The Grand Tour

Inoffensive, but bland country

If I heard a single song from this album on the radio, I'd probably think "hey, that's alright country!" A full album is a bit much, and I grew tired of the same shtick by about the 5th song.

That did not age well it was painful

Crying in your beer country music. I can tolerate the more upbeat songs like The Weatherman and Our Private Life.

Could only listen to a couple of songs. Really do no like this genre.

Grand Tour is a good song. Overall is a very typical country album. It's less than 30 mins so no complaints on length. 2.5/5. Raising to 3.

The Grand Tour 3.4 Darlin' 3.3 Pass Me BY (If You're Only Passing Through) 3.2 She'll Love the One She's With 3.3 Once You've Had the Best 3.3 The Weatherman 3.4 Borrowed Angel 3.1 She Told Me So 3.3 Mary Don't Go 'Round 3.2 Who Will I Be Loving Now 3.4 Our Private Life 3.4 Score: 3.3

Not even reaching the half hour mark, this album passes by without having the chance to wear thin on the listener. You would really have to hate country to struggle to get through this. The songs all follow a similar structure and there isn't much variation in the sound. He clearly wasn't trying to make a Sgt. Pepper's and this is just a collection of old-time country songs with no overarching narrative. Jones has a strong handsome voice and the production is slick. With lyrical themes such as drinking and girls, all the country clichés are here. I usually like my country music to have more grit than the polished sound that you would find on here, but this is clearly well-made. This won't convert anyone who already can't stand the genre, but this made for pleasant listening as I started my weekend.

Pretty nice

Decent album - chill and good harmonies, but nothing sticks out across the songs.

I’ve told you before, unless it’s Johnny Cash, don’t bother me with your country music!

Country-yawn.

Nein, nicht noch mehr Country. Bitte nicht

Someone hurt this man.. what a great album

Soms heb je hier albums waarvan je zegt: Ik had liever geen muziek aan staan dan dit. Bij het genre country heb ik dat zeker ook meegemaakt. Bij dit album is dat net niet het geval: Ik vind dit album luisteren leuker dan geen muziek aan hebben staan. Dat is echt het maximale wat ik er aan compliment uit kan persen. Het is zwaar vergeetbaar en met z'n 28 minuten ook snel voorbij. 3 sterren omdat ik me niet irriteer, zo simpel is het blijkbaar.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

The weatherman is a great tune, other than that, this is pure cliche honky tonk. No bite. No nothing.

Yeah nah.

I'm European

Honestly, this was not really my thing, but historically I can see the value!

Pure and simple gospel based country, best heard through an AM broadcast on an old radio.

He's an honest man but I wanna die

Weighing in at a mere 28 minutes, this album is short and sweet, a classic example of old-school country. I dig Jones' voice, but the album can get a little repetitive. It's all heartbreak and honky-tonks, perfect for a sad drive or coffee, but it doesn't really break the mold. It was alright, but it sounded super cliche to me. The pedal steel and the sad lyrics about divorce make it feel a bit dated. "The Grand Tour" and "Once You've Had The Best" are good, but the rest kinda blend together. It's a cool little piece of country history, but it could have used some more variety.

89. not for me

country..

i mean it’s fine

Many country ballads perfectly nice but nothing exceptional

Classic country. Shared with m and p

Such a lovely voice. What a shame the songs are just typical country pap. 2/5

This must be the ideal sad country album.

Ugh. Two country albums in a row. I hate country but have been pleasantly surprised by the albums I’ve been assigned from the genre. Not this time. This is all the things I don’t like about country: whiny, twangy, no lyrical substance and a steel guitar that sounds like a theremin. No, thank you.

Meh not much of a country guy. This wasn't that bad though.

The lyrics seem well written, but I would rather read them in silence than listen to this.

A safe and unobjectionable country album. I'm not the target audience for this, but it's fine.

Inoffensive country crooning but hard to imagine an occasion when I'll want to put on this album. 'The Weatherman' and 'Our Private Life' were my top tracks.

It's alright, even though the lyrics of country music are up my ally (unrequted love, loss and sadness) I just feel this is played too straight for my liking. I suppose I much prefer Gram Parsons take on country.

What a nice little treat. So nice, I listened twice. Sometimes you need a lil country western love song sesh, and George Jones delivered.

Not a country fan at all, so that's knocking this down a star or so unfortunately. This reminds me of my grandmother since she would listen to music like this. It's a 2 star for me only because I'm not a country fan and dislike slide guitar.. Good quality production though

I am not a fan of Country music. That being said, the early stuff is much easier to listen to than the bro-country that's everywhere today. I do get really weary of the pedal steel guitar, though. I have the utmost respect for anyone who can actually play the damn thing, but the sound grates on me. Regardless, this is a well-crafted album even if the style is one I never reach for. 3 stars

pretty, a bit too country for me

This is old school country w a heart

he he he Hell yeah. Not a big country fan but George Jones was one of the best!

Classic George and not many New Country fans know or appreciate!

Uusi tuttavuus mutta kyllähän näitä country laulajia riittää. Ihan jees. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

He has a beautiful voice. I don't love the ballads, but enjoyed this overall.

Another one where I'm smelling the honky tonk while this is playing on the jukebox. The opening track had me asking "George, what did you DO?" Lovely, soulful, sad country.

