Album Review: Brad Paisley – 5th Gear

The Urban v. Paisley debate is a bit apples-and-oranges — Urban is really a rock player, and Paisley is a pure chicken-picker. They’re both mighty good. It’s really weird to go to an Urban show and see a 99% young female audience going nuts over the kind of guitar clinic you’d typically expect at a G3 show (where I can assure you women are in short supply).

Paisley is cool, no doubt, but I can’t help but thinking he put a little too many goofy songs on this album. I really enjoy his more serious stuff alot more. “Part 2″ was my all time favorite album, I think it’s gone downhill since then.

This is a great CD. ” Letter to me ” is an incredible song that myself, as well as a lot of others, can relate too. Incredible lyrics! Paisley is one of a kind.

I think the whole album is great. It’s not even a contest between Paisley and Urban in my book. I’m a guitarist and I can play anything Urban has put out, but Paisley leaves me to shame…yea their styles are different but Paisley is very versatile, he could easily play all of Urbans rock licks, where I would think Keith would struggle against Paisley’s chicken pickin’…But another great album in my eyes…I think it keeps getting better. I do enjoy Paisley’s serious songs too, but I think he got a good balance on this album. Brad has said that when he decides to put a song on an album one of his main thoughts is how well the song will go over on stage night after night. Altho the “goofy” songs are a bit less personable and touching as his more serious ballads, most all his “goofy” songs have topped the charts, he must be getting to someone, but I understand what you mean. But think about it, Paisley is one of the few who seems to get to do what he wants with songs. Hes very creative, and doesnt seem to have a label breathing down his neck to say what kinds of songs he has to record. He gets to basically do what he wants and reveal his true self and just get out there and have fun with his career. That has to be awesome, and is very respected in my book. I wish I could get to that point some day.

Brad Paisley is an entertainer. He is also a singer who just happens to play one helluva mean guitar. I saw him at one of his small airport shows a couple of months ago. He was brought over to the hangar in a small aircraft(2 seater)where he was a tail gunner. As the airplane spun around to reveal him behind a machine gun, he waved to the 100 or so people waiting patiently for his arrival. After all the cheering was over, he then pointed the machine gun at everyone, playfully, which brought so much laughter from everyone. He enjoys making people laugh. And I’d say he’s pretty good at it. He stopped in the middle of one of his songs and acted like he didn’t know what the next verse of the song was supposed to be. It was was just very spontaneous. And everyone loved it. I don’t think he gets enough credit for the entertainer that he really is. I put him right up there with Keith and Kenny and Alan and Toby and Tim. His humor is what sets him apart from the rest of the best. I bought his CD the morning it came out. It was still in the box when i got it at 1 am. It was well worth the investment.