More redneck revelry on ‘All Jacked Up’

By Tiffany Tharp
Richwood High School

Country singer Gretchen Wilson captured the attention of everyone — country lovers or not - with last year’s debut album “Here for the Party” and it’s raucous single “Redneck Woman.” This fall, she released her second album, “All Jacked Up.”

With “Here for the Party,” this country queen showed that she knows what to sing and how to sing it, and with “All Jacked Up,” she shows it again. The album’s popular first single - the title track - jacked her up to number one on the Billboard 200 pop chart as well as Billboard’s country albums chart. It also helped her avoid the dreaded “sophomore slump” - she scored approximately 264,000 sales in the first week alone

“All Jacked Up” was the album’s first single and it’s also the first track on the CD. It describes a rough night in a bar with a sense of humor. The video shows all of the things that can go wrong - from getting a tooth knocked out by talking to a man with a really big jealous girlfriend to busting out your truck window to get your keys. It also features several cameos by other stars, including Larry the Cable Guy, Charlie Daniels, Kid Rock and Hank Williams Jr.

The album includes 12 songs, seven of which were co-written by Wilson. Most local “rednecks” will be able to relate to them all in some way.

Some of the titles — such as “Skoal Ring” and “One Bud Wiser” — might catch some people off guard, but they may also make those people want to hear the song. Another song, “Full Time Job,” describes how being a “stay at home mom,” or just a mom in general, is the hardest working job around.

Her “California Girls” (not a cover of the Beach Boys tune) is about how some girls just want to be themselves and aren’t into “California style.” It may help some people realize that it’s okay to express their individuality and be different.

The album also features “I Don’t Feel Like Loving You Today,” its second single and one of Wilson’s more emotional songs. Other tracks include “Politically Uncorrect” (with Merle Haggard), the autobiographical “Not Bad for a Bartender,” “Rebel Child,” “He Ain’t Even Cold Yet” and “Raining on Me.” There’s also a cover of Billie Holliday’s “Good Morning Heartache.”