"The Grand Tour" is the 39th (by my approximation) album by country music artist George Jones. Country is the sole Wiki-listed genre. In 1971, Jones signed with Epic in hopes producer Bill Sherrill could re-establish his music back to his 1950's/1960's glory. Jones sang lead vocals and was backed by a premier lineup of Nashville session musicians and vocalists most of who were uncredited and included the Jordanaires on backing vocals, Bob Moore (bass), Wille Ackerman (drums), Pete Wade (guitar), Pete Drake (steel guitar), 11 violinists and a host of others. Commercially, the album reached #11 on the US Country Album Chart and, critically, it is considered one of Jones' greatest albums. The self-titled "The Grand Tour" opens the album. A melancholic piano, country beat and steel guitar. Strings in the background. Jones with a strong and emotional voice as he tells the tale of walking through his house after his wife left, taking their child and leaving behind all her belongings. "Darlin'" slows the pace. More steel guitar. Lovely harmonization by the Jordanaires. Jones with soaring vocals as he struggles to remain strong after a breakup. Jones delivers another country gem covering Johnny Paycheck's "Once You've Had the Best." Multiple guitars, ticking drums, strings and a piano. Jones is regretting leaving his true love for another woman. The pace picks up in "The Weatherman" with a rock beat. Hey, it's upbeat and he's here happy like a sunny day in a relationship. A twangy guitar and late 50's/60's backing vocals. And a harmonica too. The album proceeds with several more slow and down-and-out country songs before it closes with "Our Private Life." The pace picks up again in a song he co-wrote with his then-wife Tammy Wynette. A scooting beat and bass and more guitar twang. Jones with playful vocals as he takes aim at media for their obsession with his troubled marriage. This is a classic country album with short and emotional songs dealing mostly with heartbreak, losing lovers, cheating lovers and delusions of love. At its core it's a country beat with the steel guitar enhanced by the production of Sherrill with strings and piano. Jones' vocals are strong and emotional. Lovely backing vocals and harmonies. This is up there with the best traditional country albums that I've heard and, if you're a fan of that style, this is a must listen .

I'm not a fan of country music with its various tropes. This doesn't seem to be an exceptional album, but at least it's short.

Fine crooner stuff.

Decent country. Not terrible!

There are two good songs here. And 30 mins is the maximum of this kind of country music.

George Jones is very, very good at one specific type of Country Ballad.

Old Possum!

Bro, his voice

loved the old school country

i've heard worse

Barf on a spoon

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Decent honky tonk country

BORING

meh

Classic country album

Music to mosey to. 2.5 for me, but I’m feeling generous today, so 3 it is. Has a decent heart.

A singular voice in the genre, sad songs, drinking songs, pop country tunes all have an extra layer from Possum

Russell Adler?! That may be a hot take but look at his Spotify- About the Artist section

This will be short. It was a fun country album. It was short. It didn't really do much that made me want to listen again.

i can’t do this, i’m just not a country girl

Oh, ok, so this is very country. If I were to make a stupid rip off of what I think country music sounds like it would basically sound exactly like this. Every trope: strong vocal twang, slooooooow songs, cheesy walking bassline turnarounds, panned background slide guitars, lonesome regret and heartache, something about the american outdoors I expect. I would have liked there to be more songs about bears, there weren't any, bears are very American, feels like they missed a trick. I do not like this. I wonder if you removed all the instruments and just had it as a folky acapella thing, like a campfire singing thing would it be better. Maybe. Probably. But they didn't. The slightly more upbeat ones are a little less nausea inducing. Essentially the last song.

Now this sounds like a CD my grandma had. The album is okay, it's heartbroken ballad after ballad. A lot of the songs sound the same. Just not a sound I want to hear 10 times in a row. There was a few different songs that were good.

Every track is an example of an expertly-crafted country song.

If there's one thing this project has taught me, it's that I actually enjoy Country music. Well, mainly the older golden era of country like this record portrays. This is a really nice album, very smooth and easy to listen to. George has a wonderful voice that carries such a deep and rustic harmony, while playing over a gentle and well-thought collection of guitar melodies. This was a really nice listen.

Mellow, heartfelt and sincere.

This doesnt belong here either

Tight songwriting. Well-told stories. Great voice. Everything a country record should be.

When I think country music, I usually think twangy bastardized rock music about tractors, but that's not at all what I got and I was pleasantly surprised. I couldn't help but laugh about how most, if not all songs were about the same topic, but at least it's not whiskey and horses and tractors! I won't listen to this again, but I see now thay country music is its own thing that I could enjoy if I took the time to find my gateway artist. 2.5/5. Wasn't bad at all

Country music can do one. Dull.

What can I say, this style of country music works for me. Reminds me of being a kid while my dad worked his shift at the country radio station (alternated with working polka shifts, which I enjoyed less). His voice his rich and expressive and the classic country production is lush without being overly polished. Sunset with a beer music.

Das Album ist ziemlich durchgerauscht ohne dass etwas hängengeblieben ist. Country bzw. diese Art auch nicht meine Baustelle.

Ganz schwache 4. Country ist einfach nicht mein Genre, aber objektiv ist das schon gut gemacht und ein paar Melodien setzen sich auch im Ohr fest. Kann man eigentlich nicht meckern. Schade, dass "He Stopped Loving Her Today" hier nicht drauf ist.

Das ging fix. Ohne Ahnung oder Erfahrung mit Country zu haben, das klingt so wie ich mir Country vorstelle. Es braucht sicher etwas weniger Eintönigkeit, um bei mir persönlich zu zünden, aber als Album fairerweise schon stabil.

