Customer Reviews

Drive

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's safe to say that Alan Jackson's new release, "Drive", is going to be a huge hit in 2002. If you're already a fan of Jackson, you know pretty much what to expect...some good ole country music that doesn't stray from it's roots. You've got everything from great love songs ("Once In A Lifetime Love") to the obligatory car song ("Drive" & "First Love") to the fun ("Work In Progress" & "I Slipped and Fell In Love"). There's also an awesome duet with the King of Country himself, George Strait, called "Designated Drinker", about a pair of drinking buddies trying to get over a gal who's broken their hearts. There's not a bad track on the CD, which is not something you can say for most of what's released today in country music. There's something for everyone here.

The following are my favorite tracks on the CD:

"I'm A Little Bluer Than That": What a song!!! This is bound to be a hit on radio, if it's ever released. Alan sings of a man who can't seem to get over a woman who's left him for another man. He explains that even the saddest songs on the radio aren't as blue as he is.

"Bring On The Night": Alan has such a knack for singing a country love song and this is one the best I've heard him sing yet. It's a song about a man coming home after a long, hard day to the woman he loves.

And finally...."Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)": During the 2001 CMA's Alan Jackson premiered this song in tribute to the victims of September 11th. It's safe to say that there wasn't a dry eye in the nation that night after he sang it. Not only are you getting the original album cut, you're also getting that famous live version from the CMA's. There've been tons of tribute songs released since the tragedies but this is far superior to any that I've ever heard. It makes you think REAL hard about what matters in your life and how fragile life really is.

If you're going to buy just one new country CD this year, make sure it's Alan Jackson's "Drive". What makes "Drive" so enjoyable for me is that Alan isn't trying to be something he's not. He's the same down-home, layed-back guy he's always been and it shows in his music. He isn't out to bring new fans to country music or break new chart records. Instead he focuses all of his efforts on making good music. This has got "Album Of The Year" written ALLLL over it!!!

Gennie Bailey-Rogers

In a career that has produced hit upon hit while maintaining the true spirit of country music, Alan Jackson has recorded his greatest work so far with "Drive". There will inevitably be much focus on the tribute song to the victims of September 11, "Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)", which is included twice on this album, as recorded in the studio and also live at the 2001 CMA Awards. Of the many songs about that terrible day, this one best captures the feelings and emotions that we all experienced after the tragedy struck. Hopefully it will provide some comfort to those most affected.
This is a very strong album. Jackson has consistently recorded excellent country music throughout the 12 years since his first album. Encouragingly, in recent years, his own songwriting and choice of other writers' songs has actually improved upon the high standard of his earlier recordings. His albums, particularly Who I Am, High Mileage, When Somebody Loves You and now Drive, have been entertaining, personal and of the highest quality, matching the best of George Strait's recordings. Strait featues on this album in a duet, "Designated Drinker", which gets better with repeated listening, although its tune will be familiar to anyone who has heard Johnny Paycheck's "Don't Take Her She's All I've Got". Jackson has always displayed a sense of humour in his work and that's well represented here with "I Slipped And Fell In Love" and "Work In Progress". Apart from "Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)", the highlight of the album for me is "First Love", which tells the story of the singer's first car, which he sold, regretted it ("you can't drive a check"), only to be reunited many years later when he receives it as a present. Those of us who love our car will identify with this song.
I strongly recommend this album and predict that, even in January, we already have the country music album of the year.

You can tell Alan Jackson is at peace with himself and his music again, because of the way he opens up in "DRIVE". Of course the show stopping "Where Were You" (when the world stopped turning) is what will make this Alan's top CD of his career. The song speaks for itself, and shows America the poet Alan Jackson has always been. Whether a person listens to country or not they will buy this CD for that song. But, what they won't realize until later is that every song on "DRIVE" is a single in itself. A fan can get a wonderful glimpse of Alan's childhood growing up in rural George with a Daddy who loved him very much, in the title track "DRIVE". Seems anyone who learned to drive behind the wheel with daddy beside them can relate to what a wonderful song "DRIVE" is. "A Little Bluer Than That" reveals a classic country song sung in perfect tune with Alan's baritone voice. My personal favorite "The Sounds" is a sad heartbreak song, that revels just how much depth Alan's music can have, if one looks. The last line "you can't hear it, but the silence is killing me" will be sure to give you goosebumps. I would love to know more about why Alan wrote the song.
"Designated Drinker" a duet with legend George Strait is a fun song about getting over a woman with a good friend and a bottle of Jack. "First Love" is another personal story from Alan about his 55 Thunderbird that is his again after setting it free for a down payment on a house years ago. Put your cd player on cruise control and enjoy some good country music with Alan Jackson.

This is by far the best album that Alan Jackson has released, his voice and lyrics are at an all time high. September 11th touched the entire world, as evident in the lyrics in Jackson's "Where Were You." Take a simple line in the song, "in a crowded room did you feel alone, did you call up your mother and tell her you loved her, did you dust off your bible at home?" I think that every american can relate to at least one line in this song, that he did on that horrible day.

The rest of the CD is full of upbeat, pure "classic country" that gets you going. In the ever changing field of country music where most country musicians are really pop singers, Jackson remains true to his heart, and his fans with pure country music. This CD is a MUST for any AJ fan, as well as any country music fan.

