Customer Reviews

Good Time

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Alan Jackson is one of those Country stars that always shoots straight. No he hasn't been nominated a lot of late for this award or that. But his work is always there and, for true Country fans, his songs are a must and a reminder of just what Country Music is and how it should sound.

GOOD TIME makes the case completely. The album is Jackson at his purest and best. No real experimentation here. No seeming attempts at addressing the ever-shifting expectations of those new to the genre. This is Alan Jackson doing what he does best and, as the title exclaims, listening to this one is a real Good Time!

Every track (and there are seventeen of them!) is a hit in my book. The sixth track on the album, 1976, a look back at a simpler life, came through as my favorite. The song spoke very well to me about a great many things and I found myself reminiscing along with Alan about an important year in my life.

But, hey, as I said, every song here, from the title track to Country Boy to Small Town Southern Man, is Jackson at his finest. He holds nothing back and, as you listen, you'll find yourself realizing, as I did, that Alan Jackson is a no-nonsense Country treasure whom I hope continues to wow us all with his talent and perspective.

THE HORSEMAN

"Good Time" is classic Alan Jackson with the added bonus that this disc contains 17 cuts, instead of the typical 10 or 12 songs. More Alan for the money is always a good thing!

As you may or may not know, Alan's last two CDs were a bit different than his previous catalog. "Like Red on a Rose" (four stars) played with a bluesy-jazz sound, while "Precious Memories" (six stars if I could) was a beautiful and inspirational country gospel recording. Both these themes (bluesy-jazz and country gospel) have always been around in Jackson's recordings, but those two CDs highlighted those elements in specific.

In "Good Time," Alan returns to what made him a well-deserved superstar more than a decade ago. There are several songs celebrating simple living, with "Small Town Southern Man" being a mega-hit in the vein of "Home" or "Drive (for Daddy Gene)." "I Still Like Bologna" represents the fun-side of Jackson (a la "Talkin' Song Repair Blues") and there is a nod to his spiritual side in "If Jesus Walked the World Today." The duet with Martina McBride ("Never Loved Before") is also a standout and should be a #1 single soon. The amazing thing is that all of these are original Alan Jackson-written songs!

I know more than a few Alan Jackson fans who were concerned that Alan's previous album marked a permanent change of direction for him. That album, produced by Alison Krauss, will likely prove to be the worst selling album in the Alan Jackson catalog so it is good to see that Good Time is a return to form for him. His fans can stop worrying now.

"Good Time" is jam-packed with solid country music and, as usual for an Alan Jackson album, the songs will appeal to a wide audience. There are love ballads for the ladies, a drinking song or two for the guys, some autobiographical songs, and lots of Alan Jackson humor on display.

Alan shares some of his own story on "Small Town Southern Man," the first single from the album, a song in which he pays tribute to his father, and on "1976" in which he describes some of the notable highlights of 1976, the year he met his wife at the local Dairy Queen. One suspects that the lady has a sense of humor after listening to "Nothing Left to Do," Alan's description of "one night in the life" in which he tells us that there's "nothing left to do now that we've done it."

Other examples of Jackson's humorous touch are "I Still Like Bologna," in which he admits to enjoying plenty about the digital age but says that he's not ready yet to give up all of life's simple pleasures and "If Jesus Walked the World Today," in which he imagines that when Jesus comes back it will be as a hillbilly.

"If You Want to Make Me Happy," a traditional honky tonk song, kicks off with a fiddle and closes with a steel guitar. What more can a country fan ask for? How about a hook that advises, "If you want to make me happy, pour me bourbon on the rocks and play every sad song on the jukebox." Does it get any better than that, country fans?

"Good Time" includes a love song duet with the talented Martina McBride, "Never Loved Before," that may be destined to be a single at some point. It is just one of at least half a dozen love songs on the album, some of which are mid-to-up-tempo songs that even the guys will enjoy.

Alan Jackson fans will love this album...and, with seventeen songs on it, Alan is offering us a real bargain. Buy this album. You won't be sorry.

