Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

Alabama, much like most country artists, is a band you either like or you don’t. As a fan of every genre of music, I am eternally thankful to the most successful group in country music history. I am thankful that they inspired groups like Rascal Flatts, Montgomery Gentry, Brooks & Dunn, and Lonestar, so that I have their excellent music to listen to today. The billions and billions of other accolades aside, Alabama is simply the greatest country group of all time.

The music of Alabama has never been exceptionally complicated or difficult, and they pride themselves on making down home, good-natured music. You will never find Morse Code-like or confusing lyrics on their albums, and they tell it like it is. After listening to some of the complicated and confusing music of today, putting in a classic, simple group like Alabama is a welcome respite.

The Last Stand, which is basically a live greatest hits album recorded during their 2003 farewell tour, is a must-have for even casual Alabama USA. fans. The record includes some of their most well known songs from the past three decades, including The Closer You Get, Old Flame, Forty Hour Week, Feels So Right, The Fans, and If You’re Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band). All of these classic tunes and more are performed live in various venues throughout the country.

I always feel compelled to say why I gave a band a 9 instead of a 10, and my reason this time is simple: the music sounds almost like a studio recording at times. One of the best things about buying a live album is that you get to hear the mishaps and miscues of some of the better bands, and it's that one-off nature that makes them even more enjoyable and down-to-earth. Unfortunately, Alabama somehow found a way to rob us of that on this album.

But who am I to say anything bad about one of the most famous bands of all time? This band has 42 number one singles, more than 150 country industry honors (including 5 consecutive and 8 total “Entertainer of the Year” awards from the Academy of Country Music), and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005. After a great career like that, it’s sad to see them go, but at least they went out in style back in 2003. Do me -- and yourself -- a favor: go out and pick this disc up.

 

NOTE: Alabama’s The Last Stand is available exclusively at Cracker Barrel restaurants around the country and at www.CrackerBarrel.com.