Finally CMT is doing what it’s supposed to do: Play some music television. They just launched a new reality talent show called CMT’s Next Superstar produced by Simon Lythgoe, son of American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe. 10 contestants were chosen and will go through a series of challenges that will result in someone getting voted out by the public every week.
This first week the challenge was for the contestants to each pick a song from a book of 5000 rock songs that they were to rearrange into a country song. As usual with a challenge like this, most of them missed the point.
Out of 5000 songs only one person, Matt Mason, picked a rock song and did a damn fine job of making a Matchbox 20 tune country. Another guy, Wynn Varble converted I Kissed A Girl by Katy Perry and did a great job as well.
Most everybody else did R & B songs by people like Marvin Gaye, Beyonce and Stevie Wonder. One did a Linda Ronstadt song, not really a stretch since she’s considered country-rock, while someone else did The Mama’s & The Papa’s. Listen up people, I don’t want to have to say it again: Throwing fiddle and steel on a song doesn’t make it country. Seriously, I was expecting a lot better.
I have heard some killer country versions of rock songs, what is so hard about it? Why not bust out some Ozzy or some Led Zeppelin or some Van Halen? Give me some AC/DC. Hayseed Dixie did a bluegrass version of Highway To Hell and a whole bunch of other AC/DC songs so I know it can be done. But hey, at this point I would even accept The Rolling Stones’ Honky Tonk Woman.
Come on people, you want to be superstars, you better start showing some imagination and guts. Do something unexpected or you’re going to find yourself with a one-way ticket home.
