Alan Jackson is classic. If you're looking for the pop country that you hear on 99.7 FM and CMT, look elsewhere. Jackson is turning 48 this month, but his soul is much older. Like Red On A Rose, Jackson's 17th album, is packed from start to finish with classy love songs. Jackson is not a Dierks Bentley or a Kenny Chesney. He's a Brooks & Dunn or a George Strait.
Jackson's Nashville-by-way-of-Georgia attitude fills these songs with genuine stories of women, falling in love, regretting lost relationships and lonely nights. In "Good Imitation of the Blues," he stretches the notes to paint a picture of sorrow. There's heartbreak and an attempt at recovery: "And my frieeends say I should be happy," Jackson croons in a syncopated blues rhythm.
It might take new listeners a little effort to get past the repetitive piano and cheesy lyrics in some songs, but there's true romance in the melodies. "A Woman's Love" really makes you appreciate classic country music men. This is not your trashy radio country, mocking women and tossing them aside; this is a man worshipping a woman. It can be a little difficult to detach the words from their 48-year-old singer and apply them to college. At the very least, they're something to remember for when you get that porch swing and picket fence of your own. "I have tasted / and I have wasted / a woman's love," Jackson sings regretfully. The song is reflective of the album's pessimistic theme, one of its few downfalls.
"Like Red on a Rose" has a very old-timey sound. "I love you like all little children love pennies," the lyrics say. But do today's little children really love pennies? Maybe in the Midwest. The track feels very stuck-in-the-'50s. That said, some of those sentiments are timeless.
Like Red On A Rose is a very family-oriented album or maybe even retired-couple-oriented, but Jackson is not trying to cover up his age or be something he isn't. He stays true to his solid style.
"Where Do I Go From Here" shows Jackson's roots and is the album's highlight. The song incorporates some verses from Stephen Foster's classic folk song, "Oh Susanna." In a slow, soothing voice Jackson starts, "Well I came from Alabama / With a banjo on my knee," but soon enough the song goes into the original, "But where do I go from here / When I'm lost out on the road?" It's a fantastic meshing of old and new, a real tribute to the roots of American country.
Even the liner notes are classy. There are pictures of him sitting in fancy bars, perfectly dressed in a cowboy hat, jeans and sport coat. The pages have an old-West faded wood, and the CD itself is painted to look like a vinyl record.
Jackson has always been a powerful force in country music, and his loyal fans won't be disappointed by this album. His music is just as elegant as he is.
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