Upon first glance, Alan Jackson's devout album of Christian spirituals, Precious Memories, seemed like a worthy but curious detour, a step off the hard country path for the best of all modern honky tonk singers, and that the next time around he would be back in familiar territory; after all, he made a career out of being reliable. As it turned out, that studiously quiet collection of traditional gospel tunes kicked off a particularly adventurous 2006 for Jackson, since he followed it up seven months later with Like Red on a ...
Read More
Upon first glance, Alan Jackson's devout album of Christian spirituals, Precious Memories, seemed like a worthy but curious detour, a step off the hard country path for the best of all modern honky tonk singers, and that the next time around he would be back in familiar territory; after all, he made a career out of being reliable. As it turned out, that studiously quiet collection of traditional gospel tunes kicked off a particularly adventurous 2006 for Jackson, since he followed it up seven months later with Like Red on a Rose, a record quite unlike any other he's made. This is a smoky, intimate record; it's romantic, to be sure, but not seductive -- instead, it's the sound of longtime love, the sound of happiness. Which is hardly the same thing as a bright, sunny record, since Like Red on a Rose is anything but that. This is a record designed for late-night listening, either with the one you love or as you're lost in reflection on your own. In a sense, it's a country variation on Frank Sinatra's classic late-night saloon records. Jackson is certainly not as haunted as Frank was on In the Wee Small Hours -- if anything, he's the opposite, pleased with where he's at in life -- but it has the same sense of introspection, and Like Red on a Rose is also at its heart an interpretive work. There is only one Jackson original here, a revival of his 1998 tune "A Woman's Love." The other 12 songs are all penned by other writers, largely songs that aren't well known to the general public (only the closer of Leon Russell's "Bluebird" can qualify as a popular classic). There are plenty of songs about love, but also songs about growing older, having and enjoying a family, yet still sometimes feeling restless. So, it's every bit the concept album that one of Sinatra's albums is, and in its own way, Like Red on a Rose is just as effective, thanks to Jackson's supple singing; he's always rightly been acknowledged as one of the great singers in country music, but he's never had a chance to show such a range as he does here. Give some credit to producer Alison Krauss, whom Jackson originally approached with the idea of recording a bluegrass record. Krauss helped steer Alan in this direction, and he ran with it, winding up with a record that's every bit as surprising as Precious Memories, yet greater. On that record, it was possible to hear Jackson work at achieving his goal. Here, he's effortless, and the result is an uncommonly rich and moving album. If 2006 has been this eventful, who knows where Jackson will go in 2007? ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
Read Less
Add this copy of Like Red on a Rose to cart. $5.92, fair condition, Sold by EB-Books LLC rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Rockford, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Sony Music Entertainment.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fair. Orders ship SAME or NEXT bussiness day! ! The item has obvious and significant wear but is still operational. Item may arrive with damaged packing or be repacked. Signs of wear can include aesthetic issues such as scratches, dents, worn corners. The item may have identifying markings on it or show other signs fo previous use. 100% money back guarantee. 100% satisfaction GUARANTEED!
Add this copy of Like Red on a Rose to cart. $6.49, very good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Sony Music Entertainment.
Add this copy of Like Red on a Rose to cart. $7.42, like new condition, Sold by Streetlight_Records rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Cruz, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by SBME SPECIAL MKTS.
Add this copy of Like Red on a Rose to cart. $9.68, good condition, Sold by Prime Goods Outlet rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Troy, OH, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Sony Music Entertainment.