In Scrubs gibt es eine Folge, in der wird angedeutet, dass Kelso eine Vergangenheit als Country Musiker hat. In meinem Headcanon hat er dann dieses Album aufgenommen und ist dann Arzt geworden. Ich bin froh, dass er Arzt wurde und nicht noch mehr aufgenommen hat.

Old-fashioned traditional country -- not my favorite but not unpalatable

Utterly dreadful, dreary country shite, apart from The Weather Man, which is not dreary, just shite. Nothing exceptional lyrically or musically. Pretty much unlistenable

Not my kind of listening but charming in its own way.

I genuinely try to keep my biases in check as I make my way through this project, and one of those biases is my deep dislike of country music. George Jones made a lot of people happy with his music, and people who love this music see this as among the best of the genre. But at the end of the day, I just can’t bring myself around on this one. The album is musically and lyrically...uninteresting. It's just pop music with a country twang, an album of songs that are slightly different versions of each other played to please. It is inoffensive adult contemporary music. And that has its place, but I'll be damned if I'm going to commend it musically lol. For me the best thing about this album is that it was 28 minutes long.

3.55

Not half bad!

Old country. For old men.

Another country album??

Country is such a good genre i have no idea if this is a good version of it but man its enjoyable to listen to.

This was a delight and warm and did everything it needed to do in its sub 30 play time

Just lovely 😌

Really struggled with this one but at least it was only 28 minutes

God damn I love country music and George Jones is one the best.

Enjoyed more than I expected as it isn't really my genre

Very typical country music, actually not too bad.

Pretty run of the mill country. Kind of boring sound, it’s not bad by any mean but not my cup of Joe. Good writing, just not exciting and I’m not always in the mood.

Something comforting about this ol country, I probably shoulda given it more time

It's classic country...

Classic twangy country, still not my thing, but it didn’t make me want to run for the hills. Must’ve been in a good mood.

Clicked on the link on the 1001 website and it opened in Spotify. Saw the cover. Thought this might be country and western so I skipped it just in case.

Some of the subject matter was a lil questionable but a very fun and easy listen with nice vocals and a gorgeous country sound.

The Grand Tour is old-school country at its finest, pairing crooning tales of love and heartbreak with simple, soulful strumming.

Not a country fan, but still enjoyed this.

Not a fan of country music

I do like real country music that isn't just soft rock with a twang. I enjoyed this very much. The songs do get a little monotonous after a bit, but not enough to bother me.

Not for me. Not my style of music. There was some cute writing in there, but I found it hard to enjoy beyond the country twang.

Not my genre

George is great, old school classic C&W. I don't know a single song, but boy can he croon

Cool but had to stop. Country is not my thing.

Felt like just another country album to me. Quite mundane topics being covered, and there were nothing with the songs that felt particularly innovative for country - at least not to my ears.

A pretty run of the mill country album. Just enough pedal steel to be good without getting gimmicky. My main gripe is none of the songs stood out in particular so it mostly passed me by. The vocals are good though. Weak 3.

There is simply no way anyone considers this a must listen, I won’t have it. Even if country music is your thing, this is the low-fat natural yoghurt of country music. Have a word.

Pretty generic country/western

Good stuff

icky

This didn't really make an impression on me.

Not a country fan

Lame

This is a genre mismatch for me so I’m not in a great position to judge. When there’s a little energy to proceedings it’s more entertaining, if a little cheesy. The slow numbers though are impenetrable and sound pretty old fashioned for 1974. I’ve never known an album clocking in at less than 30 minutes to drag like this one.

Another solid country record for today, this one is too pure country for my tastes but is by no means poor quality, so I’m going with a high 2

I love old country albums listening to the stories; great comeback album and a Tammy Wynette connection!

boring as f

A classic. Informed a lot of what I consider the best era of country to be.

One of the smoothest country albums i have heard. He really is the OG

He has a good voice. 70's country isn't my normal thing, but this has a good sound. That said, there is nothing here that makes me go WOW! In fact the subtle misogyny in some of the tracks was hard to hear.

Easy listen, not bad, not great for me. No real change of pace from one song to the next.

this is a little too 90's-00's (shocker) country for me, but I enjoyed it overall

Fine

I don't have any problem with this one, I have to be in a particular mood to listen to it but it's at least real country music and it's probably worth knowing about.

Why, god, why?

Buen country. No tengo muchas herramientas para reviewear el country ya que no escuché mucho en mi vida, pero he de decir que el folk y el country están siendo los géneros que más me están gustando en esta incursión de discos clásicos; será por el vibe en el que estoy últimamente. Conocía al tipo por el temazo histórico de He stopped loving her today, y supongo que pocas cosas estarán a la altura, así es que no le pedí esas expectativas a este disco, sino que fuese un buen disco de country, y eso es lo que me dio.

He sounds like Elvis Presley, that’s kinda cool

Big time downer listening to old country coming off of The White Stripes, but I’ll try to be objective. Listen, I like old country music, but more of the “outlaw” flavor like Waylon, Willie, Cash, etc. Guys like George Jones, Conway Twitty, and Ray Price all sound the same and the songs are the same. They sing about constant heartbreak in the same twangy voice. This was just OK and will get the lowest of 3/5s because it wasn’t bad, just boring. Any album like this is pretty much maxed out at that number.

