Alabama Song is country singer and songwriter
Allison Moorer's debut album. She attracted the attention of the general public when her song "A Soft Place to Fall" was one of the tracks picked for airplay from the
Horse Whisperer soundtrack; it struck a chord with country radio listeners. That cut, along with nine others, were written or co-written by
Moorer; "The One That Got Away" was additionally composed with cigar-chomping, chart-topping songwriter
Kostas. As a first offering on a major label, writing virtually all of your own material is no mean feat. Producer
Kenny Greenberg and executive producer and label boss of
MCA Nash Vegas
Tony Brown were firm believers in
Moorer's promise. What's more compelling is that the set is a near perfect balance between classically styled country tunes and modern Nashville's more pop-oriented approach. With elder statesmen like
Glen D. Hardin as arranger, and
Justin Niebank as engineer,
Greenberg brought in a slew of performers not always associated with country chart success including
Ashley Cleveland,
Buddy Miller,
Russ Taff, and
Louise Red. They perform alongside studio aces like guitarist
Richard Bennett,
Dan Dugmore,
Larry Marrs, and
Greg Morrow, and, of course,
Greenberg, a stellar guitarist. While the aforementioned cuts scored the airplay, making the album a modest success, other tracks, such as the rootsy folk of "Call My Name," the high lonesome honky tonk in the title song, "I Found a Letter," "Easier to Forget," and the late-night
Patsy Cline-esque swing of "Set Me Free" resonate with the alt country crowd who made her a minor patron saint. Either way, it was an auspicious beginning, but
MCA cut her loose to Island after just one record. That's no reflection on the album, but on the fact that
Moorer was just a little bit ahead of her time.
Alabama Song has dated well and continues to be a signpost for contemporary country producers, artists, and fans. ~ Thom Jurek