Love and War (Brad Paisley album)

The album's originally intended lead single was "Without a Fight", a duet with Demi Lovato, which did not make the album's final track listing.{{cite web|url=http://theboot.com/brad-paisley-love-and-war-information/|title=Everything We Know About Brad Paisley's New Album, 'Love and War'|last=Horton|first=Carrie|date=February 16, 2017|work=The Boot|accessdate=March 16, 2017}} The first single to be included on the album is "Today".{{cite web|url=http://tasteofcountry.com/brad-paisley-love-and-war-track-listing/|title=Brad Paisley Unveils Track Listing for 'Love and War'|last=Whitaker|first=Sterling|date=March 10, 2017|work=The Boot|accessdate=March 16, 2017}} Paisley co-produced the album with Luke Wooten.

Included on the album are collaborations with Mick Jagger, John Fogerty, Timbaland, and Bill Anderson.{{cite web|url=https://www.musicrow.com/2017/03/brad-paisley-teams-with-jagger-fogerty-timbaland-on-love-and-war/|title=Brad Paisley Teams With Jagger, Fogerty, Timbaland On 'Love And War'|last=Hollabaugh|first=Laurie|date=March 10, 2017|work=MusicRow|accessdate=March 16, 2017}} The song "Gold All Over the Ground" is based on a poem written by Johnny Cash in the collection Forever Words.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/brad-paisleys-new-album-to-include-song-by-johnny-cash-w471495|title=Brad Paisley Reveals New Album Track List, Johnny Cash Collaboration|last=Gage|first=Jeff|date=March 10, 2017|magazine=Rolling Stone|accessdate=March 16, 2017}}

In April 2017, Paisley released a "visual" version of the album, which features music videos for every song, worked into a singular narrative.{{cite web | url=https://musicrow.com/2017/04/brad-paisley-releases-country-musics-first-visual-album-love-and-war/ | title=Brad Paisley Releases Country Music's First Visual Album 'LOVE AND WAR' | work=MusicRow | date=April 28, 2017 | accessdate=October 20, 2018}}

It is Paisley's first album not to feature an instrumental track.

{{Album ratings

|MC=66/100{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/love-and-war/brad-paisley | title=Love and War | work=Metacritic | accessdate=26 May 2017}}

|rev1=AllMusic

|rev1score={{rating|2.5|5}}

|rev2=Cleveland Plain Dealer

|rev2score=A–{{cite web | url=http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/04/brad_paisleys_guest-laden_love.html | title=Brad Paisley's guest-laden 'Love and War' keys on vets' plight (CD review) | work=Cleveland Plain Dealer | date=26 April 2017 | accessdate=30 April 2017 | author=Yarborough, Chuck}}

|rev3=Paste

|rev3score=6.7/10{{cite web | url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/05/paste-review-of-the-day-brad-paisley---love-and-wa.html | title=Paste Review of the Day: Brad Paisley - Love and War | work=Paste | date=5 May 2017 | accessdate=26 May 2017 | author=Ham, Robert}}

|rev4=Rolling Stone

|rev4score={{rating|3|5}}

|rev5=Variety

|rev5score=(favorable)

|rev6=Vice (Expert Witness)

|rev6score=A{{cite web | url=https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/brad-paisley-is-anti-war-anti-hater-and-at-his-best | title=Brad Paisley Is Anti-War, Anti-Hater, and at His Best | publisher=Vice | work=Noisey | date=28 April 2017 | accessdate=30 April 2017 | author=Christgau, Robert | author-link=Robert Christgau}}

}}

The album has been met with positive critical reception, with most critics showing favor toward the collaborative tracks and Paisley's use of humor. Will Hermes of Rolling Stone rated the album 3 out of 5 stars. He praised the classic rock influences of the title track and "Drive of Shame", while also considering "selfie#theinternetisforever" "entertaining". He added that "Paisley's pro enough that even his apparent phone-ins are well-crafted. But over 16 tracks, you can't help but wish that one of country's greatest would shoot consistently higher than easy chuckles and sentimental homilies."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/review-brad-paisleys-love-and-war-w478241|title=Review: Brad Paisley's 'Love and War' Is a Defiant Classic Rock Rewind|last=Hermes|first=Will|date=April 21, 2017|magazine=Rolling Stone|accessdate=April 21, 2017}} A review by Variety called the album "strong but uneven", praising Paisley's guitar solos and the collaborations with Mick Jagger, while also noting that "there is a lot of familiar thematic ground to cover in fresh ways".{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/music/reviews/brad-paisley-love-and-war-review-1202392513/|title=Review: Brad Paisley Swings for the Fences and (Mostly) Connects on 'Love and War'|last=Willman|first=Chris|date=April 21, 2017|work=Variety|accessdate=23 April 2017}} Matt Bjorke of Roughstock was also favorable, saying that "After a little bit of time to work on his music outside of the spotlight, Brad Paisley has created, with Love and War, a project which rivals his best work, even if the album is more or less what fans would've wanted out of another Brad Paisley record."{{cite web|url=http://roughstock.com/news/2017/04/41743-album-review-brad-paisley-love-and-war|title=Album Review: Brad Paisley - "Love and War"|last=Bjorke|first=Matt|date=April 20, 2017|work=Roughstock|accessdate=23 April 2017}} Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic was less positive, rating the album 2.5 stars out of 5 and noting that "While he never pushes too hard -- even the Timbaland tracks don't call attention to the beats -- the shiny production, shopworn jokes, and eager melodies have the cumulative effect of seeming too ready to please any audience that comes his way. Since Paisley still has his skills, this is often enjoyable -- he knows how to craft songs and can play a mean guitar -- but it's hard not to hear Love and War and think Paisley would be a little bit better off if he learned a lesson from Jagger and Fogerty: sometimes, it's better not to try so hard."{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-and-war-mw0003028567|title=Love and War review|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|work=Allmusic|accessdate=April 23, 2017}}

