Brad Paisley New Album - American Saturday Night

[Gareth John]

I just bought "Play" yesterday because it was the only Brad Paisley cd they had in stock at HMV, and it was in the Waylon Jennings section. I'd heard the "5th Gear" album when I was on a plane to New York in december 2007 and quite liked it. Country music isn't very big over here so what do I know, but I think I like5th Gear the most so far. I haven't heard the new album yet, though I'd like to. I'll definately buy 5th gear though.

[tele-rain]

Just chiming in with my 2 cents on the new album. I'm not a Brad fan for as long as you guys, just a few months (in fact one of my first posts here was asking if he was a "serious" country guy or just a fad, silly me!!!). But I'm a huge fan now, he's quite literally the perfect human being...if he's human at all that is I usually don't buy into all the mushy , oh I love my wife and kid so much i'm gonna write a ton of songs about them...stuff. Maybe that's cynical of me, but it just seems too gushy for me at times (and i'm a girl, who should like those things, lol). But with Brad, I just get the feeling that it's completely genuine and sincere. And that's what makes him so great in my eyes, next to his talent, of course.

Moving on to the album...I love it. I agree with the poster above who said there seems to be a personal theme for Brad here. It seems to me like he's really celebrating his life, he's grateful for all he's been through, has reached, achieved, etc. and these songs are a mix of him being nostalgic of his past, content and present in the moment, and looking toward the future.

[rodeo_joel]

Originally Posted by tele-rain

Just chiming in with my 2 cents on the new album. I'm not a Brad fan for as long as you guys, just a few months (in fact one of my first posts here was asking if he was a "serious" country guy or just a fad, silly me!!!). But I'm a huge fan now, he's quite literally the perfect human being...if he's human at all that is I usually don't buy into all the mushy , oh I love my wife and kid so much i'm gonna write a ton of songs about them...stuff. Maybe that's cynical of me, but it just seems too gushy for me at times (and i'm a girl, who should like those things, lol). But with Brad, I just get the feeling that it's completely genuine and sincere. And that's what makes him so great in my eyes, next to his talent, of course.

Moving on to the album...I love it. I agree with the poster above who said there seems to be a personal theme for Brad here. It seems to me like he's really celebrating his life, he's grateful for all he's been through, has reached, achieved, etc. and these songs are a mix of him being nostalgic of his past, content and present in the moment, and looking toward the future.

well put. it does feel like his songs are very genuine and sincere. that's the thing about this album that i enjoy. there might not be a multitude of songs full of rippin' tele licks, but that's okay.

i'm like you, i don't really go for the mushy "I love my wife and kids" songs. i appreciate them and when i heard them on this album i though "wow, this is a beautiful song". It won't be one that i'll listen to over and over again, but their beautiful songs, no doubt. The fact that i won't listen to them multiple times is, again, because i'm a biased guitar nut.

[Shnook]

I'm a Brad Paisley fan. Fan Club member even. I don't like this CD at all. There's nothing on it that does anything for me. Nothing..... Never thought I'd say that about a Brad CD. :sad

[JohnK24]

Originally Posted by Shnook

I'm a Brad Paisley fan. Fan Club member even. I don't like this CD at all. There's nothing on it that does anything for me. Nothing..... Never thought I'd say that about a Brad CD. :sad

Exactly...just what I feel....it's sad too...

Him, Redd, two teles, two amps...bass,drums,steel and bunch of Merle, Johnny, Willie, Waylon & Gram Parson covers....that would work

[Tele295]

Is he putting out about 2 CDs per year now? Son of gun works hard. We like that!

[garytelecastor]

Originally Posted by therhodeo

I would really love to see Brad do another 2 or 3 mainstream albums then do an album of classic honky tonk covers with lots of guest stars. I would love to hear him trade licks with guys like Junior Brown.

This is a H**l of an idea!!!!

I just picked up the CD and I have to say that he is showing some real maturity in his writing and his arrangements.
I think his style of playing really is slanted to the frenetic and he doesn't really lean on melodic stuff where it is not called for. But if you listen to the ballads on all of his CD's he can be very simple, delicate, and articulate.

[Nado69]

BP is my favorite Country artist period. Great songwriter, player, good bloke, you name it. I was a bit disappointed with this album. Hard to quantify it really, but compared to his other albums, it does seem a bit rushed. One thing I loved about his other albums was the incredible crafting of the songs - almost like the chord progression was somehow meant to have that line sung over it. A super clever turn of phrase, guitar work that seemed like an extension of what he was saying. Awesome stuff. Blew me away, especially when I was new to country.

My first impression of the new album was that somehow, on some songs anyway, the lyrics almost don't fit the music. It's like he wrote the songs on a notepad, then picked a tune, and kind of sang the lyrics to make them fit. Maybe I'm imagining it, but that's my first impression. Just doesn't seem to flow the way I'm used to from Brad. Even the guitar solo's seem to be overly frantic, great playing mind you, but it's almost like he's trying too hard to come up with something new. Another poster said a similar thing, but it was one of the first things I thought when I had the CD in the car. Every other album, without exception, has grabbed me from the moment I put it in the car - this one, not really.


Of course, he's still heads above most, and it is starting to grow on me now, and might still prove to be a winner. I've never had anything on major charts, so what would I know anyway?? lol.

[garytelecastor]

Hey Nado-
Is it really winter down Under?

One of the things that has been both cool and frustrating with his past work was the variety of material.
I know what it is like to play the same genre for 4-5 years. I think he is stretching a little. No harm, no foul.

[Nado69]

Originally Posted by garytelecastor

Hey Nado-
Is it really winter down Under?

One of the things that has been both cool and frustrating with his past work was the variety of material.
I know what it is like to play the same genre for 4-5 years. I think he is stretching a little. No harm, no foul.

Yep - Cold, wet, miserable winter! Just glad I'm not doing any outdoor gigs at the moment!

BTW, the album is growing on me. However, I still think first impressions say a lot, particularly when first impressions were so much more positive on his other albums....

I'm listening to it ATM in the studio - on some Focal monitors. Sounds very good, as you'd expect.

[Jim85IROC]

I'm a big paisley fan. I was fortunate enough to see him live last year. I was in the 3rd row, and got to hear his guitar sounds coming straight out of the mic'ed cabinets on stage... amazing.

So far I'm disappointed in the new album. There's no question that Play is far and away my favorite Paisley album, but that album really doesn't count, because it's not a "normal" release. Of his normal stuff, 5th gear is my favorite. I love the corny songs... he has a lot of fun with them, and that fun comes through in the songs. They're fun to listen to. They've also got a lot of riffs that I find very memorable, as well as incredible tone. On the newer album, most of his guitar playing sounds a bit forgettable to me, and the lyrics aren't too memorable either.

[garytelecastor]

Originally Posted by Nado69

Yep - Cold, wet, miserable winter! Just glad I'm not doing any outdoor gigs at the moment!

BTW, the album is growing on me. However, I still think first impressions say a lot, particularly when first impressions were so much more positive on his other albums....

I'm listening to it ATM in the studio - on some Focal monitors. Sounds very good, as you'd expect.

Up here in the tundra we get to -40 in the winter.

I guess I am a little jaded when it comes to the musical end of his writing. There are only so many notes you can fit into a 30 second clip. I find that once you get past the flash there is a tremendous writer.

[FatTeleTom]

Just got my copy a couple of days ago. So far, I'm quite pleased with it. "Mud on the Tires" will probably remain my favorite Paisley CD, but I like the maturity in evidence on this one.

Nice melodies, solid lyrics, great guitar playing and ensemble work from the band. And it's nice to hear my main guitar hero, Robben Ford, contributing.

Favorite tunes? Probably "Welcome to the Future", "You Do the Math", and the title track. They're all pretty strong, although "Then" flirts dangerously close to "Wind Beneath My Wings" territory.

One thing about this album--all the songs were written by Paisley (most co-written with his usual cast of cohorts). If you look back at, say, "Mud on the Tires", you've got a handful of very strong tunes by other writers mixed in. I certainly understand Brad's desire to showcase his own material, and I do think he's growing as a songwriter. But I hope he doesn't close the book on doing songs written by others, for a little spice.

[tele53]

We got a real divided camp here which never would have been the case on his first several CD's.

I will listen some more but as I feared, it is far beneath his first four as I thought "5th Gear" was the first letdown. And believe it or not I thought "Play," being his opportunity to do an epic guitar record was a disappointment, though don't get me wrong, it has some real good stuff on it.

I truly love the first four releases and I hope this one grows on me but I don't think so. We all know he has the talent to be a great artist but he seems content settling for being a huge star(now that he is one) and can we really blame him? To me he's just churning them out now(with a few exceptions), but he is still young and may realize that his body of work in the end will be what matters as it should. Also, I think a good very versatile "cover tune" CD would be a good idea for a change of pace next time out.

[petebradt]

I think this is Brad Paisley's best album to date. I think there is a maturity to his songwriting and he's not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve.

I've been listening to it pretty much contiinuously for three days now and it's just amazing. I thought "Play" was hit and miss, about 50/50. This is by FAR his best album to date.

Well done, sir!

What I'd like to see him do now is take some time off from recording, do a really huge tour, pay his band really well so they can afford the time off, then disappear for 2-3 years and come back with something along the lines of Vince Gill's "These Days." Brad probably has enough clout with the label that he could get away with something like that. Maybe he's not old or mature enough to come up with that, his material isn't really varied enough, but he's getting there.

Give him a few years. His best work is ahead of him, though it may come, as Vince's did, when his radio popularity has waned and he has more of an "emeritus" status, as Vince Gill does.

But this record represents a giant step forward in his development as an artist and a writer.

[psychotelepathic]

Originally Posted by FatTeleTom

One thing about this album--all the songs were written by Paisley (most co-written with his usual cast of cohorts). If you look back at, say, "Mud on the Tires", you've got a handful of very strong tunes by other writers mixed in. I certainly understand Brad's desire to showcase his own material, and I do think he's growing as a songwriter. But I hope he doesn't close the book on doing songs written by others, for a little spice.

There are two kinds of people who are successful in Nashville---singers and songwriters and nary the two shall meet. If you look at Brad's biggest hits, he is listed as co-writer or not at all. I have the utmost respect for the guy, but writing is an entirely different vocation. You rarely see writers become huge stars, just as you rarely see huge stars transition into writing. I'm sure Brad is creative and great in a writers round, but not sure I want another record written mostly by BP...no offense Brad, I think you're great...but great writers are worth their weight in gold. My .02.

[Echoplex]

Originally Posted by petebradt

I think this is Brad Paisley's best album to date. I think there is a maturity to his songwriting and he's not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve.

I've been listening to it pretty much contiinuously for three days now and it's just amazing. I thought "Play" was hit and miss, about 50/50. This is by FAR his best album to date.

Well done, sir!

What I'd like to see him do now is take some time off from recording, do a really huge tour, pay his band really well so they can afford the time off, then disappear for 2-3 years and come back with something along the lines of Vince Gill's "These Days." Brad probably has enough clout with the label that he could get away with something like that. Maybe he's not old or mature enough to come up with that, his material isn't really varied enough, but he's getting there.

Give him a few years. His best work is ahead of him, though it may come, as Vince's did, when his radio popularity has waned and he has more of an "emeritus" status, as Vince Gill does.

But this record represents a giant step forward in his development as an artist and a writer.

Well said Pete.

[golfnut]

Originally Posted by petebradt

I think this is Brad Paisley's best album to date. I think there is a maturity to his songwriting and he's not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve.

I've been listening to it pretty much contiinuously for three days now and it's just amazing. I thought "Play" was hit and miss, about 50/50. This is by FAR his best album to date.

Well done, sir!

What I'd like to see him do now is take some time off from recording, do a really huge tour, pay his band really well so they can afford the time off, then disappear for 2-3 years and come back with something along the lines of Vince Gill's "These Days." Brad probably has enough clout with the label that he could get away with something like that. Maybe he's not old or mature enough to come up with that, his material isn't really varied enough, but he's getting there.

Give him a few years. His best work is ahead of him, though it may come, as Vince's did, when his radio popularity has waned and he has more of an "emeritus" status, as Vince Gill does.

But this record represents a giant step forward in his development as an artist and a writer.

Initially I wasn't as impressed with this album, expecting more of what I've come to expect from Brad. Over the past couple weeks of heavy listening to this album its hard to take it out of my player. I agree with pretty much everything you've said
"Welcome to the Future", has become my all time favorite Paisley song.
I even agree with what you say about "Play". I find myself skipping half the tracks, yet the other half are great.

[TopHatTele]

The more I listen to the new cd, the more I really like it. The tones on the opening track are fantastic and the licks with Robben Ford on "Oh, Yeah Your Gone" are superb. Although it is different from previous albums as as whole, it's still Brad and it's good.

[mannyg]

Loved 5th Gear,Time well wasted,Play. Brad is a great songwriter as well as player, but cute witted songs last only so long for me. I really don't even consider Brad a singer. Yea he sings but Does he have a great voice?
I know he's got to keep Corporate happy, but quality over quantity I always say.

I wished he just play his guitar.

I think he sold out.

[Big Mike Blues]

Not as good as some of his other albums to me yet, but still good. Mud on the tires took me a couple passes...as did time well wasted.

