covers, covers, everywhere

Tonight is Grand Olde Opry week...which is a little different than "country week", as the songs must only by artists that are a member of the Grand Ole Opry...and a select few at that.

Personally, I really like knowing when the Idols have limitations on their song choice, since it is probably the most crucial element. Here's how it breaks for me:

1. Song selection (tantamount)
2. Arrangement (make it you're own? or just another boring cover?)
3. Performance/Delivery

Ex: If you chose Ring of Fire and performed it in the style of DEVO? One. My god, that would kick ASS...and also be...hilariously awful. But it would be a bold choice and definitely give the viewers some insight into what kind of album you'd cut.


What would YOU choose?


Alan Jackson - Don't Rock the Jukebox
Alan Jackson - Summertime Blues
Alan Jackson - Chattahoochee
Alison Krauss - When You Say Nothing At All
Alison Krauss - Baby Now That I've Found You
Barbara Mandrell - If Loving You Is Wrong I Don't Want to Be Right
Brad Paisley - Celebrity
Brad Paisley - Mud on the Tires
Brad Paisley - When I Get Where I'm Going
Carrie Underwood - Jesus Take the Wheel
Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats
Carrie Underwood - Wasted
Carrie Underwood - So Small
Carrie Underwood - All-American Girl
Carrie Underwood - Last Name
Diamond Rio - Beautiful Mess
Dierks Bentley - What Was I Thinkin
Dierks Bentley - Come A Little Closer
Dierks Bentley - Every Mile a Memory
Dierks Bentley - Feel That Fire
Dolly Parton - Jolene
Dolly Patron - I Will Always Love You
Dolly Parton - Here You Come Again
Dolly Parton - 9 to 5
Dolly Parton - Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That
Garth Brooks - Friends in Low Places
Garth Brooks - The Dance
Garth Brooks - Shameless
Garth Brooks - More Than a Memory
George Jones - She Thinks I Still Care
George Jones - He Stopped Loving Her Today
Hank Williams - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues
Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire
Johnny Cash - I Walk the Line
Josh Turner - Your Man
Josh Turner - Would You Go With Me
Josh Turner - Firecracker
Lorrie Morgan - Watch Me
Martina McBride - Wild Angels
Martina McBride - A Broken Wing
Martina McBride - Anyway
Pam Tillis - Cleopatra, Queen of Denial
Pam Tillis - Maybe It Was Memphis
Patsy Cline - Walkin' After Midnight
Patsy Cline - I Fall to Pieces
Patsy Cline - Crazy
Patty Loveless - Blame On Your Heart
Randy Travis - Forever And Ever Amen
Reba McEntire - Fancy
Reba McEntire - Why Haven't I Heard From You
Ronnie Milsap - It Was Almost Like a Song
Tammy Wynette - Stand By Your Man
Terri Clark - Poor Poor Pitiful Me
Trace Adkins - Honky Tonk Badonkadonk
Trace Adkins - You're Gonna Miss This
Travis Tritt - I'm Gonna Be Somebody
Travis Tritt - T-R-O-U-B-L-E
Travis Tritt - Tell Me I was Dreaming
Travis Tritt - It's a Great Day To Be Alive
Trisha Yearwood - She's In Love With The Boy
Trisha Yearwood - Walkaway Joe
Trisha Yearwood - How Do I Live
Vince Gill - I Still Believe In You

I have to admit, personally, I'm not super familiar with today's "Big n' Rich" country. Anything after 1985 gets a bit fuzzy. Looking over this list, I predict this to be a night of "covers of covers."

I'm guessing someone (Adam) will take Alan Jackson's cover of Summertime Blues and do it in the style of The Who.

Alison Kraus just won a couple grammys, so expect folks to hit that well - although, I'm disappointed that I'll Fly Away didn't make the list. I love that classic song and her version of it. Someone (Lil or Megan) will sing her cover of Baby, Now That I Found You originally by the Foundations.

Of the three ladies left...I'm kinda hoping they steer clear of Carrie Underwood. But, hers might be the only songs they are familiar with in this genre, so someone might bite on that.

What I'd LOVE to see is a ROCK version of 9 to 5 (or maybe in the style of Devo? There can never be enough DEVO in the ether, people. A girl can dream...)

I'm hoping that none of the ladies tries to take on Dolly (aka Whitney's cover) with I Will Always Love You or Tricia Yearwood's How Do I Live Without You (which could be considered a cover of LeAnn Rimes.) Actually, I wonder if Allison doesn't take that one one....and HEART the hell out of it...although, I'm secretly wishing she takes on Fancy.

Who wouldn't want a 16 year old to sing about a mother pimping out her teen aged daughter! (fingers crossed.)


I pray none of the boys takes on Garth Brooks "Low Places", but I'm a'feared someone might.

Back in the realm of covers of covers, one of the fellers, let's say Kris Allen, will sing Terri Clark's Poor Poor Pitiful Me, which is actually a Warren Zevon tune. Which makes me wish there was a Warren Zevon night. sigh

Although, I'm pretty sure if he does sing this, they'll forgo the third verse:

I met a girl at the Rainbow Bar
She asks me if I'd beat her
She took me back to the Hyatt House
I don't want to talk about it

Yeah...not quite the American Pop lyric that the tweeners are looking for. Woop!

If any of the boys had balls, they take George Straight song like He Stopped Lovin' Her Today and Rock That Shit Out. I double dog dare them.

For some reason, I have this feeling Gokey will either take on Hank Williams with I'm So Lonesome, I Could Cry or, since Randy Travis is the "mentor" this week, he'd have the cajones to take on I'm Gonna Love you Forever. Which, to be frank, I secretly adore that sappy song. And while it could be read in that gray area of "Danny singing about his dead wife", it's actually a very upbeat, fun song...which is what I think Danny's looking to sing. Two birds. One very crazy stone.

Let's see if I still adore it when someone less talented that Travis sells it.