The Big Revival

"

Growin' up in little pink houses, Makin' out on living room couches, Blowin' that smoke on Saturday night, A little messed up, but we're all alright ..."

With 'American Kids', written by Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird and Shane McAnally, as the early single before album release, Kenny Chesney landed one of the biggest hits of his career - in a long time. The contagious upbeat song, does not necessarily sound like something you would expect coming from Kenny Chesney. After all it neither sounds like nor deals with the islands, the favored topic of recent albums.

But the unmistakable melody and rhythm gave him one of the biggest summer hits of 2014 and his first Country Number 1 hit in a while. And with 800.000 units sold and still counting, it even landed him in the Pop Top-40.

While Kenny Chesney has long ascended into the league of superstars playing stadiums on a regular basis, his albums lately were not commercially that succesful.

2010 saw the release of most likely one of the best albums of his career so far, "Hemingway's Whiskey", which also achieved huge commercial success with 4 number 1 songs. And on top it contained the live favorite of  'You And Tequila', recorded with Grace Potter, which went to Number 3.

Following up with "Welcome to the Fishbowl" (2012) and "Life On a Rock" (2013) two less commercial albums were released, delivering only one Number 1 songs ('Come Over' from Fishbowl). Both albums were rather somber and contemplativ and they dared to deal with topics such as Alzheimer ('While He Still Knows Who I Am'), fatal desease ('Sing 'Em Good My Friend'), early death ('Happy On the Hey Now [A Song for Kristi]') und homelessness ('Lindy').

This earned him my highest respect and proved that he has matured into a thinking artist, who is capable of offering more than just huge stadium shows for (potentially drunk people).

In 2014 we do not see Kenny Chesney on tour, as he is focusing on the new album "The Big Revival", which was released at the end of September 2014. Does the title stand for a rebirth, a renaissance of the artist?
Judging from 'American Kids', it has indeed brought Kenny Chesney back to the top of the charts.
And the rest of the album also returns to a more electrified country-rock sound which steers clear of deep emotional and difficut topics, and follows the upbeat mood of 'American Kids' with songs like 'Drink It Up', 'Til Its Gone', 'Beer Can Chicken', 'Flora-Bama' and 'Save It For A Rainy Day'.

The almost only calm and quiet spot on the album belongs to the romantic ballad 'Wild Child', for which Grace Potter again sings a soft, almost background vocal.

Almost the only bad feeling on the album gets bottled up in the catchy 'Rock Bottom', with it heavy stadium-rock guitars.

My personal highpoint however is the keyboard driven 'If This Bus Could Talk'. It talks about the sights, sounds and memories of a singers career (easily autobiographical), told by -and this is the unexpected twist- the tour bus, which safely guided him along the way.

The title cut 'The Big Revival' about a fiery preacher, with its heavy drums and screaming guitars has been recorded before by several other artists: John Anderson, Joanna Cotten, as well as Montgomery Gentry.

(Photo: Shaun Silva)

Barely edged out by the Jazz-Duett Album "Cheek to Cheek" of Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett (which sold 131.000 vs. 130.000 units of "The Big Revival"), the album entered the  US-Billboard 200 Pop Album Charts at number 2 on September 28th, 2014.
A modern feel-good album, which I recommend to be heard!