Brad Paisley, to me, is easily one of the most impressive artists to break out in the past decade. This, his first effort, was a very good one. Paisley's most impressive quality is his versatility; he can sing excellent emotional ballads, can quickly shift gears to a fun and humorous song, and in nearly every song displays pretty darn impressive guitar chops. He's a little twangy, so the fringe country fan might be bothered by that...but for any true fan of country music, Brad offers something for any mood you might be in.

The highlights of this CD:
My favorite song on this album is probably "He Didn't Have To Be," the true ballad sung in honor of his stepdad. Great lyrics, beautifully sung by Paisley.
"We Danced" is another great ballad that comes in a close second for me. The lyrics aren't quite as deep as "He Didn't Have To Be," but they're still very pleasant to listen to. Honorable mention to "Who Needs Pictures," another strong ballad.

Picking up the pace, "Long Sermon" is an amusing cut with an enjoyable and catchy beat. "Me Neither" is hilarious on the first couple of listens...though I found it to be short on lasting power. Still, while the novelty of the lyrics wears off somewhat quickly, there's some excellent guitar work pinned on the end of that one. "Don't Breathe" is another fun one..."fun" might be an odd description of a song about heartache, but I do think it's Paisley's intention in this one.

"Nervous Breakdown" is a good instrumental track on the CD, and "In The Garden," a traditional gospel song, is a refreshing part of the CD (and is a nice start to Brad's now consistent pattern of including a gospel song on each album).

There's a little bit of filler on this album, but not much I wouldn't say. I quickly thought of 8 tracks I enjoyed on the disc that I enjoy quite a bit, without ever having to look back to the CD...for a debut album, that's a very impressive number in my view. Fans of Brad Paisley would definitely do well to pick this album up if they don't yet have it...while Mud on the Tires is probably his best effort yet, Who Needs Pictures is a solid runner-up.

Good strong debut. This guy knows how to handle a guitar. This set will please anyone who gets tired of Lonestar, Mark Wills or Rascal Flatts. This is good, traditional-sounding-but-still-fresh country. The reason why I do not give this a top rate is because two songs here don't work for. They're ballads that both made him very successful on the charts. They're also the most charts-oriented songs here. I found them both boring because a little too heavy on seriousness. I mean, there will no doubt be thousands of people calling radio stations requesting those songs because they mean something to them, but if you like your country light, traditional and highly entertaining, you'll skip 'em. Anyway, don't let these songs keep you from buying this effort. It is great and a breeze of fresh air on today's Nashville productions.

It really is. I fell in love with this guy after hearing this record so long ago...his "triple threat" status to other country acts does not go unnoticed (he can sing, play, AND write). His voice is among the best. There are cute, funny songs like Me Neither and It Never Woulda, and absolutely gorgeous ballads (Who Needs Pictures, Holdin' On To You, and the heart-wrenching He Didn't Have to Be). I also really like Cloud of Dust and In the Garden, which ends the album nicely.

Near perfect. Brad Paisley is a welcome and much needed addition to country music. Hope he follows in George Strait's footsteps one day.