Alan Jackson
Drive

THE REVIEW

And where were you when the world stopped turning, on that September day?

September 11 left very deep scars on the social fabric of America, among ordinary people and artists alike. And everyone, as it should be, reacted according to their own sensitivity, culture, and way of being.

Among American singers, there are those who preferred not to deal with it, keeping their ideas, hopes, and fears to themselves; there are those who reacted in pure Republican style (as is the case with a good portion of artists linked to country music, traditionally hyper-conservative), mocking and/or flipping off entire peoples and countries of Islamic religion (not least an authentic myth of country music like Hank Williams Jr., who specifically re-recorded his "A Country Boy Can Survive" on the album "Almeria Club", with new lyrics and the new title "America Will Survive"); there are those who acted in a diametrically opposite way, like Merle Haggard, another giant of country music and American songwriting, who apparently never quite suffered the administration of former President Bush.

And then there are those, like Alan Jackson, who decided to focus on good feelings and did it so well that he managed to compose a spectacular and extremely moving piece, with the rare quality of being touching without descending into sentimental sappiness.

The song in question, an authentic gem of the album, is titled precisely "Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning", and it fully respects the stylistic elements of the most authentic country music, which requires a song to have just two prerequisites: "three chords and the truth".

The very simple and immediately catchy melody, the excellent arrangement (complete with a string crescendo at the end), and Alan's moving and emotive voice struck a chord in the hearts of Americans, so much so that the album, driven by this single, crossed the traditional barriers of country music to reach the number one spot even on pop charts.

And where were you when the world stopped turning, on that September day? What did you do? What did you think? How did you feel? Did you scream out of anger or fear, did you cry, did you pray, did you suddenly feel alone, did you call your mother to tell her you loved her, did you stop to talk to strangers on the street, did you linger to notice the sunset for the first time in years, did you stand in line to donate your own blood, or did you simply stay at home, tightly hugging your family, thanking God for having someone to love... and so on.

For the rest, the album strongly adheres to the style that made Alan a star since the '90s, with that perfect balance between acoustic and electric to accompany simple stories that go straight to the heart.

Overall, it's an excellent album for lovers of Nashville sounds and surroundings, and generally pleasant (except for some overly honky-tonk episodes) even for those who have never quite digested country music. In conclusion, 5/5 for country music lovers (like myself), 3/5 for everyone else.

Happy listening!