You can NOW Pre-Order your copy of Scotty's Clear As Day on iTunes
Showing posts with label Clear As Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clear As Day. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
From AMAZON:Bio on Scotty
America fell in love with Scotty in 2011 when he appeared on American Idol and immediately made a name for himself with his deep and undeniably country voice, strong sense of self, small-town roots, and unwavering integrity and conviction. In May, he won Season Ten of American Idol when a record-breaking 122.4 million votes were cast for the finale and nearly 39 million people tuned in to see the winner’s name announced.
The album’s debut single, “I Love You This Big,” became a Top 15 hit and enjoyed the highest-charting debut for a new artist since at least 1984, while the video for the song hit No. 1 in just a week after its release. He recorded his debut album while starring in the American Idols Live! Tour, which Pollstar ranked as one of the nation’s Top 15 tours.
Scotty is pleased that he was able to accomplish the goals he had set for his debut album. “I wanted to make sure people could hear me through the songs they were listening to,” he says. “On American Idol, I always told them, ‘What you see is what you get. Scotty on the show is Scotty off the show. I’m the same guy onstage and offstage.’
“On this album, I wanted them to make sure they really got who I am, how I grew up in Garner, N.C., and what I am all about,” he says. “It was also really important to me to keep some of the traditional elements of country music in it, to remember where country came from, and I think we did that. I hope that the people who listen to this record will see that and appreciate it and really see exactly who I am.”
And who he is, says the album’s producer, Mark Bright, is an amazing singer with tremendous vocal control and depth. “His voice is shockingly great,” he says. “Everybody knows Scotty has a deep voice, but what a lot of people don’t know is that he has a pretty high range. His listeners will get to hear the nuances, emotions
and actual range of his voice.”
While recording the album, Scotty was driven by the desire to blend the best of both musical worlds – classic and contemporary – to create a fresh sound that is simultaneously new and timeless. “It’s got some true country songs that have a contemporary feel, like ‘The Trouble With Girls,’” he says. “But there are some songs, like ‘Clear As Day’ or ‘That Old King James,’ that have that old country feel to it, that country that I grew up idolizing and listening to, like Hank Williams and Conway Twitty and Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash. I think this album has a good mix.”
Clear As Day explores the big philosophies and small details that define life in America, especially the small towns that can sometimes feel confining to teens with a powerful wanderlust for places unseen. With songs such as “Out of Summertime,” “Write My Number On Your Hand” and “You Make That Look Good,” the album depicts the intoxicating excitement of the coming-of-age years, such as the anticipation of Friday nights, the intrigue of meeting a pretty girl and the thrill of exchanging class rings.
The album is a collection of appealing songs with universal themes, whether they’re exploring topics such as girls, family dinners or the Bible. “I chose these songs because they mean a lot to me, but I think everybody can also relate to them,” Scotty says.
For instance, “Water Tower Town” talks about working hard and living right in a place where word travels fast and wheels turn slow. The chorus says, “Friday night football is king/ Sweet tea goes good with anything/ Nobody eats ‘til you say amen/ And everybody knows your mom and them/ You can see who loves who for miles around/ In a water tower town.” Says Scotty, “It reminds me so much of my hometown, where growing up meant Friday night football games,” he says. “Everything in that song screams my hometown of Garner.”
The vivid title track is a cautionary tale about the dangers of teenage driving.
“The town next to Garner, N.C., had a lot of teenage driving deaths in the last few years, and ‘Clear As Day’ talks about that in a powerful way,” he says. “It has a great message and a great feel, and I could really relate to it. It tells the story of a guy waiting on his girl after a Friday night football game and they go to a party and it’s raining. After the party, he walks her to his brother’s Silverado and she says she’ll call him the next day, but it’s a call she never got to make.”
The album’s second single, “The Trouble With Girls,” describes the knee-buckling power women have over men as, “they bat those eyes/they steal you with hello/ they kill you with goodbye.” “It’s a really sweet song that talks about all of the great things about girls, like how pretty they are and how they have wonderful smiles,” he says. “It talks about things girls like to hear.”
Scotty decided to record “Dirty Dishes’ in part because it passed what he calls “the Mama crying test.” “She was crying when she heard it,” he says of his mother. “It talks about a mom and a family sitting down at a table eating dinner. The mother sits down for prayer and starts saying thanks for noisy children and slamming doors, because slamming doors means they live in a good home and noisy kids mean happy kids. The mother has a cool way of looking at things.”