Album 1018 of 1089 The Grand Tour - George Jones (1974) Rating : 4.5 / 5 While I can generally say that country music isn’t my go-to genre, I did hear a lot of it growing up, and some of it still has a permanent place in my heart. This album is a perfect example of what I’d call my kind of country music. Jones has the voice for this genre - maybe the voice of the genre. There’s a lived-in quality to his singing that makes every line feel honest and earned. These are beautifully written, emotional songs delivered with sincerity and soul, never sounding forced or overly dramatic. The musicianship is spot-on in the traditional sense, serving the songs exactly as it should. I’d be remiss not to call out the piano work throughout - perfectly placed and quietly powerful, adding depth without ever stepping into the spotlight. Credit where it’s due to Larry Butler, and possibly Hargus “Pig” Robbins, for some excellent ivory work. I honestly can’t believe I’m rating a country album this high, but here we are. This one earned it. A strong, emotional listen that reminds you why George Jones is held in such high regard.

Did not hate this 4/5

That’s good old country.

Listening to George Jones takes me back to my dad's family who lived in rural Tennessee. It was the kind of music that they listened to on the radio and watched on their tiny antenna TV. As a kid, I found it boring and antiquated like listening to the old people singing in four part harmony in church. Now though, I appreciate the snapshot in time this music represents AND as a bonus, it's still fun to listen to.

Three stars, pretty decent vibe but not my fav country album

A bit on the slow side. My favourites were Mary Don't Go Round and Our Private Life.

I love older country music way more than more modern country. I feel like it’s super emotional and personal and quite beautifully written. A lot of country sounds the same to me, including this one, but I still think it’s pretty good.

Great vocals but not my thing as most of the album is so slow and dreary. The last 3 songs were more upbeat and I almost liked them.

TLDR; George is going through a lot in his relationships and he’s very sad

George Jones is incredible. Grand Tour MAY be a top ten country song all time

hi george, wouldve taken this one to the marriage counsellor instead. i saw that you went through 4 wives, so call may be coming from within the house. the album generally reminds me of when i got chased by a goat for 10 minutes when i was about 5

The lyrics feel clichéd and the music is fairly straightforward, even though the album is undeniably easy to listen to. Living outside the US, I may be missing some of the cultural context but I struggle to understand why this record was considered worthy of inclusion on this list.

surprisingly enjoyable for the genre

I talked about this back when I reviewed that Ray Price album, but I have a natural predisposition towards country music that I've been trying to work through over the past few years. I've realized that I actually quite like a lot of the older stuff the genre has to offer, as well as some more contemporary acts from its underground or midstream. the formulaic (and increasingly right-wing) country mainstream over the past 25 years had been my main exposure to country music as a whole, so I developed a pretty dim view of it which I have been glad to steadily correct over the years with albums like this. there's a certain mixture here which is pretty standard for country music (at least I think so), but there's something about it that's just so moving! George Jones' incredible voice; these deeply sad songs about a lonely man at the top; the simple acoustic guitar strumming, the string arrangements, the plaintive picked basslines, the Jordanaires on backing vocals; and especially that damn pedal steel. the titular "Grand Tour" is a tour of the house where Jones and his beloved used to live, but she left him, and you really feel for him as he goes through the place and describes all the things she left behind, or even just the places she would sit or lay down. it's a real heartbreaker, and they just keep coming as you go further down this tracklist. the worst is when you think it's gonna be a happy song, but then it becomes a sad song instead. a few examples: "Darlin'" starts like a "put your arms around me" type of love song, but it quickly turns out to be a "please don't go" type of love song; "Borrowed Angel" is about a beautiful woman, but Jones is only having a one-night stand with her, so his romantic needs are left unattended; and "She Told Me So" is about getting cucked! (that last one might not be too sad depending on who you are, actually.) Jones breaks character a little bit for "Our Private Life", probably as some levity to cap off the previous ten sad-sack cuts, with a comedic number about musicians that act out and get negative things written about them in the papers, an archetype which he fit uncannily well at the time. I'd also be remiss not to mention my favorite song here, "Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through", which is a total earworm and contains my favorite Jones performance on the album! all told, this is a great slice of Nashville that you can easily fit into a lunch break. strong 8/10.

2 out of 5. Like others here said before this was good for a country album. It's still country though.

It's nice... If you like country... But I don't so this one kind of missed the mark. I can appreciate that it's pleasant enough to listen to and inoffensive by any means but I felt entirely impartial while listening to it (twice). Of all the music in the world this is not something that I want to squander my time away with.

Chill but needs more banjo

Didn't love it, didn't hate it. Bland and repetitive. Bit too country for me, lacks wow factor. Sorry George Jones.

short one today. I really like old country music however this was just alright. Not very upbeat.

Better. Would have been a 4 star if remixed with 70s 3d feel. The sound is excellent but flat and boring now. Listen to Roger Whitaker, his records sounds amazing.

Nope.

Ole Possum was feeling saaaad on this album. And it was brilliant. Super tight musicianship, too.

I moved from Connecticut to Tennessee when I was 11 years old. I was a full on metal head & could not stand country music. Almost pushing 50, I want to appreciate country music for what it is but holy hell that was horrible.

Alright

A little boring. A lot of songs around the same tempo. There were a few good ones, like Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through) and The Weatherman.

Misery grim and misery too trad country for my tastes.

