The Grand Tour
George Jones
1974
Album Summary
The Grand Tour is an album by the American country music artist George Jones, released in 1974 as his fifth album for Epic Records. It peaked at #11 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and contained the hit title track, which reached a peak of #1 in August 1974.
Wikipedia1974 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 has a cool voice and a lot of great tunes here. The title track is the stuff you think of when you think of classic country. Very clean production and overall a joy to listen to.
Nice nostalgic memories of this guy playing from my Nan’s kitchen radio. Overall a pretty alright album.
Never heard of this one, which is nice. Country! The grand tour; absolute standard country. I quite like it, but maybe will get bored. Darlin' - slow, lovely weepy guitars. pass me by: again, lovely guitar sound. she'll love the one she's with: slow but pretty. once you've had the best weatherman: borrowed angel: quite like this, but still very trad. she told me so: sad chords mary don't go 'round: who will I be loving now: too slow our private live: has a 'cartoon' feel to it. I liked it more than i'd like to admit!
I don't like modern country, but I do like the older country. This album is pretty great!
OMG so much heartbreak! I can’t believe these 11 women all left the same guy. I like this type of pure country, with the signature slide guitar, his aching voice and the hurtin’ lyrics. I was having a rough afternoon, driving around downtown (at a walking pace) trying to pick-up food donations, but it was hard to be in a bad mood with lyrics like “As you leave you'll see the nursery, Oh she left me without mercy, Taking nothing but our baby and my heart.”
Liked this album a lot. Again, don't listen to much country but this had nice melodies and lyrics.
I just came off reviewing a 2 hour long Smashing Pumpkins album, so this album was a delight. It's crisp, concise and flawlessly rendered. The album has everything you want in a George Jones album, that affecting vocal, the gorgeous guitars, the lyrics that are a total mood. It's a pretty perfect country album. Fave Songs: The Grand Tour, Borrowed Angel, Darlin', Who Will I Be Loving Now, Once You've Had the Best, Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through)
This is a great country album. It’s simple approach to each song, short run time, great production, vocals and harmonies, and easy to participate in lyrics.
Countrypolitan rules! If the record has a flaw, it’s the lack of rough edges – it’s almost too perfect. In fact, it’s as slick, shiny and all-in-place as the man's epic hair. Ingeniously conceived and perfectly executed. There are gorgeous keyboard and pedal steel flourishes all over the place. The unifying concept would be good loving gone bad or fear thereof. The even-toned, occasionally deadpanning crooning is steadily consistent – no matter how cheekily humorous, crushingly sad, shockingly earnest or blindingly self-delusional the line. One wonders how often he smiled (or winked) when performing these gems. About as good (and polished) as country can be. “Borrowed Angel” and “She Told Me So “are the highlights (for the irony, probably) but no real duds (save maybe for the closing cut). 4.4 for 4 (I wasn’t kidding about being too perfect and it also seems maybe more like a series of songs than an album.)
The Grand Tour is essentially a collection of songs about infidelity and relationship troubles (mostly infidelity), but Jones's attitude is frequently forgiving, unconditionally loving, and optimistic. At worst, he is willing to accept that people are the way they are and there is no point in fretting about it. Even on the album's final track "Our Private Life" where George lightly chastises the public about their obsession with celebrity gossip, he refrains that he doesn't mind giving up his private life because he came to play for them. He only asks that they remember he is only human when he comes up in the tabloids. I love the old-school rural way of thinking, where sometimes we just accept things. I used to see it in my grandparents. Everybody's got their troubles, often significant, and sometimes you just have to love them anyway.
Toujours bon un bon country, ca sonne et secoute tres bien, autant que tout autre country. 4.5
4.3 - One of the strongest examples I've heard to date of good storytelling in country music. Another proof point that dismissing the genre as a whole is completely ignorant. Just listen to the the way the narrative unfolds on "The Grand Tour", revealing the detail that his wife left him and took with her their baby, is utterly devastating. Similarly, "She Told Me So" takes an unexpected twist when the singer is describing a lover who worships him but soon it becomes clear that actually he's under her spell.
Grand Tour is in my top 5 favorite country songs of all time. The rest of the album was good, but not much else on here.
This is pretty much a perfect classic country album. Just simple songs sung by an iconic country voice. A sound that I would not have tolerated in my younger years, but yet it feels homey as I listen now…
If you had asked me as a kid in the '70s why I didn't like country music, this would have been Exhibit A. Twang twang twang. This is Bob's Country Bunker kind of stuff. However, various people in my life and the aging process over the past forty years have had me come around to a new appreciation. I find it interesting that just a few days ago I was listening to Frank Sinatra sing in 1955 and I thought, "I think this is what traditionally masculine emotional vulnerability must sound like." I had the same thought with George Jones today. This is clearly classic country at its roots. Lovely.
