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Product Description
Review
Last year the 38th Annual Country Music Awards nominations list ran list a Who's Who of current country music superstars, with the exception arguably being an advertising graduate whose music career only really got under way in 1991. Triple platinum albums aside, Kenny Chesney must have had a shock to win the coveted CMA prize with the likes of Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and Brooks & Dunn in amongst his fellow nominees.
So what do you do when you win aCMA? Come out with another album as soon as you can, package it all up and release half of the tracks as singles? Well, apparently not; for Be As You Are: Songs From An Old Blue Chair is being marketed as a lifestyle project. A lifestyle project? Yes.
Forget the counter-marketing, Be As You Are... is a result of Chesney having been on holiday in the Caribbean to (apparently) get away from it all. And it does play eerily like a slideshow of holiday emotions from the inside of a country singer's head.
The shakers and spanish guitar are the main feature of this release and they do help conjure up turquoise waters and white sandy beaches. Heck, even the sleigh bells on "French Kissing Life" don't get in the way of the song's sunshine.
When the upbeat reggae rhythm introduces "Guitars And Tiki Bars" - along with its brass, timbales and steel drums - one can't help but be suspicious. Thankfully, though, Chesney's conviction in his mission to be relaxed dispells any notion of this being a novelty record. If in doubt, listen to the opening bars of "Boston": guitar, snare, bongos and shakers, what else do you need?
So a holiday in the Caribbean might be just what the doctor ordered to give an artist a new direction. As Chesney explains, 'It's not just a party place, or drinks with umbrellas,it's just a different way of looking at the world'. Be As You Are... certainly does sound like it comes from a man who feels no need to prove anything to anyone. And it's a breath of fresh air. --Cormac Heron
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but not great..,
By Shaun (Ashford, Middlesex United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Be As You Are: Songs from An Old Blue Chair (Audio CD)
I awaited this album with baited breath ever since I heard Kennys When The Sun Goes Down album and went on to purchase every single one of his other CDs. What I got when I listened to this album was not what I expected.Sometimes surprises are a good thing, but in this case I wasn't so sure. Don't get me wrong, the album has some good songs and Kennys voice really does shine and you can tell just how much it has matured, but you can't help but think 'well, wheres the country gone?'. The songs have a pretty much tropical feel, and I'm not sure thats a good thing from a country singer? You can clearly tell though Kenny is singing about the things he loves and he deserves credit for putting something out there that pretty much is different from everything hes ever done in my opinion. Its a good CD, just far from his best and I hope that come the next new album from Chesny, we'll have a much better collection of songs...
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (142 customer reviews) 47 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Words cannot describe the pleasure of this album.,
By J. Clemens "Experiential Brain Surgeon" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Be As You Are: Songs from An Old Blue Chair (Audio CD)
I have never written a review on music, but I felt the need to write about this CD. A clear mind can see through the negativity written on this site about this CD: "Kenny..grow up" (why not live young!) "It's all about the Islands" (jealous he lives there? I'd be there too if I could!) "It's all about drinking" (not on all songs if you listen to them, and besides, froffy drinks go with island hopping) "Sounds like Jimmy Buffett". (what, Buffett is the only person allowed to sing or has ever sung about the islands? Besides, I love Jimmy Buffett and no one could ever encroach upon his talent.) I think we could lighten up and enjoy misic for what it is, entertainment.
Kenny Chesney has created for us something different and I applaud diversity. I have all Kenny Chesney's work, and have loved it all (with some exceptions of his earliest albums). It was easy to pick my favorites from each album of Kenny's, but Be As You Are is so filled with great music I cannot choose a favorite song. It is such a pleasure to listen to, so relaxing and fun. The "islands" music reminds me of Henry Kapono which is another of my favorite artists. Treat yourself to some island music. It is great listening here in late January where all we wait for is to be outside without heavy coats on our backs. I know too that I'll continue listening to this CD during the summer just to enhance the atmosphere. Finally, my life is enduring a lot of stress right now, and each time I put this CD on the home stereo, the boom box at work, and in the car, the stress is carried away with the warm island breezes. My kids sing along with "Key Lime Pie". The next best thing is being there. For that I Thank You Kenny! 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
~island gettaway~,
By Joey Sciarra - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Be As You Are: Songs from An Old Blue Chair (Audio CD)
Let me first start out by saying that this is totally different than Kenny's previous albums, because every song has a beachy feel of the islands, and is not radio-ready typical "pop-country". Not for everyone, however i absolutely love this CD - it is one of the best albums I have ever bought! Low key and laid back, this is island country at its best. Also, Kenny wrote every song on here, which really shows the talent he has for song-writing and why he originally came to Nashville as a song-writer. So many good songs, and so many true stories about people that Kenny has encountered in the islands.
While "Old Blue Chair" and the title track "Be As You Are" seem to be the highlights on here, there are plenty of other relaxing & soothing songs such as "Somewhere In The Sun" and "Sherry's Living In Paradise". I have listened to this album probably over a thousand times, and it never gets old. Each song takes you to another place and another time - where there are no worries or problems. So peaceful and beachy - you can close your eyes and almost hear the ocean waves, see the sun, and feel your feet in the sand! The last song on the CD sums up this album perfectly - it's an acoustic performance of "Old Blue Chair" - with Kenny singing live on the beach with just his guitar. You can hear the ocean waves crashing peacefully in the background, which is such a nice ending to the album. I can't say in words how amazing this CD is...all I can say is that you need to hear it yourself to understand...I highly recommended buying at least one copy!!! Overall ~10/10~ 21 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Way to go, Kenny...You have arrived. . .,
By Terry Mathews - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Be As You Are: Songs from An Old Blue Chair (Audio CD)
This CD will be in rotation on my CD player forever. Didn't really know what to expect, since I missed both playings of the CMT Special, but Kenny delivers.
If you (1) love the ocean (2) love the beach lifestyle (3) have spent time on a boat (4) spent time in Key West or (5) just like to hear really good stories told in song, then, RUN to the store or do the 1-Touch Order thing here at amazon and GET THIS CD. After a day of listening, my favorites are #7 SOMETHING SEXY ABOUT THE RAIN and #11 MAGIC. Put either one of them on, grab your significant other and pretend you're dancing on the warm sand at sunset, even if you're really moving around on cold Spanish tile in your own land-locked den! KEY LIME PIE is a cute ditty. Loved it. Will be singing the chorus for a long time. SOUL OF A SAILOR harkens to Jimmy Buffett's early days. GUITARS AND TIKI BARS will get radio play, to be sure. "Guitars and tiki bars and a whole lot of love." The liner notes explain Kenny's love of the ocean. He really opens up about the pull of the sea and it feels so real. Well done, Kenny. Well done. |
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