The Grand Tour

1974 was a hell of a year for George Jones creatively, with one of his finest Epic records, The Grand Tour, being issued that year. Jones' partnership with producer Billy Sherrill saw some of its finest fruit here. The Grand Tour was a watershed for Jones, boasting the title track as one of the most devastating country singles ever issued that came so close to crossing over it was being played on some adult pop stations along with Sinatra, Bennett, Dionne Warwick, and Herb Alpert. Ironically, one of the co-authors of the tune was none other than Jones' about-to-be-ex-wife Tammy Wynette's future husband George Richey. If ever there were a song that cut too close to home for the singer it was this one. Sherrill worked his most creative magic over it, with a string section that only revealed the size of itself when he wasn't singing and filled in between the guitars, piano, and pedal steel during the sung lines. Jones poured his heart into every syllable and its chilling quality after almost 30 years attests to this. But this cut was only the beginning. "Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through)" with the Jordanaires is one of those haunting, mid-tempo honky tonk love songs that won't let go after the first chorus has been sung. As ballads go, "She'll Love the One She's With" by Hank Cochran and Grady Martin is one of those jealous country waltzes where obsession and love continually cross each other. Shored up by a small string orchestra and a pedal steel cascading through the vocal lines, it's wrenching and poetic. Johnny Paycheck's classic ballad "Once You've Had the Best" is done poetic and musical justice by Jones and Sherrill; in fact, this version blows away the author's. And in a nod to both Bakersfield and Jones' "Thumper" period, "The Weatherman" is a honky tonk stomper also partially authored by Richey and it sounds as if it were written just for this session; coming in the middle of a host of broken love songs, this is an optimistic, even giddy tune with a Mickey Raphael harmonica solo and a Don Rich sound-alike guitar break in the middle. Ultimately, this is Jones' country, the kind of country music that is pure yet as sophisticated as Sherrill wanted it to be. Chet Atkins and all of his countrypolitan productions never had anything on Sherrill, and with the greatest singer in the music's history as part of the team, combined with a collection of absolutely staggering songs (only I Am What I Am rivals it), this is one of the finest country records of the '70s and perhaps in the top 100 of all time.

This is a comfy album that's great with morning coffee (or an evening drink). Just the right amount of country drawl and simple strumming makes Jones a solid artist for his time. Not much of a country guy here, but if I can enjoy a country album then the name on the front must be pretty damn good.

The Platonic ideal of a 70s country album

You give one country record a good review and 4 albums later, you get another. I see you random album generator. Like most other Country records, the pedal steel on this record is what kept me invested, but it’s well established that I’m not a country fan, so that only takes it so far. Three stars, mostly because I really like the pedal steel as an instrument. Without a doubt, the coolest part of country music. I can not reiterate it enough, the pedal steel is the best and most interesting part of country music. Add that to my list of epitaphs.

Not as fun as the coke-addled stories of his career might've hinted at.

one of the great country voices

Very nice. George Jones’s voice is the epitome of old country crooning and I’m here for it. This album makes me want to be on the road by myself with all the windows down, driving across the desert.

That’s good old country

😫

no, just no

There's something about this album that I find very comforting. Maybe it's the simplicity of the lyrics where it seems that all there is to life is love and heartbreak. (Maybe that is all there is...) Maybe it's the resonance of the deep voice singing back-up that reminds me of my dad singing hymns next to me in church. It just feels restful and good.

If I like this album, am I white trash?

The worst.

I'm developing a soft spot for old-school country. What a voice.

Epitome of a classic Country record. George may be the best voice to ever record Country Music and his arrangements allow his voice to evolve to a godly state. As a full album, this set of songs is overshadowed by The Grand Tour and a couple other solid songs whereas the rest sometimes drop into the background. Stand Outs: The Grand Tour, Once You've Had the Best, Who Will I Be Loving Now

Mislila sam da necu stici poslusat album jer imam 4 ispita idući tjedan ali rekoh ajde za pauzu malo a i nisam zadnjih par poslušala. Kad ono holy shit. Album mi je bio ko topla ruka koja ti izvadi srce i miluje ga na suncu dok ti gledaš i uživaš.

