Greatest Hits Two (BNA, 2009)

The Kenny Chesney hit machine continues, which explains a second volume of hits. And these really are because this is his first proper greatest hits in nine years. He's enjoyed a remarkable career with only 4 singles since 1997 not hitting the top 10 (interestingly one of them was one of his signature songs She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy.) Even the one new song here, Out Last Night, hit number one.

The songs cover both the sensitive, more introspective side of Chesney where he tends to look back on his life (Young, the Road and Be As You Are) with the fun, more tropical, rocking side (When the Sun Goes Down and Beer in Mexico.) And sometimes Chesney combines the two (Living in Fast Forward). The 15 songs also underscore the fact that Chesney is no honky tonk troubadour. He informs the songs with a bit of steel guitar here and there, maybe some fiddle, but for years, he has mined the pop side of country with a voice that serves the material well.

The set leaves out a number of hits, including three number ones, - The Woman With You, Who You'd Be Today, Don't Blink, Shiftwork, Better as a Memory and Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven. Guess that means that Chesney should not wait so long before his next greatest hits package.