Live Those Songs Again

Any true Kenny Chesney fan understands that his recorded music differs from his live concerts. In the studio, Chesney has more freedom to roam and muse on the meditative subjects that form the foundation of his deeper ballads, beachy twang ditties, and well crafted country rockers. But in a wide open live setting the man puts on explosively fun engagements that sell out stadiums and leave fans screaming for more, and this live album was culled from recordings that span half a decade of epic arena rocking nights. The roar of the audience is edited and segued (without sounding canned) to give the impression that all of these songs were recorded from one evening, making for a wonderfully imaginary concert of back-to-back powerhouse performances. "Live Those Songs" ignites the album with an explosive insta-hit, leaning so heavily on 1980s AOR production and instrumentation that it's easy to understand why Bon Jovi went country on 2007's Lost Highway. Uncle Kracker shows up for a cameo duet on a lackadaisical, daiquiri swilling version of "When The Sun Goes Down," serving to remind us that the next best invention to the iPod is the hammock.