Search - Alan Jackson :: What I Do

Fabulous...as always

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 01/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Alan Jackson is one of the most consistent superstars in any genre, and in every facet of his enormous talent; as a songwriter always turning out melodies and lyrics of fine quality, sung so well in his relaxed warm baritone, and along with his extraordinary band, giving us nothing but brilliant musicianship.



"What I do" is what he does so perfectly: A blend of lilting ballads of the love-lost variety, up-tempo numbers with a nice slice of humor ("The Talkin' Song Repair Blues" is hilarious), and with a blazing track to show off the immense virtuosity of the musicians, "Burnin' the Honkey Tonks Down" will knock your socks off. Stuart Duncan (fiddle) and Hargus "Pig" Robbins (piano) are among those that back Jackson in this CD, with the exception of the final track, which was recorded live at the 2004 Flameworthy Awards in Nashville, and has a different line-up, which includes guitarist Tom Rutledge.



The singles from this CD are "Too Much of a Good Thing" and "Monday Morning Church" (the lovely Patty Loveless sings harmony on the latter), but there isn't a song on this CD that isn't hit-worthy...it is excellence through and through.

Jackson wrote five of the twelve songs (tracks # 1, # 2, # 3, # 5, and # 6), and "Rainy Day in June", a delicate and sad love song, is a favorite...though it's hard to pick favorites in this album.

The sound is crystal clear, the booklet insert contains recording info and all the lyrics, and total playing time is 44'48."

A step back for Alan, but still great

Ken | Olathe, KS, U.S.A. | 10/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought my first Alan Jackson record five years ago. No matter what song or album Alan puts out, it turns into a hit. Alan's latest record, What I Do, is another strong performance.



"Too Much Of A Good Thing", Alan's current hit, is about a guy who can't get enough of the one he loves. It's rapidly climbing the charts. "If Love Was A River" is a song about taking the opportunity to build a relationship("If love was a river and I was a drowning man/Would you go in the water, would you lend me a hand"). "There Ya Go" is another song with that same theme("There ya go, you're doing fine/Take each day like a step/One at a time"). Of course, Alan has his usual dose of heartbreak and lost love. "You Don't Have To Paint Me A Picture", "Rainy Day In June", and "Strong Enough" are all strong "heartbreak" numbers, with the speaker saying in "Strong Enough": "Mexico, you don't make tequila/Strong enough to get her off my mind." In "USA Today", the speaker tries to put a positive spin on his breakup. He won't have to worry because the newsman called and told him that "they're...puttin' me on the cover of the USA Today". "Monday Morning Church", though, tops them all. Trying to cope with the loss of his wife, the man won't go anywhere, even to church, since "they took all that he believed and laid it in the ground". The closing number "To Do What I Do", which was recorded live, could very well be Alan's celebration of his career. As he sings, I think it's obvious that Alan is enjoying himself: "There's so much joy this music can bring/So I count my blessings when I step up to sing/'Cause there's so many people that would give anything/To do what I do."



Alan, however, always has room for the upbeat on his records. This record has a couple of strong toe-tappers. In "Talkin' Song Repair Blues", the guy takes his car to the garage to get it fixed. After the mechanic gives the car owner the estimate of how much the job will cost, they get to talking and realize they're both songwriters. When the mechanic plays his song, the owner of the car gives him his opinion and tells him how to fix the song. They both break out in laughter. The toe-tapping "Burnin' The Honky Tonks Down" is about a woman who gets even with her husband for going out to the bars by following him to the bars and torching them. There's a lot of humor in those songs. However, I think Alan finally put a song that's a "miss" on one of his records. In "If French Fries Were Fat Free", the guy is talking about how life would be if he hadn't lost his love. The song is great--until you get to the chorus: "If French fries were fat free/And you still loved me." These lines kind of spoil the effect of the song. Instead of feeling heartbreak, I think some people would laugh at these words. On a record where any one of the songs could be a hit, Alan stumbles here. However, even though it's not quite up to the level of music we expect from Alan, What I Do is another great album from this award-winning singer. This record has already produced one huge hit and will without a doubt have several other hits off it."

Long live the king of traditonal country music.

Classic Country Fan | 10/06/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Alan Jackson's new cd is called "What I Do" After listening to it I think a better title would be "What I Do Best" because what you have on these 12 tracks is Alan singing about heartbreak, a honky tonk a car that is need of repair. and true love, and that is what he does best. The songs are delivered in pure country arrangements without the overproduction that has plagued country music so much. There are no screaming loud guitars or pounding drums. Just the sweet sounds of the weeping and dancing fiddles. Which are complimented by the crying steel.



Alan's vocals are delivered with raw emotion. One of the cd's most powerful song has to be "Monday Morning Church" a song about a man who has lost his love and is trying to cope with what he loved being put in the ground. You can feel his pain when he sings about her things she left behind. The backup vocal's of Patty Loveless only add to the overall effect. The cd is worth the price for this cut.



The whole cd isn't about heartbreak. A few of the others are about not letting love slip by with "If Love Was A River" Another tune that should really smoke in a live setting with Alan's top notch band "The Stray horns"

has to be "Burning The Honky Tonks down" about a man's wife tired of sitting home and goes after the Honky Tonks and torches them. Fans of the Oak Ridge Boys should instantly recognize the bass voice of Richard Strenban providing backup.



One to that's sure to make you smile is "If French Fries Were Fat Free" If his wife still loved him, came back home and fries were fat free his life would be perfect. Then there is the Takin song repair blues about a mechanic who is a songwriter and pitches a song while working on his car. Only to find out his song isn't that good, but Alan can fix it for him in exchange for working on his car plus 100 bucks. After listening to this cd it should prove to the listener that Alan is the king of traditional country music. So hail to the king.



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