George Jones & Gene Pi [Import]

Product Description
The hit vocalist's two 1965 collaboration albums with country legend George Jones digitally remastered & together on one CD. Tracks include 'I've Got Five Dollars And It's Saturday Night' and 'I've Got A New Heartache'. The full title of each is 'George Jones & Gene Pitney' and 'It's Country Time Again!'. A combined total of 24 tracks. Also features the original cover art of each record. 1999 release. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Tracks:

I Love Lucy Theme - Wilbur Hatch
Dragnet - Ray Anthony
The Twilight Zone - Rod Open
Bonanza - Al Caiola & His Orchestra
The Andy Griffith Theme - Earle Hagen
The Ballad Of Jed Clampett - Earl Scruggs
The Addams Family (Main Theme) - Vic Mizzy
Munsters Theme - Jack Marshall
The Ballad Of Gilligan's Isle - Morton Stevens
Green Acres - Eddie Albert
Jeannie - Hugo Montenegro
Batman Theme - Neal Hefti
(Theme From) The Monkees - The Monkees
Star Trek (Main Title & Closing Theme) - The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Mannix - Lalo Schifrin
Hawaii Five-O - Mort Stevens & His Orchestra
Theme From The Brady Bunch - The Brady Bunch
Come On Get Happy - The Partridge Family
Those Were The Days - Carroll O'Connor
And Then There's Maude - Donny Hathaway
Good Times - Jim Gilstrap
Movin' On Up - Oren Waters
The Rockford Files - Mike Post
Them From S.W.A.T. - Rhythm Heritage
Happy Days - Pratt & McClain
Making Our Dreams Come True - Cyndi Grecco
Chico And The Man - Jose Feliciano
Welcome Back - John Sebastian
What's Happening!! - Henry Mancini
Barney Miller - Jack Elliott
Charlie's Angels - Jack Elliott
Love Boat Theme - Jack Jones
Angela (Theme From 'Taxi') - Bob James
It Takes Diff'rent Strokes - Gloria Loring
Theme From Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys) - Waylon
Theme From Magnum, P.I. - Mike Post
The Theme From Hill Street Blues - Mike Post
Theme From Dynasty - Bill Conti
Theme From 'Greatest American Hero' (Believe It Or Not) - Joey Scarbury
Thank You For Being A Friend - Cynthia Fee

Album Description

TV Land brings you 40 of your favorite evening show theme songs. Highlights include 'Happy Days', 'The Greatest American Hero', 'Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)', 'Laverne & Shirley', 'I Dream Of Jeanie', 'I Love Lucy', 'Welcome Back, Kotter', 'The Love Boat', 'Hawaii Five-O', 'The Golden Girls' and many, many more. 2002. Rhino.

Customer Reviews:

good memories for me and fun "new" songs for my children.......2007-06-27

We had ordered this for "The Dukes of Hazzard" theme song for our 4yr old and our whole family has fallen in love with the cd. It makes me want to share some of the old fun and simple shows with my children. I forgot about some of those shows. It brings back good memories for my husband and me and the songs are new and exciting for our children. It's a nice change from children's cd's, but our children still think it's fun. The sound quality is good and the songs included on the cd are a great mix. I would definately recommend this one.

memories.......2007-02-22

This cd is excellent it has a lot of very good music and true to the original sound, Am getting a lot of enjoyment,highly recomended

TV Theme Songs.......2007-01-13

This is a great CD for people who watch a lot of TV -especially TV LAND and reruns of old shows when shows had actual theme songs. I took the CD to work and everyone loved trying to figure out what show the songs were from.

TV themes.......2006-07-05

Not all what I expected, not all of the tunes are the original recordings you remember as the TV themes.

Deja Vu.......2006-02-17

Listening to these familiar themes as performed by the original artists certainly brings back wonderful memories! I was particularly pleased, not only with the quality of the pieces, but with the actual performances themselves, just as we remembered them!

Jones Sings Haggard, Haggard Sings Jones: Kickin' Out the Footlights... Again

Average customer rating:

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME !!!!!!!!
im suprised .
Good Ol' Boys being Good Ol' Boys
Outstanding idea, well executed!!
Velvet Voices

Jones Sings Haggard, Haggard Sings Jones: Kickin' Out the Footlights... Again
George Jones , and Merle Haggard
Manufacturer: Bandit Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000HIVQ7Q
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Tracks:

Footlights
The Race Is On
The Way I Am
She Thinks I Still Care
All My Friends Are Strangers
Things Have Gone To Press
I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink
Born With The Blues
Sick, Sober & Sorry
I Always Get Lucky With You
Sing Me Back Home
The Window Above
You Take Me For Granted
Don't Get Around Much Anymore

Amazon.com

Nearly 25 years after their last album together (1982's A Taste of Yesterday's Wine), the Possum and the Hag reunite... with a twist. This time, they sing each other's songs. The conceit can be dangerous unless you're playing it for laughs, e.g., Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley on the former's 1960 television special. But though Jones puts more emotion into interpreting Haggard's songs than Hag reciprocates, these two old legends manage to pull it off. And with the help of producer Keith Stegall (Alan Jackson), they keep the music solid, too, spotlighting steel guitar great Norm Hamlet and celebrated piano sideman Pigg Robbins, who played on many of their original recordings. Jones particularly shines on "The Way I Am," and Haggard proves sublime on "I Always Get Lucky with You." Where the album really lights up, however, is on the duo's pocketful of duets, starting with a poignant and intensely resonant rendition of Haggard's classic aging-musician ballad, "Footlights." Surprisingly, the repertoire never seems tired, and there's a surprise around every corner: Rhonda Vincent adding splendid harmonies on Haggard's new "Born to the Blues" and Jones turning transcendent on a confessional line about being "crazy and lonely." Just as these ragged masters take their leave, they put a little more Western in Duke Ellington's swing ("Don't Get Around Much Anymore"), filling in the middle with a warm, nostalgic banter that reminds listeners just how much these two have seen and done. Who knew hard-luck autobiography could sound so exquisite? --Alanna Nash

Album Description

On this disc the two country music icons take turns singing the other's hit songs. On four songs they team up on duets. The end result is an historic recording enhanced with stellar production by Keith Stegall and an all-star band.

Customer Reviews:

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME !!!!!!!!.......2007-06-29

Don't get me wrong! I didn't mean don't waste your time listenning to this album because it is not good. I just want to tell all of you to run out and get this piece of gem right now, by all mean neccessary. There's no need to read the reviews....just believe me.

im suprised ........2007-06-21

as i heard this album i was taken back . For in recent yrs jones voice has sounded like he has a renewed spark . LIKE A DANCER with a new step. i seen him in concert last yr and oh my he sounded wonderful . and never missed a note . just awesomwe . And merle on the other hand has lost a step . BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID merle missing a step is still better then most artist on tour now on thier best day . WITH only 4 people with many yrs under thier belts still doing what they do so well left touring . JONES .MERLE .WILLIE . AND HANK JR . i WAS thinking MERLE CANT DO GEORGE JONES songs .As no one can sing jones songs . AS WAYLON SANG .(WRONG ) YES I ADMIT i was wrong . merle was great on this outing . george on the other hand was very good . So the one i thought would be the stronger of the two was not . Now im not saying mr jones was lost on this album . But merle was the merle of old . But jones can sing anything so he got away with being different on this album .Like getting in the ring with a great fighter known for his right hook . SO YOU WATCH out for that right hook . and get knocked out with the left . HOPE they tour together this yr.

