Making the Penthouse "Home"

I've been waiting and waiting for this day to come, to be able to write this blog, and now the moment presents itself and I can't quite put into words what I'd like to say. So many thoughts running through my head ... 

Congratulations, Dierks! In its 24th week, the anthemic, ACM "Song of the Year" nominated "Home" moved into the penthouse on the charts, becoming the 9th Number 1 song for our Prez. The final stats (remember, the two charts have different reporting panels):

Billboard: 35.701 Million Audience, 5722 Plays
Mediabase: 41.266 Million Audience, 6236 Plays

"Home" also completed its radio run as the #1 song on the Radio Feedback Chart, and #3 on Callout America, a sign that the song resonated with the public, as well. 

And how. Here's what American Songwriter had to say about the song in their recent album review: 

Most telling, though, is “Home,” an important entry in post-post-9/11 country songwriting. Patriotism is a subject closely associated with country music and it’s often been tackled ham-handedly, with all the depth and complexity of a bumper sticker slogan. This song of Bentley’s is a notable exception. Employing symbolism that’s meaningful yet malleable, simple yet eloquent, set to a spacious, billowing melody, he embraces the possibility that many different kinds of people can claim heartfelt ownership of our history-scarred nation. And as it happens, at the time of this writing, the song is climbing Billboard’s Country Songs chart. That’s the kind of broad resonance Bentley is capable of.

In a recent interview with CMT, co-writer Dan Wilson said he definitely hopes he's able to write another song with Dierks. He also mentioned that he didn't have a specific reason to visit Nashville right now.

Well, Dan, it looks like you'll have a party to attend in the very near future. 

Congratulations again, Dierks! And thank you to all of the Congress who called, emailed, tweeted, and facebook'd your stations (and even stations that weren't yours!) to get the song to #1! Can't wait to hear what's next ... can Dierks go three in a row from Home to grab his 10th number one? I say yes. Let's do it! 

~ Carrie Srebro (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

AMERICAN SONGWRITER HEARS DIERKS FANS

Dierks Bentley made the May-June issue of American Songwriter magazine--in 2009 he was the cover; now, in 2010, Dierks is the instrument that got Evan Schlansky to listen to country music.

"When I wrote in a previous column that I didn't listen to country, I got a few comments from concerned country music-listening citizens. 'For the love of God,' they said, 'at least listen to Dierks Bentley.'"

That was Evan's opening line in his Sounding Off article, "You Can Take The Boy Out Of The Country...A Genre By Any Ather Name."

I want to thank all the DB Congress reps who wrote to Evan, in response to his earlier plea to help him pick the Best Country Artist. It worked! Schlansky had no idea who to pick for the Best Country Artist: "Sadly, I don't listen to enough country music to say. So why don't y'all write me a letter and tell me who you think it is."

Other related blogs include: American Songwriter Prints Congress Letters, American Songwriter Hard Copy Collectible and Can You Feel Me?

Photo Credit: American Songwriter's May/June cover artist Dierks Bentley signing at our [2009 CMA Fest] booth (from AS Facebook page).

WHO'S THE BEST COUNTRY ARTIST?

American Songwriter magazine's Evan Schlansky sounded off in the Jan/Feb 2010 issue about popular music--quantifying both the best music of 2009 and the best of the 2000's.

The publication is heavy on the non-country genre (except for the May/June 2009 Dierks Bentley feature and cover!), so it was no surprise that Schlansky had no idea who to pick for the Best Country Artist: "Sadly, I don't listen to enough country music to say. So why don't y'all write me a letter and tell me who you think it is."

Please write to Evan Schlansky and let him know why you choose Dierks Bentley! eschlansky@americansongwriter.com

AMERICAN SONGWRITER PRINTS CONGRESS LETTERS

Dozens of us DB Congress reps (I'm sure), wrote in to American Songwriter magazine thanking them for the great Dierks Bentley cover and article in their May-June issue. Three of us made the Letters page (Lee Ann-KY, Mona-IA, and Dawn)!

