat grabbed an almost empty beer can sitting on the stage along with umbrella of a young girl standing next to my wife and proceeded to open the umbrella and rain down beer upon himself. Let me just say it was one of the coolest things I've ever witnessed at any of the 15+ Pat Green shows I've attended. It was also one of the craziest things I've ever seen. That qualifies Pat Green as one crazy, cool son of a gun in my book.
Oh yeah, and they played the new song "Let Me". While it isn't anywhere close to the same Pat we heard years ago singing West Texas Holiday or George's Bar, it is a potential radio smash and as he put it himself, "It's taken us four years since 'Wave On Wave' to figure out if you're gonna have a hit you gotta sing to the girls". Thankfully, I don't write the same songs I did four years ago or people would have quit listening altogether. You gotta keep moving and growing day by day, and I think that is what Pat is doing. Growing up, growing wise and realizing hits pay the bills. All I have to say is Pat better be glad I didn't find this song first. I sure would have cut it!
Peace out,
Justin Patterson
P.S. Visit www.myspace.com/patgreen to hear "Let Me" and join the thousands of very opinionated people over at www.galleywinter.com to voice your opinion about every little move Pat Green makes
"Let Me"
Pat Green: Cool or Crazy?
If We Ever Make It Home
In Defense Of Toby Keith
The following is an excerpt by Douglas Waterman, Editor-in-Chief, of American Songwriter magazine dealing with the definition of country music. I'm not saying that I agree with everything he has to say, but he makes some very interesting points and it's a great read. So read it! Or don't read it. I don't care. But I would like to know what you think about it if you do decide to check it out.
As always, playing country music!
Justin Patterson
'....
Can you define "country music," really? Probably not, and I'm not going to try to define it either. Why not? Because country is an ever-changing, ever-evolving "format," but for better or worse, that's just the way all music is and the way it always will be - in the realm of the linstening/buying commercial audience. Today, you're as likely to come upon a male artist with gelled hair and a wallet chain as you are with a boots and hat act. You're as likely to see a female artist looking stunning, decked out in ribons and pearls as you are with a jeans-'til-I-die farm girl who lives and breathes Loretta Lynn. Once the "coastal media" (as Michael Kosser puts it), along with all of the rest of us, admit/recognize that country music has evolved from straw hats, farm life, poverty, drinkin', cheatin', fightin', etc. - to account for the changing musical tastes/lifestyle fo a rapidly urbanizing American public - the the sooner we'll be able to put and keep things in perspective in regard to country music and its future. The aforementioned subjects and themes aren't going anywhere, and are still vital to the heart of the music and tis traditions, but the scope has just... widened.
It seems the hip thing to do is to talk about how "crappy"/"fluffy" coutnry music has gotten, but can you name a decade - spanning all genres - when there weren't collective segments of people sayng, "listen to all this crap/fluff that's on the the radio these days... where's good music?" Any genre, if you listen to the radio attentively enough, is going to have its share of exposable weaknesses. If you evaluate country music decade-by-decade si the '50s , you'll find that each is characterized by a distinct sound (production value), a prevalent song structure, lyrical/subject leaning and even a certain melodic tendency. Critics have found objections within each decade. For example, music journalist/historian Colin Escott - in much of his writing about the country's '60s period - cites the influx of string sections and Chet Atkins' "countrypolitan" Nashville sound as the beginning-of-the-end for the genre. Call me crazy, but I just disagree completely. Call 2000-present the "tech-heavy, over-produced, over-optimistic-era: if you'd like. It still all boils down to the merit of the song itself, far-and-away above anything else. it might surprise you that the same scribe who wrote Keith's "I Wanna Talk About Me" (Bobby Braddock/curly Putman) also wrote George Jones' seminal "He Stopped Loving Her Today." and Braddock's no strange to keeping the antenna up and out during changing times, rolling decades. (Revisit Tracy Lawrence's "Time Marches On."
The sooner we all stop spewing sweeping genralizations about the state of country music, and I'm not excluding myself, the better off we'll be in the short and long run.'
P.S. Visit Myspace.com/wadebowen and check out the newest release from Wade entitled "If We Ever Get Back Home", featuring the single "You Had Me At My Best". You'll be glad you did!
As always, playing country music!
Justin Patterson
'....