Good Ol' Boys being Good Ol' Boys.......2007-03-18

Sometimes two mixing two great talents togeter dilutes the result. Not in this case. Here, 1+1 is very much more than 2. Quite simply this is brilliant, blissful stuff. Outstanding.

Outstanding idea, well executed!!.......2007-01-19

One of my favorite albums ever. I've already bought several more as gifts!

Velvet Voices.......2007-01-18

I LOVE this CD. Merle's voice is pure velvet and George Jones is totally himself - the rich deep voice of yesterday. They make a great team. I hope they do another one!

Average customer rating:

Ultra Listenable
Riminising With George
Outstanding!
Merry Christmas Dad
Great Time Piece

50 Years of Hits
George Jones
Manufacturer: Bandit Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

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40 #1 Hits
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ASIN: B00064AEPG
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Tracks:

Why Baby Why
Just One More
Tall, Tall Trees
Color Of The Blues
White Lightning
Window Up Above
Tender Years
She Thinks I Still Care
You Comb Her Hair
The Race Is On
We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds
Still Doin' Time
Walk Through This World With Me
She's Mine
I'll Share My World With You
A Good Year For The Roses
Take Me

Tracks:

A Picture Of Me Without You
Once You've Had The Best
The Grand Tour
These Days I Barely Get By
Her Name Is
Near You
Bartender's Blues
Night Life
He Stopped Loving Her Today
Yesterday's Wine
Same Ole Me
I Always Get Lucky With You
She's My Rock
Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes
The One I Loved Back Then (The Corvette Song)
The Right Left Hand
Radio Lover

Tracks:

I'm A One Woman Man
A Few Ole Country Boys
You Couldn't Get The Picture
Finally Friday
I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair
High-Tech Redneck
One
I Must Have Done Something Bad
When Did You Stop Loving Me
Wild Irish Rose
Choices
The Cold Hard Truth
Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)
50,000 Names
I Got Everything
Amazing Grace

Customer Reviews:

Ultra Listenable.......2007-05-20

Along with "Hits I Missed and One I didn't", every time I listen to this 3 disc set in my vehicle it seems like the first time I've heard Jones' voice, hooking, mesmerizing...
For me George ranks right there with Tina Turner, "The Best", Bonnie Tyler "Total Eclipse of the Heart", Rolling Stones "40 Licks", Dylan and Cash "Girl from the North Country", Clapton's "Layla", Big Head Todd "Bittersweet", Dylan and the Dead "Slow Train Comin", Kris Kristofferson "Me and Bobbie McGee" and "Sunday Mornin", Fleetwood Mac, Gordon Lightfoot's "Edmund Fitzgerald", Beach Boys, CSNY,CCR,Buffalo Springfield, Roy Orbison, The Band, Hapa's "He'Eia", Eagles, Motown, Jefferson Airplane.. all the music I listen to driving and running that just turns to dust it's so worn out. And also George is right there with, Winston Churchill, whose liver, Richard Burton said, "The world would admire".

Can't disagree with Wynona that the best country song ever and the best country singer at that moment singing it is "He can't stop loving her today".For me, better than "He Stopped Loving Her Today" is the phenominal "Choices", his story...everybody's story in a way.

How many other guys riding around out there on their John Deere riding lawnmowers to go get a bottle of Jack are turning out as clean and good as this?

Riminising With George.......2007-05-17

When I purchased this CD I thought I was buying it for my husband, Lyle. Little did I know, how much I would enjoy the CD. Some of the older songs were not familar to me,but Lyle remembered them all(he's nine years wiser than me). We've introduced it to family members and have yet to find anyone who doesn't enjoy it as much as we do. I'm glad Mr. Jones was able to release this CD while he could still comment on his life and career instead of someone doing it after he's gone. That personal touch means alot.

Outstanding!.......2007-04-04

If you love George Jones like many of us do, you must buy this set! It is probably the BEST of ALL his recordings. The quality is pure, crisp, studio sound with his best vocals. I have many recordings of George Jones, but this set is simply the best versions of his repitoire!

Merry Christmas Dad.......2007-01-12

I got this for my dad at Christmas. He couldn't have been happier. He loves George Jones. It made his day

Great Time Piece.......2007-01-09

I bought this cd as a goft for my father and he loved it. Brought back memories of better days.

Average customer rating:

Sum up George Jones in one word? Master
Greatest living country artist
A Fine Introduction
Yabba Dabba Doo The King is Gone and So are You
Oh that voice!

16 Biggest Hits
George Jones
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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50 Years of Hits

ASIN: B000009CZP
Release Date: 1998-07-14

Tracks:

A Picture Of Me (Without You)
What My Woman Can't Do
The Grand Tour
These Days (I Barely Get By)
The Door
Bartender's Blues
He Stopped Loving Her Today
If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)
Still Doin' Time
I Always Get Lucky With You
She's My Rock
Wine Colored Roses
The Right Left Hand
Radio Lover
The King Is Gone (So Are You)
Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes

Amazon.com

In the third decade of his career, already long famous, George Jones followed his new lover Tammy Wynette to Epic, where he offered his incomparable voice to her producer, Billy Sherrill. The singles Jones released with Sherrill--"The Grand Tour," "The Door," "He Stopped Loving Her Today," to name just three--elevated Jones from great country singer to living legend. This 16-track set skips far too many Jones-Sherrill highlights (and it oddly includes "Radio Lover," one "biggest hit" that was never a hit at all), but it's the only one-disc set to provide an overview of the team's entire 17-year partnership. From 1972's poignantly countrypolitan "A Picture of Me" to the grim humor of 1989's "The King Is Gone," no country music is as painfully beautiful as this. --David Cantwell

Customer Reviews:

Sum up George Jones in one word? Master.......2007-06-27

I'm not a fan of country music, but have listened to George Jones for 25 years. There are few singers who capture the twang of true country, but Mr. Jones does (Dwight Yoakum is another).

This particular CD is my all time favorite b/c it combines his best songs. The ones that move you to sing along (or grab a box of Kleenex).

HOW can you beat these old hits?

1. A Picture Of Me (Without You)
2. What My Woman Can't Do
3. The Grand Tour
4. These Days (I Barely Get By)
5. The Door
6. Bartender's Blues
7. He Stopped Loving Her Today
8. If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)
9. Still Doin' Time
10. I Always Get Lucky With You
11. She's My Rock
12. Wine Colored Roses
13. The Right Left Hand
14. Radio Lover
15. The King Is Gone (So Are You)
16. Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes

I recommend this particular CD highly. It's the best of the best.

Greatest living country artist.......2006-11-07

I saw Geroge Jones live recently and I was blown away. This guy is 75 years old and still sings like he was in his twentys! He fractured his wrist and had a cold but he still performed, something most artist wouldnt do. If you want to see real country, check out any of his records and you wont be disappointed. Greatest living country artist alive. No one will ever be able to fill his shoes.

