Honky-Tonk Heaven -- Alan Jackson rediscovers some pure-country treasures

Most stars who paid their dues in humble, hardscrabble honky-tonks are eager to leave those days behind.

But not Alan Jackson. The superstar recently returned to his barroom past to pick out the songs for his new album, Under the Influence -- and in doing so, he serves up a slice of pure honky-tonk heaven.

"What I tried to do was to get songs that really did it for me," he explains. "I wanted to make an album that honored the artists and songwriters I loved the best.

"I've wanted to do an album like this ever since I started making records. It would have been easy to put the obvious songs, the monster hits, on this record. But I wanted to record the ones that mean something to me personally -- songs that I liked or heard on a record that I have sung in my career before I was making records."

Alan admits that the new project is a gamble, but one he's willing to take.

"I didn't think of doing this as a commercial record, but I thought it would be something nice to have in my catalogue. I figured it would be something that my fans would enjoy because it would let them know some of the songs that inspired me. Arista Records got excited about the project and got behind it -- and even recommended one of the songs that I love best."

The album features a collection of a dozen widely diverse past country hits and non-hits. Some are even downright obscure.

"Some people will think these are new songs," he says, noting that a few of the tunes have been buried -- and mostly undiscovered -- for years. While the collection covers 18 years starting from 1963, seven of the evergreens were gleaned from the relatively brief span of 1979 to 1981. That particular period, Alan recalls, happened to be when he was first stepping onstage with local bands in Georgia nightclubs. Many times, those "house bands" offered the young, gangly Alan a chance to pull a tune out of his hat and command the spotlight for a few minutes.

"That's when I started sitting in," he says, "and I was doing cover songs by Merle Haggard, John Anderson and Hank Williams Jr."

Among the more recognizable songs on the new collection are the Charley Pride 1971 smash "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin' " and Gene Watson's classic 1979 weeper "Farewell Party."

"I've always respected Charley Pride as an artist -- and this is a Charley classic," says Alan. "It's a great sing-along song that makes people feel good when they hear it. 'Farewell Party' has been one of my favorite Gene Watson records for as long as I can remember. He never sold that many records, but I think he is one of the greatest country singers ever. I still sing this every now and then in my show."

But even some country music afficionados might have trouble recalling such undiscovered gems as Hank Williams Jr.'s autobiographical "The Blues Man."

"I heard it years ago on the album Habits Old and New," Alan says of the 20-year-old tune. "That's my favorite song on the album, but it never was a single. It's a true story kind of song, and I like those best. Hank wrote it about himself and one of his wives. I just changed the 'I' to 'he.'

"Hank hasn't had it easy, and I respect him as a great songwriter, singer and person. And this has always been one of my favorite songs of his."

Jim Ed Brown's 1967 booze ballad "Pop a Top" is Under the Influence's first single.

"I'd hear Jim Ed Brown do this song on the Grand Ole Opry -- he still does it on the Opry," says Alan. "I wanted to do a shuffle on this record, and this is a great one. All those sound effects make me think about a lot of musicians I've hung out with."

The sound effects in question are the unmistakable pops of beer can tops heard in the song. "It's a real beer can pop," Alan admits. "We were in the studio and did it a bunch of times. We had a pop-a-top party over there! This whole album was fun with all the musicians, and this one led to even more fun."

Alan enjoyed journeying through the work of some of his other favorite performers, including George Jones. The Possum is represented by two songs -- 1963's "Revenooer Man" and "Once You've Had the Best," from 1973.

"I found 'Revenooer Man' on an old collection of George Jones songs and really liked it," comments Alan. "It never was a single. I didn't even know Johnny PayCheck wrote it until we got in the studio, because it was credited under 'Donny Young' [which was the professional name he adopted].

" 'Once You've Had the Best' is another Johnny Paycheck-George Jones song that I love. I had a Jones cassette on my bus -- I think it was Anniversary -- Ten Years of Hits, but I don't know which 10 years it was. 'Once You've Had the Best' has one of my favorite steel intros. It's a hard song for me to sing, but I like it and so does my wife."

