Alabama - Closer You Get... (CD)

Another winner here!

By Brian Rathjen  Aug 9, 2001

One of my favorite Alabama songs is contained on The Closer You Get -- "Dixieland Delight" (a three-week No. 1 hit from the spring of 1983). This song typified the upbeat, traditional country melody that has defined Randy, Teddy, Jeff and Mark's succ...ess during the past 20 years or so. I prefer the album version (a full 5:23 long) to the approximately four-minute "single edit," since there's a lot more to enjoy, including an extended musical bridge in between the second and final chorus sing-throughs. Kudos to WLLR-FM of Davenport, IA, for playing the album version. There's also a butchered "single edit" version lurking around for the title track that sometimes ends up on radio (again, WLLR plays the album version, which adds a first verse). Also, Randy's ballading skills shine on "Lady Down on Love" -- which, to my knowledge, does NOT have a single edit. In addition to those three No. 1 hits, Alabama continued to expertly display their unique mix of southern rock and traditional country skills on the album tracks, including "Very Special Love" and "She Put the Sad in All His Songs." Like their other early albums, this is one I requested my parents to buy because I enjoyed their music so much (I still have the vinyl album version). Read more Less