DIERKS BENTLEY UNDER FIRE

I would be remiss if I always blogged the good without the bad, so here's a concerning post from Jacqueline Lewandowski, Buffalo Country Music Examiner,that was posted on examiner.com. Please let us know your thoughts on the topic after you read the entire article.


"Controversy is swirling around Nashville this week after Dierks Bentley’s interview with the American Songwriter Magazine was released.

The interview, released on Monday May 4th, was intended to showcase Bentley’s songwriting abilities, but instead has producers and country music enthusiasts in Nashville firing back.

Bentley, who is a native of Phoenix, AZ admitted to American Songwriter Magazine that he “can’t sing stuff that is overly country.” Bentley goes on to say “I wasn’t raised on a farm and I’m not really comfortable singing stuff that’s not who I am. But I’ve traveled and I’ve been all over this country, and I’ve found that country music isn’t about wearing a cowboy hat and growing up on a farm.”

Record executives and fellow songwriters took offense to Bentley’s comments in the article and have fired back with their own responses. The general consensus coming out of Nashville is that Bentley was describing a stereotypical view of country music, which offends the fans of country music.

However, while Nashville is taking offense, Bentley’s fans are defending the artist. Many find nothing stereotypical and offensive in the artists’ comments and in fact are enthusiastic that he admitted what fans across this country already know, you don’t have to live in the south to be a fan of country music.
Bentley’s final comments in the interview claim that country music is “a lifestyle, a culture, and a mindset." Which could not be more on point."

I'm going to reserve my thoughts to give you all a chance to share yours.

~Ronna

AMERICAN SONGWRITER, HARD COPY DIERKS COLLECTIBLE

Gingerly, I hold the May/June 2009 American Songwriter magazine that came in the mail today in my twice-washed hands. Wait...finish the last bite of that chocolate wafer cookie (sugar-free, of course), and wash hands again! I have to keep it clean, at least until Last Call Ball, where I hope to get the man himself to autograph this rare collectible at his annual fan club party!

Now, pick up the black and white (db colors!) "Dierks" covered magazine, gently turn and scan every page. How many pages do you suppose DB gets to grace? If you count photos and mentions, twelve!

What an honor for Dierks! He made such an impression, AS treated readers to a dozen pages of this "professional songwriter" in The Country Issue of AS.

Oh, and inside, there's a free CD, with 20 songs, including Beautiful World, from Dierks' Feel That Fire album!

I'll make a deal with you. You buy the issue as a die-hard-Dierks-fan way of saying thank you to American Songwriter, and I'll post the pages here. Deal? I know I can count on the DBC! Special thanks to nici for scanning them in!
























OK, so there's only 11, but the 12th DB mention is on Matthew Shearon's Editors Note page. So enjoy, and ORDER the issue online at the americansongwriter.com store.

CAN YOU FEEL ME?

The first part of the Dierks Bentley, "Can You Feel Me?" article is now up on the American Songwriter website. It will hook you and reel you in, and you'll have no choice but to get the magazine to read the rest!

My three favorite quotes from the Craig Shelburne interview with Dierks:

“I can’t sing stuff that is overly ‘country,’” he says. “I wasn’t raised on a farm and I’m not really comfortable singing stuff that’s not who I am. But I’ve traveled and I’ve been all over this country, and I’ve found that country music isn’t about wearing a cowboy hat and growing up on a farm. It’s a lifestyle, it’s a culture, and it’s a mindset.”

"All I ever wanted was a publishing deal…before a record deal, before anything else. I thought I wanted a record deal, but when I moved to town, I realized what you really want is a publishing deal, because a publishing deal allows you to quit all your day jobs and just hang in the music community. A record deal? You don’t want that. Jeez, that’s awful. That’s a lot of work. The publishing deal, though, yeah, I’m writing songs. What does that mean exactly? Well, that means I’m working on my career, in my mind."

