Play (Brad Paisley album)
Encyclopedia
Play, also known as Play: The Guitar Album, is the sixth studio album by American country music
artist Brad Paisley
. It was released on November 4, 2008 (see 2008 in country music
). Like all of his previous albums, Play was released on Arista Nashville
and produced by Frank Rogers
. The album is largely instrumental in nature, except for five vocal tracks. One of these tracks, "Start a Band
" (a duet with Keith Urban
), has been released as a single and has become Paisley's ninth consecutive Number One country hit, and his thirteenth overall. The album cover photograph was taken at Bristow Run Elementary School in Bristow, Virginia
.
, and Keith Urban
. King and Urban both play guitar on their respective duet tracks. Another track, "Cluster Pluck", features James Burton
, Vince Gill
, Albert Lee
, John Jorgenson
, Brent Mason
, Redd Volkaert
and Steve Wariner
. The Buck Owens duet is a song which Owens co-wrote. It is not strictly a country music record, featuring jazz guitar
and a song described by Paisley as "very heavy metal
." The final track, "Waitin' on a Woman", was first included on Paisley's 2005 album Time Well Wasted
, and was later re-recorded as a bonus track to 2007's 5th Gear
, from which it was released as a single. The version featured here includes guest vocals from Andy Griffith
, and is the version used in the song's music video
.
"Start a Band", the only single from the album, was released in September 2008. It is a collaboration with Keith Urban
, who sings duet vocals and plays second lead guitar on it, and it reached Number One on the Billboard
country singles charts in January 2009. At the 51st Grammy Awards
, "Cluster Pluck" won the Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance, which was awarded to all of the guitarists featured.
magazine gave Play four stars out of five, calling it "as indispensable as any album Brad has recorded to date—not to mention one of his best", also noting the "sharp melodies and constantly shifting musical terrain". Play received three-and-a-half stars out of five from Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine
, who referred to most songs as "fall[ing] within the realm of the expected", but cited others as "pure '80s shred
[…]revealing a side he's previously camoflauged." Erlewine also said that, like Paisley's other albums, Play was "among the most adventurous and best country music of this decade." Ken Tucker of Billboard
called the album "both outstanding and diverse" and made note of the Buck Owens duet, which he referred to as "bring[ing] an old friend back to life with the utmost respect."
Whitney Pastorek, reviewing the album for Entertainment Weekly
, gave the album a B- rating. She referred to the duets as "a welcome respite from all the noodling", but said that as a whole, the album was "an indulgence he's earned but doesn't quite pull off."
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
. It was released on November 4, 2008 (see 2008 in country music
2008 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 2008.-Events:* April 27 — A story in the New York Daily News reported a possible long-term relationship between Mindy McCready and baseball star Roger Clemens that began when she was 15 years old...
). Like all of his previous albums, Play was released on Arista Nashville
Arista Nashville
Arista Nashville is an American record label that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment, operated under the Sony Music Nashville division. Founded in 1989, the label specializes in country music artists, including Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood...
and produced by Frank Rogers
Frank Rogers (record producer)
Frank Mandeville Rogers V is an American record producer, songwriter and session musician. In 1990, Rogers made the trek to Nashville, attending Belmont University and graduating with a Music Business degree. While at Belmont, he met friend and future collaborator Brad Paisley...
. The album is largely instrumental in nature, except for five vocal tracks. One of these tracks, "Start a Band
Start a Band
"Start a Band" is the title of a country music song written by Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley and Kelley Lovelace. It was recorded as a duet between Brad Paisley and Keith Urban for Paisley's sixth studio album, Play. Released as the only single from that album, it is also one of only four...
" (a duet with Keith Urban
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
), has been released as a single and has become Paisley's ninth consecutive Number One country hit, and his thirteenth overall. The album cover photograph was taken at Bristow Run Elementary School in Bristow, Virginia
Bristow, Virginia
Bristow is an unincorporated town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,910 in the 2000 census, and the 2009 estimate was 15,137....
.
Content
Play is largely an album of instrumentals, though Paisley sings five duets with other vocalists, including B.B. King, Buck OwensBuck Owens
Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
, and Keith Urban
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
. King and Urban both play guitar on their respective duet tracks. Another track, "Cluster Pluck", features James Burton
James Burton
James Burton is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 , Burton has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame...
, Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
, Albert Lee
Albert Lee
Albert William Lee, born 21 December 1943 in Leominster, Herefordshire, England, is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked both in the studio and on tour with some of the most famous musicians which stretch through a very wide of genres...
