Brad Paisley belongs to that group of modern cowboys such as Tim Mcgraw, Garth Brooks, and Keith Urban who add a little rock to their country. Yet like Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks, Paisley also manages to keep with the traditional, and be very successful at the same time.

This album is brilliant. It really is. From the title track to the amusing truths of “Celebrity”, it is not hard to see why Paisley has millions of adoring fans. With a velvety country voice that has a slight twang and the ability to bring any female fan to her knees, Paisley brings forth a CD filled with guest appearances from Alison Krauss, country legend George Jones, and Vince Gill. While hardly needed, they just bring more strength to the CD.

One of the things that can be noted about this CD is while there are the usual songs about love and laughter, there are also songs that really give us a clue as to how the world runs – "Celebrity" for example. With the lyrics "Can’t wait to wreck a Ferrari on the way to rehab, and don’t need to be famous to be a celebrity," it gives an indication of how the world has changed. Following that tracks, is a song that shows how the world should be, with "Ain’t Nothing Like."

One of the things I love about Brad Paisley is that he is so laid back, and his songs are simple and straightforward. They aren’t just the traditional songs of heartache, heartbreak, and love done me wrong. For fans of the not so traditional country songs, this album is definitely worth checking out.

I still say that the most clever song on the album is "Celebrity", which takes a swipe at ready-made stars, and stars who take everything for granted. Even if you don’t like country music, this is a song worth checking out just for the hilarity of it.

Best songs on the album? The heart-wrenching track "Whiskey Lullaby", in which he sings with Alison Krauss. The song describes an alcohol-ridden couple who both kill themselves, after the demons become too much to bear.

"Celebrity", of course makes the cut, as does "Famous People", which describes his thirst for power and fame at the hands of Hollywood. "That’s Love" is another brilliant track, and looks at how when in love, bald heads, paunches, and bad cooking don't matter.

I definitely recommend this album to those who are looking for a mix of traditional and new country.

Year: 2003
Record Label: Arista

Track Listing:

01. Mud On The Tires
02. Celebrity
03. Ain’t Nothin Like
04. Little Moments
05. That’s Love
06. Somebody Knows You Now
07. Famous People
08. Hold Me In Your Arms
09. Whiskey Lullaby
10. The Best Thing That I Had Goin'
11. The Cigar Song
12. Make A Mistake
13. Make A Mistake With Me (Instrumental)
14. Is It Raining At Your House
15. Spaghetti Western Swing (Instrumental)
16. Farther Along
17. Bonus Track