| CD Review: No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems - Kenny Chesney | |
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No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems is Kenny's seventh release including his multi Platinum selling Greatest Hits album. Kenny continues to follow in the shoes of his buddy Tim McGraw in picking songs that are radio-friendly, and sure hits. Not only does he pick the hits, Kenny returns with two songs he co-wrote with Skip Ewing, his writing partner for "You Had Me From Hello." The two songs; Dreams, and "I Can't Go There" are both gems on an album that sparkles like 24 karat gold.
The album opens with Kenny's current (at the time of this review) single, "Young," that reminisces about what it was like growing up. The song has a fun video to go with it that increases your interest.
Much of the album's theme is looking back. In "Young," we look back at our youth. In "I Remember," we think about a relationship that ended. In "A Lot of Things Different," we think about regrets. The song is half sung and half recited, and it's a very different style than your everyday country music song on the radio.
In "The Good Stuff" we are treated to a real "story" song, with the character meeting a bartender after he leaves home for a while after an argument with his girl. The bartender shares things about his life with the man in the story and tells him that he won't find "the good stuff" in a bottle, but for him it was found in his wife's arms, and the way she would smile when he would watch her with their child; little things that sometimes people don't appreciate. I won't tell you how the song ends, but suffice it to say the man does end up finding "the good stuff" at the end of the song.
In "On The Coast of Somewhere Beautiful" Kenny talks again about a love that he had, but she is gone now, and he wishes he knew where she was, only knowing that it would have to be "on the coast of somewhere beautiful." In "Never Gonna Feel Like That Again" we look back at a man's life and the days of high school, college, football, and all the choices he made along the way. In "Live Those Songs" we think back on songs we grew up with, and wish we could live again the memories that they bring.
The final song, "I Can't Go There" talks about a failed relationship and the hurt that comes when remembering places that the couple had gone, and realizing that you can't go back to those places again because it just hurts too much to be there without the other person.
There's no doubt about it, Kenny has got another winner with this album. Do yourself a favor and go buy this album and join Kenny in reminiscing about the past.
Album cover, used with permission of BNA Records.