A solid set of pretty well-worn country ballads, and some more uptempo numbers as well. The last song ("Private Lives"), I more enjoyed for the unorthodox subject matter, don't think I've heard a "gossip column" teardown song before. Favorite tracks: "Borrowed Angel", "Mary Don't Go Round", "The Grand Tour"
I appreciate and often enjoy the super-authentic old country sound, though at album length the slow pace and maudlin texture start to wear thin for me. This is top of the game though.
I dont think ill come back to it, but it was better than I expected, considering im not a fan of country.
I’ve got a soft spot for good Country. Standout Tracks: The Grand Tour, Pass Me By (If You’re Only Passing Through), Our Private Life
Früher war Country für mich sehr unattraktiv. Bei ihm werde ich daran erinnert warum. Melancholisches Gejammer über Liebe, Verlust und ähnliches. Gekoppelt mit beinahe fröhlichem Gedudel. Eine merkwürdige Mischung! Nichtsdestotrotz stört es mich weniger. Wohl ein Zeichen für mein Alter...
I used to say I didn't like country music because of people like Florida Georgia Line, but listening to people like George Jones has changed that. I enjoyed this, not my favorite, but it made me appreciate the genre a lot more. It's soft and delicate, with themes of love and religion. Favorite song The Grand Tour, 5/8.
Not a country fan in the slightest, however this album wasn't that bad. I have nothing to compare it to though. I will put 3 stars however it's more like 2.5 stars.
Well, muggy cool dark weather this morning suited listening to the velvety rich slower songs best. Kinda made me want to morning drink scotch. Faster songs like the Weatherman I didn’t like. Yikes some of the lyrics - she’s def cheating on you wake up!
Meh. Hard to really be objective here. I can deal with country sometimes. Not really today.
As I said in slack, this is exactly that kind of slide-guitary “my-woman-left-me-and-my-dog-died” mournful country balladeer the stereotypes come from! I had to relisten to it today to pick a fave track, as non of them stood out to me first time around. I think I'll go for the title track, "The Grand Tour", as that seems the most sad sack....
I think I like a good bit of country and I know George Jones is one of those mythical country heroes, so I figured I'd like this album. But somehow, it just didn't draw me in. It's got some solid guitar work and some groovy rhythm, but on the whole, I just don't see the appeal.
A short, easy to listen to album from a genre that has grown on me the last few years.
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would...but won’t be in a mad hurry to listen again. Unless I go on a road trip across America.
I had to eat my original opinion on the album! Didn’t love the first song and then during a second listen later in the day felt differently about the it. Reminded me of my Grandpa.
Um álbum muito melódico, mas relativamente semelhante e longe de algo goste. Nota:5/10
Classic country that clearly influenced the larger genre as a whole. The album itself flows by and helps bring Jones into discussion with other contemporaries for a style of country long forgotten.
A nice, comfy country album, but it didn't strike my particular taste in country. Still really solid, though!
The stereotype of country used to be sad songs about your girl leaving you, rather than songs about beer and trucks. Here’s some of that original flavour. Some of these songs are good, some are meh. That’s all I can say. Favourite track: “Mary Don’t Go ‘Round”
As far as country goes, this is quality. As far as music, it just ain’t got it for me.
George, maybe if you’d fetched your own damn paper, maybe your old lady wouldn’t have left you! Decent country album and whilst I’ll never love the genre, Jones’ voice is pleasant and the tracks were a fun listen.
Ole' no show Jones. Dude's good. He got that name because people actually wanted to see him before. He showed up and phoned it in from time to time. But yeah, overall. it's a decent piece of my country music. Not my favorite but it's good.
Dit past precies bij m'n huidige stemming. Ik heb behoefte aan vriendelijke, rustige muziek :)
Some songs were really good, like the rocking chair one, but otherwise it was kind of dull
George had been releasing multiple albums a year throughout the 60s and 70s but seems to have stumbled onto something good with The Grand Tour. It's an album of heartbreak, like a country album that's got the blues. I wasn't at all expecting to enjoy this (just my genre preferences) but the earthy sincerity hit right. Sometimes you just gotta let her go.
