Album Review – Alan Jackson’s “Angels & Alcohol”
As long as Alan Jackson is around and relevant and releasing records, then country music still has a fighting chance. They may squeeze country music through the sausage press and stamp the country label on all manner of crazy-ass hip-wiggling pseudo-rapping modern techno EDM mumbo jumbo in a desperate attempting to sell the audio equivalent of pet rocks to the prattling, gullible public. But if Alan Jackson is still booking studio time, the true essence of country music will never slip through our fingers. A link to the past, and a strong voice in the present, hopefully Jackson’s future output never falters because once he’s gone, it will be impossibly hard to replace.
Let’s face it, Alan Jackson is too country for country these days, and we can’t get our hopes and expectations too far up that he’ll be scoring radio hits or CMA Awards anytime soon, but he’s just still cool enough and accepted in the right circles to keep a foot in the mainstream. In fact Alan Jackson is a good example of an artist that can stay relevant even when it looks like his style is falling out of favor and he’s getting long in the tooth. Some though Jackson had peaked when he won the CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1995. But there he was was seven years later winning the same award in 2002 and 2003. 12 years after his second rise to the top, his major label deal is still going strong, and he can still pack out a good-sized venue, even if the radio won’t play him.
But of course let’s not fool ourselves into thinking Alan Jackson was always the traditional country savior we think of him as today. I’m sure he got quite a few sideways glances from grey hairs when he was singing about way down yonder on the Chattahoochee, or about accidentally marrying a waitress. But time has been kind to Alan Jackson and his music. That my friends, is a sign of quality. And now in the absence of a touring George Strait, Alan’s arguably the traditional country king.
Alan Jackson has made a career of sticking steadfast to his established traditional country sound and never wobbling. It’s almost like a Zen he’s mastered to not break ranks as he cuts what now is his twentieth studio album. Even the best like Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton had their little romp in more pop and rock-oriented material. But not Alan.
Angels & Alcohol is just about what you would expect from an Alan Jackson album. There’s some ballads, some up-tempo stuff, a few silly songs, and a traditional vibe throughout. But something that always catches you off guard about a Jackson record is how much of the material he writes himself. Save for three of the ten songs, these are all Alan Jackson solo writes. How strange is this to see in a country music world where most songs start with three authors and spider vein into lists of contributors and producers from there?
But I have to say, the two best songs on Angels & Alcohol were written by others. “The One You’re Waiting On” is true country music brilliance. Sweetly told from what in many respects is a female perspective, it’s a song that speaks so deftly to single females that even a married man can relate in a strange way. And once again Jackson’s long-time producer Keith Stegall finds the right arrangement to do the song justice. The other great one was “Gone Before You Met Me,” which has just enough nostalgia and familiar names to be fun without sacrificing substance.
Alan Jackson has always been a subtle, crafty pragmatist with his music. He knows how to keep it country while still keeping his finger on the pulse of what’s happening right now. You hear that in some of the solo cuts of the album. Let’s not go as far as to call it Bro-Country with a traditional sound, but Jackson picks up on certain new school phrasings and styles that in one respect might turn the folks more oriented on songwriting material off, while it also creates a wider and more mainstream audience for his music.
The first single off the album “Jim and Jack and Hank” is a pretty silly, name dropping affair that is fun, but maybe not fun enough to actually resonate on today’s radio, yet not meaty enough to appeal to his core fans either. It also sounds a little too close to “Achy Breaky Heart” in the chord changes. “You Never Know,” “Mexico, Tequila, and Me,” are also some up-tempo party songs that keep the album trucking along, but in the end might not be long for the Greatest Hits listening rotation. “You Can Always Gone Home” and “I Leave a Light On” are a little more of the style that sticks with you beyond a few spins, and though the title track may feel a little sleepy to some, its staunchly-traditional approach and classic theme of the sway of good and evil on the human soul makes for a pretty stout listen.
Angels & Alcohol has a few bumps in the road—some songs that maybe could have benefited from borrowing a line or two from a co-writer—and then the album has few really good ones. And overall, with that classic voice backed by traditional sounds, there’s just something about an Alan Jackson album that puts a smile on your face, and makes you hope new Alan Jackson albums don’t go away anytime soon.