"I have a playlist of about 100 pieces [of songs] like that on my iPod and Cassidy, my wife, likes to take my iPod and go jogging to it. That’s how she found “Free and Easy,” which was a Garage Band thing I had done, and she said that was pretty cool. And the same with “Pray.” She said, “This is an amazing song. You guys have got to finish this.”

I find it ironic that he says he didn't want a record deal because that seemed like a lot of work. In reality, nobody works harder than Dierks.

Order your very own Dierks-on-the-cover copy at the AS Store on the website for just $6.95 and free shipping! What a relishing, rare piece for any DB collection!

DIERKS BENTLEY ON AMERICAN SONGWRITER COVER

B-E-N-T-L-E-Y--Bentley makes the very best...no it's not Nestle's chocolate (although Dierks is just as sweet)! No, Bentley, as in Dierks, makes the cover of a magazine--again! This time it's American Songwriter! Thanks to a few "Anonymous" tips, I found the picture of the cover on the American Songwriter website, although the actual hard copy magazine is not on newsstands yet. Now don't be deceived when you go to the AS website, there's a photo at the top that at first glance looks like curly-haired Dierks and maybe Rod, but look again. It's Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and his guitarist! Strange coincidence since one of DB's favorite bands is Coldplay!

The feature article to align with the cover photo has a title - "DIERKS BENTLEY: Do You Feel Me?" - but the story's not available yet either! So we'll have to be patient, something I am NOT very good at when it comes to anything Dierks! If anyone finds a copy, please pick up one for me too! I'll pay good money for it!

~Ronna

**EDIT: Thanks to Nici, we now know that we can order a copy online at americansongwriterstore.com for only $6.95 and free shipping!

DIERKS HAS NERVE, LEARNS A LESSON

On March 21, I posted a blog about an American Songwriter magazine review of Feel That Fire. "Anonymous" commented that a little bird told them Dierks Bentley was going to be on the May-June Cover, and ended with the website address.

So I go check it out, and search on Dierks. No cover yet, but I did find an article from 2005 about his Modern Day Drifter album. I always look for interesting stories or quotes from D that I have never read before, and I thought this was a really cool story to share with you all. Enjoy!

“I remember the first time I had the nerve to play one of my songs for someone. I was working answering phones for a Nashville publishing company, and some of the songwriters invited me upstairs to have a drink. They were going to play some songs, and maybe I could play one I’d written too. So we all sat in a circle, and the guitar came around to me, and I played a song that had gotten a good response from my family and my friends. I thought it was pretty good. When I got done, one writer said ‘Man, I never really got the hook on that song.” Then another said, “It took you forever to get to the chorus.’ It was semi-devastating. In the end, one of the guys pulled me aside and told me to call him after I’d written 500 songs. I thought he was just being an a******, but he was just trying to help me. I learned that you’ve got to write them and throw them away. Don’t take them too personally and be ready to let go of them. Let them be beaten up, and just let them go where they need to go. That was a good lesson.”

Now I am really curious as to the name of the song he played for them! Did it get thrown away or did it get re-worked and become a cut on an album?

To read the entire article, click DIERKS BENTLEY: Modern Day Work Ethic

AMERICAN SONGWRITER -- "SWELL!?"

While relaxing in my hotel room in Nashville, I picked up the copy of the American Songwriter magazine resting on the armoire and began flipping through the pages. I always look for something "dierks" but never expect to see anything. But to my surprise, 83 pages in, there he was! Lizza Connor Bowen wrote her rendition of a "Feel That Fire" review:

"Twelve songs find the singer chasing skirts...pleasing them...or running in the opposite direction..."

She gave Dierks 3 1/2 stars, which straddles between "Swell" and "Exceptional." Of course, I would have given it 5 stars--Timeless!See the rest of the review here.