An Astute Response to Tragedy

**1/2 ALAN JACKSON, “Drive”, Arista Nashville

Jackson delivers an honest and accurate self-assessment when he sings, “I’m just a singer of simple songs/I’m not a real political man” in the keynote song of his 11th album. Yet that song, “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)?,” proceeds both to reaffirm and contradict that truth, as he adroitly offers one man’s response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones? Or pray for the ones who don’t know?

Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble? Or sob for the ones left below?

The series of questions is an astute way of taking on an event for which there are few answers, and yields a song that reaches considerably deeper than the Georgia neo-traditionalist’s usual catchy but lightweight fare.

“Where Were You” is an anomaly, dropped amid not one but two love songs to automobiles, some honky-tonk two-steps (including a jaunty duet with George Strait), and some earnest but unremarkable ballads. The question for Jackson the songwriter: Now that he’s proved himself capable of tapping the deep recesses of the heart, will he go there more often?

--Randy Lewis

**JAY-Z, “Unplugged”, Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam

Since Jay-Z stands as the virtually unchallenged king of rap, it seems as though anything the Brooklyn rapper produces achieves critical and commercial success.

Just three months after releasing the nearly flawless “The Blueprint” album, he returns with hip-hop’s second “Unplugged” album, recorded during a November session of the popular MTV series. Although the collection will certainly have retailers smiling, fans may not have the same reaction.

Usually, Jay-Z’s music strikes with magnum force, thanks to his witty wordplay and unparalleled confidence, as well as robust production that has been able to satisfy both the streets and crossover outlets. This time, backed by normally sure-fire hip-hop band the Roots, Jay-Z seems to have lost some of his spunk, as the Roots simply don’t provide the consistent musical muscle that Jay-Z’s usual sound generates. When they do achieve his level, as on the rugged “Takeover,” the results are strong (though short of the original). Backup singer Jaguar Wright and guest Mary J. Blige also give impassioned vocal turns, but for the most part, Jay-Z’s conversational flow and the Roots’ tinny, subtle grooves create little excitement when compared with the versions on Jay-Z’s studio albums.

--Soren Baker

In Brief

**1/2 Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, “Jools Holland’s Big Band Rhythm & Blues,” Rhino. The former Squeeze keyboardist --now a TV host and England’s less-showy answer to Paul Shaffer--drew 22 star singers-collaborators for this album. Some spiritedly adhere to the titular theme (Sting on Willie Dixon’s “Seventh Son,” Van Morrison on Louis Armstrong’s “Back O’ Town Blues”) while others downplay it, but in a collection that also includes Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, John Cale, Joe Strummer and Paul Weller, George Harrison’s last new song grabs the spotlight, at least for sentimental reasons. “Horse to Water,” co-written by the ex-Beatle and his son Dhani, bears his familiar minor-key motifs and gentle, spiritual admonitions. It’s an appealing, if not essential, addition to the Harrison legacy.

--Steve Hochman

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.