[gman51]

I haven't listened to the whole CD. I went to Rhapsody and downloaded "Then" and a bunch of his older stuff; kind of a "Best of BP"..in my opinion.

I may be new to Telecasters, but I'm an old hand at country music. Been playing, performing, writing and singing it all my life.

I made the comment to my wife last night that "Then" will become one of those "country standards".

We're all "players" here. But, what I hear from the mainstream country music fan is that people are playing this song at weddings, anniversaries...you name it! The folks that buy country music identify with this song and what it says to them.

[brittwin]

I left a comment a while back saying when I had first received the new CD. I gotta say a month later of listening, the album has grown on me by leaps and bounds. It is very good. "Oh, yeah. You're Gone" is fantastic. "Welcome to the Future" is a good song, and I know it's the next single, but it is still not working for me as past singles that were released.

[Ormond]

Two incredibly complex albums in one year. Time for a break. He ought to spend a year on his 85 acre ranch - get the hell out of Pacific Palisaides for while.
He was so lucky not to suffer the sophomore album jinx. and I think he is still safe with this last one - but he has got to be running dry.

I think he pushed this CD out to qualify for this next year's go-around of the ACM and CMA Awards. One of his very smart marketing things is to release every year so that he does not fade from the lights and the Big Show. It is called momentum. Maybe he wants something every year until he gets the Entertainer of the Year award. But he is now a big enough Star and he has a ton of money. Him and his wife's combined income is crazy. He does not need more. Just a long vacation. Over-exposure can hurt as bad as underexposure.

[musicmatty]

I saw a Brad concert about two years ago and although he is a great player, not one song really reached me. I kept thinking to myself, that none of these songs will be regarded as Country classics in the years to come and will never end up on a Country Classic CD years from now.

[JimLill45]

Personally, I think a song being MAJORLY overlooked is "I Hope That's Me". That's my favorite song on the record. I'm a huge fan of mainstream country, and this is the one song on the record where Brad isn't being a comedian, jazz artist, blues artist, folk artist, or gospel artist. He is being country/country/country, and that is the kind of style I live for.
I love Brad's style, and I love the fact that he throws curveballs out there with his humor, his jazziness, and bluesyness. It seems like he is trying to go and break boundries with songs like "She's Her Own Woman" and "Oh, Yeah, You're Gone" but I like how he shows why he is a country ARTIST (singer, writer, and player) on "I Hope That's Me."

But I agree, American Saturday Night, Welcome To The Future, Then, Water, Catch All The Fish, and Oh Yeah You're Gone are all great. He really missed on the song Everybody's Here. It's too weird for me.

[JimLill45]

Yeah I read every post, and I'm pretty sure I'm the first person to even mention the song "I Hope That's Me"

[EZchair Picker]

The biggest part of this album that I missed was him doing an old gospel standard. I didn't expect it on the "Play" album since that was all about guitarin....but all of his other releases have one and they are all really good renditions. I hope he hasn't abandoned that for future albums.

[Dep]

Not my favorite Brad album, but I liked it. It has grown on me to the point where I don't skip any songs.

I can't help but love Catch all the fish.

Dep

[cooktimj]

When my fiancee got home with the CD, I couldn't wait to start listening to it. After Play, Mud, Time Well Wasted, some of 5th Gear, and even the Christmas (or is that Xmas?) album I figured I was really in for a treat.

I wouldn't put this album in league with the aforementioned.

As many others on this thread have mentioned, there are highlights to the album. Some licks hit me here and there, but they were unfortunately the exception rather than the rule.

It almost struck me as though Brad tried to place unexpected licks and phrasing in the songs for the sake of making them different...so they wouldn't be repititious. Maybe he was trying to chart newer territory, maybe any number of things could have happened. My opinion is that while it's a fine album given the state of things coming out of Nashville today, it is not of the same caliber as his other offerings.

Someone mentioned the corny tracks on the Mud album. True, but the music and the story were enough to keep you listening. The lyrics and subject matter may be better on this album, but something is missing...other than melodic solos, cool bender tricks, the KUNG POW thing, the instrumental....Not sure what, but this album didn't do it for me as the last 6 have.

Will I stop buying BP albums? Of course not, but I would love to see another Time Well Wasted come out of this guy. I think that album will go down as the one...He should go back and release the song he did with Alan Jackson: "Out in the Parking Lot" Great lyrics, simple music, cool bender licks that follow the melody. Great track in general..


Just my $0.02

-TJ

[BradPaisleyFan]

Originally Posted by petebradt

I think this is Brad Paisley's best album to date. I think there is a maturity to his songwriting and he's not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve.