, John Jorgenson
John Jorgenson
John Jorgenson is a US musician. Although best known for his guitar work with bands such as the Desert Rose Band and The Hellecasters, Jorgenson is also proficient in the mandolin, mandocello, Dobro, pedal steel, piano, upright bass, clarinet, bassoon and saxophone...
, Brent Mason
Brent Mason
Brent Mason is an American session guitarist and occasional songwriter. He is known primarily for his work in the field of country music. In addition to releasing two instrumental studio albums, he holds several credits as a songwriter...
, Redd Volkaert
Redd Volkaert
Redd Volkaert was a successor to Roy Nichols in Merle Haggard's backing band, and is "among the country’s top Telecaster guitar slingers.". Volkaert won a 2009 Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance.-External links:* *...
and Steve Wariner
Steve Wariner
Steven Noel "Steve" Wariner is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. He has released eighteen studio albums, including six on MCA Records, and three each on RCA Records, Arista Records and Capitol Records...
. The Buck Owens duet is a song which Owens co-wrote. It is not strictly a country music record, featuring jazz guitar
Jazz guitar
The term jazz guitar may refer to either a type of guitar or to the variety of guitar playing styles used in the various genres which are commonly termed "jazz"...
and a song described by Paisley as "very heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
." The final track, "Waitin' on a Woman", was first included on Paisley's 2005 album Time Well Wasted
Time Well Wasted
-Personnel:As listed in liner notes.*Jim "Moose" Brown - piano, keyboards, Hammond organ, background vocals*Randel Currie – steel guitar*Eric Darken - percussion, vibraphone*Jerry Douglas - Dobro*Stuart Duncan - fiddle, mandolin...
, and was later re-recorded as a bonus track to 2007's 5th Gear
5th Gear (album)
-Musicians:*Ron Block – banjo*Jim "Moose" Brown – B-3 organ, Wurlitzer organ, piano on "When We All Get to Heaven"*Randle Currie – steel guitar*Eric Darken – percussion*Kevin "Swine" Grantt – bass guitar, upright bass...
, from which it was released as a single. The version featured here includes guest vocals from Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith
Andy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film A Face in the Crowd before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead...
, and is the version used in the song's music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
.
"Start a Band", the only single from the album, was released in September 2008. It is a collaboration with Keith Urban
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
, who sings duet vocals and plays second lead guitar on it, and it reached Number One on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
country singles charts in January 2009. At the 51st Grammy Awards
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
, "Cluster Pluck" won the Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance, which was awarded to all of the guitarists featured.
Reception
The album has received mostly favorable reviews. Chris Neal of Country WeeklyCountry Weekly
Country Weekly is an American tabloid style weekly magazine established in 1994. The magazine focuses on country music stars and events, and regularly features exclusive interviews with recording artists and country music news...
magazine gave Play four stars out of five, calling it "as indispensable as any album Brad has recorded to date—not to mention one of his best", also noting the "sharp melodies and constantly shifting musical terrain". Play received three-and-a-half stars out of five from Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
, who referred to most songs as "fall[ing] within the realm of the expected", but cited others as "pure '80s shred
Shred guitar
Shred guitar or shredding is lead electric guitar playing that relies heavily on fast guitar solos. While some critics argue that shred guitar is associated with "... sweep-picked arpeggios, diminished and harmonic minor scales, finger-tapping and ... whammy-bar abuse", several guitar...
[…]revealing a side he's previously camoflauged." Erlewine also said that, like Paisley's other albums, Play was "among the most adventurous and best country music of this decade." Ken Tucker of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
called the album "both outstanding and diverse" and made note of the Buck Owens duet, which he referred to as "bring[ing] an old friend back to life with the utmost respect."
Whitney Pastorek, reviewing the album for Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, gave the album a B- rating. She referred to the duets as "a welcome respite from all the noodling", but said that as a whole, the album was "an indulgence he's earned but doesn't quite pull off."
Track listing
Album
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 9 |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 23 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
CAN Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
||
| 2008 | "Start a Band Start a Band "Start a Band" is the title of a country music song written by Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley and Kelley Lovelace. It was recorded as a duet between Brad Paisley and Keith Urban for Paisley's sixth studio album, Play. Released as the only single from that album, it is also one of only four... " (with Keith Urban Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age... ) |
1 | 55 | 51 |