So yeah, in sitting year and reviewing all of the videos in this first batch, I want to start off by giving a virtual shout out to all of the people involved in making all of these videos. 2011 was a great year for country music and a great year for videos. There are so many talented directors in this field and more arriving on the scene all the time. This list features videos by the more famous directors like Trey Fanjoy, Shaun Silva and Deaton-Flanigen and some directors I had never heard of until I came up with my list like Brian Lazzaro, Potsy Ponciroli and Mason Dixon just to name a few. We wouldn't have videos at all if it weren't for all them and all of their crews and how sad a world would it be if we didn't have these videos. I've discovered so many artists by seeing their videos on TV and I believe that the music video is one of the most important tools an artist has. The right music video can help to catapult an artist or a song into super stardom, in my opinion, and it bothers me that the directors don't get more credit. So with that said, here's to all of the wonderful directors and all of the crew members who help them. Y'all rock!
Okay, now that that I've given them their props, let me get on with it. This is part one of my top 50 videos of the year and I'm starting off with a man who exploded onto the country music scene a few years ago with a series of hits and then seemed to sort of fade away for a little while, popping up every now and then only to disappear again. At least that's how it seemed to me.
Okay, now that that I've given them their props, let me get on with it. This is part one of my top 50 videos of the year and I'm starting off with a man who exploded onto the country music scene a few years ago with a series of hits and then seemed to sort of fade away for a little while, popping up every now and then only to disappear again. At least that's how it seemed to me.
Coming in at #50 on my 2011 countdown is Mr. Rodney Atkins with his video for "Take a Back Road", directed by Andy Tennant, found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R9GrGheMRw:
This is what I'd consider a classic feel good song and the video is a great reflection of that. The premise of the song is simple: our singer is feeling pretty frustrated with the hustle and bustle of life and wishes he could take a break and relax. Get away from the highway and take a back road, away from all the traffic. For the people in the video that translates into a guy wishing he was driving down the road with his girl and a girl wanting to take a nice drive in the country with her dog. And what feel good video would be complete without featuring a bunch of people having what looks to be a block party. Good music, good food and good friends - kind of a staple in these sort of videos. The perfect place for a slightly timid cop to take the plunge and talk to the aforementioned girl and perhaps set the stage for the two of them to take a trip down a back road someday. With the dog in the back seat, naturally. Am I over-thinking this? Yes.
The premise of the video isn't exactly groundbreaking or original, though I do give props for whoever decided to prop Rodney up on a bridge (via green screen, I believe) and a water tower. That was different. Pretty simple video for a fairly simple song, but it worked. All in all a nice video and a very solid one to start off my countdown.
Next up at #49 is "Something To Do With Your Hands" by Sarah Darling, directed by Stephen Shepherd, found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MROM6CMDpTg:
I thought this was a pretty cute video and one that could be difficult for some artists to pull off. I think it'd be really easy to over do all the looks to the camera and all that, but I think Sarah Darling was spot on. All of her expressions were perfect in this. Good job done by the male lead too, though I did think he had some odd expressions in here. Nothing to mess up the video, but once I noticed them once I've noticed them every time since. But all in all, not a big deal at all. I really liked all the colors in this, this was definitely one that would catch my attention if I saw it on TV. Which is a good thing. Some creative shots in here too - I like the ones where you see her through the ceiling lamp. Cute video for a cute song.
Next up at #48 I have Sara Evans with her video for her version of "My Heart Can't Tell You No". The song was originally done by Rod Stewart. This video was directed by Peter Zavadil and is unique in that there are actually three different versions of it - or rather, three different endings of it as everything is the same in all three up to about the 3:30 minute mark. Each version was released to a different internet outlet: one went to CMT, one went on VEVO and the other was available on iTunes. I actually had no idea that there were three versions until just before I started writing about it. The embedded video is the VEVO version, found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh7g_gh-fck&ob=av2e:
The other two versions can be found at Sara Evan's website here: http://saraevans.com/videos
The VEVO version, posted here, is ending #1. This video is pretty intense and I think the actors did a great job with it. The alternate endings are what really put this video on this countdown for me. This kind of thing isn't really done too much, at least not that I'm aware of. Sometimes you will see a couple of different videos of songs but it's usually a scripted version and a concert version. A lot of times the concert versions include footage from the recording studio. But in terms of videos that are virtually identical up until the endings, I can't think of any other examples. What I like about it is that each ending feels possible and each ending fits. One features the blonde effectively telling the guy to take a hike after running into him at the supermarket which I'd consider the happiest ending. Another features the guy showing up at the blonde's apartment and sweet talking his way back inside. I'd consider that the frustrating, slightly anger inducing ending. And the last one, the one posted here, is what I call the sad ending as it features a group of EMT's rushing into her apartment. Possible suicide attempt perhaps? Whatever the ending, this video is pretty dark and feels a bit like a Lifetime movie, but still effective.
I'm happy that this next video is next because after watching that last one, I'm in the mood for something that's a bit more fun. And that is exactly what this next video is. Coming in at #47 is Katie Armiger with her video for "I Do But I Do I" which was directed by Stephen Shepherd, from the CMT website, found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0H_NnNPNiE&list=UUvt-ICg02uqB6PSCHjlf67w&index=14&feature=plcp:
I think this song is pretty infectious. It's the kind of song that can easily get stuck in my head and has a great feel to it. One that seems pretty unique to me. I think that the black and white is what really makes this video for me. There's not a lot going on in terms of plot especially when compared to say, the last video, but it doesn't need it. That groove combined with the black and white of this video makes this a solid choice for this position.
Rounding out the videos for this particular post is Martina McBride at #46 with "Teenage Daughters". This was directed by Roman White and can be found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a_EBEKOq2M:
I'll be totally honest and admit that this isn't one of my favorite songs of hers, but it's not bad. It feels like a bit of a departure for her. The cool thing about this video is that the girls playing her daughters are actually her daughters and honestly, I think that's the only way they could've done it. It made it feel very real to me. I think the decision to show scenes from all the different decades was a great one, effectively proving what this song is basically about. The times change, the clothes change, but some things stay the same. Teenage daughters are going to act like teenage daughters. Is it a deep message? No. But it doesn't have to be. The video does a good job highlighting the song and is a good way to round out this post.
So there we have it - the first five videos of the countdown. I was going to put ten in a post, but once I decided to add the videos themselves - all found on either the artists official VEVO or regular youtube channels - it got pretty long pretty fast. This amount feels good; if there'd been five more I think it would've been too much.
My next batch of videos in my countdown is going to feature videos by Luke Bryan, Eli Young Band, Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney and those Rascal Flatts boys. But what videos? And in what order? Guess you'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this and if you did, feel free to leave me a comment or pass this blog along to another of your country music listening family and friends. :)
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