Part II
Brad Paisley's unabashedly back-to-basics 1999 debut,Who Needs Pictures, went platinum.Part IIcontinues in that direction with 13 songs (10 of them cowritten by Paisley) that build on that impressive beginning. While "Two People Fell in Love" and "I Wish You'd Stay" overflow with heart and eloquence, he's witty on "Two Feet of Topsoil," loungy on "You Have That Effect on Me," and loopy with "Come on Over Tonight." He evokes his West Virginia roots with a stark rendition ofDarrell Scott's "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive."Buck Owens,George Jones, andBill Andersonjoin him on the obligatory vocal event, Anderson's "Too Country." But Paisley's courage goes further. It takes nerve to slap an instrumental ("Munster Rag") on any Nashville-produced album in 2001 and even greater fortitude to close it out with an emotional acoustic performance of "The Old Rugged Cross" recorded live at the Opry.Part IImakes one magnificent, resounding point: mainstream Nashville, try as it might, hasn't quite succeeded in confining traditional country to the Hall of Fame--Rich Kienzle