Scoffing at country music was one of the intellectual pillars my early years were built upon. Therefore my immediate reaction to George Jones' singing intonation on this album was negative. Postpunk appears to be one of the musical pillars that my 1001 albums experience has has been built upon. Therefore my immediate reaction to the simple melodies and lyrics on this album were positive. Perhaps if there was more country music on this list I would get sick of it. However there isn't and these simple songs done beautifully by George Jones is a welcome break from more challenging music. OK, onto Skunk Anansie...sigh...

Golden voice and immaculate vibes from the Nashville country machine - a touch of schmaltz, a heap of twang, sad heartbreak songs all delivered smooth and buttery.

Solid 70’s country from the sweetest voice in the biz

The generator has done well, pushing me to listen to something I would never has chosen. Honestly, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this, maybe as I knew I was committed to listen through. The lyrics were entertaining, music easy to listen to.

Country music. I don't generally like Country music and this album does nothing to change that opinion.

Sounds like quite generic boring country music to me. It's clear that this album (among quite a few others) wouldn't have been on this list if it weren't an American listing.

Certified carbage

awful

Nope.

fun - ok sound

Damn! I'm not a country music fan in the slightest, but this is just really good stuff. It's slower and pretty sad, but the lyrics and overall theme just work. George's voice is damn near perfect and the production quality is off the charts. I'm impressed!

Nyt on sen tason countryä että ei pysty. Hidastempoista ja sydäntäsärkevää

This is who was supposed to play at that Country and Western bar in The Blues Brothers

I’d probably enjoy the songs more separately than in an album. It does get a bit samey although I liked the sound. Also alcoholism is bad but that lawnmower story is insane.

The Good: This is not just a simple tour! The Bad: The tour took us around one too many cow-poke bars… The Ugly: The album cover… FINALLY, a country album that we can all secretly love! This was played multiple times over the Christmas holiday. What an absolute joy of music to just listen to. Really don’t know what to say about this album except that you should listen to it next Friday evening! George was not a role model, but he sure knew how to sing a tune, and pick some strings at the same time. 5*

Fantastic album. Wonderful uses of highlighting and isolating instruments, as well as building up songs with volume and layering. His voice is fantastic. I am definitely biased, as I remember my grandma and mom playing me some of these songs as a kid, but I feel as if I’d still really like this even if it weren’t for that. This is the definition of good ol’ country. The piano and guitar were especially good. My one critique is that the production can feel dated at times.

I love crooners and country crooners are #1. This was excellent.

George Jones!! What a legend. What a sad boy. The OG Country Music sad boy? Is this just 1970s Zach Bryan? A shot of whiskey wrapped in existential sadness? I think so. What a record. I loved this. I love the tone of this voice, the tone of his guitar. The crooning country music style. Its kind of perfect.

2 - ok country

Fine I guess but very much not for me.

extra star for featuring the Grand Tour, the best sad country song about a house (followed closely by Hello Walls and House With No Doors). the rest of this is extremely standard, but it's standard because George Jones created the standard. I like some other artist's versions of these songs better, but I'm not mad to hear George Jones pretty much ever.

perfectly serviceable country for me, idk. not super memorable. 2.5

I'm sure this is a record of great importance but I mostly just wanted to listen to Randy Travis instead

country NÃO

country hein. o que não significa que é bom. não vou dar 1 porque foi curtinho. mas eh paia, viu. eu odeio country.

I, for whatever reason, put this album on prior to writing my genre prediction. I can thankfully avoid the embarrassment of incorrectly guessing that this would be a live album. I wasn't expecting a country album, either. The slicked back hair and gaudy tee gives me more of a rockstar image. George Jones is a vaguely familiar name, though it could be due to how generic it is. That 28-minute runtime is glorious. I've been struggling to keep on top of my albums recently, so more of these, please. This is okay. My contrarian, rebellious, reactionary spirit always makes me want to double down and say country music is the best music ever, though truth be told I've always felt incredibly indifferent to it. This doesn't sway me, unfortunately. The vocals are fine, the instrumentals are standard and the lyrics are just okay. A perfectly fine album, but I don't think it earns its stripes. "Pass Me By" is standard country fare. Still, I enjoyed my time with it. It soothes my pensive spirit. "Borrowed Angel" is also decent. I like the backing vocals and chorus. The rest of the album is just the same thing over and over. Bye-bye. That's the review. Book time. "Grandfather of country music". Well-produced. One of country's best vocalists. Not sold yet - over to Wikipedia I go. This was his 50th album. That is insane. Guess that just goes to show how much the value of music has increased over time. Performed well on the country charts. The title track reached number one as a single. Regarded as one of Jones' best. If Jones really is one of the most iconic figures in country music, then I guess I can let this one through. I cosign this inclusion.

Short and sweet. What an outstanding and gorgeous voice George had. Favorite track: Darlin'

This is some emo country

This is a good ol country album. I'm a fan for sure. Subject matter feels good too, nothing really controversial or poorly aged from my perspective. Thanks George Jones..

As far as country like this goes, it’s good. Production is good quality, lots of interesting elements, orchestra, floating guitar riffs, piano parts etc. pretty mellow and easy breezy. George Jones’s voice and timbre is nice. The only thing that would make this better is some fat 808s and trap drums. But fr you can miss me with this sad cowboy stuff. Just not my thing. If these guys had Melodine back then George would’ve loved it. There are some cool choruses and musical moments that I can appreciate but you won’t catch me bumping this unless I’m in some sort of nostalgic cowboy phase. Or if I go through a painful divorce (that’s actually my fault but I refuse to accept it) and start drinking whiskey again. I give this a yeehaw/5 Jk 2.75

Pleasant enough and a nice voice. Probably the best country album I have got on the list and that is saying something! A bit of a similar feel between the songs, but particularly enjoyed the change of pace for ‘Our Private Lives’ which was probably my favourite on the album. Enjoyable listen. Felt cosy and pleasing (3.5)

Old school twangy country - nice for the genre, but not my style

No

Country is so boring...

