When It All Goes South

Alabama's gritty, Memphis-style 23rd album. Features The Woman He Loves; I Can't Hide My Heart, and Love Remains

Having racked up 42 No. 1 hits and 22 albums from 1980 to 2000, the group Alabama declares its newest goal for 2001: "To create a Grammy quality album," according to their bio. Well, folks, When It All Goes South strives mightily to be a contender, but it's such a lightweight it couldn't crawl into the ring. With the help of seven (!) producers, Randy Owen and company do sound rejuvenated, borrowing stylistic techniques from modern R&B and updating their overall approach for the millennium. But Alabama, a bar-band that went farther than it ever should have, ran out of creative juice long, long ago. And bringing in Jann Arden and Christopher Cross--rather odd-choice guests--doesn't do anything to reverse that. While the group occasionally works a decent rhythm song into the mix, their lyrics seldom rise above empty platitudes. Want proof? Here's their new take on Dixie from the title song: "Get yourself some rebel pride... One day the South's gonna rise again." To be sure, When It All Goes South is aptly named. It has boys, it has. --Alanna Nash