Customer Reviews

Greatest Hits 2 [Regular Edition]

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A terrific follow-up to "Greatest Hits Vol. I", this collection is a must for Jackson fans; it of course has his mega-hit with Jimmy Buffett, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere", and there's a good balance between the up-tempo songs and the ballads. The musicianship is outstanding, including the masterful mandolin and fiddle work by Stuart Duncan, and piano by Hargus "Pig" Robbins.

The songs:
"I'll Go On Loving You" is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. Written by Kieran Kane (once of the short-lived but brilliant duo The O'Kanes in the late '80s), the words and melody are superb, and Alan sings it with the tender soul of a poet.
"The Blues Man" is so lovely, so mellow; written by Hank Williams Jr., it has a simplicity that goes right to the heart.
Jackson wrote nine of the songs in this collection. He has a sharp wit and honesty with his lyrics, and a great melodic sense; some of my favorites are:
"Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" is Alan's tribute to 9/11, and is a song that spoke words that were on our minds, and helped us heal.
"Drive" is one Alan wrote for his father Gene, and it tells a wonderful generational story.
"Remember When" is about Alan's thoughts on marriage, and is an exquisitely romantic, heartfelt finish for this marvelous album.

This CD of super hits was just declared Triple Platinum, and Jackson has recently become ACM's Most-Nominated artist...he's won over 80 major awards, and one listen to this fabulous recording shows why; as songwriter, singer, performer and musician, few in the history of country music are in the same league as Alan Jackson. He's a legend, and one of my favorite artists in any genre. The booklet insert includes all the lyrics, and total playing time is 70'29.

Since releasing his first "Greatest Hits Collection," Alan Jackson has continued to write and record some truly great country music. Covering the period from 1996 - 2002, the second volume of hits contains some of his best work ever, especially the heartbreaking "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" (#1 for 5 weeks in 2001-2002), which Alan penned in the wake of the attack on the World Trade Center. The song finally gave Alan a Country Music Association Award for Single of the Year, and it's worthy of every accolade.

People sometimes forget what a talented writer Alan is, but he wrote a number of other songs here. One of the best is "Little Man" (#3 in 1999), which eloquently describes the disappearance of small businesses run by the eponymous "little" men. The fun and rollicking "Where I Come From" (#1 for 3 weeks in 2001) describes his upbringing, where there was "a lot of front porch pickin" and "cornbread and chicken." Finally, this CD includes Alan's simple but amazing tribute to his father - "Drive (For Daddy Gene)" (#1 for 4 weeks in 2002).

Although Alan is a great songwriter, he's savvy enough to collect material from other great songsmiths. "Right on the Money" (#1 for 1 week in 1999) is a mid-tempo song written by Charlie Black and Phil Vassar, with a chorus that implants itself in your brain. "I'll Go On Loving You" (#3 in 1998) was composed by Kieran Kane; it's an unusual song for Alan - mostly spoken word over a beautiful string-drenched score. "Everything I Love" is vintage Jackson - a lament for having to abide by moderation.

In addition to these great originals, Alan has had big hits with a number of top-notch covers. "Pop a Top" (#6 in 1999), "Little Bitty" (#1 for 3 weeks in 1996), and Who's Cheatin' Who" (#2 in 1997) are great examples of the fun, up-tempo songs he often remakes. He also does a beautiful cover of "It Must Be Love" (#1 for 1 week in 2000), which was a #1 hit for Don Williams.

Finally, two new songs are included. "Remember When" is a pretty ballad with a prominent steel guitar; it was a big hit. Alan also pairs with Jimmy Buffett again on "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," following their earlier duet on "Margaritaville." It's a fun, although somewhat disposable song.

Overall, this collection is amazing and really shows what a superstar Alan Jackson has become. Because he's humble and unassuming, Alan doesn't always receive the attention he deserves, especially among casual country fans. Fortunately, he's quietly and steadily keeping alive the tradition of great country music. Most highly recommended.

I LOVE this CD!! I bought it particularly for 'Remember When' and the song about 9-11, but the rest of it is great as well. He has a very rich, easy-to-listen-to voice, which does justice to everything he sings. I don't think I've ever heard him sing a 'bad song!'

One of the few remaining modern country artists willing to stick with the "traditional" formula. And for that, Alan Jackson will go down in history alongside Porter Wagoner, George Strait, Conway, and George Jones. This album covers that later (more recent) half of Alan's career and you may be surprised at the number of hits he had in the late-'90's. There are 18 songs here, including the now "over-played" duet with Jimmy Buffet "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" and the somewhat poppish "Remember When". There are also a few cover songs here, such as: "Pop A Top", Jim Ed Brown; "Who's Cheatin Who", Charly McClain; and "It Must Be Love", Don WIlliams. The best tracks here, are those which showcase Alan's smooth delivery, with the likes of "There Goes", "Little Bitty", and "Little Man". This is an enjoyable album to listen to and well worth your dollar.

If you like Alan Jackson, you can't go wrong with this CD. It has his best hits all on one CD.

Alan Jackson is an anomaly in modern country music. He's a traditionalist in an era tending away from tradition, and he continually defies the odds by remaining popular and relevant. His second greatest hits album does not sound like quite as much of a throwback to the old country style as his first greatest hits album did: there is an undeniable radio-friendly sheen to the music. It feels contemporary. Still, at the center of the music is Jackson, expressing his down-home sentiments in an impressive country voice; when the instrumentation and production stray into pop territory, we still have Alan there to hold it all together and bring it back home. Which makes this collection a fine one indeed, with a whole line-up of instantly recognizable radio hits from the past several years. Very enjoyable.

This cd is just what it promises to be. A fine follow up collection of Alan Jackson's best. I am not a huge country fan, but some artists I do like and follow them. Between this cd and his first greatest hits, I have a fine collection of all of the songs I wanted from AJ

This is a great collection of some of Alan Jackson's best material. Almost all of the tunes here are worthy of a place on a "best of" collection. Only one or two could be considered "filler". I especially like the thoughtful musical arrangements supporting his material. Jackson really stands out among Country artists in his attention to musical details. This is really a "can't miss" for those who enjoy Country music, with appeal for pop fans as well.

This is all classic Alan! What more do I need to say? Great collection of favorites.

So many hits he has to put out a second greatest hits CD?!? What a stud! This is one of those CDs that you can just leave in your CD player and let it go all day. I never get tired of any of the tracks. This is definitely one of my favority CDs!