Surprised by how good this album really is! Perfect representation of peak 70’s country.

Proper tragic country - horrible stories, told beautifully.

Don’t tempt me w a good time George!

Kinda meh

Proper old fashioned country music, by which I mean it’s really depressing.

Sad twangy old country. It wasn’t terrible, but it did not hold my attention. All the songs kind of sounded the same to me

Twangy cheating Country love songs just isn’t my thing. It normally would have gotten a single star but George does sing well and the Weatherman got the extra star

Good ol' George.

3/4

This album fits perfectly into the stereotype of the kind of country song you’d hear playing in the background of a movie scene meant to be mocked. I’m not a big country fan to begin with, but this one was actually pretty annoying, and I couldn’t wait for it to end. Now that it’s over, I have zero plans to ever go back down that road again. In fact, I’ll happily take the long way just to avoid it in the future.

A few songs on here are as good as country music gets before the advent of Garth Brooks. This guy is heartbroken and the opening “Grand Tour” set that tone right away. Then the harmonizing vocals on the chorus of “Darlin’” gave a reason to sing along in George Jones’ sadness. Really good, really simple chorus. Right after, “Pass Me By” pretty much replicates the sad singalong effect to great success. But the highlight of this album might be the more upbeat “The Weatherman”. Excellent country songwriting and a killer execution of rolling a verse into a chorus. Super cohesive song start to finish. The fun doesn’t end there! “Who Wil I Be Loving Now” makes its own case for the most infectious chorus of them all, it’s a proto-Eagles melody. Last, “Our Private Life” is a strange way to end this project. Its subject matter is way ahead of its time, being a song about rejecting the platform of stardom to remind everyone that these idiot country celebrities are people too. For an odd comparison, much of Porter Robinson’s “Smile” speaks from a similar place. Yeah this is a 4/5 for me. There’s enough emotional substance and fantastic country songwriting in here to push it over a 3

Great album

FNV radio-core. 3/5

Songs about loving women and loving another man's woman to the point where roses are blooming in the

Bro had his heart brooooken

7 - GOOD

Not my cup of tea.

Pretty generic but solid background music

Obscenely mid

never again

Very boring, for me. 😴

Avorrit, country, no m'aporta res nou.

Not my jam, but I get it... he's a classic and a hero to many!

No private session used for Spotify. This is the kind of music I would imagine one listens to when they drink too much Budweiser, with the occasional shot of Jack as a chaser, sitting in a dingy, sparsely populated bar in the afternoon with the door occasionally opening for a regular to stagger in exposing a blazing hot sun while you waste away thinking about how the woman of your dreams cheated on you with that guy you always kind of looked down upon because you thought he speaks sort of effeminately and drives a Prius. This music brings me down, but I am fairly sure its going for that, so kudos, i guess.

I hate country omg im so sorry george

Suuuuper smoooooth! Very nice!

Country is as country does.

Ok, ich quäle mich weiter durch eine Liste von Alben, die angeblich zu den besten aller Zeiten gehören. Ich pendle zwischen honigsüßem Kitsch und Posergetöse um mal zwischendurch eine Perle zu finden. OMG! Hab ich den wirklich alles für mich Hörenswerte schon selbst entdeckt?

Loved it

George is one of the country greats. This is a decent album.

I enjoyed this. I generally like traditional country music, like Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard, and this fits that niche fairly well.

Found something i dislike more than hip hop

Let's appreciate that this is George Jones' 50th album release. He was 42 years-old when this was released in 1974, i.e. he had more albums than his age. The country music industry was sure different back then. To me this is just really good ol' boy country, with some Bakersfield influence on those sad cowboy songs. The eponymous hit "The Grand Tour" is an absolute heartbreaker about divorce and an empty house. Jones' performance here and throughout the album feels honest and vulnerable. Considering his alcoholism and dwindling popularity around this time, he really embodied the sadness that is prevalent. He probably knew a reckoning was approaching with his wife Tammy Wynette. Outside of this, I'm struggling to comment on the quality of songs since I'm not a country music expert. I found it enjoyable, though nothing sticks out as groundbreaking.

This was so brief and yet very entertaining. I managed two listens ! Obviously some outdated messaging about tradition marriage roles here. But I honestly was surprised how head of the curve the last song on the album is about celebrities’ lack of personal life. If only he knew about TMZ.

This is some classic old school country. As much as this is not a favorite genre of mine, this is so representative that I completely agree with it being on a “must listen to” list.

Short but very sweet. Title track is a devastating song

Thoughts before listening: Nice. I love this era of country music, and George Jones is one of the best to ever do it. That being said, I only really know his hits, and I have never actually done a deep dive on him. Looking forward to hearing this. Review: George Jones has one of the best voices of all time, country or otherwise. This album is full of his trademark heartbroken ballads and while this is not necessarily the type of country I would typically gravitate toward, its hard to deny just how good this is. This album was released in 1974 in the height of the outlaw country movement, but George stuck to his guns with a more traditional, crooner style. I can dig it, although nothing on here outside of the title track really hits like George's greatest songs ("He Stopped Loving Her Today", "She Thinks I Still Care", etc...I see a lyrical theme here 😂). I also appreciate that he threw in a couple upbeat honky tonk numbers with "The Weatherman" and "Our Private Life" to break up the ballads a bit. This is a 4-star album to me.