Scotty developed his unique way of looking at things while growing up with older sister Ashley in a musical household in Garner, N.C. By age 3, he was singing “The Muffin Man” to anyone who would listen, and a few years later he was repeating the words of those around him in a song. His father, a senior manufacturing systems analyst, and his mother, a real estate agent and teacher, sang in the church choir, as did their children.
His grandmother gave Scotty a book on Elvis Presley when he was in pre-school, so Scotty began walking and talking like The King. His mother listened to artists such as Conway Twitty while driving, and Scotty quickly fell in love with those sounds. He still vividly remembers his first country concert, a show featuring George Strait, Reba McEntire and Lee Ann Womack.
He began guitar lessons at age 10 and was so hooked that he started sleeping with the instrument. “I would wake up and have my guitar and my friends would be sleeping,” he says. “They would give me a look and I’d be like, ‘All right,’ and put the guitar down so they could go back to sleep. But they were really accepting of it. They would say, ‘Learn this song,’ and I would play it for them. When we became teenagers, we would drive around listening to ‘Your Cheating Heart’ and ‘Okie From Muskogee.’”
Scotty sang in his school choirs since elementary school, including the high school group that travels nationally and consistently wins competitions. His voice dropped dramatically when he was about 13. “I didn’t notice a difference, but my mom said it fell off a cliff,” he says. “There was no real cracking.”
He performed locally at Christmas events and at Bullfeathers Restaurant. His rendition of label mate Jamey Johnson’s hit “In Color” helped him win Clayton Idol and gave him the confidence to perform more frequently in public.
His parents, as well as his chorus teacher, believe something else gave Scotty the confidence to perform in public – pitching baseball. Following in the footsteps of his father, who was also a baseball pitcher, Scotty learned to pitch at an early age. “When you are a pitcher, all eyes are on you,” says his mother, Judy. “You have to be focused and able to handle pressure.” It turns out that Scotty is as pitch-perfect on the mound as he is onstage: in his last varsity high school game, he pitched a complete shut-out and struck out nine batters.
He continued that winning streak on the stage of American Idol, where he became the youngest male winner and the only country male winner in the show’s history. He’s now eager to take the next step of his country music career with the release of his debut album, which comes the same week as his 18th birthday. But it turns out that he’s already received the best birthday present possible: the support of people across the nation who’ve made it clear as day that they love both the music and the young man.
“I am so grateful to all of the fans out there because we’ve been on this journey together,” he says. “They are the reason I am where I am; they voted me through. Hopefully with this album we can continue this journey and see where it takes us.
“Performing on tour has really taught me a lot,” he says. “We have different crowds and different responses that always keep it fresh. It’s showing me that this is what I want to do forever. I thrive on this and I’m really enjoying it. Hopefully I can do this for the rest of my life.”
AMAZON
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Clear As Day Track by Track Review
Here is a track by track review of Scotty's album!
Even for a devoted Idol fan like me, prior to the start of Season 10, things didn’t look good for TV’s #1 show. But, thanks to a new panel of judges, a new Executive Producer, a new mentor, and most importantly, a new pool of talent, Idol exceeded expectations for many this past year. With a new record label working with this year’s talent, the hope was that there would be a renewed sense of excitement and anticipation for worthwhile products. After having the pleasure of listening to advance copies of Scotty McCreery’s and Lauren Alaina’s albums, it is my belief that order has been restored and the finalists you fell in love with on the show are ready to take over the charts with their debut albums.
Below, I give my thoughts on each of the tracks from Scotty’s album, Clear As Day, which is due out on October 4, and can be pre-ordered now at www.scottymccreery-official.com.
Many of the greatest country songs are those that vividly tell stories, and Scotty’s title track, “Clear As Day,” certainly fits this description. My first thought was for the fans that have missed his lower register, they are in for a great treat. As the song progressed, it became clear (as day) that the words readily paint a picture for listeners. It nearly demands its own music video! Without spoiling the song, I will say the general idea of this track is that he’s taken a moment to himself to reflect on past memories, and “every detail is still in place.” This relatively slow tempo tune has a beautiful chorus and most of the verses put a smile on your face. But watch out for the final thirty seconds of the song, the ending surprised me.
“Water Tower Town” is an up tempo track that instantly had me dancing in my chair. I can testify to the fact that this song accurately captures the essence of life in a small town. It’s equipped with references to Friday night football, sweat tea and fireflies. There is no doubt in my mind that this song is perfect for Scotty. It’s very believable and relatable, even for the city folk. And, I would venture to say that out of all the tracks on the Idol champ’s album, this could be the best fit for radio.
