Rating:
Genre:
Country
Release Date: 09/15/2004
Run Time: 30:20
Kenny Chesney's second full-length,
All I Need to Know was his breakthrough record, the first to spawn
country Top Ten singles, here in the form of the slow slick title track and the sprightly
"Fall in Love," both of which go a long way toward illustrating how much more assured he sounds throughout the album.
Chesney may sound more confident, but that sometimes can lead him down dark paths, such as the sticky sentiment of
"Grandpa Told Me So." But by and large this is the first time that
Chesney sounds like a genuine
country star, whether he's easily negotiating the
Western swing lilt of the excellent
"The Bigger the Fool (The Harder the Fall)" or the rapid rhythms of
"Someone Else's Hog," plus the good-natured
boogie of
"Paris, Tennessee." But the post-
Garth punch of
"Honey Would You Stand by Me," the slow yet cheerful
blues of
"Between Midnight and Daylight," and the skillful heartache
ballad "The Tin Man" -- which deftly reworks a cliché -- really pointed the way to the future, capturing the blend of
country instrumentation and anthemic
pop that became his signature and made him a star.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide