Roll On (CD - 1984)

Additional personnel: Jack Eubanks, George (Leo) Jackson, Larry Shell (acoustic guitar); Gregg Galbraith, Fred Newell (guitar); Carl Jackson (banjo); Blaine Sprouse (fiddle); The "A" Strings (strings); Willie Rainsford, Shane Keister (keyboards); Larry Paxton (bass); Milton Sledge (drums); Farrell Morris (percussion).

Principally recorded at Music Mill, Nashville, Tennessee.

Before Alabama began releasing albums in the early 1980s, country bands that were credited as an actual group proved to be a rarity in the genre, which was dominated by solo artists or duos supported by anonymous backing ensembles. Alabama's rock-tinged sound soon won over a legion of fans, paving the way for other like-minded acts such as Sawyer Brown and Diamond Rio. On this 1984 outing, Alabama further honed its amiable brand of country-rock, offering up a mix of slow-paced love songs (the steamy "There's a Fire in the Night" and the smooth, passionate "When We Make Love") and road-ready mid-tempo numbers (the poignant trucking tale "Roll On [Eighteen Wheeler]" and the rollicking "If You're Gonna Play in Texas"). Throughout the record, the band's tight-knit instrumental interplay, particularly the proficient guitar work of Jeff Cook and frontman Randy Owen, elevates the charming tunes, making this one of Alabama's finest outings.

The title track and "If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)" make this entertaining but slightly formulaic album worth pursuing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine minimize