1 3/4 of 2 Guns Up.
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July 18, 2015 @ 9:05 am
Nailed this review! I think gone before you met me has potential to have good radio play and songs like I leave a light on are instant classics. I may be a little biased tho seeing as Alan is my favorite.
July 18, 2015 @ 9:10 am
I bought the album yesterday morning, and I absolutely love it. Yet another great album from not only my favorite traditionalist artist, but my favorite country music artist. Great review Trigger!
July 18, 2015 @ 9:24 am
I also thought the first release sounded too much like “Achy Breaky Heart”.
July 18, 2015 @ 9:34 am
I really can’t decide which album I like better between this and Jason Isbell’s. Both have their flaws (no pun intended), but they’re still extremely solid. I’m inclined to give both efforts a 4.5/5, or a Two Guns Up. My favorites off Alan’s were “You Can Always Come Home”, “Angels and Alcohol”, “The One You’re Waiting On”, and “I Leave A Light On”. Ironically, the only flaw for me was “Flaws”. It’s a very well written song, but it tries too much to be humorous when the message is the exact opposite.
Great review Trigger, July 17th was a proud day for Country music.
July 18, 2015 @ 10:20 am
You can like them both the same!
I somewhat agree with “Flaws.” It tried a little too hard. There were a few misses on this album. But I thought overall the cohesive vibe elevated the project.
July 18, 2015 @ 11:41 am
I agree. There’s a few bumps, but the overall album is still a refreshing ride and will be an immense pleasure for anyone seeking new Alan Jackson music, or just craving a nostalgia factor, as this album would not sound out of place in the 90’s.
July 18, 2015 @ 6:13 pm
I agree. When I first heard “flaws” it made me feel like it didn’t really fit in with the other songs. It’s not a bad song, it just doesn’t belong on this album IMO.
July 18, 2015 @ 9:43 am
I streamed this on NPR’s First Listen last week, and I pretty much agree with this review. 🙂 (I’d also like to mention “Flaws” paired with “When God Paints” as my favorite part of the album…)
July 18, 2015 @ 10:01 am
“The One You’re Waiting On” at the start strongly reminds me of another song , just can’t remember which one. Otherwise , another strong album.Hopefully it steals #1 album.
July 18, 2015 @ 10:09 am
I know what you’re thnking of. It sounds like a Strait song off of “It Just Comes Natural,” I believe.
July 18, 2015 @ 10:12 am
“A Heart Like Hers” I believe it is.
July 18, 2015 @ 10:11 am
Eric the regular commenter posting here.
I streamed the album on NPR, and I find the lyrics, melodies, and instrumentation to be all quite beautiful and solidly reminiscent of early 90s country. The best part is how Alan has retained his deep and textured vocals throughout all these years.
The twin peak that he enjoyed in his career is rather rare. His first peak in 1995 happened when he was about 37 years old, which is the standard career peak age for male country singers. His gradual decline from this peak was fraught with personal problems (such as allegedly cheating on his wife). After 9/11, though, he roared back to the top with an amazing creative renaissance.
It might be too late, but maybe he can hit another peak soon… 😉
July 18, 2015 @ 10:42 am
The production is great here and sounds kind like effortless old hat. So I am curious what people think are Jackson’s s-5 best works, albums and songs. Maybe like a 101 on Alan Jackson.
July 18, 2015 @ 2:19 pm
Albums:
Drive
Who I Am
Under the Influence
Don’t Rock the Jukebox
Everything I Love
July 19, 2015 @ 8:12 am
I like this album, but a few of the songs are just a bit too hokey and cheery for me (You Never Know, for example). There’s a part of me that hopes that the Alan Jackson who released Like Red on a Rose and The Bluegrass album will come out for every other album from now on, or something. He’s a good traditional country singer, but he’s at his best when he’s experimenting.
