Drive

Drive might have been just another stellar Alan Jackson effort if it wasn’t for “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” a last-minute addition that was written and recorded in the wake of the September 11th attacks. The song became a career performance, and a much-needed antidote to the chest-thumping, jingoistic statements that swirled around 9/11. The sensitivity, patience and faith that elevates “Where Were You” is felt throughout the remainder of Drive. The album’s second half contains a series of songs about newborn love (“When Love Comes Around,” “I Slipped and Fell In Love,” and “First Love”), as if Jackson is following through on the parting words of “Where Were You”: “Faith hope and love are some good things He gave us / And the greatest is love.” “Drive (For Daddy Gene)” is a tribute to Jackson’s father that uses trusty cars and fixed-up boats as symbols for the love and trust passed between generations of a family. Drive is a personal and moving album, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun. In fact, the album’s best song might be “Designated Drinker,” a duet with George Strait that shows the two charming honky-tonkers at the top of their game.