An acquaintance "in the business" was kind enough to provide me with a copy of Allison Moorer's recent live DVD/CD release "Show" a few weeks ago. I haven't had much time to spend with it until this evening but, let me tell ya, it's an amazing piece. It's also fairly depressing in its display of virtually everything that is wrong with the music industry.

First, I defy you to find a singer of any sort with a voice as powerful and passionate as Allison's. Go ahead. You can't. I promise. I'll post MP3s tomorrow if anyone cares to dispute the fact. With such talent Moorer should be setting Nashville afire. She's not. In fact, she bounced from one label to another until seemingly finding a happy home at Universal South. Nope. They dropped her, too.

Instead she's left to stand on her own, flogging her way through the Neanderthal business of Nashville. She doesn't sound like Shania, she doesn't play pop like Faith. Instead she stands before the overflowing crowd at 12th & Porter defiantly belting out a new song called "Break Before I Bend." The song is great and the moment is electric.

It wears on my patience when I talk to those deejays
at the corporation station they slather on false praise
even though I'm slow I know no radio will give my record spins
lean on me all you want to, I'll break before I bend

Hell yeah I'd love to make it but I suck at playing games
I'd rather starve than fake it for a little taste of fame
it's wrong to be a doggone pawn singing songs that make you yawn for payments on a long mercedes benz
lean on me all you want to, I'll break before I bend

But, my dear readers, that is just the beginning of the lessons that "Show" teaches. At one point Allison calls for her "lovely sister" to join her on stage. For the uninitiated, Allison's sister is the Grammy winning drunk commonly known as Shelby Lynne. Allison looks embarassed as Shelby slurs,

"Sorry it took me so long to get up here, sis, I was back there drinkin'. Oh. Shhh. Sorry"

"That's okay. I don't think it's a secret," Moorer replies.

Shelby then proceeds to butcher three songs with Allison. She's clearly just there to sell product.

Even more disturbing is the appearance of one Bob Richie. a.k.a. Kid Rock. Some of you who listen to Top 40 radio have probably heard Mr. Rock's duet with Sheryl Crow. The song, "Picture," originally appeared on his album "Cocky." Well, it seems that Kid thought this track to be "the finest song he'd ever written" (and you thought he couldn't top "Bawitdaba") and deserved to be released as a single. Crow balked at the notion of releasing the country ballad so Allison was called in to re-record the vocals for a new release to coincide with Farm Aid. The result was a surprise hit. Perhaps the biggest surprise, though, was which version was the hit. Radio got a new appreciation for the song and decided to play the cut from "Cocky". Crow, of course, then had a sudden change of heart and allowed her version to also be released as a single. Moorer was left in the cold yet again.

So I appeal to you, readers of randomness, to help ol' Allison out when the industry lets her down. You don't need to pick up "Show." It was released to fulfill her obligation to Universal South. Keep your eye out for her on the road, though, in a city near you. I promise you'll be a convert.