If there was one record that established
Alan Jackson
as a bona fide star,
Don't Rock the Jukebox
was it. The set featured no less than two number one singles in the title track and
"Love's Got a Hold on You,"
and three more entered the Top Ten. This is
Jackson
at what he does best, being a modern
honky tonk
singer not quite as tough as
Dwight Yoakam
, but with more sex appeal and easier on the ears for those who like their "hard
country
" smoothed a bit. That's more
Keith Stegall
's fault than
's, as there is no doubt by his having written or co-written all but one song here that he's the real thing. The truth of the matter is that
's mettle comes in the
ballads
, like the criminally overlooked
"That's All I Need to Know,"
or in the story-songs like
"Dallas."
"Midnight in Montgomery"
is a stellar song about encountering the ghost of
Hank Williams
; its Spanish guitar overtones in the intro made it perfect for the radio, but its innovative video far overshadowed the song as a single. But hits aside,
is solid as a
new traditionalist
record, meaning that it's a
record with ever-present pedal steel for every synth or glossy fiddle.
's voice is in the groove, down there with
Jones
and
Haggard
, tougher than
Travis
, leaner than
Strait
, and almost as hillbilly as
Yoakam
. This is a great record that stands the test of time. ~ Thom Jurek