John Anderson
Paradise

by Brett Ratner

I t's ironic that Mark Knofler makes an appearance on Paradise by John Anderson.

The Dire Straits axman lends some string bending to "Let the Guitar Do the Talking." This raucous blues-ish tune with a title that begs for a cameo gives Knofler an opportunity to lay down some fairly mundane licks well at least by his standards. If Anderson would have looked passed the titles, he would have dropped Mark into "A Long Hard Lesson Learned." The brooding, floating, minor-flavored tune sounds like it was pulled straight out of D.S.'s On Every Street. While studio stalwart Dann Huff is certainly no slouch, the song literally PLEADS for Knofler's soulful leads.

Nonetheless, Anderson proves himself a master of many moods. "Come Back Around" is pure pop radio. "It Wouldn't Kill Me" provides the obligatory tear jerker ballad. "Bad Weather" shows Anderson's bluesy, jazzy side while "They Spent Forever," delves back into more traditional country. Anderson seems comfortable in whatever style he chooses to play.

On the other hand, the lyrics are painfully pedestrian. For example, "He got a job, working at the factory/she stayed home and took care of the kids," is one of the more artful phrases. Not that the listener should be expecting Lord Byron poetry, but the concept of imagery seems to completely escape the man. Regardless, there is a simple wisdom and positive message inherent to almost all of Anderson's tunes, regardless if the message is stated eloquently or not.

Overall, Paradise is an album that teaches you to appreciate the life's simple pleasures and be good to people. That message, coupled with flawless musical execution and Anderson's strained but pleasing voice makes for a pretty good album. Anderson is capable of better, regardless of where he drops the cameo appearences.