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COUNTRY
Alan Jackson
"Like Red on a Rose." Arista Nashville. 13 tracks.
Grade: C

When it was announced that Alison Krauss would produce Alan Jackson's next album, there was reason to rejoice. The warm country comfort of Jackson's voice wrapped in bluegrass was more than an appealing thought. It was a reason to celebrate.

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Well, call off the party. Instead of exuberant fiddles, dobros and banjos, we get electric pianos, denatured blues guitars and shivery strings. Instead of her bluegrass rootsiness, Krauss has given us her tendency toward adult contemporary pop.

There's simply too much of everything else and not enough of the man from Newnan. Some of it is undeniably pretty and heartfelt — like vintage Don Williams — and Jackson deserves credit for trying something new. No matter how dull his surroundings, he can still sell even the sappiest lyric.

Jackson occasionally overcomes the somber material, as on the lovely "Had It Not Been You." It's all immaculately played by some brilliant musicians, many of them regular Krauss collaborators. Despite all that talent, it's not enough to wake up this sleepy disc.

— Shane Harrison