Friday's 13 - Ode to Alan Jackson
With Alan Jackson's final concert taking place last weekend, I took a look back at his discography (mainly, his singles) and tried to assemble my thirteen favorite Alan Jackson tunes. Here goes:
First Up, the Trinity of Classics:
Drive (for Daddy Gene) - Drive might not be his biggest hit, but this one seems to have been built to perfection for the middle-aged (guy) country music fan. It holds up today, even as my perspective on the song has switched from the son to the father.
It's Five O'Clock Somewhere (with Jimmy Buffett) - This might be the godfather of the country music beach song renaissance, obviously aided by the presence of Mr. Jimmy Buffett himself on the track. It's a beach song, it's a drinking song, it's a classic. The wake (pun intended) this song left where almost every male country artist tries to put out a Buffett-themed beach/drinking song has had diminishing returns throughout the past two decades. The parrothead esthetic essentially became 100% of Kenny Chesney's No Shoes No Shirt No Problems vibe and 50-75% of Zac Brown Band's output for a spell.
Jimmy Buffett's habit of talking parts of his songs has always irked me for some reason, so the end of this bothers me a little bit. I also wonder if this song has replaced Loverboy's Working For the Weekend as the go-to song for ending the work week (potentially a little early).
Chatahoochie - a song that makes you want to water ski in jeans and a cowboy hat and have a deep discussion about the true meaning of "grape snow cone." I have a firm belief that in the pure heart of Mr. Alan Jackson that a grape snow cone is just a grape snow cone.
Next Up, The Legendary Covers:
The Blues Man - one the best country music covers, and one, in my personal opinion that far eclipses Hank Williams Jr.'s original. I did hear Alan's version dozens of times before I heard the Bocephus original so I am a bit biased, but it is an impeccable cover.
Pop A Top - another great cover, another great drinking song, but just a notch below the aforementioned The Blues Man from Alan's album of country covers, Under the Influence.
The 90's Country Classics:
Livin' on Love - just an effortless classic 90's country song. Alan Jackson and George Strait could nail country songs like no others while being effortlessly cool, which is probably why they collaborated so often and so well.
A Lot About Living
Don't Rock the Jukebox - combining these two as they are just perfect time capsules of 90's country music. These would go well with some Brooks and Dunn, George Strait, and Garth Brooks classics in a compilation of songs that epitomize 90's country.
Who's Cheating Who - another cover that Alan Jackson nails. I will always remember the NASCAR themed video running endlessly on CMT.
Midnight in Montgomery - I am a sucker for almost any song about Hank Williams Sr., and this one is no exception. You can pair this with David Allan Coe's The Ride.
The 2000's Classics
Remember When - A great nostalgic song from an artist entering the twilight phase of his career; with an appropriately nostalgic video to boot. I like to think this is the spiritual successor to Livin' on Love.
Murder on Music Row (with George Strait)
Probably the most subversive song about the country music business that actually came from inside the house. Alan and George probably got away with covering it at the time as it was one of the two new songs on a George Strait greatest hits compilation. That album was going to sell regardless. The state of country music at the time they recorded this seems quaint compared to what mainstream country music is now 25+ years on.
The Underrated, and Potentially Underappreciated, Drinking Song:
Designated Drinker (with George Strait) - Combining two of the most notorious tropes in country music perfectly - the drinking song and a clever play on words. This one flies under the radar in his discography, I tend to prefer the Live From Texas Stadium version. It was very fitting that this was a song George and Alan did together at his final concert.
What did I miss?