The catchy Don Williams ballad "It Must Be Love," written by Bob McDill, is another Jackson pick. "I could do a whole album on Don Williams songs," Alan praises. "Songs like 'Good Ole Boys Like Me.' I sang 'It Must Be Love' a lot back in the early '80s, before I had a record deal and was just playing little clubs and bars. It's stuck with me all these years."

Alan cites Bob McDill as one of his "favorite all-time songwriters." That's the reason for the inclusion of the Mel McDaniel Top 10 from 1981 "Right in the Palm of Your Hand," also written by McDill.

"This is such a well-written song," says Alan. "I've always wanted to record it but never found a place for it on any other album. But it worked out perfect."

Another favorite is John Anderson's "She Just Started Liking Cheatin' Songs," penned by the late Kent Robbins. "Kent died a little over a year ago in a car accident," Alan says sadly. "It's a real loss because he wrote a lot of great songs, but he left a real legacy. I could have done a whole lot of John Anderson songs, but I picked this one because I sang it a lot in the early '80s. It's a good honky-tonker, a great club song, and it reminds me of those days."

Alan also covered two tunes originally recorded by the mighty Merle Haggard. "I didn't intentionally come up with recurring themes in songs, but 'The Way I Am' is one that I relate to," he says. "Sonny Throckmorton is such a great songwriter, and this has always been one of my favorite songs he wrote and that Merle recorded. I've always felt close to the lyrics on this song. 'My Own Kind of Hat' is that way, too. Merle co-wrote it, and one reason I like it is it's kind of different. It says something that goes with some of my own thoughts."

Alan admits that one of the hardest parts of the project was deciding which songs wouldn't make the cut. "It was really hard for me to narrow it down. I would have loved to include something by Vern Gosdin, one of my favorites of all times. I could listen to him all day long -- 'Chiseled in Stone' and some of his earlier ones. John Conlee is another one. 'Rose Colored Glasses' was the first song I sang. It would be my trademark song when I'd go sit in with a house band in some club. I wanted to record it, but it was another song I was afraid to record for some reason. I had a hard time singing those, afraid I'd get in there and try to sing too much like him."

Alan smiles as he discusses the album's surprise closing song with a special non-country guest artist, Jimmy Buffett, who duets with Alan on his signature song, "Margaritaville."

"I've always been a big Jimmy Buffett fan -- I like his music and the fact that he does what he wants to do," says Alan. "I've always liked, and wanted to do, 'Come Monday.' But 'Margaritaville' is a classic Buffett song and it was a real honor that he did it with me."

The "Margaritaville" cut took longer than expected to materialize. "We tried a bunch of times to meet in the studio to do the vocals together, but I'd be gone or he'd be on tour," says Alan.

Finally they decided to lay down their vocal tracks separately. Although the duet was recorded in two cities -- New York and Nashville -- the song comes off as a playful, fun number.

Alan's quick to note the thematic bridge between the album's opening and closing songs -- both are about drinking.

"The album's called Under the Influence, and it starts with 'Pop a Top' and ends with 'Margaritaville,' " he says. "I like that. I didn't even realize that until I'd already made out the order [of the songs], and I thought, 'Well, that's pretty good.' Somebody told me the album needs to come with a six-pack of beer!"

All joking aside, the modest Alan is almost apologetic about his performance on this dandy dozen. "I don't know if these can compare to the originals," he says. "You never think you do them as good -- at least I never do. But I hope the people who wrote them and made them first like them. And I hope the fans like them.

"I wanted to record these songs as a tribute, not just a tribute to the artists and songwriters, but also to the musicians and producers on the original records. Most of the musicians who made this record with me already knew the songs."

Alan, who's back on tour, says that he just might do this type of album again.

"I'd love to do a 'volume two,' " he says. "I'll have to see how well-received this album is -- there are so many other great songs out there. Maybe I'll have to do a sequel sometime."

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