I've been listening to it pretty much contiinuously for three days now and it's just amazing. I thought "Play" was hit and miss, about 50/50. This is by FAR his best album to date.

Well done, sir!

What I'd like to see him do now is take some time off from recording, do a really huge tour, pay his band really well so they can afford the time off, then disappear for 2-3 years and come back with something along the lines of Vince Gill's "These Days." Brad probably has enough clout with the label that he could get away with something like that. Maybe he's not old or mature enough to come up with that, his material isn't really varied enough, but he's getting there.

Give him a few years. His best work is ahead of him, though it may come, as Vince's did, when his radio popularity has waned and he has more of an "emeritus" status, as Vince Gill does.

But this record represents a giant step forward in his development as an artist and a writer.

I think Brad and Keith need to team up and start doing stadium tours while their hot...they need to wipe Kenny Chesney off the map!
They are both killer players and they could easily pull in the numbers that Kenny is pulling in...I went to the kenny concert in detroit last year and keith was with him...Keith was way better and I think they could do it.

[Ormond]

Yea...Chesney...so sick of hearing about Mexico and beer drinking...Jimmy Buffet wore me out early on - sure did not want to see a "Son of Jimmy" hogging the airwaves.
I like the idea of Paisley and Urban teaming up...but Paisley is so much the better guitar player - it would make Urban crazy after a few gigs. Urban knows about 5 or 6 rock licks but can make them sound like 20. That is not good enough to keep up with Paisley's sophistication.

[BradPaisleyFan]

Originally Posted by Ormond

Yea...Chesney...so sick of hearing about Mexico and beer drinking...Jimmy Buffet wore me out early on - sure did not want to see a "Son of Jimmy" hogging the airwaves.
I like the idea of Paisley and Urban teaming up...but Paisley is so much the better guitar player - it would make Urban crazy after a few gigs. Urban knows about 5 or 6 rock licks but can make them sound like 20. That is not good enough to keep up with Paisley's sophistication.

Its not so much that Paisley is better (which I agree he is way better) but its 2 totally different styles. Iv seen Urban go to town...and trust me he is an amazing guitar player as well.

Urban and Paisley have already mentioned numerous times that they will tour together, its just a matter of when their schedules free up and they plan it out. but i think together they can do the stadium gigs.

[psychotelepathic]

Originally Posted by BradPaisleyFan

I think Brad and Keith need to team up and start doing stadium tours while their hot...they need to wipe Kenny Chesney off the map!
They are both killer players and they could easily pull in the numbers that Kenny is pulling in...I went to the kenny concert in detroit last year and keith was with him...Keith was way better and I think they could do it.

Kenny brings in a totally different audience. Sure there's overlap, but his crowds are packed with parrot heads that wouldn't be caught dead at a Paisley or Urban show.

Highly unlikely we will see Urban and Paisley together anytime soon. Each of those guys can sell out a concert on their own, which would require promoters to leave significant money on the table. I can't see that happening in today's tough economy. Maybe down the road when they are not so hot. I would like to see it. That would be a "power ticket" for sure.

[BradPaisleyFan]

Well this is a great start to it!
http://www.cmt.com/news/country-musi...the-year.jhtml

[BradPaisleyFan]

http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/music/m...ley-59923.html

[mudbean]

Originally Posted by mannyg

... I really don't even consider Brad a singer. Yea he sings but Does he have a great voice?

Yes, he has a great voice.

Originally Posted by musicmatty

... I kept thinking to myself, that none of these songs will be regarded as Country classics in the years to come and will never end up on a Country Classic CD years from now.

Fortunately, you don't make those decisions (or, do you?), and we will simply have to wait. For my part, I think some will.

mud

[Nado69]

Originally Posted by mannyg

....I really don't even consider Brad a singer.....

Surely you jest.



Listen to Whiskey Lullaby.....

[mwaym]

I am a huge BP fan. This album took a few plays, but I think it is my favorite complete album. The others all had a song or 2 that I would skip over, as well as the kung pao buckaroo stuff..... don't care for that stuff. Play is brilliant, but still I still skip around on it according to my mood. The new album I just let it play without skipping anything. We just saw him live for the first time, and it was awesome !!

[garytelecastor]

The more I listen to this album the more I love it.
I saw the "Welcome to the Future" vid on YT.
Almost brought me to tears, especially the young man
with the artificial leg.
I love Catch all the Fish too.
I think it is just as good if not better than some of his last efforts and they ROCKED.