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Today’s post comes from guest reviewer, my big brother James. When James isn’t playing guitar or watching Cricket he also writes Science Fiction and runs a Sci-Fi blog Big Dumb Object.

Brad Paisley is not well known in the UK. In the US I gather he’s massive. Many people will know him from his jokey songs, such as Online (with a video featuring William Shatner). However listen beyond the lyrics and you’ll hear some great guitar playing. Indeed, he’s been on the cover of Guitar Player, and the interview revealed he is a humungous guitar geek, with boutique amps and loads of telecasters.


So I thought I’d get his guitar album, Play. It’s Paisley’s indulgent solo guitar album. I think he’s earned it after all those massive tours. And I’m happy to say that I really love it.


What really shines through on this album is the real joy of playing guitar, whatever the style. If you’re not into country but love guitar, I’d urge you to give it a listen, there’s some awesome playing. Some of the tracks are available on Spotify if you’re in Europe.


Here’s a more detailed song by song review of the album:
 
Huckleberry Jam is a fast funky country stomp. It sounds a bit like the sort of songs Brad writes to sing over, except the solo is extended and relentless. The playing is fast and fluid and witty, and as someone who doesn’t play country licks, seemingly impossible. There’s also a couple of fiddle solos and what sounds like a banjo solo, all playing off each other. Despite the main lick being fast an complex I found myself singing along with it, and wishing I could play it.


Turf’s Up is guitar surf style song, reminiscent of sixties guitar instrumentals, like a funkier Shadows or something off a Tarantino soundtrack. There’s some sixties organ on there and luscious reverb on the guitar. I imagine the slide guitar is a lapsteel but can’t be sure. When Brad attacks the solo he has a wonderful bitey tone that emmerges from the smooth surf style.


Start A Band is a song with vocals, featuring Keith Urban. It’s typical of Brad’s mainstream country songs: witty, infectious and providing advice for all us musicians! The rhythm playing under the vocals is easy to miss when singing along but it’s quite wonderful, great little runs and licks. The the solo is Brad and Keith trading licks or harmonising, you can play the guess the guitarist game, entertaining for guitar geeks. “Find a few good buddies and start a band.” I have an incredible urge to play this song in a cover band.


Kim is a gentle guitar ballad with lovely clean ringing acoustic tones, subtle slide guitar and a touching melody. The solo sections have a thick bluesy tone, overdriving just enough to give warmness yet retain the clarity. At times the song reminded me of Satriani ballads, nostalgic and bitter sweet.


Departure is a couple of rungs up on the guitar ballad ladder, with more of a biting tone for the melody. The solo starts melodically and then throws in some insanely fast licks that left my mouth gaping wide. Kind of like Eric Johnson awe, but country and different and very cool. The melody is not very catchy however and bit forgettable. 


Come On In is another vocal track featuring Buck Owens. It’s quite a traditional sounding country song (or at least what I think to be a traditional US country, I’m not professing to be an expert). It’s got that stompy 1-2-1-2 country beat. There’s some mandolin, or something similar, in the solo, violin and plenty of bending licks and double stop passages.


Kentucky Jelly starts with a blistering acoustic melodic riff that really has too many nots to be called a riff, but works, and made me go “woah”. The song brings some electric guitars into the verses but returns to the acoustic for the start of the solo. There’s even a bit of wah in there. Finishing with acoustic electric interplay. A song that makes you want to learn it to impress your friends.


Playing With Fire is a foot stomping bluesy song with a great main melody. Again, there’s a huge amount of fun in the tune. The guitar tone is awesome with that great biting rhythm tone that seems to turn smooth higher up the neck. There’s a few Stevie Ray Vaughn homages in the solo which is cool, and somehow some bluesed up country licks are thrown in without sounding out of place. Great blues playing, and showing how he can turn his hand away from overt country to other guitar genres whilst still sounding like Brad Paisley.  


More Than Just This Song is a sentimental vocal country song featuring Steve Wariner, the type you hear on local country radio stations in the US. But, it’s not about a lost love, it’s about learning to play guitar, about other guitar players teaching us to play, about the joy and trust. And it’s really quite touching.The guitar tones are clean and pure, the melody unashamedly country and nostalgic. The playing is sparse(ish) but lovely showing real touch and tone.


Les Is More is a Les Paul tribute. Warm jazzy tones, a bopping melody and fast runs. I’m not an expert on Les Paul, so I can’t comment on how close Brad’s playing mimicks it, but from a layman’s point of view it sounds good. It has those never ending jazzy runs which make me wonder how you keep going, a piano solo and a more country section. Makes you want to tap your toe and say nice!


Pre-Cluster Cluster Pluck Prequel (Prelude) is a vocal skit, a young boy asking his grandfather which guitarists to listen to to learn how to chicken pick. His grandfather replies: James Burton, Albert Lee, Redd Volkaert, John Jorgenson, Vince Gill, Steve Wariner and Brent Mason. All of which play a ten second intorduction, before launching into…


Cluster Pluck all those guitarists just mentioned, and Brad Paisley, launching into a fast, stomping, virtuoso chicken picking country extravaganza. Jaw dropping stuff. If you could learn to play this song you could solo country style. Great stuff for guitarists to listen to (everyone else will probably be bored). I want a tab transcription now!


Cliffs Of Rock City is probably the most traditional rock style guitar song on the album. It reminded me of Eric Johnson (maybe that was intentional?) or at times Satriani, with a strong memorable melody tinged with nostalgia and wrapped in happiness. The solo returns to that big bitey Paisley overdrive sound with some blistering licks and a crazy fast violin solo. 


Let The Good Times Roll is a blues vocal song featuring B.B. King and it’s awesome. Stomping, happy blues, with BB’s crystal tone and Brad’s thick blues tone. Not only are the guitars complimentary, but so are their voices with Brad’s voice standing up admirably to BB’s legendary vocal skills. There’s the Paisley country influence thrown in with violin and country licks but also a huge fuzzy wah-wah solo. It’s a song to sing along to, and play along with, a song to gig I think. “Hail to the king!” says Brad at one point, indeed. Fantastic fun.


What A Friend We Have In Jesus is an acoustic ballad, the melody sentimental but enticing. The playing is wonderful, always moving and filling the space, showing real acoustic skill. A song to play around the campfire, impress your guitarist friends and make the non-guitarists say “that’s pretty”.


Waitin’ On A Woman is a vocal song featuring Andy Griffith. It’s a standard country song, with nostalgic bitter-sweet lyrics covering a lifetime, and about a woman, and love. It’s just about the least guitar-y of all the songs, but there’s still a nice melodic solo and some great rhythm playing.


Thanks to James for the review, I’m not a country fan but after reading this I am going to check this album out now too!

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