He begins the disc the way he ended his last disc, When The Sun Goes Down. And yes, that means the EXACT same way. Old Blue Chair, the last track on When The Sun Goes Down, is the opening track to Be As You Are. Obviously, if you didn't enjoy the track the first time around, you certainly won't like it this time. But it's a pretty good song that is obviously close to Kenny's heart. Also, you can hear this track at the end of this disc as well, this time in an Ocean Mix. The "ocean mix" (AKA acoustic version) actually brings something to the song that makes it better and possibly even pleasing to many who didn't like the original version.
Don't get confused, however. This is not a disc full of old tracks or some sort of greatest hits collection. This is indeed a brand new disc with brand new songs. Kenny brings the flavor of the islands he so longs to be at to many of these tracks. Key Lime Pie and Guitars And Tiki Bars both bring the Carribean flavor to the table, and it works pretty well. A song that is lacking a bit lyrically (Key Lime Pie, a song about, well, key lime pie) is suddenly made into something you can get into and enjoy with the island instruments put forth.
That flavor can heard a little bit in some other tracks as well, such as Sherry's Living In Paradise. But this disc is about laying back musically and just singing about the experiences gone through in life. Be As You Are is a song simply about that...being as you are. The aforementioned Sherry's Living In Paradise speaks of a woman who happy simply to be able to live in the place she knows as paradise, even when things might be tough, annoying or maddening.
The theme to this disc is clearly about the island life. Magic, Island Boy, Soul Of A Sailor and most every other song on the disc give us a song that has to do with the islands in some way. Yet, it is not the island life that is the important part. The experiences that come from the island life are what shine through on this disc.
There's even a little bit of lovin' on the disc. Something Sexy About The Rain seems to be the standout track on this disc. It speaks of a lost love, but not in a "Let me drink away my sorrows way." INstead, Kenny focuses on the great memories that they had...in the rain. Yes, there really is just something sexy about the rain.
All in all, this disc a step back and maybe a step out for Kenny musically. It's definitely a lot softer than most of the stuff you're used to from Kenny. At the same time, he's able to pull it off quite well. Certain tracks have minor issues that could've been addressed, but, when all is said and done, the disc is quite good. It may take a few listens to truly get into, but it's well worth the money and the first few listens, because the disc is quite enjoyable.