Sad divorced christian cowboy :(

The Grand Tour and Once You've Had The Best WRECKED my heart

So this album made one thing abundantly clear to me: I REALLY HATE STEEL GUITAR. The first couple of tracks are heavy on the slide steel and I was in misery. Then it got to Pass Me By and She'll Love the One She's With and... I didn't hate 'em. In fact, I kinda liked 'em. In fact, about half the album is pretty alright. The other half, however, is like fingernails on a chalkboard. I was fully prepared to give this one star after song one. But the good songs brought the score up. Also, even though it's 11 songs, the album is only 28 minutes long. So, an extra star for brevity.

Sappy old drunk, he sang the same song 11 different ways on this album. It gets old fast. But he does have a nice voice.

I feel like this was old people music even when it came out. One of the lamest, most boring albums I have ever heard.

He was a king of the genre. So much emotion. Nobody could sing a sad song like.

A really sweet album. Was not a fan of country music until I started on this must listen album generator. Wouldn't say i was an actual fan but I have gained a greater appreciation for the genre. The songs are so simple in construction on this album, or that's how it seems. Each song has its own little story which is another thing about country music. Really liked it

The GOAT. Rates 5 stars just on The Grand Tour alone.

Never been a Country music fan, but this is really good. I enjoyed it very much.

Peak 1970s Nashville Country Music. No notes.

I never really listened much to George Jones until I watched the Ken Burns Country Music documentary. He was a pretty amazing guy. And understanding the context of this album around his marriage and career I think is really necessary to completely appreciate it. It’s a sad album but also a great one.

A perfect country album.

I don’t know if Jones is underrated in the greater conversation of country music history, but the man has got to be one of the finest country vocalists of all time. And this album is a wonderful example of what mainstream, fine country music should be. Takes of heartbreak and loneliness, interwoven into a beautiful orchestration that you really feel for. Eat a dick Morgan Wallen.

Będzie 5, idealny album na powolne majowe poranki

Damn fine album! You can’t beat The Possum.

This album wasn’t available on Amazon, so I listened to his Superhits albums Vol. 1 & 2. Powerful lyrics and great delivery. Jones is a country legend for good reason.

All time country great!! I’m sure there will be more of his albums on this list!

I am so happy listening to this !! I'm just hyped to have a country album but also I really like this and think its great and an excellent pick for the list. like this is one of those albums where I listen and I so so get it when people are like oh yeah the modern day trashy pop country is so booty, I mean I don't even think the genres are that comparable at this point, like I enjoy a song about beer/whiskey, mamas, n trucks as much as the next gal, but the lack of beer/whiskey, mamas n trucks is noted and appreciated, anyways 9.5/10

A beautiful, tragic and simple 28-minute journey of pure sublimity. Fully entering my honk tonk era with this one and I’m not even almost sorry.

I am back in the 80s at my Grandparent's house just waking up from my sleep over and having some horribly unhealthy breakfast in a cigarette smoke filled house with this playing on the stereo

Music that tells stories.

Great tear in your beer country.

While this is not Leonard Cohen's Souvenir of the Grand Tour (which sounds like a good time to be had), George Jones' The Grand Tour is a really stellar showcase of what this country crooner had to offer. For this is George in this element; give him a song about a lost love or a soon-to-be lost love and you're bound to hear some of the most heart-wrenching performances you may very well here. Even if things don't change over the course of twenty-eight minutes, it is twenty-eight minutes well spent and a solid glimpse of what one of country's finest legends was all about.

Great

The Possum - Need I say more? The album was absolutely perfect for the day I received it to listen to, so add one star for that!

Really enjoyed this. Maybe because I don't listen to much country music all the songs were enjoyable

Good lyrics can make you think, but really good lyrics can make you feel. It’s remarkable how these lyrics percolate directly into your heart, with no impedance from understanding. Beautiful in its simplicity, beautiful in its execution.

wow. this is an incredible album, where everything just fits perfectly. emotionally it’s exactly what i didn’t know i needed. gonna be listening to this a lot, and for a while

Just fantastic classic country. I've always been a fan of George & his voice. 5 stars.