Love and War debuted at No. 1 on Billboard{{'}}s Top Country Albums chart, and at No. 13 on the US Billboard 200, selling 26,000 in pure sales copies in the US, making a total of 29,000 equivalent album units including tracks and streams.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7781702/brad-paisley-sam-hunt-john-mayer-country-charts |title=Brad Paisley's 'War' Breaks Out at No. 1; John Mayer Makes Country Chart Debut |date=May 2, 2017 |first= Jim |last=Asker|magazine=Billboard }} It has sold 71,200 copies in the US as of December 2017.{{cite news |url=http://roughstock.com/news/2017/12/42594-top-10-country-albums-chart-december-18-2017 |title=Top 10 Country Albums Chart: December 18, 2017 |first= Matt |last= Bjorke |date= December 17, 2017 |work=Roughstock }}

{{Track listing

| all_writing = Brad Paisley, with additional co-writers as noted

| title1 = Heaven South

| writer1 = {{hlist|Brent Anderson|Chris DuBois}}

| length1 = 4:15

| title2 = Last Time for Everything

| writer2 = {{hlist|Anderson|DuBois|Smith Ahnquist|Mike Ryan}}

| length2 = 3:50

| title3 = One Beer Can

| writer3 = {{hlist|Anderson|DuBois}}

| length3 = 3:46

| title4 = Go to Bed Early

| writer4 = {{hlist|Anderson|DuBois|Hannah Dasher}}

| length4 = 3:20

| title5 = Drive of Shame

| note5 = featuring Mick Jagger

| writer5 = {{hlist|Jagger|Matt Clifford}}

| length5 = 4:33

| title6 = Contact High

| writer6 = {{hlist|Kelley Lovelace|Lee Thomas Miller}}

| length6 = 4:34

| title7 = Love and War

| note7 = featuring John Fogerty

| writer7 = {{hlist|Fogerty}}

| length7 = 3:51

| title8 = Today

| writer8 = {{hlist|DuBois|Ashley Gorley}}

| length8 = 3:49

| title9 = selfie{{pound}}theinternetisforever

| writer9 = {{hlist|DuBois|Jim Beavers}}

| length9 =3:41

| title10 = Grey Goose Chase

| note10 = featuring Timbaland

| writer10 = {{hlist|Jared Gutstadt| Miller|Timothy Mosley}}

| length10 = 3:05

| title11 = Gold All Over the Ground

| writer11 = {{hlist|Johnny Cash}}

| length11 = 3:33

| title12 = Dying to See Her

| note12 = featuring Bill Anderson

| writer12 = {{hlist|Anderson}}

| length12 = 3:45

| title13 = Solar Power Girl

| note13 = featuring Timbaland

| writer13 = {{hlist|Gutstadt|Mosley}}

| length13 = 3:44

| title14 = The Devil Is Alive and Well

| writer14 = {{hlist|Robert Arthur|Kenny Lewis}}

| length14 = 3:59

| title15 = Meaning Again

| writer15 = {{hlist|Lovelace|Miller}}

| length15 = 3:45

| title16 = Heaven South (Reprise)

| writer16 = {{hlist|Anderson|DuBois}}

| length16 = 1:11

}}

{{cite web|title=Brad Paisley – Love & War|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-and-war-mw0003028567/credits|website=All Music|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=May 16, 2017}}

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}

;Vocals

• Jessi Alexander – Vocal harmony
• Bill Anderson — Featured artist
• Hannah Dasher – Vocal harmony
• John Fogerty – Featured artist
• Audrey Kate Geiger – Vocal harmony
• Wes Hightower – Vocal harmony
• Mick Jagger – Featured artist
• Gale Mayes – Vocal harmony
• Brad Paisley – Primary artist, vocal harmony
• Angela Primm – Vocal harmony
• Timbaland – Featured artist
• Baylor Wilson – Vocal harmony

{{div col end}}

;Musicians

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}

• Brent Anderson – Acoustic guitar
• Matt Clifford – Keyboards
• Randel Currie – Pedal steel
• John Fogerty – Electric guitar
• Gary Hooker – Electric guitar
• Mick Jagger – Rhythm guitar, tambourine
• Daniel Jones – Keyboards, synthesizer
• Kenny Lewis – Bass
• Kendall Marcy – Banjo, Hammond B3, keyboards, piano, synthesizer
• Gordon Mote – Keyboards, piano
• Brad Paisley – Acoustic guitar, dobro, electric guitar, mandolin
• Michael Rhodes – Bass
• Ben Sesar – Drums
• Timbaland – Percussion
• Justin Williamson – Fiddle

{{div col end}}

;Production

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}

• Matthew Berinato — Art direction
• John Carter Cash – Producer
• Scott Johnson – Production assistant
• Bob Ludwig – Mastering
• Kendall Marcy – Executive producer
• Brad Paisley – Producer
• Timothy Mosley – Producer, programming
• Luke Wooten – Producer

{{div col end}}

{{col-start}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Brad Paisley}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2017 albums

Category:Arista Records albums

Category:Brad Paisley albums