For the final installment of Brad Paisley week, I will demonstrate that Brad Paisley is one hell of a musician.
Reading his early reviews, it’s funny to see critics speculate whether a guy with his guitar chops could be taken seriously as a singer and writer of songs. This was before he became one of the top selling artists in country music, of course.
Paisley does play a mean guitar, but today’s song is meant to illustrate not just his skill but his desire to surround himself with top musicians.
His albums are chock full of wonderful fiddle and slide guitar work and he always makes room for at least one extended instrumental that gives the band a chance to let loose. He even released a whole album of instrumentals a few years back.
I love listening to a full band tear into a swinging country song. I loved that even when I hated country music. There is something about the combination of instruments on songs like these that really combines to spin some kind of magic… my guess is the fiddle is the key ingredient.
On a summer trip to Tennessee, my family went to a popular bar/restaurant where diners are expected to dance between courses in the old-fashioned barn dancing style. That feel-good vibe is what I get from songs like this one.
‘Make a Mistake’ starts off with Paisley alone on his electric guitar, noodling through a sweet little ditty that (based on numerous amateur YouTube attempts) is pretty damn difficult to play. Then he hits a wrong chord (intentionally) and invites the whole band to join in, kicking off an extended instrumental that shows off each member in turn.
You say what if we’re not meant to be
Well you know what so what
Make a mistake with me
Nobody goes through this life and does
Everything perfectly
We’re all gonna fail so you might as well
Make a mistake with me
Sometimes baby when we take
A chance that has this much at stake
We look back and in hindsight
What seemed wrong looks more like right
So I say worst case we’ll be left with
Lots of good memories
This chance we have well it’s worth that
So make a mistake with me
I’m tellin’ you the right thing to do
Is make a mistake
Make a mistake
Make a mistake with me
Meet Me In Montauk 
I know what you mean about responding to this aspect of country music long before becoming a fan of any particular country music artists. I remember as a kid watching Charlie Daniels and his band tear into “Devil went down to Georgia” (I think that’s what it’s called) and just loving the way they PLAYED that song.
This is an interesting choice to showcase his talent, as it does start off deceptively simple. I can’t think of the title of the song on the new album that impressed me, but I was just commenting on the fiddle playing (or at least I was assuming it was fiddle playing; Dana wasn’t so sure) the other day.
When we were touring the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame, I realized that the respect for “session musicians” was an aspect of country music I had never considered before. I always assumed jazz musicians worked that way – getting jobs to play in this show or on that album, but I didn’t know that country music worked much the same way. And the respect the front men (and women) show to these artists who are backing them is immense. So it’s nice to see Paisley do it “on the record.” 🙂
Okay, confession: In anticipation of writing on today’s SOTD, based on what I had heard of Paisley so far, I had this thought running through my mind–Paisley is generic and ordinary. This is not to say that he is bad–but just not all that interesting, groundbreaking, etc to merit a theme week and accompanying platitudes.
Now, while I still feel that way about the other songs I have heard, this song made me stop in my tracks. This song breaks out of the country paint by numbers, both musically and lyrically, and enters into the more rarefied air that artists such as KD Lang, Lyle Lovett and Bonnie Raitt occupy. In this song, we have not only clever lyrics, but changes in musical tone and tempo and the introduction of full out country jazz swing. This may be the first song of Paisley’s I have heard that, if left all alone in my car, I would play more than once. So, nice way to end (and in my mind save) this theme week.
I recently became more aware of session musicians when I kept seeing the same names creep up on albums by Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams, Elvis Costello and others, and when those artists attributed much of their great sound to those men and women (mostly men). Now, fittingly given their behind-the-scenes stature, I can’t name any of those great musicians off the top of my head… but now I notice their work on albums like these more than ever.
Lyle Lovett’s Natural Forces, which was a disappointment in that it didn’t cover any new ground and contained very few Lovett originals, is nevertheless a wonderful album to listen to for the musical chops of that great band.
Dana, you’d find more songs like this on Paisley’s albums… the instrumentals, in particular, are pretty ambitious. I don’t share your reaction to his other stuff (obviously) but I agree that this one is a standout.
Eh – just goes to show the whole different strokes thing. This is my least favorite song you featured this week. Not that I don’t like it or appreciate it, but I like the others much more and would find myself wanting to play them before I’d seek this one out again. So 😛 there.
I just realized that this would be the first Grammy Awards show when none of us will fast forward through the country music awards 🙂
well, speak for yourselves–I still would happily skip right on through the country stuff:)
Paisley didn’t make the cutoff this year, but I’ll root on Taylor Swift and Sugarland. I don’t suspect Maddie will let you touch that remote when Taylor is anywhere near the stage. 🙂
The Zac Brown Band is also supposed to be pretty wonderful. And, no, we won’t be touching the remote when Taylor is on the stage.
Well it isnt like I want to see Taylor win THAT much more that you 🙂 I think this a cute song. While i am a little dissapointed Little Moments was not given a category, I still a very happy with the selctions for this week 🙂 Maybe a Keith Urban one next? 😛
I’m a one-man guy. One country man, anyway. 🙂
Sure you are 😛 you will regret it, Keith has a great album
Which one do you recommend?
Defying Gravity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxwLQmPHkT8
This is one I particularly like – “Sweet Thing”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrXIUuaxmwk
And here’s another… As you wondered in your post about the Paisley album, I do believe there are quite a few country singers who fit this particular niche and whose music we would likely enjoy. We’ve been splitting our listening time between Brad and Keith and enjoying them both immensely.
Hey look what I found 🙂
Zac Brown Band playing Devil Went to Georgia… How cool and ironic is that?
Appropriate that Paisley and Urban did a duet (that appeared on Paisley’s album of instrumentals… though it’s not an instrumental):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ7iaYKUrBM
I like both of those Keith Urban songs. Another good find.
Dana must be quietly sobbing in the corner of the living room right about now. 🙂
WARNING: CUTENESS OVERLOAD
I could watch that video a dozen times. And it’s hard to argue with the lyrics, as they attracted not only some girl who wouldn’t talk to them in school – but bona fide Hollywood actresses!! 😉
The playing of each other’s guitars is quite homoerotic, don’t you think?
Ha 🙂 Yes, I very much thought, but I refrained from mentioning it for fear I would be accused of offering a less than pure interpretation of their “duet.”
that video is adorable XD and Dad is threatning to leave us for a jewish family (supposedly Jewish people do not like country music) 😛