Alan Jackson's 'Thirty Miles West' is straight-up country

Alan Jackson doesn't dabble in pop or rock. "Thirty Miles West" (AJR/EMI) is straight-up country -- filled with fiddle solos, honky-tonk harmonies, broken hearts and small-town anthems. The breakup ballad "So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore" is an instant classic that could have been written at any point in the past 50 years and will likely hold up for another 50. The seven-minute epic "Dixie Highway" with Zac Brown is more Alabama than Lynyrd Skynyrd, but it has its southern-fried moments. While "Thirty Miles West" doesn't cover any new ground, it's certainly a nice, comfortable place to visit.

ALAN JACKSON

"Thirty Miles West"

GRADE B

BOTTOM LINE Another slice of real country