Disco de George Jones: “My Very Special Guests”

George Jones vocal versatility and extensive range makes him an ideal duet partner for just about anyone as My Very Special Guests - a reissue of Jones' 1979 ten-song duets album of the same name bolstered mightily by 27 additional tracks from other sources - makes quite clear. The tracks from the original album, which run from Jones' soulful pairing with Waylon Jennings on "Night Life" to the traditional stroll "Stranger In The House" alongside the smoothly understated Elvis Costello, leads off this two-disc set, followed by the bonus tracks (including eight from 1991's Friends in High Places). The bonus highlight probably being the impressive collaboration with Ray Charles and Chet Atkins on "We Didn't See a Thing."

Jones sounds as comfortable flanking the poppish Deborah Allen on "Our Love Was Ahead Of Its Time" in 1984 as he does swapping angst with modern trad queen Patty Loveless in 1997 on their CMA award-winning "You Don't Seem To Miss Me," and his tone is equally distinctive next to Charlie Daniels' hearty bark when tackling " Fiddle And Guitar Band" as it is when paired with Alan Jackson's soft baritone on "A Good Year For The Roses." It is Jones' displays of singular strength and flexibility that tie this eclectic collection together, and make it as indispensable as his best solo recordings.

This is a great CD for all George Jones fans but also county and fans of other types of music. Two CD is packed with 37 duets with the likes of, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, B.B. King, James Taylor and Alan Jackson. This includes all 10 songs from his 1979 duet album plus 27 more recorded in the 80's and 90's.

Yes indeed, as Merle Haggard once sang, "It's not love but it's not bad," and MY VERY SPECIAL GUESTS probably remains one of the most curious albums George Jones ever made for CBS Records. In his bio on George, Bob Allen wrote that this album featured George at his "brochitis and emphysema-ridden worst," and there is no denying that George was going through a dark period of alchohol and cocaine addiction. Released in 1978, George's record label had opted for pairing George up with many fellow country legends (Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette, Waylon Jennings) and many of the top pop stars of the day (Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Elvis Costello). They threw in Pop and Mavis Staples for good measure. The results? Not as bad as many would lead you to believe.

The highlights are, as you might expect, the more "stone-country" selections. Jones and Willie Nelson fit together like a hand in a glove on "I Gotta Get Drunk" and his duet with Emmylou Harris on "Here We Are" showcases two vocal geniuses at work. The song with Ronstadt, "I've Turned You To Stone," is also endearing, and it appears that Ronstadt (who had deep roots in country music anyway) knew what not to do in recording with the Possum. The most memorable song on the record is, of course, "Bartender's Blues" with James Taylor, which Jones often performs to this day in concert. Written specifically for Jones by Taylor, their harmonies are quite magnificent (Most of the vocals on this album were overdubs, since George was pretty much drunk and MIA for most of 1977). The duet with Tammy, "It Sure Was Good," is a catchy but flimsy tune about love gone wrong, echoing their own personal relationship in the early seventies.

As to the more "experimental" aspects of the disc, there are some let-downs but also pleasant surprises. Jones duet with Johnny Paycheck on John Fogerty's "Proud Mary" is atrociously unnecessary, culled from the sessions for their duet album DOUBLE TROUBLE. Although the song is well executed, producer Billy Sherrill might have been better off going in a more traditional direction with the boys rather than exploring the late-sixties "swamp rock" sound. Similarly, George's duet with Waylon Jennings on the album's opener "Night Life" has promise but never seems to take off, although it's awesome to hear Waylon's asides during the tune ("Here comes the Possum!")

Oddly enough, the biggest surprises come from the rock stars who appear on the album. Dennis and Ray from the band Dr. Hook back up George on "I Still Hold Her Body (But I Think I've Lost Her Mind)" and the tune is solid country with Jones delivering a soulful perfomance (Check out the way he sings the last line of the song - killer!). Likewise, "Stranger In The House," with Elvis Costello, has an elusive magic to it that you would never expect from teaming up the king of new wave with the king of country soul. Costello, who wrote the song for the album and would later record "A Good Year For The Roses" and the Jones-written "The Color Of The Blues" brings the same sort of charm that Keith Richards would bring to "Say It's Not You" on THE BRADLEY BARN SESSIONS in the 1990s.

The album closes with "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" with the Staples. Despite the shortcomings of the album, it's great to hear two soulful singers like Pop Staples and George Jones singing together on the same track. MY VERY SPECIAL GUESTS may not be the best album George Jones ever made, but it's certainly not as bad as you might think. In fact, the good outweighs the bad, and for any true George Jones fan there are too many good songs here to ignore.

everyone who follows George's career knows how bad his personal life got during 1976-1982. This CD sounds like a wild drinking/drugs party circa 1979 with the likes of Waylon, Willie, PayCheck, Dennis and Ray, Linda, Emmylou, and Elvis Costello, among others. The songs create that party atmosphere (ironically the CD ends with the gospel song, "Will The Circle Be Unbroken", with the Staples singers) and even ex-wife Tammy shows up for "It Sure Was Good". Every song was over-dubbed. George sang his part and his duet partners would come in later and record their lines and Billy Sherrill and company would splice it together for the duet. The fact that you can't tell the material isn't "live" and on the spot is a testament to the CD age. This album inspired the infamous TV special "George Jones: With a Little Help from My Friends" that HBO aired in 1980. One can't help but ask why his 1978 hit, "Bartenders Blues" with James Taylor harmony, was included on this album? None of the other nine duets were released as singles by the way. "Proud Mary" with Johnny PayCheck was a follow-up to their rowdy remake of "Mabelline" in late 1978 and by 1980 George and Johnny released a duet album.