Real Country, Real Hits. A must for your Truck CD Player

Buying 'Greatest Hits' CD's these days is risky business - often the songs are not hits, and are less than great. But country music's modern day George Jones has real hits every time he releases a song. And there are a lot of selections that belong on this CD, but did not make the cut because of quality of his art.

My advice if you are asking, is to buy this CD, put it in the CD player in your truck, and enjoy an hour or so of today's best country singer singing his best stuff.

well, it's Alan

Alan Jackson is an anomaly in modern country music. He's a traditionalist in an era tending away from tradition, and he continually defies the odds by remaining popular and relevant. His second greatest hits album does not sound like quite as much of a throwback to the old country style as his first greatest hits album did: there is an undeniable radio-friendly sheen to the music. It feels contemporary. Still, at the center of the music is Jackson, expressing his down-home sentiments in an impressive country voice; when the instrumentation and production stray into pop territory, we still have Alan there to hold it all together and bring it back home. Which makes this collection a fine one indeed, with a whole line-up of instantly recognizable radio hits from the past several years. Very enjoyable.

Must-Have Collection

Since releasing his first "Greatest Hits Collection," Alan Jackson has continued to write and record some truly great country music. Covering the period from 1996 - 2002, the second volume of hits contains some of his best work ever, especially the heartbreaking "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" (#1 for 5 weeks in 2001-2002), which Alan penned in the wake of the attack on the World Trade Center. The song finally gave Alan a Country Music Association Award for Single of the Year, and it's worthy of every accolade.



People sometimes forget what a talented writer Alan is, but he wrote a number of other songs here. One of the best is "Little Man" (#3 in 1999), which eloquently describes the disappearance of small businesses run by the eponymous "little" men. The fun and rollicking "Where I Come From" (#1 for 3 weeks in 2001) describes his upbringing, where there was "a lot of front porch pickin" and "cornbread and chicken." Finally, this CD includes Alan's simple but amazing tribute to his father - "Drive (For Daddy Gene)" (#1 for 4 weeks in 2002).



Although Alan is a great songwriter, he's savvy enough to collect material from other great songsmiths. "Right on the Money" (#1 for 1 week in 1999) is a mid-tempo song written by Charlie Black and Phil Vassar, with a chorus that implants itself in your brain. "I'll Go On Loving You" (#3 in 1998) was composed by Kieran Kane; it's an unusual song for Alan - mostly spoken word over a beautiful string-drenched score. "Everything I Love" is vintage Jackson - a lament for having to abide by moderation.



In addition to these great originals, Alan has had big hits with a number of top-notch covers. "Pop a Top" (#6 in 1999), "Little Bitty" (#1 for 3 weeks in 1996), and Who's Cheatin' Who" (#2 in 1997) are great examples of the fun, up-tempo songs he often remakes. He also does a beautiful cover of "It Must Be Love" (#1 for 1 week in 2000), which was a #1 hit for Don Williams.



Finally, two new songs are included. "Remember When" is a pretty ballad with a prominent steel guitar; it was a big hit. Alan also pairs with Jimmy Buffett again on "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," following their earlier duet on "Margaritaville." It's a fun, although somewhat disposable song.



Overall, this collection is amazing and really shows what a superstar Alan Jackson has become. Because he's humble and unassuming, Alan doesn't always receive the attention he deserves, especially among casual country fans. Fortunately, he's quietly and steadily keeping alive the tradition of great country music. Most highly recommended.