On this day (September 26) in 2006, Alan Jackson released Like Red on a Rose. Produced by bluegrass legend Alison Krauss, the LP was a marked change for Jackson. He set aside his neo-traditional country sound for something that leaned a little more toward easy listening or soft rock. Despite feeling like an album that came out of left field, it reached No. 1 on the country chart and No. 4 on the Billboard 200.

Since releasing Here in the Real World in 1990, Jackson has built a reputation as a traditional country singer. He was one of a handful of artists who brought neotraditional country music into the 1990s, defining the sound of an era. However, after 16 years of honky tonking, it seemed that he wanted to try something different. The result of that was Like Red on a Rose.

Like Red on a Rose was a departure for Jackson on several levels. Listeners immediately noticed a difference in sound between this and his other albums. However, several behind-the-scenes changes resulted in that “middle of the road” sound that made the LP stand out from the rest of his discography.

Alan Jackson Gives Listeners Something Different

First and foremost, Like Red on a Rose was the only album on which he didn’t work with producer Keith Stegall. Instead, Alison Krauss produced the record. More than that, she picked all of the songs. Where most of his albums feature several songs written or co-written by Alan Jackson, this album only has one, “A Woman’s Love.” He had previously included the song on his 1998 album High Mileage.

Comparing the two recordings of this song perfectly illustrates just how different Like Red on a Rose was from his usual output. At times, Jackson’s voice was the only thing that made the songs sound even remotely country. Despite this, the album and its singles were still hits.

The LP reached No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart, where it stayed for a week. The title track peaked at No. 15 on the country chart. “A Woman’s Love” reached No. 5.

The next year, Jackson would return to form with “Small Town Southern Man,” the lead single from the Keith Stegall-produced Good Time.