This is my first Alan Jackson CD, "Drive" was purchased by myself after learning that "Where Were You" would be on it and that was one of the reasons I bought it and with alot of country albums I have bought it the past, I stop listening to them after a while, but with "Drive", it is different, I thought after "Where Were You"(one of 2002's best songs), that I wouldn't listen to this Cd much after that, but to my overwhelming suprise I am still listening to it and can honestly say there is not a bad song on this album. The title song and second release "Drive" is well told, about fathers and sons and Alan's relationship with his father, and the wisecracking third release "Work In Progress", which just worked it way into the country Top 10. And there are so many more terrific songs on this album, like "I Slipped And Fell In Love", "That'd Be Alright" and "Designated Drunker"(which he shares dueting credit with George Strait), that is just a few songs but the hole collection is great. This CD was the first new release of 2002 that I bought and I feel it is one of the best of 2002, and as for country albums I feel that it is my personal favorite country album since "Come On Over"(Shania Twain in 1997), and that is saying alot because that album is one of my favorite of my whole collection and "Drive" from Alan Jackson comes very very close to being one of my all time favorites of my collection, and it should be it everyone's collection. This album recieves an A+ and I don't give many of them out, the album is just that good and more. We need more albums like this especially in the country field. Keep on drivin' Alan!

While most artists seem to be leaving tradtional country behind one thing is for sure Alan hasn't.
This is one of the best albums Alan has done. He writes with such style. He puts his heart and soul into most of the songs he writes. I think of him as a modren day Hank Williams SR. The title cut "Drive" is from the heart and a great tribute to his late father. In a radio interview he said he didn't want to write the usual sad tribute song because most of his memories he has are happy. There are 2 cuts of Where Were You the studio and the live one. I do hear a bit more emotion in the live cut. "Bring On The Night" talks about the hard day spent at work then coming home to the love of his life. "First Love" is about his love for his first car "an older woman" "The Sounds" is a well written tune about a woman leaving her man and he doesn't like what he is hearing. I will say one thing about this cd don't drive to get it Speed all the way.

Classic Country Fan

Its nice to hear good music come out of Nashville these days, and as usual Alan Jackson delivers with Drive. I feel the title cut is the best on the album. Close behind is his stiring heart-felt tribute not only to September 11 but to all Americans who cared that day, "Where where you". Alan shows his talent very well in this effort writing eight of the twelve song on the album. From the loud silence of "The sounds" to a married mans anthem "Work in Progress", Alan delivers from his heart songs that anyone can identify with. The duet with George Strait, while very good, isn't quite what I had hoped it would be. This may be due to the quality of the rest of this CD. He suprises you with "First Love". You have to hear it, afterall its his suprise not mine.

Another real country ablum from the man who has carried the banner for the past decade.

Can we all say "crossover artist of the year" five times quickly? Like many others, I was familiar with Alan Jackson because of his videos on the country music TV stations, but I was stopped dead in my tracks when I first saw and heard him perform the "Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)?" song at the Country Music Award fandango. Needless to say, he captured better than anyone could expect anyone to do the range of emotions and reactions that ran through all of our minds last fall, and he articulated the mood of the country and the change on personal outlooks so well that I knew this song had all the juice he needed to make him a crossover star.

His music is deceptively simple, and his lyrics speak to ordinary experiences and everyday people. In this sense he rides down the main thoroughfare of popular country music exceedingly comfortably, a kind of raggedy redneck with a poet's gift for describing the world he sees around him. In the title song, he writes with loving remembrance of his father, who trusted his son enough to teach him how to "Drive" boats, trucks, but his own young life. In the final few scenes of the song's video we see Jackson lovingly carrying on the tradition with his daughters behind the wheel of a beat-up old jeep. This is an artist with legs.

He sings songs that are wistful but hopeful, and shares his take on the experiences he had and the way he feels, and one gets the idea he has been around the block a time or two. So whether he is testing love's murky waters in "When Love Comes Around" or spooning the gentler sex's dogged persistence on trying to change their men in the funny and wry "Work In Progress" Jackson seems straight-forward, open, and quite inventive. He sings of simple virtues, extraordinary experiences, and common pitfalls with equal parts joy, humor, and pathos, and crowns it all off with the unbelievable good delivery of his personal take on the world we have to deal with in "Where Were You". This is an album to have, to start one's collection of an artist who is going to be a major force in both country music and in the popular venues as well. Enjoy!

This cd can simply be defined by the one great song...and that is 100% Awesome!!! Lets start off on the first track, "Drive(For Daddy Gene). Alan sings about his early memories on his dad's boat, driving his first car and the joy of watching his own girl's drive his jeep. Beauifully done!!! Tracks 2 and 3 are very mellow numbers, great in style, but too early on the cd. The rockin' starts on track #4. Track #5 is a return to the mellow side for very nice melody which may very well be the next single. Track #6 is a very catchy tune called, "Designated Drinker", which is a duet with George Strait. Awesome! Track #7 is the studio release of the song that could and should earn song of the year, "Where Were You(When The World Stopped Turnin), written, recorded and finally debut on the 35th Annual CMA Awards. The live track from the awards is on track #13 as a bonus track, with the full feel of the introduction, song and crowd cheers. Track #8 is a trip to some old country fiddling. Track #9 is the last slow tune on the cd. Tracks 10-12 are just some goold ole' fashioned country. ...and finally track #13...the live CMA track of , "Where Were You". You must buy this cd if you haven't already, and if you have bought it then buy another one for someone that can't afford such luxories as a great cd that can help us all through the evnts of September 11th 2001. God Bless You Alan Jackson!!

Just the September 11 song is reason enough to buy this CD. Beautiful beautiful lyrics, astonishing compilation!
Alan JAckson is my favorite singer, and he gives me no reason not to love his music. The up-tempo songs "Drive" and "Designated drinker" are my favorites on this album. Alan wrote 9 of the 12 songs. Though not his #1 album, this is yet another masterpiece for true country fans.