Golden Ring (With Tammy Wynette)
Although their tumultuous marriage didn’t last, when they were singing it was duet magic. The rings is the symbol of life being cyclical. A couple find a pair of wedding rings in a pawn shop, get married, break up and the rings are returned to the shop wherre they catch the eye of another couple. George and Tammy’s chemistry is undeniable.
Good Year For The Roses
Elvis Costello knows a great song when he hears it and he chose this one to cover on his country-tinged Almost Blue. This song has soe of the best lines and imagery in country music. “the lip-print on a half-filled cup of coffee that you poured and didn’t drink” Th roses thrive in contrast to a dying marriage that also make certain the roses aren’t picked as a gift.
The Grand Tour
This walk around a lovely house -with an empty bed, a wedding ring and an empty nursery, the photo of the woman who left – is an emotional gut punch tempered slightly by the smooth tempo and piano refrain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApiRp8zGsUw
Mr. Fool
I personally just love the sound of this song. Pure tear-in-my-beer honky-tonk material.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATnsoZOa9zc
She Thinks I Still Care
Talk about passive aggressive! He floats her name to friends, accidentally calls her, retracing her actions. It doesn’t mean anything, right?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owWNCNyEuYI
Choices
Jone’s reminded people what country music sound like in this 1999 Grammy winner of refection of his life. Scottish tones fused a hard county barroom foundation lifts Jones. It’s Jones own more contrite version of My Way.
He Stopped Loving Her Today
This 1980 Grammy-winner set the gold standard for country music ballads. A story f a man sick from pining lost love ends in a twist really seals the deal. Jone’s voice draws you in ad makes it real.
I Don’t Need Your Rocking Chair
This anthem of golden years self-reliance won a 1993 CMA Award for vocal event of the year and remained a crowd favorite for years.
Why Baby Why
A few singles before went nowhere but in 1955 Why Baby Why brought that timeless voice to a wider audience by becoming a hit and establishing themes of love and loss that Jones’ would use throughout his career.
Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes
Where’s all the great country music? Fans have been asking this for decades. In 1985, the wake of the Urban Cowboy phenomenon, Jones was right long with them by name-checking heroes like Hank, contemporaries like Conway Twitty, Lefty Frizzell, Cash and followers like Haggard, Jennings and Willie. it’s a authentic and heartfelt tribute to a country musics heritage the Jones helped established and it’s sentiment is echoed to this day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yvvIHAEmnY
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I dunno. I consider “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes” and especially “Rockin’ Chair” to be quasi-novelty songs, trading on Jones’ reputation, rather than stellar songs. My list would replace these two with “Window Up Above” and “The Race Is On.” “The Door,” “White Lightning” and “A Picture of Me Without You” need to be on there too. Let’s face it: The man made a LOT of essential records
MVM2, Great choices! Thanks for stopping by and contributing. I couldn’t agree more, Jones was an icon.
Um, you need to check your dates.
Cash, certainly, and Willie are contemporaries, not followers of Jones, and Frizzell (with two z’s!) is a predecessor/”hero” by that calculus.
And I think MVM2 has it exactly right on the song selections.