CD Review- Brad Paisley- Play- The Guitar Album

When I toured the Country Music Hall Of Fame last summer, one of the pieces of memorabilia that caught my eye was a well-worn guitar from Johnny Cash. I sat at a nearby bench with eyes transfixed on the instrument, wondering how many miles and what kind of stories that six-string could tell. I thought about that while June was certainly the love of Johnny’s life, that guitar probably was a close second, carrying him through the toughest times of his life and celebrating with him during his triumphs. It was likely an odd little love affair, but one that certainly wasn’t at the forefront of his stage persona.

For Brad Paisley… not so much. His bride, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, should be wildly jealous. His love affair with a paisley printed electric guitar has hit every major news publication and he doesn’t care who knows it.

Brad Paisley might be one of contemporary country music's best songwriters, but on his fifth album, he speaks with his fingers. With "Play- The Guitar Album,'' Paisley shows off his amazing guitar-playing musical chops on 11 instrumental songs and 5 including lyrics. “Play” is Paisley at his very best- he thinks himself a musician first and a singer second- and this is an honest love letter to the art of music.

This isn’t completely foreign territory for Paisley. Each of his previous four albums have had at least one rocking instrumental song that features his incredible guitar skills. He even won a Grammy earlier this year for Best Country Instrumental Performance in "Throttleneck.” These have always been songs that felt great to blast as loud as your car speakers will go while flying down the freeway. I’m sure more than once, they’ve been the cause for speeding tickets. And if that’s true, Highway Patrols across the country might have cause for concern of writer’s cramp with “Play.”

Paisley dials up a huge wide array of styles including a crazy mix of “Ghost Riders In The Sky” and Beach Boys with “Turf’s Up.” He matches B.B. King’s guitar chops and singing blues on “Let The Good Times Roll.” It’s guitar picking heaven when he gathers Nashville’s most respected guitarists for a jam on "Cluster Pluck.'' It's a six-stringed summit of Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, Albert Lee, John Jorgenson, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert and Steve Wariner. He includes a guitar solo tribute to guitar-building hero Les Paul. The highlight of the album is “Come On In”- a collaboration with one of his own mentors, Country Hall-Of-Famer Buck Owens. The posthumous duet borrows from Buck's great country instrumental "Buckaroo,'' then retools his 1964 song "Hello Trouble'' on its way to completing a latter-day recording its composer never finished. The current hit off the album, a duet with Keith Urban called “Start A Band” is a sure-fire chart-topper with both guitarists at their very best. It’s fascinating listing to the song and being able to pick out each other’s guitar play just as you would vocals.

When Paisley has his electric guitar in-hand, the album is well… electric. It’s only when he drops things down acoustically when vocals are missed. Acoustic songs like “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” feel like something’s missing. It may just be that we’re used to Paisley having something really valuable to say like a “When I Get To Where I’m Going” or “Whiskey Lullaby.” It’s not that it isn’t beautiful without lyrics, it just feels a bit empty.

The album finishes with a welcome little treat. Paisley released “Waitin’ On A Woman” two albums back and amazingly, it took 3 years after the album’s release for the single to hit #1. He has a new version of the song with the venerable Andy Griffith wording the parts of the song where the old man is talking about his wife of many years. Those that have seen the video know the power that it adds to the song. Now you can have the recorded version of that video.

“Play” is certainly unlike anything else you have in your music collection. It’s a must-have for any musician- a collective “how-to” of guitar playing and easily the most fun album to play loud of anything you’ve heard lately. Now only if it came with a radar-detector… and maybe some marriage counseling for Mrs. Paisley.

Note- for a limited time, listeners can hear "Play- The Guitar Album" in its entirety here.