Can you define "country music," really? Probably not, and I'm not going to try to define it either. Why not? Because country is an ever-changing, ever-evolving "format," but for better or worse, that's just the way all music is and the way it always will be - in the realm of the linstening/buying commercial audience. Today, you're as likely to come upon a male artist with gelled hair and a wallet chain as you are with a boots and hat act. You're as likely to see a female artist looking stunning, decked out in ribons and pearls as you are with a jeans-'til-I-die farm girl who lives and breathes Loretta Lynn. Once the "coastal media" (as Michael Kosser puts it), along with all of the rest of us, admit/recognize that country music has evolved from straw hats, farm life, poverty, drinkin', cheatin', fightin', etc. - to account for the changing musical tastes/lifestyle fo a rapidly urbanizing American public - the the sooner we'll be able to put and keep things in perspective in regard to country music and its future. The aforementioned subjects and themes aren't going anywhere, and are still vital to the heart of the music and tis traditions, but the scope has just... widened.
It seems the hip thing to do is to talk about how "crappy"/"fluffy" coutnry music has gotten, but can you name a decade - spanning all genres - when there weren't collective segments of people sayng, "listen to all this crap/fluff that's on the the radio these days... where's good music?" Any genre, if you listen to the radio attentively enough, is going to have its share of exposable weaknesses. If you evaluate country music decade-by-decade si the '50s , you'll find that each is characterized by a distinct sound (production value), a prevalent song structure, lyrical/subject leaning and even a certain melodic tendency. Critics have found objections within each decade. For example, music journalist/historian Colin Escott - in much of his writing about the country's '60s period - cites the influx of string sections and Chet Atkins' "countrypolitan" Nashville sound as the beginning-of-the-end for the genre. Call me crazy, but I just disagree completely. Call 2000-present the "tech-heavy, over-produced, over-optimistic-era: if you'd like. It still all boils down to the merit of the song itself, far-and-away above anything else. it might surprise you that the same scribe who wrote Keith's "I Wanna Talk About Me" (Bobby Braddock/curly Putman) also wrote George Jones' seminal "He Stopped Loving Her Today." and Braddock's no strange to keeping the antenna up and out during changing times, rolling decades. (Revisit Tracy Lawrence's "Time Marches On."
The sooner we all stop spewing sweeping genralizations about the state of country music, and I'm not excluding myself, the better off we'll be in the short and long run.'
P.S. Visit Myspace.com/wadebowen and check out the newest release from Wade entitled "If We Ever Get Back Home", featuring the single "You Had Me At My Best". You'll be glad you did!
Update
Hey Guys,
The Sammy Kershaw gig went great! I didn't get to meet him but his crew and band were top notch and treated us great. We played a 30 minute set of mixed covers and originals and the show went off without a hitch. Thanks again to the staff at The Bottling Co. for having us and to Brian & Adam at C & M music for hooking us up with the gig!
Anyway, we're off this weekend and then it's off and running again as we head to Greenwood, MS and Joe's Place for the first time. Hope some of you can make it out who don't get to see us up that way too often. Then the next week, we'll be back in the studio touching up guitars, cutting vocals and mixing our new record, tentatively titled Justin Patterson & the Lost Causes: Just Along For The Ride, which is scheduled for a Spring release.
That's all for now,
Justin
The Sammy Kershaw gig went great! I didn't get to meet him but his crew and band were top notch and treated us great. We played a 30 minute set of mixed covers and originals and the show went off without a hitch. Thanks again to the staff at The Bottling Co. for having us and to Brian & Adam at C & M music for hooking us up with the gig!
Anyway, we're off this weekend and then it's off and running again as we head to Greenwood, MS and Joe's Place for the first time. Hope some of you can make it out who don't get to see us up that way too often. Then the next week, we'll be back in the studio touching up guitars, cutting vocals and mixing our new record, tentatively titled Justin Patterson & the Lost Causes: Just Along For The Ride, which is scheduled for a Spring release.
That's all for now,
Justin
Sammy Kershaw
Hey guys,
I'm opening up for Sammy Kershaw at The Bottling Co. in downtown Hattiesburg this Saturday night. If you're into good ole honest, well written country music show up early and give the opener a chance to impress. We hit the stage at 9:30 p.m. Hope to see you there!
Justin
I'm opening up for Sammy Kershaw at The Bottling Co. in downtown Hattiesburg this Saturday night. If you're into good ole honest, well written country music show up early and give the opener a chance to impress. We hit the stage at 9:30 p.m. Hope to see you there!
Justin
hAllOwEeN!!!!!
Hey ya'll,
We've got a big Halloween show coming up October 31st @ Fat O'harrys in Hattiesburg with our good friends Deuces Wyld. This will be their first show with their new lead singer. So put on your coolest costume and come party with us for Halloween!
See you there,
Justin
We've got a big Halloween show coming up October 31st @ Fat O'harrys in Hattiesburg with our good friends Deuces Wyld. This will be their first show with their new lead singer. So put on your coolest costume and come party with us for Halloween!
See you there,
Justin
