Alan Jackson

Released in January of 2002, Alan Jackson's Drive includes the gut-wrenching post-9/11 song "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" -- one of the most poignant "of the people" songs ever written. Ever. Horrific as it was, 9/11 stands as the event that shaped this decade for Americans, and Jackson's larger-than-life expression of stunned helplessness encapsulated the American collective perfectly. But Drive also reaffirms family ("Drive [For Daddy Gene]"), working on relationships ("Work in Progress") and keeping a sunny outlook ("That'd Be Right") in a straightforward, often humorous way -- just the kind of salve a grieving nation needed.

Alan Jackson has a lovely, loping voice, like a confident man's walk. His ninth album, Drive,
hits all the country cliches with amiable accuracy. There's been no better Nashville tune
this year than the title track, a midtempo charmer that carries the singer from memories of
Dad's cherished junker to hopes that his own girls will remember their first turns at the
wheel. Whether love goes right ("Bring on the Night," "Once in a Lifetime Love"),... More >

When did he become human? I missed it--and I heard his roots album many, many times ("Drive [For Daddy Gene]," "Where Were You [When the World Stopped Turning]") (Grade - ***)