Alan Jackson: Good Time

The first Alan Jackson record penned entirely by

the honey-voiced country superstar, Good Time doesn't suffer from one

man carrying the full songwriting load. If anything, Jackson could have gotten

away with writing less. At 17 songs, Good Time is a bit overstuffed,

though the toss-offs are likeable enough, especially the endearingly silly "I

Still Like Bologna," in which Jackson stumps for the simple culinary delights

of processed meat on white bread as a remedy for the 21st-century blues.

Elsewhere, Jackson adeptly performs twangy pop ("I Wish I Could Back Up"),

party-hearty honky-tonk (the title track), and catchy odes to rural

conservatism ("Small Town Southern Man") and romantic fidelity (the beguiling

"Listen To Your Senses") with the laidback assurance of an old pro. All that's

missing is a get-up-and-dance showstopper like "Chattahoochee." (Perhaps that's

why it isn't called Great Time.) Still, Good Time is a thoughtfully crafted,

warmly contemplative survey of contemporary country sounds by one of

Nashville's most dependable singers. And as a soundtrack for lazy summer

cookouts, Good Time should deliver what it promises.