ONE-DAY SALES: ALAN JACKSON ROPES HIM SOME BIG NUMBERS

[Insert unmistakable sound of tobaccy-juice missile angrily hitting spittoon here]

Indeed, even the bad boys of Bad Boy’s Bad Boys II are no match for Mr. Jackson, according to early reports from national accounts. And we ain’t talkin’ Elephant Man bones, Beatles publishing rights, “devilish” record execs or even Macaulay Culkin.

Word around the campfire is that Jackson’s Greatest Hits 2 will easily sell over 300k for the week, making it a lock for #1 on next week’s chart.

The big opening week is just the latest victory for Butch Waugh and Nashville's RCA Label Group, who have already notched big releases from Kenny Chesney, Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley and Lonestar, and now continue their torrid summer roll with Jackson. [Sushi connoisseurs: Think “toro roll,” but hotter]

Meanwhile, Vagrant emo stalwart Dashboard Confessional returns with A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar, which has had a solid first day and looks like it will log at least 130k for the week. Depending how the rest of the week shapes up, however, it could go as high as 150k. While DC (i.e. Chris Carraba) is known to have a rabid fan base, which ordinarily would account for an inordinately high one-day number, this title is already seeing surprisingly strong numbers at the racks, which could indicate that DC is gaining broader appeal.

Also looking solid out of the box is Def Jam’s Beanie Sigel Presents State Property 2: The Album. Look for a chart debut in the neighborhood of 60-70k. Could a strong showing at indie accounts over the course of the week push it even higher?

Now go practice yer trick-ropin’ so’s you can join the wild-west show when it rolls through town. Ain't no point hangin' around here no more. Yeeeeeeee-hawwww!!!!