Kenny Chesney Album: “The Road and the Radio”

Description :

Personnel: John Jorgenson (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, baritone guitar); Kenny Greenberg (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); John Willis (acoustic guitar, nylon-string guitar, banjo); B. James Lowry (acoustic guitar); J.T. Corenflos, Pat Buchanan (electric guitar); Dan Dugmore, Mike Johnson, Steve Hinson (steel guitar); Tim Hensley (banjo, background vocals); Rob Hajacos (fiddle); Samuel B. Levine (tenor saxophone); Jim Horn (baritone saxophone); Jeff Bailey, Steve Patrick (trumpet); Chris Dunn (trombone); Randy McCormick (piano, Wurlitzer piano, Hammond b-3 organ, keyboard); John Hobbs (piano, Hammond b-3 organ, keyboard, synthesizer); Wyatt Beard (piano, background vocals); Steve Nathan (synthesizer); Larry Paxton, Michael Rhodes (bass instrument); Paul Leim (drums, percussion); Melonie Cannon, Buddy Cannon (background vocals). <p>Although most of the attention Kenny Chesney garnered in 2005 was for his brief marriage to actress Renee Zellweger, he also managed to release two studio albums during that year--the laid-back, island-hopping BE AS YOU ARE and THE ROAD AND THE RADIO, a more straightforward country outing. The latter record revisits his earlier style, spending more time on dusty gravel roads than palm-tree-lined beaches. On "Living in Fast Forward," Chesney ponders his busy life dubbing himself a "hillbilly rock star out of control" amidst ZZ Top-like guitar riffs. The amiable singer also offers up the emotional ballad "You Save Me" and two odes to south-of-the-border drinking--the upbeat "Beer in Mexico" and the melancholy "Tequila Loves Me"--making this a release that's sure to appeal to fans of all phases of Chesney's career.

I came to Kenny Chesney through his Be As You Are album of Jimmy Buffett-like songs (in subject matter anyway) that he wrote while on his boat in the Caribbean. I'm a huge Buffett fan and loved that album which came out in January of 2005. This album is the follow-up that came out in November of the same year. It still has plenty of "fun in the sun" subject matter with songs like Summertime, Beer In Mexico, and Tequila Loves Me (another song about Mexico), but if anything, this album has everything that the "rock music", and I use that term losely, of today is missing: great song writting, great playing, rocking guitar solos, and SOUL. I call it a mix of Jimmy Buffett and John Mellencamp. Yes, Kenny Chesney is supposed to be Country, but this albulm is as much Rock, in classic Southern style, as it Country.

While this album isn't quite what "When the Sun Goes Down" was, and to be honest that would be a very hard thing to do, it is heads and tails above "Be As You Are." This is about as good as Kenny can get and it will provide hours of listening enjoyment. A must have for any country music fan and obviously for anyone who likes KC.

If you didn't get the bonus tracks, you are missing out. The bonus tracks are better than the regular songs, hands down.

1. Brandy, You're a Fine Girl (yes, you know this cover tune)

2. In This Boat Alone

3. Flip Flop Summer

4. Old Bird Dog

Just look at those titles and you know the bonus tracks are great. For those of you lacking, these tracks are only available on the CD's sold thru Target.

Do yourself a favor, go to the bullseye and get you some bonus tracks!

I was disappointed in this CD. The songs all sound the same. I'm a huge Kenny fan and own all of his other CD's--this is not like the Kenny Chesney I listen to almost every day. They only good song is Living in Fast Forward--but that is still a pretty typical Kenny Chesney sounding song. After listening to the CD three times I found myself skipping through tracks!