July 18, 2015 @ 10:48 am
If I never heard “Chattahoochee” again I wouldn’t miss it a bit, but I thought “I Don’t Even Know Your Name” was a fun little jam back in the day. I remember reading in the liner notes to his first greatest-hits album that it was written as a joke; if I remember right his brother-in-law came up with the idea.
I’ve only listened to this album once yet, but so far I really like it. Favorites so far are the title track, “Gone Before You Met Me,” and “I Leave A Light On.”
July 20, 2015 @ 12:11 pm
I used to think “Chattahoochee” was stupid, as well. But about a year ago, US99 happened to play it in between a bunch of bro-country, and it stood out as a classic country song. Nothing else played immediately before or after it had any sound like the “Alan Jackson twang.” I’d bet that the biggest country station in the Midwest hasn’t played any of his work since, because it makes the rest of the playlist look weak / bad.
July 20, 2015 @ 1:21 pm
I don’t mind “Chatahoochee” in and of itself, but it, “Mercury Blues”, and “Summertime Blues” were released as three out of his four singles back in the early ’90s when the line dance/hat act craze was driving the final nail in the Neo-Traditionalist coffin which caused me to have some concerns about the direction he was heading.
July 18, 2015 @ 11:22 am
Been jamming this one as much as Isbells new album. I love both of them and probably this one a tad bit more. Just my preference. Favorites so far are ” you can always come home”, ” gone before you met me” and ” I leave a light on”.
July 18, 2015 @ 11:39 am
Talking Car Repair Blues would be in my top 5.
July 18, 2015 @ 11:58 am
I was deciding today at Walmart whether to grab this or Metallica’s
I went with Metallica
Good album but maybe I made a bad choice
July 18, 2015 @ 5:45 pm
master of puppets is never a bad choice.
July 18, 2015 @ 6:14 pm
I second that
July 18, 2015 @ 7:03 pm
What Banner said.
You should get the AJ album at your earliest opportunity, though.
July 19, 2015 @ 5:47 pm
I almost got that instead, but in the end, Master was what I chose.
Wait ignore
Thought you meant …And Justice
July 19, 2015 @ 5:55 pm
That is an excellent album as well, particularly “Dyers Eve” and “Harvester of Sorrow.”
July 19, 2015 @ 8:25 am
Excellent choice. MOP is the best album ever, regardless of genre.
July 19, 2015 @ 9:11 am
I’m more of a Black Sabbath fan when it comes to metal, but I have that one and a few others by Metallica. Classic.
July 19, 2015 @ 9:40 am
I generally prefer sabbath and bands influenced by sabbath myself. Sabotage being my favorite LP of theirs. But the flow of Master Of Puppets – it doesn’t wear you out with the speed because of it’s diversity. And Orion is such a perfect instrumental leading into the viciousness of Damage Inc.. I go through stages where I prefer Ride The Lightning (Fade to Black started me playing guitar) and …And Justice For All but usually I come back to MOP. I am late to the party but lately been buying a lot of Pentagram tracks. It’s almost like rediscovering Black Sabbath.
July 19, 2015 @ 5:49 pm
I never knew how many country fans were metal heads until now
What about you Trigg, you enjoy a little metal now and then?
July 19, 2015 @ 6:24 pm
I was never much into metal. I did listen to a lot of the obvious stuff like vintage Metallica, a little Pantera and Slayer and stuff. But I got most of my heavier music through punk circles. These days I don’t have time to listen to anything that doesn’t have a tie to country unfortunately. I do have a lot of respect for that music, and the independent support it has cultivated over the last few years.
July 20, 2015 @ 7:53 am
Oh man that’s a shame.
Well if you ever do end up with a chance, you need to try out a band called Demon Hunter. They have some really good stuff.
July 20, 2015 @ 1:26 pm
I’m pretty sure I bought Master of Puppets on 8-track. I didn’t have to choose between it and an Alan Jackson album, though, because he was still working in the TNN mailroom at the time.
July 18, 2015 @ 1:20 pm
Like several of y’all, I’ve been first listen-straming on NPR all week (along with Isbell’s- thanks for the links, Trigger), and I hafta say of the two I prefer Jackson’s~ more things made me stop and listen or tap-time~ which is not to sniff at Isbell’s effort in the least.
