AMG Review of 40 Hour Week

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Opening with the driving title track, 40 Hour Week encapsulates why Alabama was the top country group of the '80s. Alternating between restrained rockers and well-crafted ballads, it captures the band at its peak. Nevertheless, it isn't quite as strong as their first albums -- the performances and production are a bit too mannered -- but its professionalism is appealing. And that professionalism made 40 Hour Week the group's most popular album, as it crossed over into the pop Top Ten.