What happened to me? CMA Awards

Nah, I think that's probably Toby Keith. He's a horse's ass, but the man is a helluva songwriter.

 

Paisley, when not stuck in funny mode, writes great songs, too. And he's a very good guitar player. Very good. He's much more of a complete artist than Keith.

 

Paisley's a better songwriter, better singer and probably the best guitarist in Nashville, period.

 

I'm almost wondering if there is something wrong with the audio mix the singers are getting because Swift isn't the only one who sounded a bit off. And yet Carrie Underwood's stuff with Paisley has been fine.

Beards also having a good night with Zac Brown, Jamey Johnson, Lady Antebellum ...

 

God, I love Lady Antebellum.

 

One word: Auto-Tune. Of course some of them are going to sound "a bit off." They don't have their safety net.

 

My uncle, who signed Kraft as the CMA sponsor while he was president of the CMA, would thank you for this.

 

And it was on Monday instead of Wednesday ... until the NFL got tired of getting its ass kicked in the Nielsens and bribed the CMA to move to any day but Monday.

 

Better than Vince Gill?

 

Gill's been surpassed.

If you haven't given Paisley's mostly-instrumental album Play a spin yet, you missed something really good.

 

I've got to say for the first time in several years, after watching the show I'm encouraged about country music again, not just with those who performed, but those who were honored. Singer-songwriters who could play an instrument were what got me hooked on the genre, when it went all Abercrombie and Fitch - I bailed.

 

Hell of a tune, though