Radio DavidByrne.com


The King of Country George Jones passed away last week. There have been a host of eulogies—and I'm going to add to that pile. Not everyone likes country music from the era when Jones was churning out hits (and also a fair amount of crap). I do—I've happily forgotten that many country musicians and their fans were on the other side of the fence from me during the Vietnam Era (see Merle Haggard’s “Okie from Muskogee”). As those differences fade into the past, I allow myself to appreciate and love a lot of music I might have written off years ago. George Jones—Image Source Country music as it exists now is pretty much nothing like what George Jones and others did....and there aren't many from that era left—Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris—and not many who will occasionally resurface with all their brilliance intact, as Jones periodically did. Lazarus indeed. As country radio DJ Iaan Hughes’ article, “A Three Minute Song,” mentions, “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” took 18 months to record! This kind of country authenticity was finely crafted! Not 18 consistent months in the studio, I hope, but maybe that span of time trying to get the vocals from Jones that producer Billy Sherrill believed was there. He was right—many consider it the greatest country recording ever. It's pretty maudlin, but still it gets you every time. I am surprised—though I shouldn't be—that Sherrill sent the writers of that song back 3 times to tweak it. Having only heard the finished version I can't judge, but this reveals that Sherrill, and maybe Jones too, knew exactly what they wanted. And in that song they got it. Billy Sherrill—Image Source I have tried, and will continue to try, to sing along to Jones and match his melismatic trills and odd phrasing, but I fail every time. But even in failing I am learning something, and I am having a great time. Check out David Cantwell’s article on George Jones, “The Cold Hard Truth,” originally published in No Depression magazine. —DB NYC

	Choices (LP Version)	George Jones	Amazon
	We Can Make It	George Jones	Amazon
	Tender Years	George Jones	Amazon
	She Thinks I Still Care	George Jones	Amazon
	We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds (With Melba Montgomery)	George Jones	Amazon
	A Good Year For The Roses	George Jones	Amazon
	Picture Of Me (Without You)	George Jones	Amazon
	What My Woman Can't Do	George Jones	Amazon
	Same Ole Me	George Jones	Amazon
	The Grand Tour	George Jones	Amazon
	These Days (I Barely Get By)	George Jones	Amazon
	The King Is Gone (So Are You)	George Jones	Amazon
	Golden Ring	Tammy Wynette & George Jones	Amazon
	He Stopped Loving Her Today	George Jones	Amazon
	I'm Not Ready Yet	George Jones	Amazon
	If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)	George Jones	Amazon
	Two Story House	Tammy Wynette & George Jones	Amazon
	Still Doin' Time	George Jones	Amazon
	The Race Is On	George Jones	Amazon
	The Door	George Jones	Amazon
	(We're Not) The Jet Set	George Jones & Tammy Wynette	Amazon
	Bartender's Blues	George Jones	Amazon
	Walk Through This World With Me	George Jones	Amazon
	The Bottle Let Me Down	George Jones	Amazon
	The Window Up Above	George Jones	Amazon
	You're Still On My Mind	George Jones	Amazon
	Total running time: 1:14


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