A Fine Introduction.......2006-08-18

Though I've long known George Jones's name and reputation, I am fairly unfamiliar with his music. I enjoyed this CD as a good introduction to that man's resonant voice and honest song-stylings. The disc is also very good value for money. The only downside I can suggest is that most of the songs will probably be unfamiliar to listeners looking for "standards"--but that's my problem, not Mr. Jones's.

Yabba Dabba Doo The King is Gone and So are You.......2004-10-23

I Don't really know George Jones's music all that well, but ever since I was in Reno, and heard yabba dabba doo the king is gone, I have had this song stuck in my head, I love it. The king is gone is truely a red neck song, YeeeHaaaw, this song is awesome

Oh that voice!.......2003-06-13

George Jones embodies what country music is all about. There is something deeply effecting about his voice. His rich voice is also very comforting... in a strange sort of way. When you listen to George croon a song it's like slipping a warm, old blanket over your shoulders.
I guess his voice is comforting, in that you can tell George has felt pain just like we all have at one time or another.
This album is excellent. The 16 Biggest Hits series gives country music conisuers a good overview of some of the best artists of all time. George Jones is just that, One of the best!
The back of the album says that some people call George Jones, "The Rolls Royce" of country music. I would have to agree. In my opinion, "He Stopped Loving Her Today" is probably one of the best country songs ever. It's so sad and mournful it's almost melodramtic! The words of the song are haunting and memorable. Georges striking vocals wring the pain right out of the song. Once you hear it you never forget it.
There is much more great music on this album, too much to get into in this review.
Buy it... Listen to it... Live it along with George!

An Introduction to Der Ring des Nibelungen

Average customer rating:

Ring introduction critique
FASCINATING STUDY FOR NOVICES AND AFFICIONADOS ALIKE
Welcome back to a classic analysis
Essential for Understanding Wagner's Ring Cycle
Very Functional

An Introduction to Der Ring des Nibelungen
Deryck Cooke , Georg Solti , Wiener Philharmoniker , Anita Valkki , Berit Lindholm , Birgit Nilsson , Brigitte Fassbaender , Christa Ludwig , Claire Watson , Claudia Hellmann , Dame Gwyneth Jones , Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau , Eberhard Wächter , George London , Gerhard Stolze , Gottlob Frick , Grace Hoffmann , Gustav Neidlinger , Hans Hotter , Helen Watts , Helga Dernesch , Hetty Plumacher , Ira Malaniuk , James King , Jean Madeira , Joan Sutherland , Kirsten Flagstad , Kurt Böhme , Lucia Popp , Marga Höffgen , Marilyn Tyler , Maureen Guy , Oda Balsborg , Paul Kuen , Régine Crespin , Set Svanholm , Vera Little , Vera Schlosser , Waldemar Kmentt , Walter Kreppel , and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ring of the Nibelung

ASIN: B00000424H
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Of All Great Musical Compositions... (Examples 1-4)
The Fundamental Symbol... (Examples 5-11)
Returning Now To The Nature Motive... (Examples 6, 12-16)
A Number Of Further Motives... (Examples 5, 17-21)
A Second, Much Smaller Family... (Examples 22-25)
So Much For Nature. (Examples 26-38)
The Cause Of The Deterioration... (Examples 39-44)
The Other Transformation... (Examples 45-48)
Several Other Motives... (Examples 49-52)
Two Further Motives... (Examples 41, 53-61)
The Basic Motive Associated With The Spear... (Examples 62-68)
Along Another, More Complex Line... (Examples 69-72)
In Act Two Of Walkure... (Examples 69, 73-75)
Returning Now To Act Two Of Walkure... (Examples 76-79)
Love Is Another Of The Central Symbols... (Examples 80-83)
Later In The Same Scene... (Examples 84-87)
Freia's Motive Has Two Independent Segments... (Examples 88-91)
The Label 'Flight'... (Example 92)
When Fasolt, In Scene Two Of Rhinegold... (Examples 93-98)
A Little Later In The Interlude... (Examples 99-103)

Tracks:

The Other New Motive... (Examples 104-109)
There Are Several Independent Love-Motives... (Examples 110-114)
The Characters In Whose Lives... (Examples 115-120)
One Further Motive Belongs... (Example 121)
The Sword Motive Recurs... (Examples 122-130)
Ironically, This Phrase... (Examples 131-135)
Closely Associated With Gutrune's Motive... (Examples 136-140)
Here We Come To The End... (Examples 141-146)
Complemtary To This Symbol... (Examples 147-149)
One Last Central Symbol... (Examples 150-157)
One Further Motive Connected... (Examples 158-161)
There Are One Or Two Motives... (Examples 162-168)
These Motives Of Alberich And Mime... (Examples 169-171)
Quite A Number Of The Subsidiary Motives... (Examples 172-176)
Besides This Family Of Motives... (Examples 177-180)
Our Final Example... (Examples 10, 181, 182)
In The Final Scene Of Gotterdammerung... (Examples 181-183)
Even More Masterly... (Examples 184-188)
Now If We Return... (Examples 189-191)
This Masterly Way... (Examples 192, 193)

Amazon.com

When Wagner set the Ring to music, he intended the orchestra to act in the fashion of a chorus from a classic Greek tragedy--setting the mood and commenting on the action. In order to allow a nonverbal musical line to reflect on the plot, Wagner developed a psychologically and musically complex symbology to communicate his thoughts to the listener. From the beginning the Ring has spawned numerous written commentaries on the relationships of the motif structure, but by using examples from the Decca Ring recording, Deryck Cooke's thoughtful spoken commentary is by far the most accessible guide for either the fledgling Ring enthusiast or the seasoned veteran. --Christian C. Rix

Customer Reviews:

Ring introduction critique.......2006-11-04

This is very worthwhile, at the same time it requires time, patience and attention, but it does provide some keys to better enjoyment of a sensational piece of music.

FASCINATING STUDY FOR NOVICES AND AFFICIONADOS ALIKE.......2006-08-16

This may look an intimidating, daunting and dull prospect - a 2+ hour lecture on the motifs in the Ring. Don't be put off. Whether you're a relative novice to the Ring and want to find out what it's all about, more experienced with a desire to understand the composer's methods better or an afficionado who thinks he knows it all inside out, there is great pleasure as well as elucidation to be had from this set. Originally made to accompany the Decca Solti Ring, it contains a multitude of musical illustrations taken from those recordings as well as some specially recorded by Solti just for this Introduction.

It wasn't the first time this has been tried. The famous HMV sets from the late 20's also included recorded examples of over 100 motifs. (These, by the way, are available as part of the Pearl reissue of those wonderful HMV recordings). What that set lacked was the wonderful insights as well as the approachability of the talk by Deryck Cooke. Cooke was a great and much missed musicologist - a Mahler expert responsible for the performing edition of the Tenth Symphony still most played today, a fascinating explorer into the nature of music's basic building-blocks in his excellent book, The Language of Music, and an inspiring and elucidating critic of Wagner's work as shown by the fascinating book he left unfinished at his death, I Saw the World End.