I really just couldn’t get into this. Didn’t even listen to the entire album.

I truly don't understand why people listen to this sort of country. When it's the more political country and it has a point I get it, even if the sound isn't fully for me, but this is a mystery. There's nothing wrong with it if that's your thing, I'm sure it plays great in Texas. But it just doesn't do anything for me. Favorites: Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through), She'll Love the One She's With, Who Will I Be Loving Now

Good

loved it

I don't hate country, I don't even dislike some of the old schoolers, but George Jones crosses all my lines. His wife, Tammy Wynette, love her. Fun fact, one of the co-writers of The Grand Tour divorce song title track married Tammy after their D-I-V-O-R-C-E.

5 seconds in…. I think I hope this album is short. Kori will hate it. Complaint tally : 9 “This the album of the day? That’s unfortunate.” “Man country sucks” “You’re going to have to add to your tally Kerri, this is rough” “[running an ultramarathon] would be easier than listening to this” “Fuck it’s so bad” “I don’t get how people like this, country music is awful” “Like it isn’t even music” “I gotta listen to it before I die but it might kill me” “Good” (in response to me saying I think we’re almost done) I also didn’t like it but I do typically enjoy country thanks to the solid diet of exclusively country music I was fed as a child. It just didn’t feel like anything exciting or stand out.

I'm not a country super fan, but I can get into most country music because it has a lot of the same elements that I like from other genres like folk and jazz. This is a nice album. The songwriting isn't pushing the boundaries of music or anything (at least not by today's standards), but George Jones's lovely voice adds a warmth that invites you in. He's a real country crooner for sure. The tone of the guitar is quite nice as well and the rest of the instrumental accompaniment and vocal harmonies enhance the musicality. Overall, the album has a comforting feeling and makes me feel nostalgic. 8/10.

I’d give this 0 stars if I could. Country music is so bad

It's old George Jones. He's a classic artist in the world of country. I really enjoyed this album. There wasn't anything to put there. Just a clean and simple country/folk album. Plus, I found George's voice added a really nice warmth to the album

Well Im also not the biggest country fan, but in recent years, Ive sort of found myself enjoying corner pockets of the genre. That being Orville Peck, or a little bit of Keith Urban. As long as its not main stream country, or pop country, that shit is not my jam. George Jones however I did not hate! I think because its of a different time, before country became what it is today. I really enjoyed the song The Grand Tour, it was very ballad like, with some grandeous sounding measures. Also really liked the pedal steel guitar, which is such an interesting instrument that can usually only be found within country, and is almost associated with the genre (except for a few exceptions, looking at you Spongebob). Anyways, I enjoyed this, would listen again if I was in a twangy mood. 6.5/10

Some perfectly pleasant love ballads here, but it felt pretty one note.

I'm not gonna come back to it, but I'm not mad that I listened to it.

я не американец.

Fantastic album. Superb title track that’s typical of George Jones. No one sung heartbreak like him. He’s got the best voice in country, dripping with emotion yet every word is clear and phrased to land perfectly, the way Sinatra does. Billy Sherrill’s production and the arrangements ebb and flow with the music and compliment George. If you’re coming at this from a rock point of view this is clearrly the template for Almost Blue by Elvis Costello. The last verse of the last track seems to be a justification of a performer turning up pissed. Complex character was George.

Annoying country

So much cheating

Love me some Possum

Smith as you like

Country music isn’t my thing

the grand tour- 5 darlin- 5 pass me by- 5 shell love the ones shes with- 5 once youve had the best- 5 the weatherman- 5 borrowed angel- 5 she told me so- 5 mary dont go round- 5 who will i be loving now- 5 our private life- 5

Classic country

dont listen to much country but sounds like George is purty in the pockit of it, nice

There's something about the pedal steel guitar, as it's used in country music, that immediately turns me off a song. And unfortunately, it's all over this album like a rash. I'm not a hater of country music, but I'm not a big fan either. I prefer the more raw and energetic tunes from the likes of Johnny Cash or Danny Gatton, than what's here. Everything is very predictable. It's pleasant and all that, but I don't understand the appeal, and definitely don't understand this being in a list of 1001 must-hear albums.

Jones's intense country accent stands out immediately. Not really positive or negative, though in general I do think there's a good reason why most singers drop most of their speaking accents. It's because it tends to sound better (plus the slow deliberateness of song necessitates a loss of accent anyway). But the main issue with the vocals, and the overall sound, is that they hearken back to older music - think 40s and 50s - giving me the feeling that this mid-70s album doesn't belong on a list of the 1001 most important and revolutionary albums of all time. Couple that with only one song being a "Spotify hit", and only two songs breaking the 1-million-listen barrier at all, and you have the perfect candidate for "old album that isn't relevant today". I can definitely understand the complaints about the music being boring (despite the album being almost too short to have time to induce boredom). There's no spontaneity, no surprise instruments or interesting basslines or drum fills or creative solos. Nothing that you'd hope to hear from cutting-edge music from 1974, anyway. Jones's competition in the year 1974 included Pretzel Logic, Fulfillingness' First Finale, Queen II / Sheer Heart Attack, Court and Spark, and Here Come The Warm Jets. Forgive me if I'm a little underwhelmed. Particularly with slow identical-sounding tracks like She'll Love the One She's With, Once You've Had the Best, and Who Will I Be Loving Now. The highest energy the album ever achieves is The Weatherman and Our Private Life, which (uncoincidentally) are also the strongest songs apart from the title track. 2/5 Key tracks: The Grand Tour, The Weatherman, Our Private Life

