Music review: Jessica Simpson went country

So speaking of Simpson, I wanted to mention a different one. Jessica Simpson is obviously of no relation to OJ, but she is in the news of late.

The latest album of the questionably talented Simpson sister has been a move to a new musical arena that she never touched before. Country music. So the question is can she pull it off.

Well one would hope that her ability to convey something in this music genre is better than her ability to act (her best performance might best be summed up in the words reality tv ala Nick and Jessica – or the cure for using brain cells).

Here is the video of Come on Over.



Usually the best song of an album is the one selected for release as a video, especially the first. I would have to say that the best parts of the video, including the music, would be the scenes of the bare legs – though I have seen better. So video is decent, especially if you are a pubescent boy from out by say Texas (or Tony Romo). But otherwise there is nothing really exciting or even interesting.

Of course I am hardly the only person to feel that this is a waste of time.

“The album still has the effects of all that is disappointing with pop, which can be heard in the upbeat, catchy single "Come On Over." The song involves telling her romantic interest "I need you now, I need you bad," which could be summed up in two sophomoric words.”

but this is hardly the only song in the album, thankfully.

You’re My Sunday is another try at the country brass ring. And I have no doubt that Tony Romo and Dallas Cowboys (season) fans will love it. But it’s just ok to me. Again it hits no special mark for me. And the song is even far worse when heard live [it can’t be embedded but you can find her doing the song live on youtube].

Overall I have to say that while some fans of the ‘actress’/singer will be satisfied I doubt too many others will. I have to believe that even most fans of country music will feel let down and unimpressed. It’s not that she has a horrible voice, or that they lyrics (few to be sure) are completely trite. It’s just that this feels like it’s missing something.

I don’t see how this album will really gain any ground. This new foray for Jessica Simpson sounds just like Nick & Jessica, a waste of time and ultimately unfulfilling. A worse way of saying it is it feels like the joke about the dumb blonde on stage.

I’m sure she is capable of far more than this, but I will say this album doesn’t reveal it.

Snoop Dogg in Country Music: a bad experiment

Oh my… I have seen everything now. Snoop Dogg has made a country music song, and a video to go with it.

Now as your shock subsides I will present the video to you



This video was dedicated to Johnny Cash. Somehow I don’t think he would be pleased with the song itself. Perhaps the idea would have made him smile though.

I have no problem with an artist crossing over to a different genre. Many of the greatest have done it and quite well. Ray Charles is perhaps one of the best known for his ability to convey emotion while introducing a new style of music to his listeners. Johnny Cash notably did so with his powerful rendition of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails.

But Snoop Dogg?

Well in listening to the song I can say there are several positives. Sadly there are several negatives that are what has made Snoop Dogg popular.

The music is fine if not a bit simplistic. It’s catchy in an older style of country music flavor (which is more my favored style). The vocals include a large helping of Willie Nelson, thankfully crowding out the fact that Snoop Dogg cannot sing. But the combination mostly works throughout most of the song. And that’s all the positives I found.

Now if you actually listen to the song, it’s not really country music to me. It’s basically a drug dealer talking about pimping his girl to get high. I’m not overly-familiar with country music today, but I’m not familiar with any entertainer that promotes such a thought in their music. It is what I would expect from Snoop Dogg though, and I don’t think it’s what Johnny Cash would have like.

Cash told stories of life, and mistaken choices that often involved abuses of alcohol and/or drugs. He was anti-drugs, and his music tried to uplift the spirit. I’m not saying he was the most cheerful of entertainers, but he was meaningful. Snoop’s My Medicine is not.

Looking at the visual presentation, perhaps the worst aspect is watching Snoop Dogg try to hold a guitar. He looks lost. He makes it quite apparent that he has virtually no musical ability, unless playing Guitar Hero counts. Slightly less unappealing is his country-esque clothing. The cowboy hat is ok, but some of the outfits just don’t work. He looks as silly as the song deserves to be considered.

My ultimate problem is the wording. Snoop Dogg seems to be trying to bring country music to the same guttural level that rap music has fallen to. His reference to his girlfriend being less important than the money for his drugs disturbs me. It’s not presented as a person with a serious problem, but as a fact of life that is enjoyed. I have a problem with that.

This is a fluff song. There is nothing to it, besides the hope of the promoters and music company executives of gaining higher sales for their respective artists and music genres. I don’t think Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash or country music are in any form of desperation for listeners. Thus this was an experiment.

On levels this experiment works, on many others it fails. Hopefully there will be others that can pick up this idea and make it really work. Blending country music and rap makes sense. Both depict stories of life and lessons learned. Both are grounded in life today. But gangsta rap is an exaggerated aberration of the reality that exists, and country music has no equivalent. If it never gains such an extreme I think it will be the better for it.

Otherwise the CMT Music Awards can expect to be giving out awards to entertainers starring in videos of women in Daisy Dukes - that the women of Hazzard wouldn’t go outdoors in – riding a horse while villainous black hats shoot down lawmen while singing/rapping the glory of selling drugs.

Think it can’t happen? Let this video catch on and music execs will do to country music what happened to all other forms of rap except gangsta rap.

But what do you think of the video?