Personnel: Kenny Chesney (vocals); Don Potter (acoustic guitar); Brent
Rowan (electric guitar); "Cowboy" Eddie Long (steel guitar); Joe Spivey
(fiddle); Terry McMillan (harmonica, percussion); Bobby Ogdin, Phil Naish,
Barry Beckett (keyboards); Michael Rhodes (bass); Eddie Bayers (drums);
Dennis Wilson, Curtis "Mr. Harmony" Young, Harry Stinson, Ricky Skaggs (background vocals).
Kenny Chesney may seem like just another one of the many young up'n-comers on the country scene, but his talent as a songwriter sets him above the many other faceless honky-tonkers polluting Nashville. On ALL I NEED TO KNOW, Chesney wears his influences prouder than most--the old-fashioned artistry of George Jones and Merle Haggard can be heard in most of his songs, as can the rock-edged sensibility of Charlie Daniels.
The up-tempo, spirited "Fall In Love" is typical of his fresh "boots and roots" sound. His metaphorical ballad "Tin Man" is about the need to protect oneself from the pain of a broken heart, while the countrified hoe-down "Someone Else's Hog" is a humorous look at marrying into money. Things turn sensitive with "Grandpa Told Me So," a tender ballad about the interplay of generations on which Chesney delves into the same emotions Keith Whitley so effectively captured in his music.
Through the fiddle and steel instrumentation, down-home sentiments and the Tennessee catch in his voice, ALL I NEED TO KNOW accurately captures the spirit of traditional country.