Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Saturday night's all right with me

There's a lotta hootin' and boot scootin' going on over Brad Paisley's newest album American Saturday Night. It's even making some of the "best of" lists for 2009.

Now I tend to shy away from mainstream country, the lot in which Paisley's music is double parked. But if you ignore it completely sometimes you can miss a good show. So I crawled out from under my rock long enough yesterday to hear the cover track. (The album has been out since the end of June.)

And what timing. iTunes is premiering the video now, and calls the main track "a rip-roaring slice of Americana that tips its Stetson to the varied international flavors that make up a Saturday night in the U.S."

Maybe. I don't believe there are any Saturday nights like that in my old hometown. Growing up, there was the free outdoor summer movie in Pigeon Falls, but that might have been on Fridays.

You've either gotta live in New York, or use your imagination:

She's got Brazilian leather boots on the pedal of her German car
Listen to the Beatles singing Back in the USSR
Yeah she's goin around the world tonight
But she ain't leavin here
She's just going to meet her boyfriend down at the street fair

It's a French kiss, Italian Ice
Spanish moss in the moonlight
Just another American Saturday Night

There's a big toga party tonight down at Delta Chi
They've got Canadian bacon on their pizza pie
They've got a cooler full of cold Coronas and Amstel Light
It's like were all livin' in a big ol' cup
Just fire up the blender, mix it all up

It's a French kiss, Italian ice
Margaritas in the moonlight
Just another American Saturday night

You know everywhere has somethin they're known for
Though usually it washes up on our shores
My great great great granddaddy stepped off of that ship
I bet he never ever dreamed we'd have all this


Destined to become a mainstream classic, or another sure sign of the apocalypse? Possibly both.

4 comments:

  1. He's a good guitar player but this song sounds like meh.

    Meanwhile, speaking of signs of the apocalypse, this is recommended viewing:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20t4gBf_1d4

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  2. Easily the best guitar player in mainstream country. Maybe that's not saying much, but he can play. Puts on a great show. He's also a very good songwriter when he's not bogged down in the cutesy stuff.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoBmCl-q_54

    His version of You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive is a personal favorite.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k5dMrXh4jw

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  3. Maybe the world is ending because Slate music critic calls it the best album of the year.

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  4. I've never understood the need to put down popular country music artists. Just because you, or I, don't like them, so what? If millions of people do like them, and have fun listening to their music, what's that harm? Just leaves the really good stuff to the rest of us.

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