As to “Mexico, Tequila, and Me,” I think you’ll find a song like that on most AJAX albums.
July 18, 2015 @ 1:57 pm
They had a townhall with him for this release on Sirius and the first question he was asked was about today’s country and he absolutely nailed his response. The fact that he wrote most of these songs on his own is just a testament of the passion that the greats had for the music they put out. There is absolutely nothing like that in today’s country’s and that point was reiterated by Luke Bryan’s comments. What an awards show it would be if album of the year came down to this, Sturgill’s, Isbells and Stapletons. A man can only dream.
July 18, 2015 @ 2:32 pm
What was his response to the question about today’s country?
July 18, 2015 @ 9:10 pm
He’s not a fan of the new sound but he doesn’t mind them playing it. The thing he’s frustrated with is the fact that they never play any traditional country anymore. He wants there to at least be a balance on the radio.
July 18, 2015 @ 2:08 pm
AJ really is one for the ages. He will always be relevant. His followers will always stand by him and over the years he’ll probably become the Tony Bennett of country in that he will be rediscovered by later generations or even the current Gen X that advertisers seem to be so in love with.
I like this album. Gone Before You Met Me is terrific.
July 18, 2015 @ 2:57 pm
I have a confession to make: I just moved up to the Kennesaw/Marietta part of Atlanta, GA for a new job away from Gulfport, MS my old town away from my parents, “You Can Always Come Home” is hitting me right now.
July 18, 2015 @ 3:25 pm
I do disagree with Alan not straying from traditional country. Remember the album “Like Red On A Rose” it was bad. I purchased it the day it came out, I struggled to listen to it all the way threw the first time, I gave it away to my cousin who was a big AJ fan like me and he did the same and gave it away. That very CD was given to about ten different people who are AJ fans and each one did the same with it, in the end it made it’s way back to me. It sits among my 500 CD collection, but I will never play it again.
July 19, 2015 @ 3:07 am
If I’m not mistaken “Like Red On A Rose” was produced by Alison Krauss. It’s sure not my favorite of AJ’s.
July 19, 2015 @ 8:17 am
Like Red on a Rose is a damn emotional haymaker for me. I think it’s arguably his best album.
July 19, 2015 @ 9:37 am
Red on a Rose is easily his best album IMO. So many great, emotional moments on that. Love the mood the whole thing manages to set from beginning to end.
July 19, 2015 @ 9:48 am
I have to agree that Like Red on a Rose is probably his best album, even if it’s more blues/jazz than country
July 19, 2015 @ 6:08 pm
I would confidently go to bat for the title track of Like Red on a Rose being the best love song of the last decade.
July 20, 2015 @ 11:15 am
I love Like Red on a Rose, too, always have. The maturity of the song content along with Alan’s smooth-as-silk voice on this album is such a perfect combination. And when he does “Bluebird” at the end of it…it hits me straight in the heart every single time.
July 18, 2015 @ 3:32 pm
I think Chattahoochee is a great song, actually. Loved the Bluegrass album too — good example of a country artist actually evolving, not devolving — as this blog often correctly points out.
July 18, 2015 @ 6:01 pm
IMO, Chattahoochee is his best song
July 19, 2015 @ 11:09 am
I see your “Chattahoochee” and raise you “Midnight in Montgomery.”
July 19, 2015 @ 11:05 pm
I see your Midnight in Montgomery and raise you Like Red on a Rose and Little Man.
I also find his album cuts like She Don’t Get High and Knew All Along to be in the ballpark.
July 20, 2015 @ 6:23 am
I wasn’t too keen on what I heard from LROAR (I’d be willing to revisit it one of these days), but “Little Man” is a great, great song.
July 18, 2015 @ 7:34 pm
Going into this album, I was mostly curious not about the production or style (I already know he’s consistently on-point there)……………..but about the songs themselves.
