Alan Jackson Bio - What I Do
Picture the well-worn floors of a not-too-trendy establishment, any given evening, Anytown, USA. In particular, conjure the corner jukebox, the anthems that somehow cut the clatter. Though a commonplace scenario, something profound separates fleeting radio flash from barroom timelessness. Alan Jackson's music has always exemplified the latter.
On his fourteenth Arista Nashville release, What I Do, the Country Music Association's reigning Entertainer of the Year presents a collection of unabashed, jukebox-worthy country. Ever walking the line between populism and memoir, the album's twelve songs fully complement a fifteen-year career that has thus far produced over 43 million sales and 31 Number One hits-including 21 he penned for himself (not counting two additional chart-toppers he penned for fellow artists).
Heartbreak and reconciliation, first-dance jitters and smile-through-your-tears wit, the thesis of What I Do is love, and the songs run the gamut via pedal steel and Georgia affect. From the catchy optimism of "Too Much Of A Good Thing," to the love-lost "Rainy Day In June," the ASCAP Country Songwriter/Artist (twice) and Country Songwriter of the Year (three times) navigates the emotion with an expert balance of both universal and intimate revelation. An expert at fleshing out themes that most of us merely overlook, Alan, on What I Do, makes clever play about the cover of the "USA Today," and mines forlorn sentiment from the phrase "You Don't Have To Paint Me A Picture." It's exactly this blend of broad subject and keen insight which has marked his career to date: by poignantly marrying the catchalls of everyday life to rural autobiography, Alan's gone from dim honky-tonk to arena stage, from unknown to superstar, earning 96 major industry awards as singer, songwriter and performer.
Whether composer or curator, Jackson's unwavering critical support also stems from his fusing of country's rich history with a contemporary bent. The rousing "If French Fries Were Fat Free" introduces Haggard-esque harkback to low-carb preoccupation; just when we pinpoint the kinship of "The Talkin' Song Repair Blues" to staples by Cash or Daniels, Alan flips tradition on its head by showcasing the very mechanics of the industry itself. Simply put, Jackson drives country forward with an eye on its rear-view: bongos mix with fiddle on "There Ya Go," the telltale bass vocals of Oak Ridge Boy Richard Sterban ("Burnin' the Honky Tonks Down") stands alongside "If Love Was A River" and "Strong Enough" by young, new ACR recording artists, The Wrights (Jackson's nephew Adam and wife Shannon).
As a standalone, "Monday Morning Church" epitomizes Alan's ability to re-think, to build upon country mainstay. Echoing without emulating one of his all-time favorites, "He Stopped Loving Her Today," this ballad, with Patty Loveless adding distinct harmony vocals, speaks from the survivor's position of tragedy. The punctuation of 'simple' details-a bible left on the dresser, dust on piano keys-and bruising lines like "I can't seem to talk to God without yelling anymore," force the narrator to endure pain that even his solid belief in Heaven isn't taking away. That's aching, honest...country.