I love getting country albums on here, even if they're unremarkable like this one. Never heard of George Jones, but he sounds familiar. That's because this era of country music all sounded familiar. Like Buck Owens we had before, this one's emo. I like how blatantly mopey and confessional this style of music is. Songs like "Borrowed Angel" are especially human and dark, this guy's accepting the fact that his lover is married. Weird, wild stuff. Again, nothing really special about this one, but it's a solid essence of country music at the time, and I dug a few tracks. Favorite tracks: Borrowed Angel, Pass Me By, Our Private Life, The Weatherman. Album art: Just like the music, unremarkable. This picture/tracklist combo makes up for at least 40% of all vinyl records for sale at Goodwill. 3.5/5
Country has a whole different concept when it comes to sad songs and depressing subject matter. This guy is more emo than any of those black eye shadow dudes and actually has the depressing life story to back it up. Music is straightforward with little variation, so it's mostly about that twangy country voice thing.
Очень типичный кантри-альбом. Отторжения не вызвал. Фоном даже хорошо. Весь альбом звучит как одна длинная песня. Как знакомство с жанром - самое то. Нахождение в рейтинге - логично. Кто-то и правда для себя может открыть целый жанр. Может даже любимый.
Decent country album with great runtime that doesn't stand out from the crowd of similar albums
This is about as classic Country as it gets. Nice flow to it; good for letting it play in the background. Not especially my kind of music, but nice enough for a solid 3/5.
J'ai passé de très douloureuses dernières 18h. En effet, hier soir, au moment de faire ma vaisselle comme chaque soir, le niveau d'eau de mon évier restait figé. La conclusion était évidente: mon évier était bouché. Après de multiples tentatives d'usage de différents produits chimiques et autres recettes de grand-mère, je me rendis dans mon magasin de bricolage pour y récupérer une ventouse très puissante. Une fois rentré, j'appliquais la ventouse sur l'entrée d'eau de l'évier, et pressait à de nombreuses reprises, non sans avoir bouché l'autre entrée d'eau avec un chiffon au préalable. Après une vingtaine de coups, je sentis quelque chose heurter ma ventouse. Je soulevais alors cette dernière à l'aide du manche, et découvrit alors un petit bout de Frank Zappa, qui était probablement bloqué dans la tuyauterie et empéchaît l'écoulement correct de mon eau. Cette mauvaise expérience derrière moi, et j'ai pu replacer le petit bout de Frank Zappa dans ma poubelle.
Avant d'arborer ses iconiques rouflaquettes, George Jones était plus ou moins une énorme victime à la coupe au brosse et au sourire de premier de la classe. Tout bascule en 1970 lorsque des amis à lui insistent pour qu'il fume une cigarette. Jones y prend goût et devient tout simplement intenable. Très vite, il se met à répondre à ses parents, fuguer la nuit, et, cerise sur le gâteau, à fumer des chichas dans le square de son quartier. L'album The Grand Tour raconte en partie comment il a pris la décision de se laisser pousser les cheveux.
when you hear the stuff you know why George was called “The Frank Sinatra of Country”. It’s OK, this “Nashville Sound” stuff from the 70s is so schmaltzy, so slick and so over produced. George has a great voice and sings with a ton of emotion but I’m more of an outlaw country kind of guy.
I found it to be a bit sad, with the themes etc. but clearly a very good country album. Not something I really enjoy listening to though. First track, ‘the grand tour’ is the standout.
album mi ovako paše u pozadini, pogotovo u toplijem razdoblju. baš sam išo provjerit, lik ima 87 studijskih albuma, e to ko sve presluša je bolestan.
I liked this. It’s old school country, George Jones has such a smooth calming voice. Would have liked more pick me ups in the music as most of the album is pretty slow moving. Don’t listen if you don’t like country, you will hate it.
A decent country album but I may not be old, nor divorced enough times to truly appreciate it.
So this album solidifies that when I've said in the past "I don't like country", what I MEAN is "I don't like current bro-country". Older country has a lot more genuine emotion behind it and can also be very tongue-in-cheek as well.
I liked a couple of songs, more than I thought i would but country still isn't my thing.
A bit better than i expected. Everything he is straightforward old country twangy with some good variety with up tempo pieces like weatherman as well as some more ballad types. Grand Tour itself is really good. Has some misogynstic tones that make it a little less pleasant.
There are a lot of earwigs here. Released way back when... it does carry some themes that have changed with the times. If he changes them and re-releases, I'll give it a 5.
Another fine classic country album, short, melodic, good vocals. The last track was a pretty solid skewering of how fans treat famous people.