If we’re examining his albums as a whole over the past decade, I’ve felt like in equal measure he sometimes absolutely hits it out of the park, and other times he settles for thematic mediocrity. The former is best reflected in his previous album “Thirty Miles West”, which I will rabidly endorse as among the best albums of his entire career with some of the best standout tracks on any of his albums to date including “So You Don’t Have To Love Me Anymore”, “You Go Your Way”, “Dixie Highway” and “When I Saw You Leaving”. The latter is best reflected by “Good Time”: a semi-sellout effort at the time that definitely had one foot in quality territory with “I Wish I Could Back Up” and “Long Long Way”, but the other steeped in the absolute worst of his career with “Country Boy”, “I Still Love Bologna” and “Small Town Southern Man”.
So when I heard the lead single for this album, “Jim & Jack & Hank”…………..I was admittedly a bit concerned, in all honesty. Back in mid-May, I disclosed that I thought while I know Alan’s intentions are always pure and he certainly wasn’t meaning to do so, the way the lyrics were framed struck me as kind of sexist. Obviously, I get that’s going to be an unpopular viewpoint and most will claim that’s unheard of, but I’m just honestly disclosing my raw reaction hearing it not just the first time, but on subsequent listens as well……………….and even shoving all that argument aside, I insist Jackson is better than this when it comes to songwriting anyway.
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Now, after having listened to the rest of “Angels & Alcohol”……………….I’m thinking it’s somewhere directly between “Good Time” on the low end of the quality continuum and “Thirty Miles West” on the high end. Probably roughly about where “Freight Train” is: which struck me as a sort of sidestep album that started to get him steeped back into what he does best but also lacking the standout songs and memorable qualities that mark his best work.
I feel, much like “Freight Train”, “Angels & Alcohol” is something of a sidestep for Jackson while he pontificates where to take his passion from here on out.
*
What this album undoubtedly has going for it in spades is, as you would expect, is the all-around production, instrumentation and tone. Like an old, trusty pair of boots that fit just right after all these years, “Angels & Alcohol” fits just right and doesn’t disappoint as far as remaining true to his trademark sound and authentic country soul.
I absolutely love the pedal steel flourishes of “The One You’re Waiting On” which absolutely fit the melancholic feel of that feeling the subject feels of sitting on tenterhooks hoping her date will finally arrive but having the devastating suspicion it’s all for naught. “You Can Always Come Home” also is one of the stronger tracks to my ears the way it serves as a mission statement when Jackson effectively ties experiences with his father by the end: moving from something more universal to something more personal. I really enjoyed that.
And both “Gone Before You Met Me” and “Leave A Light On” effortlessly remind you of why we’ve come to love Jackson in the first place, while something as admittedly lightweight as “Mexico, Tequila & Me” nonetheless gets it right in how much escapism and good vibes it generates.
*
However, I feel there’s a scarcity of tracks here that have a timeless quality to them, and the last three tracks especially (along with “Jim & Jack & Hank”) are disappointingly fluffy and leave plenty to be desired.
“Flaws” comes off as surprisingly cliched to me. Yeah, we know we all have them, but it would have been nice if he offered several vignettes that serve as colorful cases-in-point to where we come to terms with our follies. Instead, it largely reverts to formula. Then, “When God Paints” has a nice idea going for it but errs too far on the overtly sentimental side for my tastes. And as I hinted earlier, “Mexico, Tequila & Me” does succeed in rousing a feeling of escapism, but it writes as paint-by-numbers much like “Long Way to Go” from his previous album, and at least the latter attempted to tell an amusing twist of a story that was a glass-half-full take on a breakup. This just seems obligatory by now.
*
Still, I can’t get too underwhelmed here, because even though the sum of this album’s parts aren’t as impressive as those of “Thirty Miles West”, “Don’t Rock the Jukebox”, “Drive” or even his bluegrass album or his covers album “Under the Influence”……………the whole is still country gold and a shining example for this musical community as a whole which is beautifully consistent and feels right at home to the heart.
I’m thinking a strong 1 1/2 Guns Up for this, or would translate something to a decent to strong 7 out of 10 if we’re converting grades in the style of The Needle Drop (for context, I’d consider “Thirty Miles West” a strong 8 to a light 9, while “Good Time” was a strong 5 to a light 6).
