Time Well Wasted (Arista Nashville, 2005)

Brad Paisley usually does a wonderful job at balancing his silly side ("Celebrity"), with the more serious part of his personality, which is best represented by "He Didn't Have To Be." But while the funny stuff on his new release is undeniably fresh and entertaining, his straight songs just fall flat more often than not.

The single "Alcohol" is a perfect example of Paisley's superior comedic skills. But "I'll Take Your Back," which is a variation on the old 'when hell freezes over' theme, and "You Need A Man Around Here," which informs a woman that she needs, "Someone to kill the spiders/Change the channels and drink the beer," are also rib ticklers. The closing musical theatre of "Cornography" with George Jones and Dolly Parton, is unfortunately a cute idea that just doesn't fly.

When Paisley puts on a straight face ("The World"), his effort at making a serious point just comes off feeling labored. Nevertheless, his duet with Dolly Parton on the spiritualized "When I Get Where I'm Going," is a certified inspirational winner. Although Paisley doesn't always get the balance quite right here, "Time Well Wasted" is nevertheless no waste of time.