All I Need to Know (CD - 1995)

Rowan (electric guitar); "Cowboy" Eddie Long (steel guitar); Joe Spivey

(fiddle); Terry McMillan (harmonica, percussion); Bobby Ogdin, Phil Naish,

Barry Beckett (keyboards); Michael Rhodes (bass); Eddie Bayers (drums);

Dennis Wilson, Curtis "Mr. Harmony" Young, Harry Stinson, Ricky Skaggs (background vocals).

Personnel: Kenny Chesney (vocals, guitar); Don Potter (acoustic guitar); Brent Rowan (electric guitar); Eddie Long (steel guitar); Joe Spivey (fiddle); Terry McMillan (harmonica, percussion); Phil Naish, Barry Beckett, Bobby Ogdin (keyboards); Eddie Bayers (drums); Curtis Young, Dennis Wilson , Harry Stinson, Ricky Skaggs (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Pete Greene.

Recording information: Masterfonics Studio; Sound Stage.

Editors: Dave Boyer; Don Cobb; Marty Williams.

Photographer: Peter Nash.

Kenny Chesney's second full-length, All I Need to Know was his breakthrough record, the first to spawn country Top Ten singles, here in the form of the slow slick title track and the sprightly "Fall in Love," both of which go a long way toward illustrating how much more assured he sounds throughout the album. Chesney may sound more confident, but that sometimes can lead him down dark paths, such as the sticky sentiment of "Grandpa Told Me So." But by and large this is the first time that Chesney sounds like a genuine country star, whether he's easily negotiating the Western swing lilt of the excellent "The Bigger the Fool (The Harder the Fall)" or the rapid rhythms of "Someone Else's Hog," plus the good-natured boogie of "Paris, Tennessee." But the post-Garth punch of "Honey Would You Stand by Me," the slow yet cheerful blues of "Between Midnight and Daylight," and the skillful heartache ballad "The Tin Man" -- which deftly reworks a cliché -- really pointed the way to the future, capturing the blend of country instrumentation and anthemic pop that became his signature and made him a star. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Kenny Chesney may seem like just another one of the many young up'n-comers on the country scene, but his talent as a songwriter sets him above the many other faceless honky-tonkers polluting Nashville. On ALL I NEED TO KNOW, Chesney wears his influences prouder than most--the old-fashioned artistry of George Jones and Merle Haggard can be heard in most of his songs, as can the rock-edged sensibility of Charlie Daniels.

The up-tempo, spirited "Fall In Love" is typical of his fresh "boots and roots" sound. His metaphorical ballad "Tin Man" is about the need to protect oneself from the pain of a broken heart, while the countrified hoe-down "Someone Else's Hog" is a humorous look at marrying into money. Things turn sensitive with "Grandpa Told Me So," a tender ballad about the interplay of generations on which Chesney delves into the same emotions Keith Whitley so effectively captured in his music.

Through the fiddle and steel instrumentation, down-home sentiments and the Tennessee catch in his voice, ALL I NEED TO KNOW accurately captures the spirit of traditional country. minimize