I’m just glad to hear Jackson as always, even if I don’t expect him to ever have another radio hit on his own.
July 18, 2015 @ 11:10 pm
Dead on! Let me say Alan Jackson is one of my all time favorites, but this album lacks quality songs just as “freight train” did. “30 miles west” was much better and his best album since “drive.” AJ fans take exception with “like red” album, but that album has a few good cuts. I am just not loving this new album after 5 plays. I can’t stand saying that either. Alan Jackson is my second favorite ever too.
July 19, 2015 @ 12:52 am
I personally enjoyed “Like Red on a Rose” a lot.
It doesn’t surprise me that it is among his more polarizing albums among fans. But from what I recall, Jackson admitted himself at the time of its release that he and Alison Krauss were intending to tap into a broader range of his favorite singer-songwriters, or at least his musical background. He wanted an especially intimate album that tapped more into a lounge vein that channels the likes of Don Williams and Frank Sinatra.
And I personally think that album is among his better ones because, while it unmistakably carries such a feel-good mood, there’s a lot of depth and weight to the material Krauss herself selected (along with all the musicians) in how introspective and even restless he comes across. The intimate atmospheres also helps Jackson stretch his vocal range further, and all in all I’d fearlessly consider it his second best album released in the past decade.
*
Going back to “Angels & Alcohol”, I think this is going to be regarded as more of a placeholder album of his. An album that is fine as wine all in all, but doesn’t really enhance his discography as a whole or add any real splash of color to his already amazingly impressive story.
Even while I completely get why many feel called upon to cheer Alan Jackson on from here on out as the torchbearer of traditional country gold, it’s imperative we still hold his music to a standard just as we do with any decorated and well-respected artist. As critical as I was of aspects of this album, I was actually much more fiercely critical of George Strait’s “Love Is Everything”……………….which I was flummoxed by how lightweight most of the songs were and, worse, how overproduced the bulk of them were. “Give It All We Got Tonight” screamed outright mediocrity as a lead single and what I’d dare consider among the most faceless singles of his entire career, and most of the rest of the album settled for too little.
I COULD have rolled over and praised that George Strait album because……………….duh……………….he’s George Strait. But even while I can understand it is futile to constantly debate whether the song or the singer is more important……………both matter instrumentally, and sometimes I feel it is imperative we summon the will to call out even the best when they sell themselves short.
July 20, 2015 @ 6:32 am
The last GS album grew on me (I really like “Sittin’ On the Fence,” “I Believe,” the title track, and “You Don’t Know What You’re Missing”), but Here For A Good Time was much, much better. But then I thought HFAGT was Strait’s best album since 1996’s Blue Clear Sky and would have been difficult if not impossible to top, so there you go….
March 23, 2024 @ 9:03 pm
Only a fool thinks “Small Town Southern Man” is a dreck.
July 18, 2015 @ 8:39 pm
hey trigger, thought you might want to know, I just accidentally clicked on an ad on your site. It was phishing, a free iphone 6 just give your personal info. I know you don’t want shit like that on your site, so I thought Id tell ya.
July 18, 2015 @ 10:12 pm
Love it. Stellar album. I think I’ll listen to it again now.
July 18, 2015 @ 10:35 pm
I’m looking forward to listening to this album. Thanks for the review!
July 19, 2015 @ 6:14 am
My album of the year so far. AJ is the man.
July 19, 2015 @ 7:37 am
This album is great. It has variety and keeps AJ’s sound true. If you can’t enjoy this one, I don’t really know what to tell you.
July 19, 2015 @ 2:08 pm
Unreal album by Alan. Everything this man releases is absolute gold.
The One You’re Waiting On and You Can Always Come Home are the best songs in my opinion. I am thinking this and Pageant Material are the two best albums so far this year. Not a bad song on this album, typical work from AJ.
July 19, 2015 @ 3:56 pm
As much as we complain and shake our fists at current trends, the past week, hell overall this year, has been pretty good; at least in my book.
