Alan Jackson; Under the Influence (1999 Arista) (Under The Influence - Alan Jackson)

Member Name: Glasgow Girl

Product:	Under The Influence - Alan Jackson
Date:	26/07/00 (65 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An excellent introduction to Country Music at its best

Disadvantages: When's the 2nd Volume, Alan?

Although this was Alan Jackson’s 1999 issue I have only recently added it to my collection.

The album is a ‘tribute’ but not of the usual ‘various artists’ variety, this is simply Alan Jackson and a group of Nashville’s finest putting on record (pardon the pun) some of the tracks which Alan Jackson says influenced his career.

He doesn’t try to emulate the original sounds but says on the sleeve notes that he is paying tribute,
“. . . to the artists and the songwriters . . . the musicians and producers on the original records.”

The tracks which stand out, for me at any rate, are; “Once You’ve Had the Best”, an old Johnny Paycheck number and “My Own Kind of Hat” originally done by Merle Haggard. The former is a song I heard years ago, loved on first hearing but didn’t know what it was, and the latter a song that I knew but didn’t know the name of.

I have always said that I am a ‘New Country’ fan. This album has helped me to considerably widen my appreciation of Country Music.
Give it a listen.
It’s good stuff.

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