On these CDs he does much more than list the leitmotifs and identify them as calling-cards. He shows the amazingly integrated and organic growth of the musical material that Wagner uses throughout his vast work. He demonstrates how motifs can change their sense and meaning as they evolve through the drama. And he shows how the complex combinations of motifs can radically advance both the musical and the dramatic narrative of the piece. There are even places where he corrects the misinterpretation of some of the motifs that had become ingrained from early commentators' false labels.

This set should engage and enlighten anyone with an interest in Wagner's huge and inexhaustible tetralogy. Do give it a try - no matter how far down the road to Wagnerianism you are.

Welcome back to a classic analysis.......2006-05-28

Deryck Cooke's lecture series upon THE RING is almost as much a classic by now as the Solti RING cycle, with which it was originally issued on LP, and from which it derives its musical examples. The difference is that whereas the Solti RING has been continuously in print ever since it was completed, and was among the first opera sets to benefit from the CD revolution, the Cooke analysis was for long almost totally unobtainable. Now we have it back. It should be welcomed: it is a classic. Cooke's mellow, deep voice with the hint of a Celtic burr - which made him ideal on BBC radio - patiently explains Wagner's melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic metamorphoses to such good effect that if you own this recording, you really require no other RING analysis. (A pity about the abrupt beginnings and endings of too many vocal and orchestral illustrations, though.) Musicology lost a fine, sensitive thinker with Cooke's premature death in 1976.

If all you want is dilettantish baby food, there are plenty of dumbed-down Wagner commentaries on the market, stretching from Anna Russell's famous monologue (which doesn't pretend to be anything other than a parody aimed at morons) to the latest standard-issue "Wagner-was-a-Nazi-boo-hiss" feuilleton (which, unfortunately, does). Without reasonable score-reading skill you will find Cooke useless, however diligently you have ploughed through Marx, Jung, Freud, or other gurus purportedly relevant to THE RING. Cooke expects you to use your brains and your musical sense. Quelle horreur. At today's BBC his "elitism" would render him unemployable.

Essential for Understanding Wagner's Ring Cycle.......2006-05-15

I originally bought this set on vinyl in the early 70s when I discovered the Ring in college. I studied the records and booklet assiduously, and after about three run-throughs I finally started getting it. Wow! Thirty-five years later, I still remember Mr. Cooke's analyses of various motive families, and I don't know how I could have mastered and loved the Ring without him. I now own this set on CD and listen again on the rare occasion of attending a Ring performance. My wife calls me a "Ring nut," but of course I'm nuts about many other things as well.

Bottom line, buy this set and study it if the Ring has captivated you as it has countless others. The presentation is dry, but sticking with it brings measureless and longlasting rewards.

Very Functional.......2006-03-19

This CD set is excellent for what it sets out to do: present the leitmotives of the Ring according to their relationship to one another and their role in developing both characters and plotlines. Deryck Cooke's lectures on each motive are very insightful, very helpful at cueing the listener into the semantic aspect of Wagner's orchestral writing. The one drawback is that the musical examples are a bit jarring. Without fade-ins or -outs, the engineering is quite barbaric. And though the orchestra was, I believe, conducted by Solti, and is beautifully done, the vocal performances can be quite unpleasant. Point being: this is not background music, but in accomplishing what it sets out to do, it is very successful, and I don't know of anything else like it.

Average customer rating:

Yankee Doodle Dandy Review
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Amazing! Wonderful! Just buy it - you won't be sorry!
What a find!!
A Soundtrack Every American Should Own

Yankee Doodle Dandy
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Yankee Doodle Dandy (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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ASIN: B000066RM7
Release Date: 2002-06-18

Tracks:

Main Title: Warner Bros. Signature/Yankee Doodle/Yankee Doodle Boy/Mary's A Grand Old Name/Off The Record - Warner Bros. Orchestra
Early Years Sequence: Columbia The Gem Of The Ocean/The Dancing Master/While Strolling Through The Park One Day/At A Georgia Camp Meeting - Walter Huston
I Was Born In Virginia - Walter Huston
The Warmest Baby In The Bunch - Sally Sweetland
Harrigan - Sally Sweetland
Yankee Doodle Boy - James Cagney
Little Johnny Jones Sequence: The Yankee Doodle Boy/Good Luck Johnny/Little Johnny Jones Special/Finale Special/All Aboard For Old Broadway/Rocket/Give My Regards To Broadway - James Cagney
Medley: Oh, You Wonderful Girl/Blue Skies, Gray Skies/The Belle Of The Barber's Ball - Walter Huston
Mary's A Grand Old Name - Sally Sweetland
Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway - James Cagney
Fay Templeton Medley: Mary's A Grand Old Name/Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway/So Long, Mary - Irene Manning
You're A Grand Old Flag - Walter Huston
Over There - Frances Langford
Medley: In A Kingdom Of Our Own/Love Nest/Nellie Kelly, I Love You/The Man Who Owns Broadway/Molly Malone/Billie - Frances Langford
Off The Record - James Cagney
Finale And End Cast: Over There/Yankee Doodle Boy - James Cagney
You Remind Me Of My Mother (Outtake) - James Cagney
Medley: Oh, You Wonderful Girl/Blue Skies, Gray Skies/The Belle Of The Barber's Ball (Piano Only Version) - Walter Huston
Give My Regards To Broadway (Rehearsal) - James Cagney
You're A Grand Old Flag (Rehearsal) - James Cagney

Amazon.com

When one thinks of musicals from Hollywood's golden age, the initials MGM come almost instantly to mind. Indeed when veteran song-and-dance man George M. Cohan was negotiating a film based on his colorful life story, his first choice was Metro--until a falling out with studio chief Louis B. Mayer. But L.B.'s loss eventually became Warner Brothers'--and film history's--gain when the Burbank studio's Cohan musical became a massive, patriotic hit in the opening months of World War II. As chronicled in this vibrantly restored, first-ever complete soundtrack for the film, it was a compelling twist of fate. James Cagney turns in one of the screen's most ostensibly unlikely--and ultimately indelible--musical performances (netting him his only Best Actor Oscar ^®), teaming with studio music director Roy Heindorf to update Cohan's once-quaint turn-of the-century patriotic ditties ("You're a Grand Old Flag," "Over There," "Yankee Doodle Boy") and infectious vaudevillian chestnuts ("Give My Regards to Broadway," "Harrigan") with bracing dollops of the studio's '40s orchestral sass--and, just months after Pearl Harbor, some crucial historical parallels. Also included are four bonus tracks that remarkably survived the film's preproduction, including an outtake of "You Remind Me of My Mother" and voice-and-piano-only rehearsal versions of "Give My Regards to Broadway" and "You're a Grand Old Flag" that further underscore Cagney's deceptively effortless ability to sell a song despite his limited musical gifts. It's a long overdue showcase for a true American film musical gem. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Yankee Doodle Dandy Review.......2006-11-03

It's an old movie with an old soundtrack, but I loved the movie, I love the music, and I'm very happy with my purchase.

Yankee Doodle Dandy.......2006-06-30

Excellent in black and white and color. James Cagney also got a medal from a President. (President Reagan!} If you like entertainment...this is it!

Amazing! Wonderful! Just buy it - you won't be sorry!.......2005-03-05

I am so very glad I bought this CD. I own the DVD of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and watch it all the time, so I almost didn't buy this, wondering if I really needed yet another CD.

Well, thank God I didn't pay any attention to that dumb idea!

If you love "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and Cagney, you just have to buy this soundtrack. It's like being able to take the movie with you anywhere ... it's not just the songs - as others have said - but also includes bits of Cagney's voice-overs, even the tap-dancing from the end of "Little Johnny Jones." And since the audio system in my car is better than my TV's, it all seemed even bigger, richer and better. (George M. would love that!)

Wonderful, wonderful stuff!

What a find!!.......2003-06-15

I haven't been able to see this movie on TV since Turner bought it (don't get TCM), but if you've seen the movie several tims, as I have, listening to this CD is very nearly as good as watching it all the way through. (I'm so delighted with it that I'm even willing to forgive TCM for putting a paper ad inside with the disc.)

Monumental effort must have gone into this soundtrack, given the age of the original recordings. The tracks here are crisp, clear, and bright, with no evidence of how long ago they were first put down. The editors were also generous in their inclusion of dialogue that ties some of the tracks together (for example, we hear the man tell Johny Jones to watch for the skyrocket, then we hear the skyrocket as it leads into "Give My Regards to Broadway"). There are a couple of places where the endings are slightly abrupt but this is because, in the movie, the music fades into extended dialogue.

The only bit of dialogue I expected to hear in a song, but didn't, is in "Over There" near the very end of the film, when Cagney/Cohan has fallen in step with the soldiers going off to WWII, as they're singing "Over There", when the soldier nearest him says something like, "What's wrong, old timer, don't know the words?" and Cagney says, "Seems to me I do" and starts singing along. That's minor and pales next to how wonderful the rest of this soundtrack is.

One of the biggest treats on this CD is that we get to hear some of Cagney's tapping, notably in "Give My Regards to Broadway", "You're a Grand Old Flag", and - one of my favorite moments in movie history - when he dances down the White House stairs to "Yankee Doodle" near the end).

The outtake is not a humorous one, simply a track they decided not to use. It and the rehearsal tracks are all just the performers voices with piano accompaniment. I especially enjoyed hearing Cagney rehearsing "You're a Grand Old Flag".

If you like Cagney, if you like Cohan's music, if you like movies "the way they used to make them", or if you're not ashamed to get a little choked up with patriotism once in a while, you will not be disappointed in this CD!

A Soundtrack Every American Should Own.......2002-09-23

Finally! If you own that Hollywood Soundstage abomination of the "Yankee Doodle Dandy" soundtrack you can finally pitch it. Here is the real article. Rhino (Turner Classic Movies Music) lovingly restored the music from the beloved "Yankee Doodle Dandy" motion picture starring James Cagney. This soundtrack sounds astonishing considering it's 60 years old. It's very obvious some loving care was taken in it's production for which we all should be greatful. The liner notes also are great with informative text and wonderful photos from the movie. The marvelous George M. Cohan songs gives one goosebumps and bring tears to the eyes. We all need this type of patriotic pep rally, especially in these tough times. As I've said, this soundtrack belongs in every American's home just as much as that "Grand Old Flag"! I believe there are plans to release the movie on DVD, hopefully soon.

Average customer rating:

"He Stopped Loving Her Today..." brings tears to my eyes.
Superb overview of country music's legendary singer
REAL COUNTRY
A Good Start ...

The Essential George Jones
George Jones
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

Honky-Tonk | Country | Styles | Music

Nashville Sound | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

Rockabilly | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000EHQ882
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Tracks:

No Money In This Deal
I'm Ragged But I'm Right
Why Baby Why
Just One More
Color Of The Blues
White Lightning
Out Of Control
You're Still On My Mind
The Window Up Above
Tender Years
She Thinks I Still Care
A Girl I Used To Know
The Race Is On
We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds
Take Me
We Can Make It
Loveing You Could Never Be Better
What My Woman Can't Do
A Picture Of Me (Without You)
Nothing Ever Hurt Me (Half As Bad As Losing You)

Tracks:

The Grand Tour
Once You've Had The Best
We Loved It Away
The Door
These Days (I Barely Get By)
Memories Of Us
I Just Don't Give A Damn
A Drunk Can't Be A Man
Stand On My Own Two Knees
The Battle
Someday My Day Will Come
He Stopped Loving Her Today
If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)
I've Aged Twenty Years In Five
Still Doin' Time
You've Still Got A Place In My Heart
I Always Get Lucky With You
The Right Left Hand
I'm A One Woman Man
Choices

Customer Reviews:

"He Stopped Loving Her Today..." brings tears to my eyes........2007-02-14

I'm not a big C & W fan, but I saw George Jones recently on Letterman, and he sang the above mentioned song, which I hadn't heard for many years. WOW, very moving, so much so that I'd see the old guy in concert if he came to town, plus it made me want to purchase this CD. I'm glad I did, because in his prime -- as he was when he recorded this album -- he was REALLY good. All the songs on this double CD are great; strong vocals and terrific interpretation, great arrangements with top musicians backing him up. If you enjoy country, this CD must be considered a classic. And if you're not so familiar with country (like me) this is a great place to start your your collection.

Superb overview of country music's legendary singer.......2006-11-10

The mergers and acquisitions that have marked the last decade of the record industry may be concentrating more power in the hands of the few, but it's also making it a lot easier to market multi-label anthologies of long-running artists such as Jones. This 2-CD, 40-track collection surveys nearly all facets of Jones' career, from his early success at Starday, through his breakout sides on Mercury, a stint on United Artists and his long run on Epic. Missing are his late '60s sides for Musicor, which had been licensed for earlier multilabel sets, but were unavailable (or too expensive) this time out. The out-of-print Musicor-focussd "George Jones: 24 Greatest Hits" (on the Tee Vee label) thus makes a nice complement to this set.

Jones' earliest sides find him still in the thrall of honky-tonk legends Hank Williams and Lefty Frizell. His work for Starday and Mercury were hardcore country, honed in the roadhouses of his native East Texas. But by the start of the '60s, at the tail end of his tenure for Mercury, Jones started to find a new voice. On breakthroughs like "She Thinks I Still Care," Jones and his producer shook off a bit of the twang, slowed down the dancehall tempos, and introduced the beginnings of the vocal style that would become his trademark over the next two decades.

The quality of his recordings surged and floundered throughout his hit-making years, alongside his drinking and drugging, but not always in correlation. At turns, the despair of his personal life fueled his performances, at other times it simply overtook him. By the end of the '60s, having left Musicor, he landed at Epic and wrote his legacy large with recordings produced by Billy Sherrill. Solo and with then-wife Tammy Wynette, Jones recorded many of country music's most indelible sides, including "Love You Could Never Be Better" and "Take Me." His divorce in 1975 and subsequent substance abuse fueled sides like "Memories of Us" and "A Drunk Can't Be a Man." Jones bottomed-out personally and triumphed professionally in 1980 with the song many consider to be country music's all-time greatest, "He Stopped Love Her Today."

Jones continued to record with Sherrill into the late '80s, at which point he moved to MCA and finally to Asylum, minting top-10 singles (and catching a Grammy© for "Choices" in 1999) along the way. This 2-CD set provides a broad overview of Jones' career, save for the missing Musicor years, and provides an excellent introduction for the neophyte, as well as a nicely condensed listening experience for fans. [2006 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

REAL COUNTRY.......2006-05-11

George Jones is the archetypal country singer. Born in a log cabin in east Texas and raised on gospel music in church and Carter Family records at home, he left school at sixteen, married and divorced young, spent a couple of years in the Marines, cut some sides for a small record company, performed with Elvis Presley, boozed, brawled and rode atop the country charts for thirty years.

The Essential George Jones tells his story in music, collecting forty songs recorded between 1954 and 1999, tracing the career of one of the true greats of the genre. Listening to the early sides, we see that Jones started out as a Hank Williams disciple, with the first four tracks sounding more like ol' Hank than young Possum. But as the set progresses, Jones' own distinctive style emerges. Old Rock-n-Rollers will remember "White Lightning" a silly rockabilly novelty hit in 1959, and "The Race is On" from the Beatle summer of 1964, but it's his string of number one country ballads that best defines the Jones legacy. "The Window Up Above," "Tender Years" and the classic "She Thinks I Still Care" defined the sound of Nashville in the early `60s in much the same way that Patsy Cline's records did, with that tinkly Floyd Cramer-style piano in the forefront and full vocal chorus in the background.

Essential has a six-year gap in its chronology, as Legacy was apparently unable to acquire the rights to Jones' output for Musicor Records in the second half of the `60s. But it picks up again with his 1971 duet with third wife Tammy Wynette, the beginning of a particularly fruitful four-year period back at the top. It was anything but fruitful for Jones personally, though, as he dug deeper into the bottle, added cocaine to the mix, and developed a reputation for missing concerts that earned him the moniker "No-Show Jones." He and Tammy separated, reconciled, then divorced, and his song titles reflected the mess his life had become: "These Days (I Barely Get By)," "I Just Don't Give a Damn," "A Drunk Can't Be a Man," and "Stand on My Own Two Knees."

Ironically, though he was bottoming out with drug addiction, public rampages and a televised police chase through the streets of Nashville, Jones reappeared at the top of the charts in 1980 with the tear-jerking classic, "He Stopped Loving Her Today," launching another musically successful run that included #1 hits "Still Doin' Time" and "I Always Get Lucky with You."

After finally detoxing in 1983 following his fourth marriage, he continued to hit the country charts with songs like "The Right Left Hand" and "I'm a One Woman Man" until the hat acts of "new country" bumped him off the radio playlists for good. Through the `90s he was more elder statesman that hitmaker, but at the end of the decade he briefly reappeared on the air with "Choices," a song given added poignancy by a drunken car crash during its recording sessions.

George Jones epitomized the sound of country music before the rough edges were sanded off by big money and big corporations. His music came straight from the heart, full of soul, twangy, often clich?d, but always real.

Originally published in Port Folio Weekly, 4/18/06.
copyright 2006 Port Folio Weekly. Used by Permission.

A Good Start ... .......2006-05-09

This two disc set of 40 songs on the Epic / Legacy Label is an excellent introduction to the career of George Jones. Of course, when you've charted over 160 singles over the course of 50 years, any 40 song set can only scratch at the totality of his career. While I can think of additional songs that I'd like to add to this collection, I can't think of any that are on the set that I'd be willing to delete.

Since this set comes to us from Epic,it naturally focuses most heavily on George's 20 years or so with the label. It does, however, delve into the early catalog of Starday and Mercury recordings, including three songs ("No Money In This Deal", "I'm Ragged But I'm Right" and "Why Baby Why") that date back to the earliest sessions in 1955.

Disc One includes such classics from the Mercury and United Artists years as "White Lightning", "Tender Years","A Girl I Used To Know", "You're Still On My Mind", The Race Is On", "She Thinks I Still Care" and "Window Up Above" plus duets with Melba Montgomery ("We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds") and Tammy Wynette ("Take Me"). The Musicor years are conspicuously missing,probably due to licensing difficulties. The last three songs on Disc One are from the Epic years as are 19 of the 20 songs on Disc Two.

Disc Two can be best described as the best of the Epic years with such classics as "The Grand Tour", "The Door", "Still Doin' Time", "I Always Get Lucky With You", "He Stopped Loving Her Today" and "If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)". The post-Epic period is represented only by the Billy Yates-penned classic "Choices", but the end of George Jones as a hit singles artist essentially coincided with his departure from Epic.

Sound quality is excellent

My suspicion is that any listener buying this set as their first George Jones collection, will be pursuing many more George Jones recordings. If so, this is a good place to start the journey

Average customer rating:

A Welcome Surprise
I Want a Mullet Mom!!!!
Billy Ray strikes again!!
Excellent CD! Great Music From Billy Ray Cyrus
Be Someone Else's Joe

Wanna Be Your Joe
Billy Ray Cyrus
Manufacturer: New Door Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000FOQ1F4
Release Date: 2006-07-18

Tracks:

Wanna Be Your Joe
I Want My Mullet Back
The Man (Tribute To Dale Earnhardt)
I Wouldn't Be Me
What About Us
Country Music Has The Blues (featuring George Jones, Loretta Lynn)
The Freebird Fell
I Wonder
Lonely Wins
How've Ya Been
Ole What's Her Name
Hey Daddy
Stand (featuring Miley Cyrus)
Bonus Track: A Pain In The Gas

Amazon.com

No matter how you feel about the pride of Flatwoods, Kentucky, you've got to give him credit for sheer grit. An embarrassment to Nashville after his Chippendalesish (and hugely popular) line-dancing anthem "Achy Breaky Heart" (1992), the mullet-wearing Billy Ray Cyrus went on to make credible music (1993's mostly ignored It Won't Be the Last) before segueing into acting (Doc, Hannah Montana). Yet on Wanna Be Your Joe, an album he largely wrote or co-wrote, Cyrus doesn't do himself many favors. The quality of writing never reaches the upper tiers, and several of the songs come across as rough demos instead of fully produced cuts. His slim baritone, once gravelly and testosterone-pumped, is dry as a stump, and the hunger and passion that drove his earlier recordings also seems to slumber, whether he's paying tribute to his heroes (Dale Earnhardt, Ronnie Van Zant) or pondering lost loves. Cyrus shows his sense of humor in referencing his former hairstyle ("I Want My Mullet Back," a rootsy rock excursion), and hits all the working-class touchstones (the loving husband/father of the promising title cut, the blue-collar protest of exorbitant fuel costs of "A Pain in the Gas"). But the album never really catches fire until he brings on the guests: George Jones and Loretta Lynn for the down-home "Country Music Has the Blues" and daughter Miley for "Stand." Just as in the plots of his TV series, on Wanna Be Your Joe, friends and family save the day. --Alanna Nash

Album Description

Everyone knows the name of the colossal single from Billy Ray Cyrus' record-breaking 1992 album "Some Gave All" - the infamous "Achy Breaky Heart" (which also inspired a line dance craze). And since then, Billy Ray has enjoyed great success as not only as a country music star but as a successful songwriter and actor.

In Billy's two decades long career he has achieved: • 3 #1 singles and 6 Top 10 singles in addition to the platinum and gold albums • 2 AMA awards, 1 CMA award • 6 TNN/Music City News awards • 2 MovieGuide Awards (for "Doc") • He STILL holds the record for 17 weeks at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart for "Some Gave All" (the longest time this was held by a debut artist). • Has been recognized by the Kennedy Center Honors • Received the Bob Hope Congressional Medal of Honor Society Entertainer's Award • Country Radio Broadcaster's Artist Humanitarian Award • Been inducted into the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Hall of Fame

As an artist, Billy Ray Cyrus continues to create music that is close to his heart… music that rocks, can touch one's emotions, songs that are reverent and some even satirical, and all styles are evident on his CD debut release on New Door Records, "Wanna Be Your Joe."

Customer Reviews:

A Welcome Surprise.......2007-01-22

I personally never liked "Achy Breaky Heart" and because of that never listened to Billy Ray Cyrus. With that being said, Last June I and my Family attended the CMA in Nasville, TN and got to see and hear Billy Ray Cyrus live and I got to tell you he was great. Ed King from Lynyrd Skynyrd was on lead guitar and it just made it better. My kids watch Hanna Montana on T.V. and went crazy when Billy Ray took the stage, I never picked up that he was on the show!
The above CD is filled with great songs that are performed well. A welcome surprise.
I gave it a chance and Im glad I did!!!

I Want a Mullet Mom!!!!.......2007-01-07

Well, long story short, I've been a fan of Billy Ray for years, and through the Disney channel, I learned that he was at it again with "Wanna Be Your Joe." As soon as I found out, I purchased the album, and have not regretted it yet! One of the more well rounded albums, it has plenty of ballads, and plenty of rock. Overall my 3 personal favorites are "I Want My Mullet Back," "Country Music Has the Blues" with George Jones and Loretta Lynn, and "Stand" which features his daughter Miley. If you're a fan of good music, then you need to get this album! He sounds as good as he did way back when his heart was achy and breaky!

Billy Ray strikes again!!.......2006-11-03

A very kind albun with lovely ballads and powerful rocks songs. One of the best plays in her career... the special guests make it a really amazing play with such different style touch. Take it!!!

Excellent CD! Great Music From Billy Ray Cyrus.......2006-09-10

I was recently introduced to the music of Billy Ray Cyrus when a friend suggested I would like his CD "The Other Side". Like most of us who have hit middle age I remember when "Achy Breaky Heart" was a huge hit but I hadn't heard much Billy Ray music since then. I enjoyed "The Other Side" very much and because of that I decided to buy "Wanna Be Your Joe" and am very glad I did.

After listening to "Wanna Be Your Joe" a few times I have permanently joined the ranks of Billy Ray Cyrus fans. The CD has a great mix of songs and defiantly has something for everyone. If you like traditional Country you will find it in "Country Music Has The Blues". If you like Rock you will find it in "I Want My Mullet Back" which is a song that looks back on simpler times.

My other favorite songs on the CD are "Wanna Be Your Joe", "Hey Daddy", and the moving "Stand" where Billy Ray urges us all to stand up for what we believe in.

Simply put, you don't have to be a fan of Country music to enjoy this CD. If you are looking for good, well done, sincere music pick up a copy of "Wanna Be Your Joe". It's a wonderful effort from Billy Ray Cyrus.

Be Someone Else's Joe.......2006-09-09

So, Billy Ray Cyrus wants to be your `Joe.' Yes, that Billy Ray Cyrus, the "Achy-Breaky Heart" guy. Quite honestly, it's tough to forgive him for that incredibly stupid song, but somebody bought all those records, and that is why Billy Ray is still with us. The good news is that there is nothing here as blatantly sophomoric as that novelty line-dance favorite. The bad news is that there isn't much to cause me to rethink my basic impression. "Wanna Be Your Joe" is a likeable enough ballad about an everyday guy who aspires to true love, and it works in its own simple way, but certainly not enough to impress or inspire new fans. From there, though, things get predictable, both musically and thematically. Goofy novelty numbers make it nearly impossible to take this album seriously, and the titles say it all; "I Want My Mullet Back," "Ole What's Her Name" and "A Pain in the Gas" are even less original than their titles may suggest. "I Couldn't Be Me" is so blatantly a re-write of "Help Me Make It Through the Night" that I'd expect a lawsuit from Kris Kristofferson. Incredibly, not even George Jones and Tammy Wynette can add gravitas to the whiny, misinformed "Country Music Has the Blues." Doesn't Billy Ray recognize the irony of him singing about how country music has changed for the worse? Billy, you are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
For bad measure, the balance of the album is dedicated to good-ol'-boy posturing and `new country' schlock. Worst of all are two morbid shout-outs to dead legends, including the sentimental swill of "The Man" (dedicated to NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt) and "The Freebird Fell," a tasteless tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd. On the not-so-bad side is "How've Ya Been," a steel-guitar ballad (that remarkably suggests George Harrison) concerning regret, and "Hey Daddy" which pretty much covers the same ground. Other than that, there's not much left to sink in. I've given "Wanna Be Your Joe" three listens, and that's enough. Actually, it was too much; any more would hurt my achy-breaky brain. C Tom Ryan

Average customer rating:

The Possum
Great
This album is AWESOME!
Not Playing Possum Here
Smooth as Kentucky Bourbon

Hits I Missed...And One I Didn't
George Jones
Manufacturer: Bandit Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music
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Those Were the Days

ASIN: B000A8AXEA
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Funny How Time Slips Away
Detroit City
The Blues Man
Here In The Real World
If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong
Today I Started Loving You Again
On The Other Hand
Pass Me By
Skip A Rope
Too Cold At Home
Busted
He Stopped Loving Her Today

Amazon.com

It's an interesting concept: George Jones, still the gold standard for country singers after nearly half a century, finally recording material submitted to and rejected by him from the '60s through the '90s--songs that would go on to become hits for others. Superbly produced by Keith Stegall, Jones masterfully tackles Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away"; Randy Travis's "On the Other Hand"; "Detroit City," the Mel Tillis composition that became Bobby Bare's signature tune; and Merle Haggard's "Today I Started Loving You Again." A new version of Hank Williams Jr.'s "The Blues Man" with a cameo from Dolly Parton is reflective and thoughtful. Jones does equally well with "Too Cold at Home," the introductory hit for his friend Mark Chesnutt. While the remake of his own 1981 landmark hit "He Stopped Loving Her Today" is austere and dignified, the biggest surprises are finding Jones had first crack at Henson Cargill's socially relevant 1968 ballad "Skip a Rope" and "Pass Me By," Johnny Rodriguez's 1972 debut hit. Jones's brief notes on each tune provide some interesting hindsight perspectives. --Rich Kienzle

Customer Reviews:

The Possum.......2006-07-31

Its Good To Hear Him Sing Other Peoples Songs But Theres Only
1 Good Song On This One.

Great.......2006-06-27

This album is another classic from the greatest country music singer of all time. All of the songs are ones George had the chance to, but didn't record earlier in his career; except of course for the hit "He Stopped Loving Her Today." It is amazing how a 74 year old can still sing that great. "The Blues Man" featuring Dolly Parton is outstanding, much better then the previous times it was released by Alan Jackson and Hank Williams Jr. Sadly, none of these songs will be played on the radio, because country just isnt country anymore. As everyone knows country music is now about a singers image instead of their talent and voice. George Jones is the greatest regardless how many records he now sells or how many times you hear him on the radio.