This week gave us a new Alan Jackson album (spot on review) and 2 new Ronnie Dunn GOOD songs.
I’m also sitting here with my new Jason Isbell album and the best Miranda single (that shoulda been on the album vs a car ad) in a long while. And of course I’ve had my Chris Singleton, Sturgill and Whitey Morgan & the 78’s all to keep me happy. Trig, today I’m a glass half-full guy. Maybe it’s the fried chicken waiting on me:).
P.S. I forgot: we got Ashley Monroes new joint next week!
July 19, 2015 @ 6:54 pm
I think 2015 has been, in large part, a “can’t see the forest for the trees” kind of year in country music.
By that, I mean if you were just looking at mainstream country/”country” and what has been saturating the airwaves, 2015 I’d dare argue is the all-time worst year for country music. And mind you I claim this giving music from all previous years a fair listen and I hardly subscribe to the generational superiority or “everything in the past was better” logical fallacy.
But when you acknowledge the broader wilderness, 2015 has actually been a rather solid year. I LOVE that we can’t find any consensus on a Best Album of 2015 contender. I love how that conversation is split in so many different directions and everyone has compelling cases to make as to their nominations for Best Album this year. I have mine for James McMurtry, others have theirs for Chris Stapleton, yet others have theirs for Jason Isbell, Gretchen Peters, Wade Bowen/Randy Rogers, etc…………………and the best part of all is we still have five full months remaining with great names like Lindi Ortega, as well as wild cards like Don Henley and Daryle Singletary’s much-hyped efforts, and yet more up-and-coming talent that could completely take our breath away.
You know those frustratingly inconsistent days where, one day you’ll look at yourself in the mirror and love what you see, but then dislike what you see the very next? That’s kind of what country music in 2015 has erratically felt like to me. If I’m too absorbed in radio playlists, I want to hurry over to the nearest fitness center and let out all my frustration on the punching bag. But when I’m absorbed in my SoundCloud and hearing out the recommendations of others here and elsewhere, I find myself in a very upbeat and optimistic mood.
July 20, 2015 @ 9:23 am
I get Alan’s cd this week.
July 20, 2015 @ 10:51 am
I forget what book I read but it had a chapter with Alan jackson’s manager in it. He said how much better he could’ve been had he wanted to write. He loved doing it but more so working on cars or boats. He had to schedule times for him to do it on purpose and almost force him. Thank goodness he did.
Anyways the new single was a featured battle on iheartradio this past week. That’s pretty big in itself so should garner attention. I caught it on wovk 98.7 so not certain if it won or not.
July 30, 2015 @ 4:11 pm
I bought the cd yesterday, I’ve listened to the first 4 songs, I have yet to get past the fourth track “Gone Before You Met Me” every time the songs ends I hit the replay button, I know I’ve replayed it at least 20 times now. Can’t stop, I just relate to it.
August 5, 2015 @ 7:33 am
I got the Cd.IMO,this CD is 100 percent traditional Country.as only Alan can deliever !.
May 11, 2016 @ 12:55 pm
i heard the one you’re waiting on for the first time a few days ago (i had to listen to it on youtube) what a great song too bad country radio probably won’t touch it even though it’s technically just been released as a single
April 26, 2017 @ 2:16 pm
For many millenia now, music reviewers, industry experts and armchair critics have pondered on the ultimate question regarding the afterlife and beyond – What IS, the Soundtrack to Hell?
Many people mistakenly believe that heavy metal is the Soundtrack to Hell, BUT. Heavy metal is good. The folks in heaven love it, the folks in hell love it. God loves heavy metal.
So. What is the Soundtrack to Hell? God loves good country and western. But drum machine beats? Uninspired lyrics? Reinforcing negative stereotypes? Bro-country? Hell yeah! (Pun fully intended)
You ain’t got nothing on traditional country artists like Dwight Yoakam, Johnny Cash, or Randy Travis, “bro”. This album is everything Satan could want, and more! A choice bet for the CD Players in Hell!
…
…
…
…does the Devil endorse CD players?…
#AlanJacksonKilledCountry