AMG Review of Hits Alive

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Hits Alive is a somewhat misleading title for Brad Paisley’s first career overview, suggesting that it’s nothing but a live album when it instead pairs a disc of studio hits with a disc of concert recordings culled from his 2010 H20 Tour. Over the course of these two discs and 25 tunes, almost all of Paisley’s Top Ten country hits appear in some fashion -- the main omissions are 2001’s “Wrapped Around” and 2009’s “Welcome to the Future,” both of which peaked at number two, while “Alcohol,” “Mud on the Tires,” and “Online” appear on both discs -- which is enough to make this a representative introduction to Paisley’s sharply updated traditionalist country, particularly because the live disc also gives him some room to roam instrumentally, showcasing the fiery guitar skills that are as distinctive as his dry sense of humor.