Great record

George Jones made a legacy out of being down BAD and I think that’s great

Step right up, and meet the best friend a song ever had. The reason names like Elvis and Sinatra and Linda Ronstadt and Aretha Franklin are so iconic is due to their unique ability to take a song and make it all their own. George Jones is on that list, at or near the top in the world of country music. Take the title track alone here. The Ol' Possum didn't write it, but the way he sells it, you can't help but believe he's singing about Tammy Wynette. It's almost like he himself wrote it about her. That song alone puts the album on this list, as it's one of the greatest performances in country music history. No Show Jones was known more for his hit songs than his albums, and he'd be better represented here with a compilation of his best songs over his lengthy, remarkable career. But you can't have a list like this without including George Jones. Anyone unfamiliar with Jones should go on a deep dive. Read all about George and Tammy. Enjoy the stories about Jones riding a lawnmower to a liquor store because his wife hid his car keys. Go watch his fucking memorial service, where anyone and everyone came to perform and pay final respects to one of the genre's greatest voices. Listen to all of his hits, especially He Stopped Loving Her Today. Take the grand tour.

Funky and fun

The King of love and heartache.

Great, almost honky tonk, country

Steel guitar is easy to love, and there's little else consistently accompanying Jones's voice. I usually let context inform my impressions but do my best to hide it from these notes. Not so here: There's something about the opening track, closing track, the marriage. Beyond words, but I read it and then heard it.

I enjoyed all of the songs. They gave a coming of age indie film vibe. Favorite song from the album is Father and Son as Marvel is my whole personality and it's played at Yondu's funeral in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

George Jones is a big part of my dad's musical tastes from ever since I could remember. But I hadn't really gotten into his music like I have artists like Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings, and many others. I don't recall ever hearing this album. Even so I knew going in this would be good. Really good. This is some really great 70s country that seems like it set the standard for what we think of when we think of country. Heartbreak abounds, but it seems to always be respectful. From the sad opening title track to the candid conversation from a star to his fans as the album closes ("Our Private Life"), this is a deeply moving and personal album that happens to also be a fantastic listen. I loved it and expect that George Jones is now a staple of my musical diet.

Gut reaction was what is this slow, boring stuff but I gave it a second listen. This is sort of a concept album isn't it? not sure why the title track was a single or why people liked it. It serves a storytelling purpose but it is not enjoyable to listen to. Still, i'm enjoying learning more about Country.

Never heard before. great album

Ive never heard of this. I loved this. Pure country that just sounds great. Love it.

Did not think this would cook like that judging by the cover. Color me surprised. This is good ass country, the best country album I heard in a minute. First track off rip is great, even the more upbeat songs like Mary Come around are great, but I prefer the more low key tracks, the slower stuff like Grand Tour, Who Will I Be Loving Now and Darlin.

Solid foundational country

Surprisingly good

Another country classic, another 4 stars.

Great songs, beautiful voice. My friend tells me this was Jones’ 50th album? Imagine if Radiohead had 50 albums. There would be 38 of them on this list!

Man, what a depressing first song. Essentially every song is about women and activities surrounding women. The second half is almost entirely about cheating and being cheated on. With that said are the songs short and bitter sweet, which is nice because it makes the entire album go by like a flash. Great country voice and vibe coupled with slightly upsetting lyrics make a pretty great album. Plus the slide guitar go waahhoo. 7/10

George Jones was part of the Nashville country music establishment but his personal life and troubles have him pegged as a good ol outlaw. I was prepared to only give this 3.5 stars because outlaw country is king in my house but his voice is so soothing, like the gold standard of country music.

George Jones’s voice is the epitome of old country crooning and I’m here for it. This album makes me want to be on the road by myself with all the windows down, driving across the desert.

I’m happy to say that this is one of the better country albums that i’ve heard recently. George has a great voice! He really is nice to listen to. Paired with that slide guitar, this album is a good one to just sit back and unwind to. I like the lyrics here as well! This album is actually rather short, just under thirty minutes. This album doesn’t overstay it’s welcome and I really do appreciate that with an album like this. The songs can sound the same and be a bit repetitive at points, but it doesn’t become this massive problem when the album is this short. This album is not perfect, but I enjoyed my time with it. :)

I don't like country in general, but I do think this is a very solid country album. When I think of what country "should" sound like it's something like this. Some really good tracks, just not my genre. 4/5 cuz this is going in my Fallout NV rotation, too.

