Category Archives: paisley weekends

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Song of the Day #1,107: ‘Mud On the Tires’ – Brad Paisley

Two years after Part II, Brad Paisley released his third album, 2003’s Mud On the Tires. This one is a sentimental favorite of mine… I’d number it among his 2-3 best records.

This album is when critics and fans alike really started to stand up and take notice of Paisley’s talent. He’d had modest hits on his first two records, and they were well-received, but Mud On the Tires took things to a whole new level.

The album’s title is taken from today’s SOTD, in which it’s meant quite literally, but it’s also a metaphor for Paisley’s career. He felt that at this point he’d been around the block a few times — had a little mud on his tires — and could start stretching his wings a bit.

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Song of the Day #1,101: ‘I’m Gonna Miss Her’ – Brad Paisley

So Brad Paisley wrote almost a whole album of breakup songs, inspired by his failed relationship with a woman he took to see Father of the Bride.

And when it came time to shoot the video for one of those songs — the tongue-in-cheek ‘I’m Gonna Miss Her,’ in which he is forced to choose between his girlfriend and fishing — he thought about that movie again.

The actress playing the titular bride, Kimberly Williams, seemed like a lovely young woman — why not invite her to appear in his video?

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Song of the Day #1,100: ‘You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive’ – Brad Paisley

Brad Paisley’s second album, 2001’s Part II, further entrenched the styles he touched on in his debut and would explore throughout his career, but introduced a new focus on the album as a thematic unit. A man after my own heart, Paisley is a fan of albums as works of art unto themselves, not just collections of songs.

The story behind the concept of Part II is almost too good to be true. Paisley had seen Father of the Bride with a woman who later left him. When the sequel came out, he says he went to the same theater on the same day as that previous date with the silly notion that maybe she’d be there, too, and they could rekindle their romance. She wasn’t, and they didn’t.

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Song of the Day #1,094: ‘It Never Woulda Worked Out Anyway’ – Brad Paisley

Brad Paisley’s mischievous side was apparent right from the start, with this B-side to the ‘Who Needs Pictures’ single as early evidence.

‘It Never Would Worked Out Anyway’ is the opposite of its counterpart song more than just physically. Both tunes are sung by protagonists who have fallen out of relationships, but while the singer of yesterday’s song is lost in sad nostalgia, today’s narrator has opted for petty revenge.

Paisley expertly embraces this juxtaposition on all of his albums. He places earnest love songs against both heartbreak ballads and sarcastic put-downs. In the grand country tradition, he offers up something for everyone.

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Song of the Day #1,093: ‘Who Needs Pictures’ – Brad Paisley

For my latest installment in the weekend series, I’m turning to one of the newest additions to my stable of favorite artists — Brad Paisley.

I discovered Paisley about a year and a half ago and he’s quickly become a staple in my musical rotation. He’s one of those artists who has evolved over the years as both a writer and performer, making him a great candidate for a series of posts that presents his career chronologically.

So welcome to two months of Brad Paisley Weekends! (Dana, I bet you’re longing for the Ron Sexsmith days right about now…)

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