On their new album, Alabama seem be to attempting to please the legion of fans who have helped them garner a gazillion #1 country singles, while also reclaiming the attention of those who've found their recent hits boringly interchangeable. The good news is that, while there are a few tunes here that remind us why Alabama has been called the Kmart of country-pop, a sizeable chunk of the album contains what is by far some of the best material this group has done in ages.
"When It All Goes South" (RealAudio excerpt), already a hit single, is a mighty proclamation of Dixie glory ("You will be drinkin' Jack Black/ Tryin' to kick back ... Cravin' biscuits and hominy grits") without being marred by the contrived cheeseball-ness of past Alabama hits such as 1988's "Song of The South" and '89's "Southern Star." One would wager that the next two singles will be the irresistible "Wonderful Waste of Time" (RealAudio excerpt), whose neo-'60s groove and brass-tinged production makes it sound like a lost Jay and the Americans track (it's also a rare chance for guitarist and fiddle player Jeff Cook to show off his dandy vocal chops), and the amazing "Clear Across America Tonight." Co-authored by group members Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry (who penned or co-penned every song on the album), "Clear Across America Tonight" exemplifies the simple strengths of a killer country tune, with its catchy hook and ingeniously clever premise of a man who hears his beloved deliver her "Dear John" message to him on a call-in radio show.
Other highlights include the powerfully ironic "Reinvent the Wheel" (RealAudio excerpt) ("It takes a brave heart to resist temptation to do the same ol'/ And reinvent the wheel" — could they by chance be referring to themselves here?); the gripping "Start Living," a heartbreaking tale of a misspent existence; and "The Woman He Loves," which avoids becoming another Alabama glop-fest (c.f. '84's "When We Make Love") with socko soul harmonies and more nifty brass.
Of course, on an album that's a decidedly non-Nashville 15 songs long, it's perhaps inevitable that somewhere along the way the group would slip back into more nondescript fare. The most glaring example is "Love Remains," where they're joined by a wailing Christopher Cross in a jarring misstep that sounds like a bad "Sailing" redux. The other unfortunate guest appearance is by Canadian songstress Jann Arden on the sorry wedding weeper "Will You Marry Me." After last year's icky confab with 'NSYNC on "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time On You," maybe somebody should tell Alabama to stop inviting people onto their albums. They simply don't need 'em.
Overall, though, longtime fans will not be disappointed. And for those of us who have written off their recent work, When It All Goes South is an often thrilling revitalization that helps us remember why Alabama became a supergroup in the first place.
