I Will Stand (CD - 1997)

Personnel: Kenny Chesney, George Jones, Tracy Lawrence (vocals); Biff Watson, Kenny Bell, Larry Byrom (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason, Reggie Young, Steve Gibson (electric guitar); Sonny Garrish (steel guitar, dobro); Pete Wade (gut string guitar); Glen Duncan (mandolin, fiddle); Randy Howard, Rob Hajacos, William "Ozzy" Osment (fiddle); Kirk "Jellyroll" Johnson (harmonica); Matt Rollings (piano, Hammond B-3 organ); Rodger Morris (piano, synthesizer); Steve Nathan (synthesizer, vibraphones); Larry Paxton (bass); Roy Husky Jr. (upright bass); Eddie Bayers, Lonnie Wilson (drums); Farrell Morris, Norro Wilson (percussion); Shannon Brown (background vocals); Melonie Cannon, John Wesley Ryles, Cindy Walker, Dennis Wilson, Curtis Young (background vocals).

Recorded at Woodland Studios, Soundstage Studio, Music Mill, Nashville, Tennessee; New River Studios, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

All tracks have been digitally mastered using HDCD technology.

Personnel: Larry Byrom, Biff Watson, Kenny Bell (acoustic guitar); Reggie Young , Steve Gibson, Brent Mason (electric guitar); Pete Wade (gut-string guitar); Sonny Garrish (dobro); Glen Duncan (mandolin, fiddle); William Osment, Randy Howard, Rob Hajacos (fiddle); Kirk Johnson (harmonica); Rodger Morris (piano, synthesizer); Matt Rollings (piano); Steve Nathan (synthesizer, vibraphone); Roy M. "Junior" Husky (upright bass); Lonnie Wilson, Eddie Bayers (drums); Norro Wilson, Farrell Morris (percussion); Cindy Walker, Curtis Young, Dennis Wilson , John Wesley Ryles, Shannon Brown, Melonie Cannon (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Kevin Beamish; Billy Sherrill .

Liner Note Author: Kenny Chesney.

Recording information: Music Mill, Nashville, TN; New River Studios, Fort Lauderdale, FL; Soundstage Studios, Nashville, TN; Woodland Studios, Nashville, TN.

Editor: Grahame Smith.

Photographer: Peter Nash.

Building upon the bright, cheerful punch of Me and You, Kenny Chesney widened his musical vision on his fourth album, 1997's I Will Stand. This is partially due to his own pen -- he has two songwriting credits here and none on the predecessor -- but it's more down to the music he's chosen to sing and the persona he conveys here. He's relaxed, friendly, and assured, never trying too hard, which gently draws listeners in on both his ballads and rockers -- and, what is turning increasingly into his specialty, the sunny midtempo tunes, equally suited for the beach or the bar. This is typified by the breezy "She Gets That Way" and the hazy '70s soft rock vibe of his co-written original "You Win, I Win, We Lose," and even the snappier songs (such as "She's Got It All" and "Steamy Windows") don't push too hard -- which is fine, because the slower songs don't get mired in sappy sentiment, as "That's Why I'm Here" makes clear. It never sounds like Chesney would belong to either the hillbilly heaven or honky tonk hell that he sings about on the purest country song here -- the one that also features verses by Tracy Lawrence and George Jones -- but that's the appeal of Kenny Chesney: he doesn't live in the past, but he doesn't disrespect it, either. He's merely in the present, trading upon modern sounds and the tunes that he grew up with, making contemporary country that feels country in how he mixes up country-rock, soft rock, and pop, and it's down so casually that it's easy to take for granted how good he is on this record, the first that really brought his star persona to the forefront. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

On this, his fourth release, contemporary country singer Kenny Chesney proves that he's got the kind of consistent musical vision and overall stick-to-itiveness that are necessary to make a permanent mark in Nashville. While Chesney surrounds himself with the same studio vets (Larry Byrom, Brent Mason, Matt Rollings, etc.) that accompany 90 percent of his contemporaries, I WILL STAND sets itself apart by virtue of its nod to tradition. While he's not exactly Robbie Fulks, Chesney is clearly influenced by greats like George Jones and Merle Haggard. Instead of going for the across-the-board appeal of big, soppy power ballads, Chesney favors more authentic-sounding country fare. Titles like "From Hillbilly Heaven to Honky Tonk Hell" give you an idea where Chesney's sensibilities lie. minimize