George Jones is one of my favorites from his generation, but this album is disjointed and weird. He's one of the ones that put out a ton of albums, and only a few of them are winners front to back. I recommend I Am What I Am if you like his voice but didn't necessarily love this album. Best track: Borrowed Angel
Very old school country and western. Songs about heartbreak and plenty of pedal steel… not bad!
Pretty good old western country, I'm actually very into this type of old country in small doses. a 3.5
Somewhat impressed. I don't like country. But after listening to Sinatra's sad songs I realized George Jones is just doing the same thing, country style. If I'm indifferent but not dissatisfied with Sinatra then I can't be any different with Jones just because he drawls when Sinatra croons. I'm only impressed because I found myself able to put Jones on the same plane as Sinatra for putting together an album full of emotion-tugging sad songs (even if country). Simple plucking and country sound with simple lyrics and a soft voice. Didn't love it but you can't hate it either.
I think this is the first country album I've gotten, let's see how it goes. maybe older country is better than new country. better than I expected and I can respect it. Last song is a little too much for me but.
Cover isn't exactly keeping any secrets is it? I'm guessing oldies country just like they still play on AM radio. Yeah, nailed it. Not awful (and first track is fantastic) but hard to really judge. Most of it is a bit soppy. Catchy, but soppy. Bums me out to see it's 99% covers, too. A good length at 28min though. 3/5.
Great bu still generic country folk album. Pretty sure there's more than a 1000 albums better than this one.
George Jones is often cited as perhaps the greatest country singer of all time-though you may not know it if your first exposure to him is this album. His performance is solid, but apart from the first and last songs, none of these tracks have the staying power of classics like “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”
Buena voz para un estilo country de las primeras épocas. Para grandes fans de este tipo de música
Always thought George Jones was a bit overrated and this didn't change my mind I'm afraid. Really short album though at just 28 minutes for 11 songs.
Was intrigued after I saw Tales From The Tour Bus episodes about George Jones and Tammy Wynette. It opens with probably the best song on the album "The Grand Tour". Can feel some emotional depth behind the album; unfortunately I'm so predisposed to hate twangy country, it's hard to give it much time or think I'd relisten to it that often.
Not my thing but listened all the way through / bumped the rating because 1. Only 28 mins and 2. Gma K loved this guy - nostalgia value gets 1 extra ⭐
The Possum belts out some pure home distilled country. BT: The Grand Tour, Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through), Once You've Had the Best
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: The Grand Tour, Darlin', The Weatherman Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Saw someone call this the country "In The Wee Small Hours". I don't even especially like that album but let's pump the breaks. There are some good songs on here though.
Only really a fan of the title track - everything else was just pretty boring. It's gonna take a bit more for me to enjoy country music Liked: The Grand Tour
Good for comedy value. Cliched country, all male voices sound the same, it could be Garth Brooks or Waylon Jennings, I can't tell them apart, not unpleasant but just jaded. Modern (especially female, eg Moll Tuttle) country is way better these days.
I'm sure this is a seminal country album. And there's no denying his beautiful voice and story telling talents....but it's just not a genre that I enjoy listening to. 2.5 stars
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.
It's always the saddest, loneliest men who may or may not have been rejected that make the best country music. I'm not saying George Jones is the best, I'm just saying I can tell he is very sad and every song is about him losing a girl. I almost passed on this album because I thought the title indicated that it was a live one but thankfully it wasn't. Wasn't a huge fan.
A bit boring. I am not a country fan, but there are some great country albums. This is not one of them.
Every song on here sounds like one that is playing in a nearly empty saloon when a stranger arrives in town looking for someone, when one of the regulars instantly challenges the stranger, who through little effort subdues this challenger before asking once again if anyone knows the person he's looking for. Anyway, not my cup of tea.
Puoliväliin kuunnellessa tietää jo mitä antaa. Tätä kantrishaibaahan tääkin on, en osaa arvostaa
Yksi biisi kerrallaan saattais olla ihan kuunneltavaa, mutta levyllinen putkeen oli ärhäkkä yliannostus. Aika paskaa.
album wasn't unpleasant, it was very boring, it's not like I'm country hater or something like that, this was just really unremarkable. 2-
Boy oh boy. The song “the Grand Tour” is fucking epic. Brilliant. The rest of the album is kind of “meh” not bad, some songs even pleasant but if I’m rating the album and not a fantastic song that is on it I’m going to have to call it a 2. Just not my thing. The one song almost bumped it to a 3 but it’s just not there all in all.