I've had a difficult relationship with Alan Jackson over the years. I grew up in a small town which subscribed to the same view of music as Bob's Country Bunker ("We got both kinds of music: country and western"). Although I still somehow managed to learn how to country dance, I rebelled against country music during the 90's. I was all about grunge, punk, ska, and anything else that wasn't country. Over time I came back to my roots, incorporating country back into my listening repertoire. More than anyone else, I had to make my peace with Alan Jackson. While I merely disliked other country artists, I openly hated Jackson for songs like "Tall Tall Trees." When I finally learned to be okay with that song, my journey back to the dark side was complete. In making peace with country, I was making peace with myself and my own background. Nowadays I'm just as comfortable with country as I am with the more esoteric parts of my collection (probably all my Wildebeests 45's).
Alan Jackson is a country music staple. Songs like "Chatahoochie," "Gone Country," and "Don't Rock the Jukebox" should be required listening for any country music fan. Alan Jackson's signature twang is unmistakable, and this compilation of hits from the first part of his career is evidence of the man's greatness and importance to the genre.
Baleeted? Nope.
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