Who Needs Pictures

1	Long Sermon 3:18
2	Me Neither 3:19
3	Who Needs Pictures 3:45
4	Don't Breathe 2:53
5	He Didn't Have to Be 4:42
6	It Never Woulda Worked out Anyway 2:41
7	Holdin' on to You 3:00
8	I've Been Better 4:07
9	We Danced 3:45
10	Sleepin' on the Foldout 3:23
11	Cloud of Dust 4:05
12	The Nervous Breakdown 3:29
13	In the Garden 4:30

Barnes & Noble

Don't be fooled. Paisley may look like another of those Nashville assembly-line sensitive hunks, but there's more to WHO NEEDS PICTURES than meets the eye. Cowriting every song but one on his million-selling debut, Paisley delivers his material in an engaging voice redolent with the warmth, feeling, and easygoing delivery of George Strait. Much like that subversive Texas rancher, Paisley displays a wry sense of humor at every turn. The massive hit single "Me Neither," a witty take on a familiar courtship two-step, and the wistful "I've Been Better" are note-perfect examples of Strait-style understatement. But Paisley offers more than the sincerest form of flattery here. He's got his own voice as a writer and a heart singularly attuned to relationships' twists and turns. He's also one hot guitar picker, firing off speedy lines on such barn-burners as "Don't Breathe" and flawlessly slithering up and down the neck on the powerhouse instrumental "Cloud of Dust." Telling moments: "He Didn't Have To Be," a beautiful account of an adoptive father's enduring love, and "In the Garden," a reverent interpretation of the gospel standard -- something you're unlikely to find on a mainstream country album today. WHO NEEDS PICTURES is as full of pleasant surprises as Brad Paisley is of promise. Gotta love where he's coming from. David McGee

All Music Guide

It's easy to glance at Brad Paisley and assume that he's another in a long line of contemporary country artists that get by on their good looks instead of their talent, but his debut album Who Needs Pictures suggests otherwise. Paisley follows the pattern set by such neo-traditionalists as George Strait, Randy Travis, and Alan Jackson, yet he adds a bit of a pop sheen -- never as much as John Michael Montgomery, but similar to Tim McGraw. Although it boasts a shiny, clean production, Who Needs Pictures keeps itself firmly within country territory, even if it doesn't feel like its roots dig that deep. Similarly, Paisley's voice is a little thin, lacking the resonance of a Travis, but it is appealing, as are his songs, all of which he co-wrote with a host of collaborators (most notably Chris DuBois and Kelley Lovelace). His material may be a little cutesy, but it's catchy, particularly on the faster numbers. Those tunes are surprisingly diverse, ranging from the Western swing-styled "It Never Woulda Worked Out Anyway" and the breezy "I've Been Better" to the skittering Bakersfield instrumental "The Nervous Breakdown," the rocking contemporary country opener "Long Sermon," and the winning honky tonk of "Sleepin' on the Foldout." And even if his ballads tend to drag, "He Didn't Have to Be" is strikingly autobiographical and heartfelt, showcasing his potential in that area, as well. So, even if Who Needs Pictures is a little uneven, it hits considerably more than it misses, and those hits suggest Brad Paisley is an artist worth following. Stephen Thomas Erlewine