This album is AWESOME!.......2006-06-09

I am a big fan and for big fans, this is a must have! Dolly does great with him on Blues Man and I loved hearing Busted, Here in the Real World and On the Other Hand. The song If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong was a real treat and left me breathless. Also, He Stopped Loving Her is a great re-record - a little more heartbreaking than the first time around, if you can believe that! GREAT JOB, GEORGE! Love it!

Not Playing Possum Here.......2006-05-20

Even though there is some halting in his voice's range, this is a great set by a true master. The production is spot on, the pickers are on the money and the tunes are a treasure chest of Nashville gold. I'd like to see more sets like this. Maybe tunes George always wanted to record, but didn't for whatever reason.

Smooth as Kentucky Bourbon.......2006-05-11

George Jones is most well known for his biggest hit, HE STOPPED LOVING HER TODAY. Sure enough, that one is included on this album and I assume that it is the hit "he didn't miss" from the title. If you didn't already have that song, it would make the album worth the price by itself. Fortunately, though, the other material also makes it worth it.

In addition to his big hit, he sings on this album a number of songs that were made hits by others. All of them are ones that he first rejected and were made hits by other artists.

None of the other songs quite tugs at the emotions the way the "big hit" does but they are all worth listening to. His voice has a bit of a twang to it but he uses it well as opposed to some who try to overcome it. He uses it with artistry in the same way that master distiller makes bourbon: it can be harsh but, artfully done, it can be very smooth indeed.

The Ultimate Gilbert & Sullivan Collection

Average customer rating:

Well worth the price
Not Exactly "The Ultimate" Collection...
Where's the chicks?!?!
Not quite the ultimate....
Great Music - Questionable Selection

The Ultimate Gilbert & Sullivan Collection
Arthur Sullivan , Isidore Godfrey , Royston Nash , New Symphony Orchestra of London , Royal Philharmonic Orchestra , Colin Wright , Donald Adams , George Cook , Gillian Knight , Jean Hindmarsh , Jeffrey Skitch , John Ayldon , John Reed , Joyce Wright , Kenneth Sandford , Lyndsie Holland , Owen Brannigan , Pauline Wales , Peggy Ann Jones , Thomas Round , Valerie Masterson , and D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan

ASIN: B000007OU0
Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

H.M.S. Pinafore: We Shall Sail The Ocean Blue
H.M.S. Pinafore: I'm Called Little Buttercup
H.M.S. Pinafore: My Galant Crew, Good Morning
H.M.S. Pinafore: I'm The Monarch Of The Sea
H.M.S. Pinafore: When I Was A Lad
H.M.S. Pinafore: Nevermind The Why And Wherefore
H.M.S. Pinafore: Kind Captain, I've Important Information
H.M.S. Pinafore: Carefully On Tip - Toe Stealing
H.M.S. Pinafore: For He Is An Englishman
The Pirates Of Penzance: I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major - General
The Pirates Of Penzance: When A Felon's Not Engaged In His Employment
The Pirates Of Penzance: With Cat Like Tread
The Sorcerer: My Name Is John Wellinton Wells
The Gondoliers: Take A Pair Of Sparkling Eyes
Patience: If You're Anxious To Shine
The Mikado: If You Want To Know Who We Are
The Mikado: A Wand'ring Minstrel I
The Mikado: Behold The Lord High Executioner
The Mikado: As Someday It May Happen
The Mikado: Three Little Maids From School Are We
The Mikado: The Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze
The Mikado: Here's A How - De - Do!
The Mikado: From Ev'ry Kind Of Man Obedience I Expect
The Mikado: A More Humane Mikado Never Did In Japan Exist
The Mikado: The Criminal Cried As He Dropp'd Him Down
The Mikado: The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring, Tra La
The Mikado: On A Tree By A River A Little Tom Tit
The Mikado: There Is Beauty In The Bellow Of The Blast
The Mikado: For He's Gone And Married Yum-Yum

Customer Reviews:

Well worth the price.......2006-04-13

I love this CD. No, despite its name it is not the "ultimate" collection, as scarcely could be expected from a single CD. It is heavy on Mikado, as others have stated. It leaves out things I would have included and includes things I would have left out. But the performances are wonderful, traditional and all you expect from G&S. Considering the low price, it is well worth including in your G&S collection ... as PART of your collection. After the disappointment of the godawful Opera World video series (Don't buy it!) this CD is a joy and a relief.

Not Exactly "The Ultimate" Collection..........2004-12-23

It seems that a collection of Gilbert & Sullivan music that has the name "The Ultimate Collection" in its title would boast a wide range of music, but I found the selection disappointing. Half of the tracks are songs from The Mikado, and the other half is divided between five... yes, FIVE other operettas. This means that the representation from each operetta is awfully scant. I would have liked to see less Mikado and more of everything else, and perhaps some highlights from the more obscure operettas (Princess Ida and The Sorcerer, namely).

In addition, while most of the music is very well performed, some of the vocalists either go a bit overboard or, at the very opposite end, seem to lack expression. For example, this Nanki-Poo (in The Mikado) seems to be overly occupied with vibrato. Katisha's voice is annoying, and The Mikado's low voice often seems to lack feeling and humor. The other idiosyncracies, like the very frightening evil laughing during "A More Humane Mikado" and hissing during "Three Little Maids" really bug me.

Then again, I'm new to Gilbert and Sullivan, and was introduced to the music through the Topsy Turvy soundtrack, which has a noticeably less operatic style, and hardly includes "stage noise"... so perhaps all this is the norm. Do listen to the tracks for yourself, though, before you purchase the CD. Personally, I find that the Topsy Turvy soundtrack, while considerably less ecompassing, is much lighthearted and easier listening.

Where's the chicks?!?!.......2003-05-15

It wouldn't be G&S if not for the ladies - so where are they? How could they leave out Mabel's aria - or Josephine's!? The only female aria included on this disc comes from Mikado, which is the least exciting (if G&S could be un-exciting) of the three! Everything else on the recording is great, but I am still quite disappointed.

Not quite the ultimate...........2002-03-25

This is a great collection, but unfortunately it doesn't have songs from all the works of G&S. Most notably, there is nothing from the "Yeoman of the Guard". I still reccommed it however as John Reed is wonderful!!

Great Music - Questionable Selection.......2002-02-05

It's an ongoing challenge to find a recording of Gilbert and Sullivan that combines premium musicality and great theatrical performance. This recording is a true gem on both fronts. My only complaint is that for a "Best of" collection, this compilation is Mikado-heavy and scarcely touches on highlights from other masterpieces, particularly The Pirates of Penzance. This would be my favorite G&S CD of all time, of only it included tracks like "When the Foeman Bares his Steel," "Poor Wand'ring One," and "Dry the Glist'ning Tear," but then again, I guess there's no real consensus as to which are Gilbert and Sullivan's best works, and there are too many to fit on one CD.

Music Album:

Music Album