No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems

1	Young 3:56
2	I Remember 4:52
3	A Lot of Things Different 4:43
4	The Good Stuff 3:20
5	Big Star 3:59
6	On the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful 3:34
7	Never Gonna Feel Like That Again 3:53
8	Dreams 4:11
9	No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems 3:31
10	Live Those Songs 3:50
11	One Step Up 5:53
12	I Can't Go There Bonus Track / Acoustic Version 3:45

Barnes & Noble

One photo inside the booklet for No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems shows Kenny Chesney flexing his muscles, while another has him sporting a T-shirt bearing the sentiment, "All You Need Is Love." Both images are telling, because on this disc, Chesney fortifies his sturdy contemporary country foundation with some musical muscle by way of liberal quotes from British rock influences. The powerhouse opener "Young" pulls in stylistic references to the Rolling Stones, Bad Company, and Brooks & Dunn to amplify its rousing testimonial to the carefree tender years. Pete Townshend-style power chords and razor-edged hard-rock guitar solos à la Free's Paul Kossoff are the fiery backdrop for "Live Those Songs," an exhilarating homage to the open road and rock 'n' roll. Elsewhere, Chesney settles into an enticing folk-pop sound, most notably on "A Lot of Things Different," an intimate, self-critical rumination on the road not taken, and he exhibits some neo-traditional leanings, most effectively on "Never Gonna Feel That Way Again," which counsels both living for the moment and taking responsibility, over an evocative backdrop of pedal steel, banjo, and acoustic guitar. And the witty, engaging title track rocks solid with a Latin-tinged arrangement. Lots of styles, lots of content, lots of deep feeling -- No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems is a solid step forward by an artist determined to add a new wrinkle to his game each time out. David McGee

All Music Guide

Kenny Chesney has a voice that'd be perfect for hard country, but he just doesn't have his heart in it. He likes the sweet melodies and smooth production that come with crossover country-pop, and while that may have been a frustration at one point, at least for those who consider pure country as the only guideline for quality in country, by his sixth album, 2002's No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems, he's landed upon an effortless blend of pop and twang, something that is undeniable in its crossover intentions but rather charming all the same. Perhaps Chesney relies a bit too much on ballads and mid-tempo numbers throughout this album, but even the sprightlier numbers here -- the terrific opener "Young," "Big Star" -- are not honky tonk ravers, but heartland-styled rockers that gently rock and keep the melody in the forefront. So, all of No Shoes flows smoothly, and little of it could be called pure country -- the most down-home thing about the entire enterprise is the rounded twang in his voice -- but as a mature, even-handed country-pop album, it doesn't get much better than this in 2002, since it's melodic, well produced, strong on solid material, and most of all, very well sung. It's one of the highlights in his catalog. Stephen Thomas Erlewine