I like the arrangement of “Walk In The Country” because it has a modern flare to it, characteristic of many Keith Urban co-writes. The song is about getting away from the TV and venturing outside to enjoy what nature has to offer. It’s about appreciating sunsets and the like. My only criticism is that the song doesn’t really develop all that much; therefore, it lacks depth and variation. But, not every song can be my favorite I suppose.
“Better Than That” starts off with Scotty recalling some of the firsts in his life, such as the first time he saw the ocean and the first time he drove a Chevy. Then he professes that the love of his sweetheart is “better, better, better than that.” I have to admit, this song is very cute and I think the young girls will take a liking to it. It is most certainly the most pop-sounding track on the album.
I was probably most excited to hear “Write My Number On Your Hand” before receiving the album, and it didn’t disappoint. Is that a ukulele in the intro? Why yes it is! This track is light with a very chill vibe to it. It has one of those choruses that you can instantly remember and sing along to. I challenge you to not have the desire to bop your head back and forth. This song just has an amazing ability to instantly put you in a good mood. Oh, and the little “uhhhhh huh” at the end is perfect.
“Dirty Dishes” is an interesting ballad. The song is basically about a mother giving thanks for things we might normally write off as irritating, like noisy children, and you guessed it, dirty dishes. It has a really fantastic message about appreciation and brings a unique perspective to today’s world. I’m still waiting for the tearjerker ballad, but this one definitely has lots of sentimental value. For a record which is undeniably all country, the track listing does provide a very good amount of variation as far as what each song is about, which I appreciate.
“You Make That Look Good” sounds like the perfect summer jam to me. Filled with mud covered 4x4’s, flip flops and pretty girls, it is a classic country hit. The piano gives it a cool honky tonk feel. Although one could say it lacks a distinguishing quality, the song just feels right. It feels like it belongs on every country record.
“Back On The Ground” is a touching song which captures the relationship between a son and his mom. It’s about how teenagers want to distance themselves from their parents, only to be drawn back close to them later in life. “Ain’t it funny how it all comes back around,” Scotty admits. I must say, I’m not a big country fan by any means but what I love so much about the genre, and many of the songs on this album, is the messages the tracks contain. It’s not just about having a catchy beat. Scotty’s music actually says something about him as a mature young man and I would say this record allows listeners to grow closer to him because it is so relatable. I’m also a sucker for songs that end as they begin, and this song does just that.
I’m glad to see Scotty got a song strongly rooted in faith on his album with “That Old King James.” There is no doubt he stayed true to himself throughout the Idol journey and in the recording process that followed, after all there is a “yes ma’am” in this song! The track itself is about a boy getting a Bible at the age of eight and relying on it to get him through the struggles of life. It gets passed down through the family, showing signs of weathering as it moves from generation to generation. References to “yellow lines of teardrop stains”, war and cancer make the song very compelling. The track inherently possesses a sense of finality and I think it’s the perfect way to the end Scotty’s debut solo project.
My review wouldn’t be complete without brief mentions of the three tracks not discussed up until this point. All three have been heard by many of his fans and there has been much written about them, but I will add some quick comments. Opening the album, “Out Of Summertime” truly is the perfect country fair song and it has a very youthful vibe, which complements the rest of the album quite nicely. “I Love You This Big” is, in my mind, a gift from above for him. Seeing Scotty perform it live solidifies my belief that it was the perfect way to introduce radio listeners to this new country artist and I think the success of this first single supports that. I love “The Trouble With Girls” as a song, but if I’m being completely honest, I don’t feel like it was a good match for Scotty. I just don’t think the song represents him accurately. But whatever this song lacks for me, the rest of the album easily makes up for. Overall, this is an album that truly reflects Scotty’s character and an album that I feel will do quite well. I cannot recommend enough that you purchase Clear As Day when it is released on October 4.
AINOW
Below, I give my thoughts on each of the tracks from Scotty’s album, Clear As Day, which is due out on October 4, and can be pre-ordered now at www.scottymccreery-official.com.
Many of the greatest country songs are those that vividly tell stories, and Scotty’s title track, “Clear As Day,” certainly fits this description. My first thought was for the fans that have missed his lower register, they are in for a great treat. As the song progressed, it became clear (as day) that the words readily paint a picture for listeners. It nearly demands its own music video! Without spoiling the song, I will say the general idea of this track is that he’s taken a moment to himself to reflect on past memories, and “every detail is still in place.” This relatively slow tempo tune has a beautiful chorus and most of the verses put a smile on your face. But watch out for the final thirty seconds of the song, the ending surprised me.
“Water Tower Town” is an up tempo track that instantly had me dancing in my chair. I can testify to the fact that this song accurately captures the essence of life in a small town. It’s equipped with references to Friday night football, sweat tea and fireflies. There is no doubt in my mind that this song is perfect for Scotty. It’s very believable and relatable, even for the city folk. And, I would venture to say that out of all the tracks on the Idol champ’s album, this could be the best fit for radio.
I like the arrangement of “Walk In The Country” because it has a modern flare to it, characteristic of many Keith Urban co-writes. The song is about getting away from the TV and venturing outside to enjoy what nature has to offer. It’s about appreciating sunsets and the like. My only criticism is that the song doesn’t really develop all that much; therefore, it lacks depth and variation. But, not every song can be my favorite I suppose.
“Better Than That” starts off with Scotty recalling some of the firsts in his life, such as the first time he saw the ocean and the first time he drove a Chevy. Then he professes that the love of his sweetheart is “better, better, better than that.” I have to admit, this song is very cute and I think the young girls will take a liking to it. It is most certainly the most pop-sounding track on the album.
I was probably most excited to hear “Write My Number On Your Hand” before receiving the album, and it didn’t disappoint. Is that a ukulele in the intro? Why yes it is! This track is light with a very chill vibe to it. It has one of those choruses that you can instantly remember and sing along to. I challenge you to not have the desire to bop your head back and forth. This song just has an amazing ability to instantly put you in a good mood. Oh, and the little “uhhhhh huh” at the end is perfect.
“Dirty Dishes” is an interesting ballad. The song is basically about a mother giving thanks for things we might normally write off as irritating, like noisy children, and you guessed it, dirty dishes. It has a really fantastic message about appreciation and brings a unique perspective to today’s world. I’m still waiting for the tearjerker ballad, but this one definitely has lots of sentimental value. For a record which is undeniably all country, the track listing does provide a very good amount of variation as far as what each song is about, which I appreciate.
“You Make That Look Good” sounds like the perfect summer jam to me. Filled with mud covered 4x4’s, flip flops and pretty girls, it is a classic country hit. The piano gives it a cool honky tonk feel. Although one could say it lacks a distinguishing quality, the song just feels right. It feels like it belongs on every country record.
“Back On The Ground” is a touching song which captures the relationship between a son and his mom. It’s about how teenagers want to distance themselves from their parents, only to be drawn back close to them later in life. “Ain’t it funny how it all comes back around,” Scotty admits. I must say, I’m not a big country fan by any means but what I love so much about the genre, and many of the songs on this album, is the messages the tracks contain. It’s not just about having a catchy beat. Scotty’s music actually says something about him as a mature young man and I would say this record allows listeners to grow closer to him because it is so relatable. I’m also a sucker for songs that end as they begin, and this song does just that.
I’m glad to see Scotty got a song strongly rooted in faith on his album with “That Old King James.” There is no doubt he stayed true to himself throughout the Idol journey and in the recording process that followed, after all there is a “yes ma’am” in this song! The track itself is about a boy getting a Bible at the age of eight and relying on it to get him through the struggles of life. It gets passed down through the family, showing signs of weathering as it moves from generation to generation. References to “yellow lines of teardrop stains”, war and cancer make the song very compelling. The track inherently possesses a sense of finality and I think it’s the perfect way to the end Scotty’s debut solo project.
My review wouldn’t be complete without brief mentions of the three tracks not discussed up until this point. All three have been heard by many of his fans and there has been much written about them, but I will add some quick comments. Opening the album, “Out Of Summertime” truly is the perfect country fair song and it has a very youthful vibe, which complements the rest of the album quite nicely. “I Love You This Big” is, in my mind, a gift from above for him. Seeing Scotty perform it live solidifies my belief that it was the perfect way to introduce radio listeners to this new country artist and I think the success of this first single supports that. I love “The Trouble With Girls” as a song, but if I’m being completely honest, I don’t feel like it was a good match for Scotty. I just don’t think the song represents him accurately. But whatever this song lacks for me, the rest of the album easily makes up for. Overall, this is an album that truly reflects Scotty’s character and an album that I feel will do quite well. I cannot recommend enough that you purchase Clear As Day when it is released on October 4.
AINOW
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