single from this record with “She's Country,” – a song that topped country music charts. The track is an ode to born and raised country girls and is sure to have those same girls on their feet at every concert. It is the kind of song Aldean does best - loud, gritty and rocking.
The title track, “Wide Open,” parallels the ups and downs of Aldean's career. Just as he did what he needed to do to pay the bills while working towards his dreams, the girl in this song is living in the moment, working as a waitress and knowing that is not where her road ends. The line “She's slinging eggs and bacon with a college education” sums up what the song is all about and eventually, the waitress quits her job to take on the wide open world.
“Big Green Tractor” is a southern man's take on romance, trading in horse drawn carriages for John Deere tractors. It is loaded with innuendo and is the kind of love song a man can sing along with without jeopardizing his masculinity. This song was made for country radio and is Aldean's biggest hit to date. "Big Green Tractor" is currently sitting at the top of the charts for the fourth straight week.
With Wide Open, Aldean shows his continued growth as an artist with songs like “Fast” which marks the transition from the known to the unknown and “This I Gotta See,” a track that is loaded with descriptive lyrics of the surrounding sites as he drives towards his better half who is waiting for him on their front porch, wearing his sweatshirt. “Don't Give Up On Me” is another moving ballad in which patience is asked of a significant other while he works on his own faults.
Two tracks on the album offer different views on chasing dreams. In “Keep The Girl,” Aldean is faced with leaving everything behind in an attempt to catch his dream or give up his dream to keep the girl he does not want to lose. “Crazy Town” is a love/hate letter to Nashville, telling the story of just how difficult it is to make in “Hollywood with a touch of twang.” When Aldean sings the lyric 'smile as the record man shoots you down,' the listener knows Aldean sings from personal experience.
Wide Open is an aptly titled third album from Aldean. Loaded with songs about growing up, changing and moving on, the tracks of Wide Open leave the listener with the feeling that the world truly is wide open to them. Aldean not only met exceptions with Wide Open, he exceeded them by leaving the listener inspired to go chase their own dreams – musical or otherwise.
Jason Aldean: 'Wide Open' – Album Review
by Sarah Wyland
Jason Aldean was weeks from packing up his Music City dreams and heading back home to Georgia when he signed with Broken Bow Records. He went to work recording his self-titled debut album and has been churning out hit songs ever since, including “Hicktown,” “Why,” “Amarillo Sky” and “Johnny Cash.” With the kind of success Aldean has enjoyed however comes high expectations and Aldean delivers with his third studio album, Wide Open.
Just as he has done with his first two albums, Aldean chose a rocking, attention-grabbing lead off
Added: September 2009
