Alabama Album: “The Closer You Get (BMG)”

Description :

Alabama: Randy Owen, Jeff Cook (vocals, electric guitar); Teddy Gentry (bass); Mark Herndon (drums). <p>Additional personnel: Jack Eubanks, George "Leo" Jackson (acoustic guitar); Fred Newell, Dave Kirby (electric guitar); Bruce Watkins (fiddle); Willie Rainsford, Shane Keister (keyboards); Steven Shaffer, Larry Paxton, William Adair (bass); Hayward Bishop (drums); Farrell Morris (percussion). <p>Recorded at The Music Mill, Nashville, Tennessee. <p>Recorded during the peak years of Alabama's career, THE CLOSER YOU GET combines pop-rock with country in a very distinctive, always catchy manner. Listening today to this mix of genres, one realizes how truly original and groundbreaking this music once was; with THE CLOSER YOU GET (and other records from this period), Alabama essentially created a new breed of popular music, one that would give birth to artists such as Garth Brooks and even Shania Twain. <p>Highlights on this CD include "Lady Down on Love," "She Put the Sad in All His Songs" and "What in the Name of Love." These songs revolve around classic themes of love and the lack of it. However, Randy Owens and the boys also perform songs with a stronger rock edge too--examples of this include the title track and the album's closer, "Lovin' Man." Most of the songs on this record, however, are delicate and lush. Replete with many fine ballads and mellow country originals, THE CLOSER YOU GET helped redefine popular music in the latter half of the last century.

Most of what Alabama has done is simply great, they are one of the best country music groups to hit the scene. While this one is good, it kind of lacks the "punch" that put them in the spotlight, rather, it shows the more slow ballad style rather than up tempo. My two favorite songs would be the title cut "The Closer You Get", and "Dixieland Delight". If you want a quiet evening to lie back, relax and listen, then this one will be what you need.

For anyone that is seriously a fan of Alabama, this album again proves that the first 10 albums of Alabama are necessary to have a true and complete collection of the band. First, the full-length version of "The Closer You Get" is only available on this album. While "The Closer You Get" is not an Alabama original (originally recorded in 1980 by Exile as a pop hit), it remains one of their most classic and unique songs. Toe-tapping "Dixieland Delight" and the somber ballad "Lady Down On Love" also remain two of their most timeless hits. Songs like those prove how original the sound of Alabama was and still is today.

Aside from those three songs, two other songs on the album that were never released as singles warrant special recognition. The first is their excellent remake of "She Put The Sad In All His Songs", a song from the late 1970's that was covered by several artists including Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn fame. One of the finest songs on the album, it would have been a hit and could have been a classic had the song been extended with a long guitar solo and more generous string arrangement, but still was recrafted into a distinct song. "Alabama Sky", sung by Teddy Gentry is far from an inferior song as well and could have easily been a single as well.

While these recommendations may not impress the passive fan who remembers only their biggest songs, any serious fan or collector of Alabama's music should have this CD in their collection.