The Farewell Tour (CD - 2003)

Essentially the Beatles of contemporary country, Alabama spent the last two decades of the 20th century as the most popular country band ever. The fact that they were the first self-contained country group to achieve that level of success meant that they spent a lot of time taking their act on the road. After 23 years, Alabama decided to quit touring, and this compilation album is their farewell to the fans.

Despite the title, THE AMERICAN FAREWELL TOUR is not a live album, but rather a retrospective anthology that features most of the same career-spanning set of songs that Alabama performed on the tour in question. From the down-home, foot-stomping groove of the smash "Mountain Music" to the gentle pitter-patter of the nostalgic "High Cotton," one of the most striking things about Alabama's ouevre is the way they broke through to the mainstream without indulging in the ham-fisted power balladry or gimmicky rock-in-cowboy-drag that defined the majority of their progeny. They'll be missed. minimize