A Lot About Livin' (And A Little 'Bout Love)
Of all the country music artists to break big in the '90s, Alan Jackson best straddles the genre's sense of tradition and its newfound modern sheen. More than any other superstar, the Georgia native clings to the age-old sound of fiddles, steel guitars, and rhythms that shuffle and swing. Still, on his third and his most successful album, Jackson proves how well he can turn traditional sounds into commercially accessible hits. "Chattahoochee" and "She's Got the Rhythm (And I've Got the Blues)" display his flair for bringing bright detail and a casual sense of fun to uptempo tunes. Meanwhile, ballads such as "Tonight I Climbed the Wall" show that he can create heartbreakers equal to those of his heroes, Merle Haggard and George Jones.--Michael McCall