Lucky Old Sun [Digipak] (CD - 2008)

Personnel: Kenny Chesney (vocals, guitar); John Willis, Mac McAnally, B. James Lowry (guitar); Kenny Greenberg, Pat Buchanan (electric guitar); Steve Hinson (steel guitar); Mickey Raphael (harmonica); Jim Horn (tenor saxophone); Scott Ducaj, Steven Herrman (trumpet); Chris Dunn (trombone); Gary Prim, John Hobbs (piano); Randy McCormick (Hammond b-3 organ); Larry Paxton (bass guitar); Lonnie Wilson, Paul Leim (drums); Robert Greenidge (steel drum); Eric Darken (percussion); Tim Hensley, Wyatt Beard, Buddy Cannon (background vocals).

Additional personnel: Elan Atias, Ernest Williams, Junior Marvin , Aston Barrett (vocals).

Since 2002's NO SHOES, NO SHIRT, NO PROBLEMS, Kenny Chesney has slowly transformed himself from a standard Nashville country crooner into something more unexpected: a 21st-century Jimmy Buffett, as interested in Caribbean rhythms, Florida sunshine, and the steady rhythm of the ocean waves as he is in traditional country-music storytelling. LUCKY OLD SUN continues Chesney's paeans to life on the beach, with highlights including the first single "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven," "That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day)," a duet with the equally laid-back Willie Nelson, the clever "The Key's in the Conch Shell," and the soaring opener, "I'm Alive," with a guest appearance by Dave Matthews. LUCKY OLD SUN is also available in a special limited Deluxe Edition, which includes a second disc that includes four live tracks and two music videos, one for the single "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven" and one that was used as the pre-show introduction on Chesney's 2008 "Poets and Pirates" tour.

Kenny Chesney may title his 12th album after the pop standard that he sings here with Willie Nelson, but don't mistake Lucky Old Sun for his Stardust. Chesney is tipping his hat not to the Great American Songbook but the great ball in the sky, the one that shines on beaches from coast to coast, with the Gulf of Mexico being a particular favorite in his book. Lucky Old Sun is designed to be a soundtrack to laid-back afternoons on warm sand, which by now is very familiar territory for Chesney in his personal and professional life. As former tourmate George Strait has proven throughout his career, familiarity can be comforting and fruitful, but Chesney forgoes subtle pleasures for mere complacency, delivering no more than what his audience expects. Coming from a musician who quietly subverted country rules as he was climbing the charts, this slow shrug is distressing, but more than that, it's dull. Since Chesney swaps Buffett's boozy goofball schtick for gentle strumming, this isn't music for a party, it's music that laps softly against the shore. To be sure, there's some pleasure to be had here, but it's all about appreciating the album as pure texture: it's merely sunbleached mood music. And while that's appealing as far as it goes, Chesney could do something a lot more interesting in the sun besides lazing around. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Kenny Chesney may title his 12th album after the pop standard that he sings here with Willie Nelson, but don't mistake Lucky Old Sun for Nelson's Stardust. Chesney is tipping his hat not to the Great American Songbook but the great ball in the sky, the one that shines on beaches from coast to coast, with the Gulf of Mexico being a particular favorite in his book. Lucky Old Sun is designed to be a soundtrack to laid-back afternoons on warm sand, which by now is very familiar territory for Chesney in his personal and professional life. Since Chesney swaps Jimmy Buffett's boozy goofball schtick for gentle strumming, this isn't music for a party, it's music that laps softly against the shore. To be sure, there's some pleasure to be had here, but it's all about appreciating the album as pure texture and sunbleached mood music, which is appealing as far as it goes. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine minimize