Alan Jackson will release Precious Memories Volume II tomorrow (March 26th), the first volume having been recorded and released in 2006 and topping three album charts – Top Country Album, Top Christian Albums and Top Christian & Gospel Albums – during its first week of release.
The first volume of “Precious Memories” started as a Christmas gift for the singer’s mother, and was urged by some friends, family and record label execs to release it to his fans.
He equates many of the gospel standards to country songs. “They’re a lot like country songs. They’re memorable melodies, and they’re well-written subjects that appeal to common people,” the Georgia native says. “When you really start listening to those songs, as a songwriter now, I’m especially amazed at how good they are, you know, in the melodies and even some of the melodies are similar, almost, to a country song. That’s one reason I love ‘em.”
He culled through 30-40 more gospel songs with his wife to come up with the tracks on Volume II.
Precious Memories Volume II Track List:
1. Amazing Grace
2. He Lives
3. Just As I Am
4. Love Lifted Me
5. O How I Love Jesus
6. Only Trust Him
7. There Is Power In The Blood
8. Precious Memories
9. Sweet Hour of Prayer
10. When the Roll is Called Up Yonder
11. Wherever He Leads I’ll Go
Alan Jackson shares his thoughts on why the songs he recorded for Precious Memories Volume II endure and resonate with people.
AJ (country & gospel) OC: …that sound. :54“T
hey’re a lot like country songs. They’re memorable melodies, and they’re well-written subjects that appeal to common people. When you really start listening to those songs, as a songwriter now, I’m especially amazed at how good they are, you know, in the melodies and even some of the melodies are similar, almost, to a country song. That’s one reason I love ‘em. And I think people that grew up in church, it’s not unlike your young days in high school and whatever you listened to on the radio, you know? Those are songs that [when] you hear them now, they really take you back to that feeling of that moment. And I think that’s what these songs do for people that heard ‘em every Sunday and especially like the church I went to had a big ol’ pipe organ and a piano and that was just a monstrous sound. It was very – even though I wasn’t that crazy about being at church when I was a young man, that music – I loved that sound.”
