The Foundation

Don't you just love it when you discover one of those "perfect" albums....you know the ones, those that have no bad songs on them....The Ones You Can Listen To OVER and OVER and not get tired of either the songs or the singers or players? Well, this wonderful disk will blow you away, for sure! It is just such a pleasure and delight to pop this into the player and listen to THESE AWESOME GUYS ROCK!!! They defy what "Country Music" is supposed to be (isn't that grand in and of itself?), and they cover a wide range of "sounds", if you will, keeping you entertained with something new and different with every cut here. You may find yourself remembering Jimmy Buffett, perhaps, with the first song, the totally wonderful "Toes", sure to get you toe tapping and rocking in your seat! Song after song here is just "the best", and these guys know how to play, sing, and entertain! They can be serious, for sure, but they also keep a "twinkle" in their eyes and voices and delivery on many of these truly entertaining songs on this great album. It took some time for these Boys to Arrive, but they are NOW HERE, and they WILL BE HERE for a very long time, there is simply NO DOUBT about that, and rightly so. They have put their time in, polished themselves, and arrive with truly Noteworthy Notice. Listen to the sound clips above, and you will see what I am, and all these other reviewers here are, saying about Zac and the Boys. You're in for a very wonderful and pleasant surprise and I just bet you're gonna find yourself "taking to them" and rightly so! Happy Listening, Toe Tapping, Rocking, or Whatever you find yourself wanting to do while spinning this wonderful little silver disc! ~operabruin Read more

The first time I heard "Chicken Fried" I knew this band was going big. Then the follow up "Whatever It Is" solidified that in my mind. So I downloaded the album from Amazon.com. Man was a I blown away. How surprising it was to hear the diversity on this album. The standard country sound, the island sound, bluegrass. The sound of the song "It's Not OK" reminds me of the Asleep At The Wheels version of Hotrod Lincoln. While most of the songs are fun and up beat, there are a few that will get you thinking seriously too. Like "Highway 20 Ride," about a divorced father going through the pain of only seeing his son every other weekend. And the love song "Free" is about as good as it gets. If you don't find yourself singing along with this one I would be surprised. This is the first time in a very long time where I actually enjoy every song on an album. Although I now know all the lyrics, I could not sing them anywhere as well as Zac Brown. For a big grizzly looking guy, his voice is one of the best in the business right now. The instrumentation on the album is spot on, and again, diversified. And finally, I enjoy the fact that income from this band is helping start the Homegrown Camp, a non-profit camp for kids. Read more

I'm not specifically a country music fanatic, perferring to listen to only imo, special CW artists or bands that truly produced great songs & great, memorable, melodies. ZBB is a newer band on the scene, and this early release is imo, their very best release so far. This very upbeat & listenable (often thigh slapping jump up & dance rythms) group of songs grabs you from the very beginning and doesn't bring you back to earth until the end of the last song. 2/3rds country, and 1/3rd mix of jamaica/Jimmy Buffet styles, makes for a very unusual and refreshing batch of winning tunes. I presume its Zac who has the very pleasant country boy voice and who wrote these great, very melodic songs. Perhaps its because i have always enjoyed the songs & recordings of Travis Tritt, that i sense Zac Brown sings & plays in a similar, up beat, true country style, that exudes sympathy for interesting/prideful but ernest characters, underdogs & the working class (which includes me). This ZBB is a recording to SAVOR & play many times over the yrs, both outdoors, and indoors!! Read more

Every single song on this recording is absolute gold. Zac Brown Band puts all of their soul into performing their music, and their artistry is just fantastic. Zac Brown himself sings with every ounce of emotion fitting for whichever tune he is jamming to, and the rest of the band plays and harmonizes perfectly with him. This record is still every bit as stellar when it came out a decade ago, and will always stand the test of time for what true country and soul is about. I can't even say I have a favorite because they're all so good... but Highway 20 Ride is moving, Toes is great to dance to, Chicken Fried is purely anthemic, and their cover of Ray LaMontagne's Jolene is superb. Read more

The only complaint I have is that it was ordered on June 6 and I did not get it until June 26. Much too long a wait for a small package. Read more

My curiosity was piqued after I saw the ZBB play a fabulous live show at the 2010 Country Music Awards Festival in Nashville. On the strength of that performance, I decided to buy the CD. My take: while the record is quite listenable, I must confess I was hoping for something more. Perhaps I'd be more satisfied if several of the tunes didn't make me think of Kenney Chesney channeling Jimmy Buffet back in his Conch Republic days. It also would've been nice if the songs had offered the band a chance to stretch out and show off some of the improvisational skills they displayed live. Still, I want to be clear: I don't regret the purchase. The material is fine, the playing and production values are excellent, and Zac Brown's voice is very pleasing. Still, I'd (perhaps unrealistically) hoped for a recording that was a better reflection of the live experience. Perhaps I should check out their new release... Read more