Liked this more than I expected. There’s a kind of aw shucks veneer to the style that, counterintuitively, both softens and enhances the subtle nastiness in his lyrics and persona. Occasionally, you can hear this coming out in the growl in his voice - and he sounds like a wild animal trying and failing to fit in with the rest of us upstanding citizens. It’s kinda rock and roll.

Funny to hear "There's nothing worse than being famous" songs from 1974, way less funny when you know what was going on in George Jones's life. Still, as with any other short and sweet country LP from this time, some pretty good songs, done really well, and easy to replay.

The best George Jones songs are the ones where he breaks away from that George Jones pattern of singing where "EveRy TIIIIIIIIIME.......... he sinnngs songs liKE THiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissss". Most of those songs are still good too though

I never listened to him before. I like his singing. I like all the nice country ballads but none of the tunes really stuck out to me.

I've listened to this album twice, but still don't have anything to say about it. It's a nice country album, and Jones has a great voice. Both the songs and the lyrics are well done, but country really isn't my genre, and it's been a tough week, and I just don't know what else to say 4/5

Few things like this old country music.

Fucking yes

Wait. Why do I kinda really like this? I wouldn’t normally listen to this and maybe it’s the time of day I’m listening but I genuinely really enjoyed this a lot. I’d put this on. Some of the love songs were so sweet I wish I could relate them to someone.

Some decent old school country, but nothing really got its hooks into me like a few of the previous albums we've had. Liked it, didn't love it.

The countriest country. Makes me think of truck stops and dive bars.

Feelings of nostalgia for things I’ve never actually experienced.

Dang gummit. This is a good ol country record to drink some beers to. Favorites: The Weatherman & Our Private Life.

I liked this album a lot. There’s something about old country that’s comforting and nostalgic, even though I don’t have specific memories associated with it. His voice was soothing, and the music was just really nice to listen to.

This is the kinda album that would perfectly fit every former and upcoming Fallout game. I had a blast.

Another artist for the Land o Lakes label. George's voice is butter. I'm not a huge fan of country. That being written I enjoyed this album immensely.

Easy country

Good but it's not my thing

It’s corny and simple, but man do I enjoy listening to it. There’s a reason slide guitar has come back into fashion.

Amazing how much he can put into 29 minutes. These songs each either tell full stories or capture feelings powerfully distilled into their essences. Some were honestly indistinguishable from each other but maybe if I listened to more classic country I would not feel that way.

Favourite songs: The Grand Tour, The Weatherman, Mary Don't Go Round, Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through), Darlin', Borrowed Angel, She Told Me So, Who Will I Be Loving Now Least favourite songs: She'll Love the One She's With 4/5

Pretty good.

pleasant simple country album. its no john prine or sweetheart of the rodeo but it aint bad. 7/10

Poor guy.

Jones’s emotionally evocative country ballads took this cowboy off guard.

This is just some classic country and I'm always down for that sort of thing.

A nice easy introduction to country music. Some lovely songs and nice instrumentation, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did.

Greatest country singer ever. One of his best songs ever, but not all the hits.

One of my favorite styles of music. That old country western, almost gospel sounding type. The tracks can't start to all sound the same though. But still, this is peaceful to me

At first I didn't think I'd enjoy this, but the old country bluesy rock got me good. Feels like it's perfect for period pieces from mid-20th-century, and good and slow for a lazy afternoon.

first listen. lovely

Just darn tooting good country

The opening track is harrowing. George Jones is a master of phrasing, and drawing out the syllables of a word to evoke a different emotion. The majority of this album follows a similar vein. It is a surprisingly soulful country album, with Jones clearly wearing his heart on his sleeve. To be perfectly honest, country is my least favorite genre, but this album took me. I read Jones’ whole bio, and am compelled to dive into his crazy extensive catalogue to hear other snippets as magical as this.

more old country music from way back when. very sentimental and sad compared to the other stuff i've listened to? wow. this guy has a really good voice, and when you're sad, you listen to sad music. mostly sad love songs. normally i'm not too fond of country but this album was actually alright. that's rare.