Disco de George Jones: “Grand Tour/Alone Again”

George Jones' career is legendary and during his EPIC era (which actually ran non-stop from early 1972 through mid 1990!) his output during EPIC has it's share of detractors (many adamantly oppose the countrypolitan sound that Billy Sherrill created to play behind Jones' voice) but i don't understand their argument. if you ever saw him in concert, he NEVER used that pop sound on stage...it was at best a five piece band- no symphonic strings, no background voices. having said that, this CD contains two of his 1970s albums. "Grand Tour" originally came out in 1974 and "Alone Again" debuted in 1976. on the first 11 tracks, we hear Jones lament on songs about what life is like after you've divorced or broke things off with your girlfriend. "The Grand Tour" was a marvelous song to begin with, but it was marketed as another chapter of the public soap opera in the lives of George and wife Tammy Wynette that EPIC and Billy Sherrill created to help sell records. the single reached #1 (his first Billboard solo #1 since 1967's "Walk Through This World With Me") and the album contains another big hit, the #3 "Once You've Had the Best", released prior to "The Grand Tour". when "Once You've Had the Best" arrived, the marriage of George and Tammy was in semi-recovery and this song echoed the happiness in their lives. however, when divorce started to become the talk of the town, EPIC released "The Grand Tour" single. aside from the two hits, the remaining songs are top-notch. "Pass Me By", "Darlin", and "Borrowed Angel" have been recorded by many country acts but never in Jones' unique style. the 11th track, "Our Private Life", is a hilarious novelty song blasting the celebrity tabloids.on "Alone Again", we hear an album EPIC issued to reflect the state of Jones' life after the divorce from Tammy after two previous albums ( "Memories of Us" and "The Battle") didn't give Jones a chance to wallow in lonliness. "Alone Again" is different. "Her Name Is..." was the only single released from the album and it reached #3. the rest of the songs are also great. "A Drunk Can't Be a Man", "Stand on My Own Two Knees", and my favorite "Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me". the whole album is so somber and under-produced that it got lost. albums that are under-rated or produce one or no hit songs have zero durability. look at Jones' mid '70s and mid '80s albums. his under-rated period produced his greatest material but because his greatest material isn't "commercial", it gets lost over time. this CD is excellent.

This album is the answer to any purist's prayer - two George Jones' albums on one disc, both records out of print. THE GRAND TOUR, released in 1974, and ALONE AGAIN, released after Jones' divorce from Tammy Wynette in 1976, include some fantastic performances and this Canadian release proves that you can never have too much of a good thing.

First we have THE GRAND TOUR, which includes the hit title track which went to number one on the country charts. Co-written by Tammy's future husband George Richey, the song features George pulling out all the stops with his classic vocal delivery. "Once You've Had The Best," written by George's buddy Johnny Paycheck, was also a hit, revealing the singer's tender side and remains a live favorite today. Other highlights include "Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through)," "Who Will I Be Loving Now," and "Borrowed Angel," a tune written by Mel Street. Of special interest is "Our Private Life," a song credited to Jones and Wynette, where the President and the First Lady seem to be taking aim at the media gossip that hovered around the daily soap opera that was their married life at the time.

By 1976 Jones and Wynette had divorced and ALONE AGAIN marks the beginning of George's long free-fall to the bottom, although his singing remained stellar. The opening track, "A Drunk Can't Be A Man," was written by George and his friend Earl "Peanut" Montgomery and is a cold heart-felt hard slab of country soul. The novelty hit "Her Name Is" is a veiled nod to Tammy, as could be "Right Now I'd Come Back And Melt In Her Arms" (Jones admits in his autobiography that he didn't give a damn about exploiting his personal life to sell a few records). Another great cut is "Stand On My Own Two Knees," a song about picking up the pieces and moving on, something he knew all about at the time.

THE GRAND TOUR and ALONE AGAIN both feature some filler material (such as "The Weatherman" and "Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me") but, as is always the case with this man, they also feature songs that will alter your conception of what a singer is capable of. It's a shame that all of Jones' albums with Epic from the seventies are not reissued, but this is a good start.

I have been looking for the album, The Grand Tour for years and was finally able to obtain it. George has made many great albums over the years and this combination of two of his 70's albums is possibly the best that I have ever heard in my life! Once again, Jones is the master of country music and after listening to this album, it just goes to show that he is the greatest singer EVER!!!!!

I have'nt received the cd yet but iv'e been looking for the album alone again for18 years.Several years ago I went to Nashville and cound'nt find it and when I tried to order it they would say it was not available.I had this album on 8 track and I thank it is one of george jones best albums. Thanks for having it Larry Eskins