I was excited about Nashville because it is about another thing I love – country music. Well, new country music. Not the old “twangy” western country music so much. I’m talking Keith Urban, Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood, Jo Dee Messina, Sara Evans, Dixie Chicks, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, and Rascal Flatts to name only a few. That new country music.
I liked the premiere episode. I’m not sure if there is supposed to be a main character in this, because I thought it was supposed to be about both Rayna and Juliette, but this episode was certainly about Rayna. Maybe next week’s episode will be more about Juliette. The writing is smart, and doesn’t feel like a straight up soap opera, which is could have. I think that having it center around the music business and having many of the actors part of that business is a good idea.
It’s funny to me to see someone in a TV show or movie recording a song in a recording studio, and lip syncing the song. Because the character had to go into a real recording studio to record the track that they are lip syncing to in the recording studio in the scene. Funny. Why don’t they just film the person recording the song? They’re actors, they should be able to do both at the same time. And they can do multiple takes to get it right. Just sayin’.
Nashville is a great city to set a TV series. It’s very unique, and has so many landmarks that people who know anything about the city will recognize, even if they’ve never been there. I’m sure country music lovers were excited to see the scenes set in the Blue Bird Cafe. It’s a great place to go to hear well-known and up and coming songwriters perform their music. I went there a few years ago, and I loved being in that creative atmosphere, hearing songs I knew sung by the songwriters.
Another reason I love Smash is that it gave me new songs to download from iTunes every week. Great musical theatre songs, and some great covers of current songs. Now I’ll have some great original country songs to look forward to hearing and possibly downloading. I’m excited. The songs were good. I liked the variety in the choice of songs, to show that country can be so many things. I especially liked “Back Home” sung by Deacon (Charles Esten). The song was a pretty, laid-back country waltz. Charles has a great baritone voice, and I liked the harmony in the chorus.
I think Nashville can be a very interesting show, and I hope the season will be as good as the first episode.
Observations:
I think Connie Britton and Hayden Panitierre both have good voices, but it may take a while for them to look like real performers on stage.
T. Bone Burnett is the executive music producer of the show. He is a musician, songwriter and music producer. According to Wikipedia, he has produced artists such as Roy Orbison, Lisa Marie Presley, John Mellencamp, Los Lobos, Counting Crows, Elton John & Leon Russell, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Tony Bennett and k.d. lang. Burnett won Grammy Awards for the O Brother, Where Art Thou? He was nominated for an Academy Award for his songwriting contribution to the film Cold Mountain, and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart. Nashville has one of the best in the business, and I'm sure it's going to show in the quality of the music in the series.
It's sad for Rayna when her daughters start singing along to Juliette's song on the radio when they are in the car.
It's interesting that we hear "Stand by your Man" in the scene right before Teddy tells Rayna that he's running for Mayor.
Teddy isn't a real politician. He doesn't want to ruin the reputation of his opponent. It seems like politicians feel the only way they can win an election is to smear the other person. I don't know if there is a politician today who doesn't do that.
Teddy's campaign was certainly organized very quickly.
Quotes:
Maddie: I thought we were rich.
Teddy: We are honey. But now we're a different kind of rich called "cash poor."
Glenn: Be nice.
Juliette: I'm always nice.
Juliette: I have your very first record on vinyl, and I... it's amazing.
Deacon: It is available at antique stores here and there.
Rayna: I know you. You're burning up out there, girl.
Juliette: Oh, thank you. My mama was one of your biggest fans. She said she'd listen to you while I was still in her belly.
Rayna: Well, bless her little heart. That is a charming story. (Juliette leaves) What the hell was that?
Glenn (to Juliette): Looks like we got a little work to do on that "be nice" deal.
Rayna: Was there a turnip truck that just drove through here you think I fell off of?
Tandy: Happy Lamar Wyatt day.
Rayna: Just like Christmas.
Rayna: It's a funny thing about Daddy, you know, he's always there when he needs you.
Rayna (to Randy, her music producer): Will you stop getting married and start dating?
Rayna: Why do people listen to that adolescent crap? It sounds like feral cats to me.
Juliette: That last song you did - has it ever been recorded?
Deacon: Only by me, which pretty much damns it to obscurity.
Juliette: Rayna's not the only woman in the world, you know.
Deacon: You're a girl.
Juliette: That too.
(she leaves)
Deacon: What the hell was that?
Rayna (to her band): Y'all, I'm sorry. It's um, you know, having a diva dip.
Rayna: It wasn't that long ago I was the future of country music.
Rayna: Sometimes I wish I could just do everything all over again.
Deacon: What would you change?
Rayna: Nothing. Everything.
Deacon: That makes two of us.
Lamar: Fate is what befalls a man who fails to act. Destiny is for men who refuse to accept their failures as their fate.
Rayna: Mayor? Since when do you want to Mayor? You hate politics.
Teddy: I don't hate politics. I hate talking about politics.
Teddy: Do you want me to tell me about standing on the side of the stage that I don't already know?
Scarlett: Nothing calls on the muses like a broken heart.
Rayna: You can kiss my decision as it's walking out the door.
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