Personnel: Brad Paisley (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, baritone guitar, mandolin, bass guitar); Manny Rogers, Snoop Dogg (vocals); Gary Hooker (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric 12-string guitar, baritone guitar); Frank Rogers (acoustic guitar, electric 12-string guitar, piano); Robert Arthur, Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar); Sergeant John Peter Jorgensen, James Burton, John Jorgenson, Keith Urban, Albert Lee , Redd Volkaert, Steve Wariner, B.B. King, Vince Gill, Brent Mason (electric guitar); Randle Currie, Randel Currie (steel guitar); Buck Owens (dobro, mandolin); Kendall Marcy (banjo, keyboards); Aubrey Haynie, Justin Williamson (fiddle); Jim "Moose" Brown (piano, Farfisa, Hammond b-3 organ, Wurlitzer organ); Bernie Herms, Gordon Mote (piano); Kevin Grantt (upright bass, electric bass, bass guitar, fretless bass); Kenny Lewis (bass guitar, background vocals); Ben Sesar, Brian David Willis (drums); Eric Darken (percussion); Wes Hightower (background vocals); Chris O'Donnell, Nick Michaud, Drew Bollmann, John Harvey, Justin Niebank, Steve Short, Greg Lawrence.
Audio Mixer: Justin Niebank.
Liner Note Author: Judy Forde Blair.
Recording information: Blackbird Studio, Nashville, TN; Digital Insight, Las Vegas, NV; The Castle, Franklin, TN.
Introduction by: Snoop Dogg.
In an unusual move for an established country singer, Brad Paisley's PLAY is a primarily instrumental album that puts its focus entirely on Paisley's underrated guitar work. Far from being a traditional country album, or even a contemporary country-pop album, PLAY works in a wide variety of genres, including Les Paul-style jazz, ripping surf rock, old-fashioned electric Chicago blues, and metal-tinged rock & roll.
Paisley also assembles quite a list of guest stars: a re-recording of an early hit features a guest appearance by the actor Andy Griffith, while the Bakersfield country rocker "Come On In" features the late Buck Owens and a bluesy take on "Let the Good Times Roll" welcomes B.B. King. Two vocal tracks, "Start A Band" and "More Than Just This Song," feature Keith Urban and Steve Warriner, respectively, while the epic "Cluster Pluck" is a tongue-in-cheek high-speed dash through the history of country guitar showcasing James Burton, Vince Gill, Albert Lee, and four other guitarists besides. PLAY is a detour, but a worthwhile one.
Professional Reviews
Billboard (p.29) - "'Turf's Up' is an impressive tribute to the surf instrumentals of early rock'n'roll. 'Come On In,' a duet with Owens, is a pleasant find and fitting tribute."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.111) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "PLAY sees Nashville superstar Paisley jam with an array of equally adroit pickers..."
Blender (Magazine) (p.80) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[Paisley is a] hell of a guitar player, a talent emphasized on his sixth album -- mostly instrumental set of surf jams, countrified picking, jazzy filigrees and all-out riffage..."
Paste (magazine) (p.59) - "Paisley's guitar rolls and tumbles like an Olympic gymnast, trading licks with the pedal steel and banjo."
