By Deborah Evans Price

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - When it comes to country music concerts, cowboy hats are usually the headgear of choice. Lately, however, when Brad Paisley looks out from the stage, he sees a lot of lampshades -- thanks to his hit single "Alcohol."

Fans have enthusiastically embraced the song, particularly the line "I'll bet you a drink or two that I can make you put that lampshade on your head."

Paisley admits he was "kind of nervous in the same way I was nervous when we (released) 'The Fishin' Song' and 'Whiskey Lullaby.' (It was) taking a little bit of a risk -- and, if anything, those usually pay off."

Indeed they have. The song, which is No. 5 this week on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, previews Paisley's 16-song collection "Time Well Wasted," which goes on sale August 16. The tune is the artist's 15th single, following such chart-toppers as "He Didn't Have to Be," "We Danced," "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)" and "Mud on the Tires." Each of Paisley's three previous albums has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Assn. of America, with his last release, "Mud on the Tires," achieving double-platinum status. He has also collected five Country Music Assn. awards.

Paisley, who is on the verge of becoming country music's next male superstar, will tour this fall with Sara Evans and Sugarland on a CMT-sponsored outing. Early this year Paisley and Evans partnered for a sold-out tour.

NEW PERSPECTIVE

"I was more mindful this time on what songs would go over live," Paisley says of recording "Time Well Wasted." "Within the last two years, I've really seen a difference in touring. That part is really starting to click, and I started to realize that an album is not the only thing that I'm here to do.

"I used to feel like my career was based around an album, and it still is -- every time you put out an album, that's the big thing you're driving around the country to promote. But when you've had three successful albums and 13 or 14 hit songs, at this point now it's more about continuing" to build a career.

Paisley wrote or co-wrote 10 of the songs on "Time Well Wasted," which includes appearances by several special guests, including Paisley pals Little Jimmy Dickens, Bill Anderson, George Jones and William Shatner. Dolly Parton duets on the ballad "When I Get Where I'm Going," which is preceded by a retro-sounding rendition of gospel classic "The Uncloudy Day."

Paisley also duets with labelmate Alan Jackson on the Guy Clark/Darrell Scott tune "Out in the Parkin' Lot." "I can really picture two guys sitting on the tailgate of a truck, doing exactly what the song says," Paisley says. "And when you talk about singing with somebody, it might as well be one of your heroes."

The album also includes the ballad "She's Everything," written by Paisley and Will Nance. "It's very meaningful to me," Paisley says of the song penned for his wife, actress Kimberly Williams Paisley. "I've never done a serious love song. In (previous hit) 'Little Moments,' she was always burning the cake or something."

Paisley's creativity on "Time Well Wasted" extends beyond the music to the cover art, which he designed with Katherine Stratton. Inspired by a Salvador Dali painting he saw while on vacation in Italy, Paisley came up with the concept and drew the paisley-shaped clock that hangs from his guitar neck on the cover.

"I wanted it to stand out a little different because this is a different album to me than anything I've ever done," the West Virginia native says. "It's the job of an album cover to reflect what's inside. I feel it does."

Reuters/Billboard

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