Greatest Hits Volume II [Limited Edition] - Jackson, Alan (CD 2003)

There has been a new Alan Jackson song playing lately that makes me laugh and takes me back some years.

It s Five O Clock Somewhere is a great drinking song that is performed with none other than Jimmy Buffet. When I was in Wal*Mart today and scanning the new releases I spotted a new CD that features this song.

Alan Jackson s Greatest Hits Volume II and Some Other Stuff was just released, August 12, 2003 on the Arista BMG Music label. What a great CD this is. I was so pleased as I put it in my CD player and began to listen. Some familiar songs, some new ones and a bonus CD with 8 great songs. I am one happy country music loving camper.


What s On This CD?

Disc: 1
Little Bitty * Everything I Love * Who's Cheatin' Who * There Goes * I'll Go On Loving You * Right On The Money * Gone Crazy * Little Man * Pop A Top * The Blues Man * It Must Be Love * www.memory * When Somebody Loves You * Where I Come From * Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning) * Drive (For Daddy Gene) * It's Five O' Clock Somewhere * Remember When

Disc: 2
Job Description * Tropical Depression * Let's Get Back To Me and You You * Can't Give Up On Love * Hole In The Wall * Buicks to the Moon * When Love Comes Around * The Sounds


My Favorites

Rather than review all 26 songs and making this review unreadably long, I ve decided to pick a few of my favorites from this CD.

5. I ll Go On Loving You

I love the soft melodic sound of this song. The words are incredible and speak of such a strong love.

When I look into your soft green eyes
And when I see your delicate body
Revealed to me as you slip off your dress
I m reminded that what I feel for you
Will remain strong and true
Long after the pleasures of the flesh
And
I ll go on loving you
I ll go on loving you
I ll go on loving you

The music is soft and filled with guitars, mandolins and piano. Although it is sung, some of the lyrics are more spoken with Mr. Jackson s deep sultry voice. Definitely a song that inspires love and romance.

11. It Must Be Love

Another great love song seems most of Alan Jackson s are ones that makes you feel as if you d be lucky to have a man feel this way about you.

The beat is a faster toe tapping one that grabs a hold of me and makes me want to sing along (you sure don t want to hear that). Lots of drum and guitar and energy.

It must be love, It must be love
I fall like a sparrow, and fly like dove
You must be the dream, I m dreamin of
Oh what a feelin , It must be love.


17. Five O Clock Somewhere

I like this song because it is light and bouncy and seems like a perfect summer type of song. The addition of Jimmy Buffet gives this song a bit of a lighthearted beach bum, pour another margarita feel.

Pour something tall and strong
Make it a hurricane before I go insane
It s only half past twelve but I don t care
It s five o clock somewhere

Working hard and deserving a break, this song sings about needing to get away and being good to yourself. I love the way he introduces Jimmy Buffet into it

But at a moment like this I can t help but wonder
What would Jimmy Buffet do?

This is where they sing the chorus together. Not only that, they speak a little to each other at the end of the song, much to the delight of the audience that they are in front of. "It s always five o clock in Margaritaville" says Buffet to the whoops and hollers of the crowd.


18. Remember When

This song was previously unreleased, but I think it is going to be his next great hit. Just my humble opinion, but I truly love this song.

It is another soft, melodic tune with strings playing and a mandolin plays to the rhyming tune. It speaks of remembering all of the things that happen in our lives as a couple. The good times and the bad, the addition of children, of aging together and of looking back.

Listening now to the song, the last verse brings tears to my eyes.

Remember when we said when we turned gray
When the children grow up and move away
We won t be sad, we ll be glad
For all the life we ve had
And we ll remember when.

Remember when
Remember when


Who Else Is On This CD?

First, and most notably is Jimmy Buffet joining in on the great summer song Five O clock Somewhere. This is the 30th # 1 song to hit the charts for Mr. Jackson. The video was also released on VHS on August 12 and the DVD will be released in September for this song that was filmed in Jupiter Fla. And it can be seen on CMT Aug. 30 @ 9:00 ET/PT.

Acoustic Guitar Bruce Watkins, Greenwood Hart
Drums Eddie Bayers
Electric Bass Glenn Worf
Electric Guitar Brent Mason
Fiddle & Mandolin Stuart Duncan
Percussion Eric Darkin
Piano Hargus Pig Robbins
Steel Guitar Paul Franklin, Lloyd Green
Background Vocals John Wesley Riles
Strings on Remember When arranged and conducted by
Matthew McCauley


My Feelings

As you can clearly tell, I love this CD. The songs have me tapping my toes and singing along. While most of the songs are familiar to me, some of them are new.

The limited addition of a second CD with 8 songs on it was a wonderful bonus that I wasn t aware of when I bought the CD. The songs are also some old time favorites, but many of them I m not familiar with I think they were before my Country music time. It is great getting to hear these eight album tracks that Mr. Jackson selected to be included.

I find that Alan Jackson s voice is soothing to me and can ground me like no other (well, maybe Garth and Trace Adkins too). I guess I am just a sucker for a well performed love song and he surely gives us lots of those. Additionally, are some fun songs that are light and a little silly. Makes this CD one that I will value through the years.

I found it hard not to write about each and every song, because they all seem to touch me in some way, but this review is long enough, so I ll leave it to your ears to listen to all of the great songs that are included.


Nuts & Bolts

Alan Jackson Greatest Hits Volume II and Some Other Stuff was produced in 2003 by Keith Stegall. Arista Nashville Tmk(s) Registered Marca(s) Registrada(s) BMG Entertainment.

I very happily paid $14.88 at Wal*Mart for this CD. Receiving two CD s with this album surely made the price feel so much better to me. 26 great songs that is such a wonderful deal.

On the website: www.alanjackson.com you can learn more about this album and his others. You can also listen to some of the songs that are included in this album and get a taste of it yourself.

I give this CD an A+ and would very highly recommend it for country music fans and of course for Alan Jackson fans.