By Jules Cantor ’11, Sports Section Editor
Upon the announcement of the release of Zac Brown Band’s “You Get What You Give,” country music fans were ecstatic about the Atlanta-based sextet’s fourth release. After an extremely successful record, “The Foundation,” which featured four Billboard country number one singles, expectations were extremely high. Unfortunately, as I put the CD on in my car for the first time and listened one time through, I realized there was no way that this record would live up to its predecessor. While there are a few very good songs on “You Get What You Give,” the CD as a whole is somewhat disappointing.
The first song that catches the listener’s ear is “Knee Deep,” featuring Jimmy Buffett. The song is reminiscent in lyrics and feeling of the song “Toes” off of “The Foundation.” The song talks about vacationing by the ocean, with “the only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair.” The Brown-Buffett combination is also reminiscent of Buffett’s own “Margaritaville.” With a catchy rhythm and a chill-out sentiment, this song is certainly worth a listen.
Next is “No Hurry.” This song is a slow but meaningful piece about how life should be lived in the moment, and how one should not worry about the things in life that can’t be changed. This is a manifestation of the band’s versatility, as they can transition from a song as upbeat and fun as “Knee Deep,” and still produce a quality slow song on the next track of a CD.
After a series of disappointments, the listener reaches the tenth track, where they hear “As She’s Walking Away,” featuring Alan Jackson. I wouldn’t be surprised if this song becomes the biggest hit off of “You Get What You Give.” Though one can sing the lyrics to “Hey There Delilah” by the Plain White T’s to much of the song, the instrumental piece is very quintessential country. This is certainly one worth having in your music library.
Finally, “Keep Me in Mind,” is another fun song that I have found myself listening to every morning on the way to school. Though I believe that “As She’s Walking Away” will be the biggest hit, this is my personal favorite from the album. It combines a great guitar part with lyrics the listener can relate to, like “How come all the pretty girls like you are taken, baby?” Though it doesn’t compare to some of the music on the Zac Brown Band’s earlier records, it is very well written.
Overall, after a long and grueling anticipation for this CD, I found myself wanting more, feeling that Zac Brown and his boys had more to offer than what they gave us. Don’t get me wrong, there is some very good music on this album but since the Zac Brown Band’s previous record had four number 1 hits, I felt its encore needed to be better. It will be interesting to see the national response, but my own intuition and taste in music tells me that “You Get What You Give” will not be as well received as the band’s prior work.
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