On their fourth album The Closer You Get, Alabama gets further away from the country roots and down-home charm responsible for their incredible chart success.
One may be surprised at the unusual number of ballads, but popular country in the early '80s, in hindsight, seems more suited to adult easy listening than country with the popularity of Kenny Rogers, Crystal Gayle, and Dolly Parton.
The songwriting is strong, and the vocal harmonies still blend unlike any other country band -- in fact, the members of Alabama trade lead vocal roles throughout the album.
However, this album suffers from glossy production and the use of synthesizers.
The use of a drum machine on the opening title track is nearly unforgivable, and the arrangement distracts the listener from an otherwise good song.
However, Alabama shines when they use more traditional country arrangements.
Upbeat songs like "Red River" and "Dixieland Delight" are great additions to their catalog and demonstrate how they became one of country's most successful groups.
This is not the place to start, but most fans should eventually own this album.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Closer You GetMark Gray, J.P. Pennington | Alabama | Play | 04:34 | 10 MB | 24 MB |
| 2 | Lady Down on LoveRandy Owen | Alabama | Play | 04:00 | 9 MB | 18 MB |
| 3 | She Put the Sad in All His SongsRobert Byrne, Mac McAnally | Alabama | Play | 04:03 | 9 MB | 21 MB |
| 4 | Red RiverBud McGuire, George Pearce | Alabama | Play | 04:20 | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| 5 | What in the Name of LoveBill Boling | Alabama | Play | 03:54 | 8 MB | 20 MB |
| 6 | Dixieland DelightRon Rogers | Alabama | Play | 05:26 | 12 MB | 31 MB |
| 7 | Very Special LoveTheodore Gentry, Randy Owen | Alabama | Play | 04:49 | 11 MB | 25 MB |
| 8 | Dixie BoyJim McBride | Alabama | Play | 04:20 | 9 MB | 23 MB |
| 9 | Alabama SkyLarry Shell | Alabama | Play | 03:21 | 7 MB | 17 MB |
| 10 | Lovin' ManJeff Cook | Alabama | Play | 02:33 | 5 MB | 14 MB |
| 41 mins | 94 MB | |||||
| 41 mins | 223 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Adair | Bass |
| 2 | Alabama | Primary Artist, Producer |
| 3 | Hayword Bishop | Drums |
| 4 | Bill Boling | Composer |
| 5 | Robert Byrne | Composer |
| 6 | Jeff Cook | Composer |
| 7 | Theodore Gentry | Composer |
| 8 | Mark Gray | Composer |
| 9 | Dave Kirby | Guitar |
| 10 | Mac McAnally | Composer |
| 11 | Jim McBride | Composer |
| 12 | Bud McGuire | Composer |
| 13 | Randy Owen | Composer |
| 14 | George Pearce | Composer |
| 15 | J.P. Pennington | Composer |
| 16 | Ron Rogers | Composer |
| 17 | Steve Schaffer | Bass |
| 18 | Harold Shedd | Producer |
| 19 | Larry Shell | Composer |
| 20 | Bruce Watkins | Banjo, Violin |
| 21 | Kristin Wilkinson | String Arrangements |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |