| A Few Questions - Clay Walker - Cut by Cut | |
|
A Few Questions
Everybody Needs Love
Jesus Was a Country Boy
I Can't Sleep
Coming Back Again
Heaven Leave The Light On
I'm in the Mood For You
When She's Good, She's Good
This Is What Matters
Countrified
I Don't Want To Know
I Can't Forget Her
Album cover courtesy of RCA Nashville.
Adam Wheeler/Ray Scott/Phillip Moore
"Every artist listens to thousands of songs when they're cutting, and every now and then you hear one and just know the first time you hear it. It doesn't happen very often, but the first time I heard that song I was so moved. It has so much emotion. I was taught as a kid that you don't question God, but this is written so well it's pardonable. One of those songs that will stand the test of time."
Josh Leo/John Rich
"The demo on this song was really docile, but I had gone to a Rolling Stones concert the week before we cut it. Only the fourth concert I've been to in my life that I wasn't on stage and I was blown away by how much energy Mick Jagger has at 60. Anyway, we were in the studio and I told the players about the concert. So we set up live mics on top of individual mics and direct-ins--the same way the way the Stones do to get that live feel. When we hit the downbeat I said, this is it."
Sweet Sun Angel
Greg Barnhill/Jeremy Stover/Kris Bergsnes
"I heard a Bruce Springsteen vibe on this. It had a real lively snare in the demo. Greg Barnhill, who wrote the song and sang the demo, is just fantastic. I always like getting songs from people who sing well because their melodies carry a song. The demo on this was absolutely outstanding. You see sand angels on the beach and snow angels in the snow--sweet sun angel gave me visions of my little girls standing sillouetted in sunlight making angel wings."
Clay Walker/Rivers Rutherford
"Every Christian wants to be able to relate to Jesus. I had this idea for three years and brought it to Rivers Rutherford who helped me finish it. If the crowd reaction it gets is any indication, this song's a winner."
Clay Walker/Chely Wright
"I started this at the beach--the melody just hit me sitting out on the deck. I love old R&B stuff, songs I can sink my teeth into and sing out on. This really lets me stretch out vocally. We had a song called 'This Woman and This Man' on our second album and this song has that kind of flavor to it. When I played it for Chely she fell in love with it. She is a truly gifted songwriter. We performed the song duet style at Fan Fair this year and got a standing ovation. I guess it's a hit."
Keith Urban/Wayne Kirkpatrick/Gordon Kennedt
"For whatever reason, almost every album of mine has a song written by another artist. 'If I Could Make a Livin' Out of Lovin' You' was written by Alan Jackson. Darryl Worley wrote 'Rough Around The Edges' on our last album. Tracy Lawrence had a song on the album before that. It's funny to me that artists are so fickle about their own writing. I respect that because I'm exactly that way. I did not mandate that the songs I wrote for this album make the cut. If I was doing it that way, I'd write everything on the album. (laughs) Keith wrote a powerful song--an anthem, really. It's got a great guitar part and he's playing it."
Cory Moyo/Trey Bruce
"My favorite song on the album. The demo was kind of dark, but the content is uplifting. It's my life basically. Heaven leave the light on for me, because I'm a sinner for sure. It isn't trying to sell you on a certain religion, but there's an honesty there--we all need help. Plus, it was a creative statement. We played it for people who were pitching us songs. It moved publishers to think differently and not pigeonhole me. That played a very important role in getting other songs on this album."
Rivers Rutherford/Tom Shapiro
"You can't help but cross-reference things. First time I hear this I said, Dire Straits. The beat really drives, just propels you along. That hooked me right off. And the lyric kind of matches the track's urgency."
Boyd Houston Robert/Rivers Rutherford
"This is the best live song on the album. It's got a ZZ Top energy to it and will make for some playful flirting on stage. Women in general get this song, I think, because we're all different people behind closed doors. She may look like a librarian, but you never know."
Casey Beathard/James LaBlanc
"I'm a beach bum and love Jimmy Buffett. This doesn't that flavor in terms of instrumentation, but it's about that lifestyle. The imagery depicts a lot of my life, and I like the briefcase line because whether you're blue collar or sitting at a desk you can get worn down by the daily grind. Plus, I'm a big fan of waltzes. The title is fitting."
Jeffrey Steele/Kip Raines aka Jack Raines, Jr.
"This was the hardest song to sing. If you heard the demo, you'd throw rocks at my version. Jeffrey Steele is amazing. I was afraid to do this song because I thought I'd never touch the demo. The instrumental tracks are some of the best on the record."
Tammy Hyler/Kim Tribble
"First time I heard the demo I didn't know if we could beat it. I love the way the chorus modulates and elevates. You have to sing with so much power on the chorus, and come in softer on the verses. It's a great vocal challenge."
Bart Butler/Mark Rone/Frank Solesbee
"I love Western movies and the first time I heard this song it felt like a movie. This was a real exercise in creativity. And I really appreciate RCA for allowing me to make an album I really love. We didn't approach it from the standpoint of stringing together hits, but at the same time when Joe Galante heard it he felt we were really deep in singles. We cut 17, which I've never done before, and having to axe those four was really hard. But we were able to stretch out of the box, and I'm so thankful for that."