Thank God there are still artists like Alan Jackson around to keep country music alive. In this album he includes a little bit of everything from fast paced songs, a little blue grass, and most important of all it's all good classic country! His band and himself have never sounded better. This whole album is one big Good Time and you can tell from his excitement in the lyrics that he had a blast making it and I think that you will have a blast listening to it as well.

As long as I have known about Alan Jackson, I can see him to be like the man he praises, his father Daddy Gene, a family man, traditional, pure and caring.

For his 15th CD, which follows and an impressive awards collection, we can't disregard his longtime producer Keith Stegall, the man behind the scenes. Their collaborative success is attributed to Stegall's claim of their similar background, a small town. The name Stegall is synomous with Alan Jackson.

Alan Jackson is a writer of his music, which means the words speak of the man. You get Alan Jackson, down to earth, genuine, simple, wholesome and with faith. The music here is about the people, his father; Sissy's Song was written for a young lady who worked for Jacksons and died. It wouldn't surprise me if this became a staple song for loved ones. It's not too often that he duets with other female singers, but here he does a song with Martina McBride.

If there is one singer's birthplace I have always known, it is Alan Jackson, born in Newnan, Georgia, and in his wonderful gospel album Precious Memories-Live at the Ryman DVD, he took us back to Newnan. And with the success of that, it is fitting to include a spiritual song that connects with his home, If Jesus Walked the World Today.

You will hear different musical sounds, feel good songs, but what will forever be is that voice!! .....Rizzo

No real words to describe - It's Alan Jackson & it's wonderful!! Doesn't seem possible but he just keeps getting better & better!!

Probably the best Alan Jackson CD I have heard to this date! Glad I purchased it! Definitely helps with "Good Times"!

Been a while coming with this new CD but it is back to the more traditional Alan Jackson that we know, after his last two which I think did not live up to his standards of before, this is certainly a very good easy listening CD and to many country fans who love the more traditional country music I would recommend it .

I have bought it about two weeks ago.
My opinion is that it is a great album. Classic and lovable Alan Jackson style.
When I gotten "Like Red on a Rose" I was pessimist because I supposed that also Alan moved to pop music style.
I was wrong !! because Alan Jackson country style is alive !!
Thanks a lot Alan for this great album "Good time".
Paul

My daddy was lying on his death bed, On Jan. 29, 2008. He loved and played country music his whole life. The radio was on and Alan Jackson's Small Town Southern Man came on, (it had not been released yet). Daddy took his oxygen away from his face, he ask my brother could he get that song off the internet. Bubba said, he was sure his girls could get it.
Daddy said , " son, I'm fixen to domino." My neices scrambled to get the song on disk for him. He died Jan. 30th at 8:17.Our family gathered and found every picture of dad from 15yrs to 72 trs. My neices put it together . At his funeral we played the video, it was perfect . You see daddy was born to sharecroppers in Southern Arkasas. They only had each other, and were always singing on the front porch.. Dad was plain and simple man, but got involved in a statewide scandel in OK The FBI had to put him under cover and he was th first recipient of The Lewis Peters Award(My brother has the award now.) We went to watch him recieve this award. The only thing he could say was " it wasn't right and my moma nor my daddy would have stood for it" Then he went back to being a carpenter and built a little house. That song came out when he needed it most I believe Alan Jacksons song helped him to know Angels would soon have him by the hand. Rufus Young was just a small town southern man .He was just what the song says and now every child and grandchild with a cell phone has the part where it says--"And he bowed his head to Jesus and he stood for Unkle Sam " all his greatgrand children can even sing "bowed his head to Jesus & stood for UnkleSam." and if we don't have that part we have " He said his greatest contributios is the ones he leaves behind." It is like a gentle reminder of his values, many nights we play guitar and sing at his old trailor, its the way he always communicated with us. Now,Our Family would like to thank Alan Jackson, For giving Daddy that song to tell his family how much he loves us and remind us he'll be in Heaven waiting on us all. It is like We keep his memory alive every time one of our cell phones rings or a baby sings "He bowed his head to Jesus". & we all have the Good Times album too.
Thank-You,
Cathy D. (Young) Mullings