Time Well Wasted (CD - 2005)

Personnel: Brad Paisley (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar, Ferrington high string, baritone guitar, mandolin); Dolly Parton (vocals); Gary Hooker (electric guitar, electric 12-string guitar, background vocals); James Burton (electric guitar); Michael Johnson (steel guitar, dobro); Randel Currie (steel guitar); Jerry Douglas (dobro); Kendall Marcy (banjo, background vocals); Stuart Duncan (mandolin, fiddle); Bryan Sutton (mandolin); Justin Williamson (fiddle); Jim "Moose" Brown (piano, Hammond b-3 organ, keyboards, background vocals); Bernie Herms (piano); Gordon Mote (keyboards); Eric Darken (vibraphone, percussion); Kevin Grantt (double bass, bass guitar, background vocals); Kenny Lewis (bass guitar, background vocals); Bobby Terry (bass guitar); Ben Sesar (drums); Wes Hightower (background vocals).

Brad Paisley's music is an interesting amalgam of country sub-genres, a paradigm all its own. He melds straightforward, pop-friendly New Country with clever, somewhat Lyle Lovett-like songwriting and the occasional flutter of Joe Maphis/Jimmy Bryant-style guitar virtuosity. Surprisingly or not, this country combo platter made Paisley a star, and TIME WELL WASTED continues in the aforementioned vein. While there are some fairly mainstream moments here that wouldn't ruffle the feathers of, say, the average Kenny Chesney fan, WASTED boasts plenty of smart, sassy tunes brimming with lyrical witticisms worthy of Tom T. Hall or Shel Silverstein. "Alcohol," for example, is a first-person narrative from the beverage's point of view, and in retrospect it's shocking that it took this long to get written. Guest shots from both Dolly Parton and Alan Jackson show that Paisley's work has earned respect from disparate corners of the country scene, a respect that's amply justified by TIME WELL WASTED. minimize