What I wouldn't give to live life on a rock! I love my family, friends and playing music for a living but with nary a second thought I would leave it all and go find my place in the sun and surf, especially with the crazy "spring" weather we've had this week in Kansas City. I have a better idea as to why Kenny Chesney chooses to live on that island with his new release, Life on a Rock. To begin with, this is not a commercial album in the sense of his past releases. Mr. Chesney has stated that these songs will not get much radio airplay…and that is ok; sometimes an artist just has to do something for themselves; they just need to cleanse the soul with the primal urge to scream from the top of their lungs that which is bottled up inside of them. With Life on a Rock, Mr. Chesney has cleansed his soul, opened himself up and given us an authentic, genuine and emotional look at his Life on a Rock.
First and foremost, I love these kinds of records so you will not get any complaint from me on its content. Life on a Rock picks up right where his Songs from an Old Blue Chair album left off. In my mind, that record was one of his absolute best. Again, it did not receive much airplay but it was chalk full of songs that had deep, personal and emotional meaning that when you close your eyes you can feel running through your veins. I like music that moves me and makes me feel something. Mr. Chesney has taken inventory of not only his life but the life that surrounds him and created a piece of work that is moving, deeply personal, introspective, emotional, and thoughtful; thoughtful in the sense of trying to piece it all together and figure it all out.
There are too many moments in these tracks to single out favorites. This is a record that needs to be heard as a whole in order to really gain its full effect. I would suggest a glass of wine and outdoors surrounded by nature. These tracks will provoke great thought and provide for moments of intense and stimulating conversation surrounding what is real and important instead of that which is phony and transparent. The lyrics are heartfelt, brutally honest and real; I believe we can all see ourselves in this music. The production value is exactly what it needs to be; simple and unimposing but a graceful yet collaborative companion to the songs meaning. Think of two lovers as they stroll, shoeless, together on a beach at sunset, holding hands as the wave's crash around them; oblivious to the world around them but completely in tune and syncopation with one another.
We are all just trying to do the best we can in this world and Mr. Chesney has captured that essence of life extremely well with Life on a Rock.
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