Alan Jackson - "Greatest Hits Volume II"

He's just a singer / A natural born guitar ringer / Kind of clinger / To sad ole songs

I vividly remember hearing some of these songs on the radio as new releases, given that the local country stations were the pre-programmed favorites on my Dad’s car radio. That’s about all I was listening to in those days. I can still sing along with some of the more memorable tracks like “Little Bitty”, “Who’s Cheatin’ Who”, and “It Must Be Love”. Others I have no recollection of. For such a mixed collection of songs, I found myself wondering what compelled Arista Nashville to re-package and sell these 18 songs as I drove into work today.

When this album came out in 2003, we listeners didn’t have the luxury of Spotify or practically-every-song-that’s-ever-been-recorded-instantly on-demand-always so labels had to find a way to sell and re-sell records. An Alan Jackson Greatest Hits compilation is as close to A Sure Thing that exists, but other than being a vehicle for a few new tracks and outtakes, I’m not sure what the point of this collection is. It gave me something to think about on my drive, and I suppose that is enough. But given the track order, selection, and my understanding of the Nashville music industry, this comes off as less of an artistic statement and much more obviously as a quick cash-grab.

where did i get this album?

I have no idea where, specifically, I got this album. I do remember being super psyched that a Volume II of Alan Jackson’s hits existed. As detailed in last week’s post on Alan Jackson's "The Greatest Hits", he was my most listened to artist and de facto favorite during a certain point in my life. I had to have this album and by the sheer number of songs collected here, I definitely get my parent’s money’s worth.

This album is huge. It is overstuffed with 18 songs and clocks in at about 74 minutes on just the first disc. The second CD features B-sides and outtakes, and is labeled “Some Other Stuff.” I was annoyed to find that Disc 2 wasn’t in the CD case and I have no idea where it could possibly be. I don’t think I have ever listened to it, and probably won’t, even thought it is on Spotify. But the collector in me however, will be miffed for a long, long time that this set is incomplete.

what is the deal with this album?

Thematically, there hasn’t been much of a departure in the theme or lyrics from his older stuff. Nostalgia for downhome, country living' takes up the most space, occasionally acquiescing to songs about love, growing old, drinking, heartbreak, and cars. This album did add a few mentions of Jackson’s religion, as it crops up here and there. Any mention of religion is absent from his first collection of Greatest Hits, and I think this new addition is by choice. In my opinion, this inclusion reflects a change in culture that was happening in the early 2000s. It was more appropriate to talk about religion in popular music, especially as country music was staking its claim in the burgeoning Culture War.

Back to the music though! I can’t tell if the production on these songs is actually more modern, or if it just feels more like what I’m used to. The songs here are still bathed in fiddle and steel guitar, but the drums are more dialed back and controlled giving the impression of a newer country sound. It’s not all same-same, as the songs included on this album show some diversity in their style. He takes real artistic license with the Latin-guitar/spoken-word track “I'll Go On Loving You”, even though it made me laugh out loud. He reaches for 21st-Century youth appeal, but BADLY misses the mark with “www.memory”. He sells the hell out of Hank Williams Jr.’s “The Blues Man”. His ode to day-drinking, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” features Jimmy Buffet and had real cross-over appeal. “Right on the Money” is the high water mark for me. It’s a simple diddy that surprised me to prominently feature St. Louis-style jazz piano. This one I genuinely enjoyed! A handful of songs feel like filler, but their position on the Billboard Country Charts show that the public loved all of them and are, by sales numbers, worthy of inclusion on a “Greatest Hits” collection.

Before closing, I do want to pay special attention to one track, “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)”, that really colored my opinion of both Alan Jackson and this collection. This song came out just two months after the September 11th attacks and was performed before its official release to a standing ovation at the Country Music Association Awards. I vaguely recall watching this live, but feel like this is something I would have remembered

This song establishes a tentpole for Country music’s place in culture by reflecting on the emotional impact that the act of terrorism had on the country. The song explores different reactions that many felt and never assigns a single response as the right way to respond to trauma. He gets kudos for giving space for people to grieve, but the chorus is problematic in a way that is just perfectly emblematic of the ignorance of the Bush years. The chorus goes “I’m just a singer of simple songs/I’m not a real political man/I watch CNN but I'm not sure I could tell you/The difference in Iraq and Iran”. YIKES!!

This is, on its face, a cop out to understanding even the most basic details of the events leading up to and following 9/11. By saying that it’s OK to be apolitical and admitting outright to not have even a basic understanding of Middle East geography, he uses his (very-large) platform to give a free pass to racism and the kind of ignorance that leads to war-mongering nationalism, and support for the endless conflicts we are still mired in. I knew going into the commute this morning that the 9/11 song was on here, I just didn’t realize how ignorant it was.

the bottom line

Alan Jackson should stick to singing about growing old or day-drinking. He’s good at it and knows how to turn a phrase. But because of the obvious cash-grab that preyed on the emotional vulnerability of a nation in mourning, this song jades my impression of the whole collection and leads me to question his motives as a whole. How sincere is he and what is he doing for the money? Maybe I’m jaded now, and the music industry has certainly changed. But the artistry of the music doesn’t make up for an outcome driven by turning a profit.

Artist: Alan Jackson

Album: Greatest Hits Volume II

Label and Year: Arista, 2003

Standout Track: #6, “Right on the Money”

Queued Up: Albert Hammond Jr.’s departure from The Strokes and solo debut “Yours to Keep”