2006年VOA标准英语-Alan Jackson Slows Pace Down on 'Like Red on a

By Mary Morningstar
Washington
29 October 2006

Country star Alan Jackson, 48, has dominated the Country charts throughout the past two decades. He's best-known for such uptempo hits as "Don't Rock the Jukebox," "Chattahoochee" and his Grammy-winning duet with Jimmy Buffett, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere." But Alan slows the pace down on his latest album of love songs, "Like Red On A Rose."

Alan Jackson turned to award-winning bluegrass artist Alison Krauss to produce his latest album, Like Red On A Rose. The result wasn't what Alan first had in mind, however. Last year, he recorded a gospel collection, and he wanted to follow that with a bluegrass album. Instead, Alison convinced him to move in a different direction. Alan describes the songs they chose for the collection as "bluesy¹, reflective and melancholy²."

According to Alan, many of the tracks on Like Red on a Rose are also autobiographical. He says, "I'm at a point in my life where I've lived through a lot, survived a lot, enjoyed a lot, had tears, and laughter and all of that, and a lot of these songs are that story."

 

Since arriving on the Country scene in 1989, Alan has sold more than 48 million albums and he's topped Billboard's Country Singles chart 22 times. He's also won close to 100 industry awards, and still holds the record as the most-nominated artist in the 40-year history of the Country Music Association Awards. Alan remains³ humble⁴ about his success, and says it's important to keep it all in perspective.

"You learn, especially as you get older, what's really important, and what simple values are, and how valuable every day is. I'm at a good place, you know. I've got a wonderful life and family and [my] career has been more than I could ever ask for. Life is good. You get to an age where you're a little more reflective and understand things, hopefully, a little better, and it makes life much happier," he says.

Unlike many of his previous albums, Alan wrote only one of the songs on his new CD. "A Woman's Love" originally appeared on his 1998 album, High Mileage⁵. Alison re-worked the arrangement to give it a more moody⁶ sound.

The title track of "Like Red On A Rose" peaked at Number 15 on the Country chart, and propelled the collection to a Number One debut⁷ on the Country Albums list. Alan says when he heard the song, he immediately knew it would set the tone of the album.

 "It was written by Robert Lee Castleman, a writer from Nashville, who writes really interesting lyrics⁸ and melodies both. Alison Krauss produced the whole album, and this was one of the first songs she played for me. I knew then that it was just a well-written song with a beautiful melody, and I needed to do it," he says.

1 bluesy   

adj.布鲁斯乐的（一种摇摆乐）

参考例句：

• As a teenager I was obsessed ragtime, and bluesy guitar guys like Johnny Winter. 当我十几岁的时候我迷上了雷鬼，和JohnnyWinter那样的布鲁斯吉他手。 来自互联网
• Lips Accentuate your new bluesy beat in simply sensational LipSlicks Hint of Mauve. 为了强调新布鲁斯乐的节奏，涂上紫红色的唇彩是最自然的。 来自互联网

2 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

5 mileage   

n.里程，英里数；好处，利润

参考例句：

• He doesn't think there's any mileage in that type of advertising.他认为做那种广告毫无效益。
• What mileage has your car done?你的汽车跑了多少英里？

6 moody   

adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的

参考例句：

• He relapsed into a moody silence.他又重新陷于忧郁的沉默中。
• I'd never marry that girl.She's so moody.我决不会和那女孩结婚的。她太易怒了。

7 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

8 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。