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

I have been waiting for a long time for this album to come out. Not that I don't already have most of the songs on this album, since I have all his previous albums. But here is another reason not to be downloading and burning CD's for personal use - this is a great example where the CD is worth every penny you spend. This CD is packed with Jackson's hits since his first Greatest Hits album - released in 1995, I think. Jackson is well overdue for a volume two and this CD with eighteen tracks will not disappoint his many fans, and will likely make a lot of new fans.

Regrettably, my copy did not come with the Bonus CD, but that is the only regret I have about buying it.

UNRELEASED TRACKS:

There are only two previously unreleased tracks on this album - "Five O'Clock Somewhere" will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has been listening to country radio lately. Jimmy Buffet joins Alan Jackson on the last chorus, and the two of them have a good time with this fun song about ditching work to spend the afternoon in the bar.

"I could pay off my tab, pour myself in a cab
and be back to work by two
But at a moment like this, I can't help but wonder....
What would Jimmy Buffet do?"

The second previously unreleased track is "Remember When" and it is sure to be a big hit when it is released. I can imagine couples dancing to their 50th anniversary with this song playing in the background. The verses to this song are so powerful that there is really no need (or room) for a chorus other than the words "Remember When..." Jackson tells the story of a young couple going through the phases of love and marriage together - but unlike many country songs on the same theme, it does not just skip to the predictable end. It takes six verses to tell the story and still leaves you wanting more. (Pause to wipe tears...) I am impressed.

"Remember when the old ones died, and the new were born
And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged
We came together, we fell apart
And broke eachother's hearts"

THE HITS:

The rest of the tracks on this album have already proven themselves on the charts and in the eyes and ears of Alan Jackson fans. Every single one of them is a winner. They showcase Jackson's broad range of topics and styles. From the nostalgic "Drive" to the haunting 9/11 anthem "Where were you (when the world stopped turning)" as well as many of the fun romps and touching love + life songs that Jackson is known for. Alan consistently appeals to fans in a genre that is constantly changing and updating, yet he refuses to compromise the roots of country music. Jackson illustrates that he has a little something for everyone, for every mood, on this album. Here's how I'd break it down....

JUST FOR FUN:

Little Bitty
WWW.Memory
Where I come from
Its Five O'clock Somewhere (with Jimmy Buffet)

TRIBUTE SONGS:

Where were you (when the World stopped turning)
Drive (for Daddy Gene)
The Little Man

LOVE SONGS

I'll go on Loving you
The Blues Man**
It Must be Love
Remember when

GOOD 'OL COUNTRY SONGS

Who's Cheatin Who
Everything I love (is killing me)
Pop a Top
Gone Crazy
Right on the Money

** I'd like to highlight "The Blues Man" - it is certainly worth a listen even if most people will not have heard it on the radio. Its written by Hank Williams and you have to wonder if its not a bit autobiographical - about a singer and the woman who sticks with him through thick and thin.

"He's over forty years old no
nights would be so cold now
If she hadn't hung around
With that blues man..."

This song comes highly recommended for slow-dancin in the kitchen, with the blinds closed. :)


Unfortunately this disc can't include ALL of Alan Jackson's best work, so if you like what you hear on this CD, you better go out and buy his first Greatest Hits CD, and while you're at it, might as well pick up a few of his other albums. You won't regret it. There are hidden treasures on those which don't make it to the Hits albums, or even on the radio.

Happy Listening!