24 February 2005
For all our collective mania-slash-eejitry over Garth Brooks concerts, we’ve never had much country music at the top of the Irish singles chart. Whether ‘Over And Over’ counts as country music for its purist fans is another thing. Still, the country side of this collaboration certainly toes the traditional party line. Tim McGraw’s previous single was called ‘Back When’ and I’ll bet it’s not about back when things were worse; his next single was called ‘Drugs Or Jesus’ as if this were a serious choice. Legends like Dolly Parton aside, the conservative cornball values of latter-day US country music leave me cold and bewildered.
Nelly is the notional lead artist on ‘Over And Over’, but so was he on our previous sighting of him at number one, getting royally overshadowed by Kelly Rowland in Excel-texting drama ‘Dilemma’. He’s just as subdued and awkward here on this mawkish country ballad, and McGraw’s sombre vocal fry follows suit. The added retro vinyl crackle on the video (below) lobs ‘Over And Over’ back onto McGraw’s side of the court. Unsurprisingly, there’s no tune. Those Garth Brooks concerts you all love: are they like this?