Þekkti röddina fyrir, en hún er ekki mjög eftirminnileg. Lögin semi ljúf og hress til skiptis en renna talsvert saman. Rúmur tvistur sem kallar ekki á aðra hlustun.

really difficult fighting the urge to spell his name as George Geones

Divertido country despechado

< The Beatles The very kind of country i hate

Slow, plodding mid-paced 70s country... if you know you know and sadly I do! Thank god it was only 28 minutes long!

You could train an AI on this for how country it is. Nothing to distinguish it, nothing to knock it. Coward's 3.

old twangy country.

Not my thing at all

I’m not a fan of country, even if this is at least a more ‘pure’ form than the new country these days, which is at least okay in that it is the old-school ‘proper’ form. I still wouldn’t listen to it.

Very monotonous, but relatively pleasing to the ear. I won’t be listening again thought. The opening track was pretty good though!

Great and not long enough!

No idea how this made the list.

Everyone needs to stop putting ballads in non ballad focused albums. They're always terrible. In this case they're partially sexist and just sound terrible. The actual country songs are alright generally like 3 stars. Our private life however, is genuinely an amazing, righteously angry song that sounds happy, and raised this album up 1 star

Damn, bro is sliding all over the place man. This album is beautiful, like two men kissing (on the lips), that's beautiful.

No.

I think I’m coming around to Country

I do not know if this is a good album or not. Mainly it seems to be a chronicle of Georges troubled love life. It is almost a parody of country songs. 2 stars, he has been done wrong.

I have not heard this album before today, this genre isn't usually my thing but this guy can really sing. It's very nice, what I would consider traditional country music. Great lyrics and music too not too twangy, just right in my opinion. I can see why he is on the list of albums. This is the kind of thing I am hoping to get from this experience. Something I would not have listened to any other way but really enjoyed.

This mostly disappeared into the background noise of the world and I forgot it was there entirely. It's not for me, too twangy by far.

Soothing voice. There's a churchy sound to the album.

Boring country

George, listen. I know that the storytelling in country music isn’t always meant to be taken at face value, but you can’t open your album with a sob story about how lonely you’ve been since your wife/kid left you and then also include a song about knowingly sleeping with a married woman on the same album. It makes you sound like a hypocrite and I can’t empathize with you at that point. I suppose The Grand Tour is a pretty decent listen overall, though. The one song you actually wrote here ("Our Private Life") was a favorite of mine. Even so, I don’t think I’m invested enough to check out your 79 other studio albums any time soon – I’ll leave that to someone crazier than me. Highlights: The Grand Tour, Once You’ve Had the Best, The Weatherman, Our Private Life

Good album if you ever find yourself driving in Texas. Hilarious that ya’ll are listening to it in the UK 😂

this was great. exactly what you’re hoping and expecting it to be

Hell yeah

I dont care much for country but this isnt bad. Leagues better than modern country

What a voice! This is a bit ‘too country’ for some moments of the day and definitely the understand it would t be everyone’s cup of tea (tons of swoops slide guitar and sliding vocals), but there is a lot of fantastic recording on here. The one where he’s listing all the great country singers and how they will never be replaced was a bit cringey for me, but otherwise I really liked this.

7/10

*1974. Country - honky tonk. *28 mins. *Totally fine for what it is. I like country in small does, so this worked. RATING - 5.5/10

Not usually my thing but quite good

So far, this is the album which I have best judged by its cover, which promises some super-American country singer, and it certainly delivers. George Jones, who I had never heard of because I am not a US-Midwesterner living in the 1970s, warbles and croons away on some utterly expected songs accompanied by his twangy guitar about life, love, and miseries, but doesn't really say a whole lot. I liked the ironic framing of "The Grand Tour" of his empty house after his wife had left, but I kept waiting for a reveal, or another layer to it - why did this woman leave? She had her reasons, right? Nope, not that we hear, she just walked right out with his child and heart, because women are evil, I guess. Go and have a drink at the bar with your buddies, that's what you need. I wrote that last sentence before looking at Wikipedia, which I see has a whole section on "Alcoholism" for George, and before listening to the final track Our Private Life, where the moral is almost literally "Hey, look, fans, if I want to have affairs and get blind drunk, I will, because I deserve it". Is it any surprise that the rest of these songs are all about people cheating on each other and generally being miserable?

ooeee... ik heb het lastig... ooeee... ik ben triestig....ooeee... ik ben alleen... ach vent, jankt op een ander!

Low effort formulaic country music. He has a good voice though. Favorite song: she told me so.

Very short twangy country 2/5

Country, 32eme album =>1/5

I wish country was still like this. I watched the Tales Feom the Tourbus episode on Mr. Jones so i knowGeorge Jones was a freak, but in a good way. Album has sparse production, simple songwriting, great storytelling, great harmonies. Very nice. And it's only 28 minutes so it doesn't overstay it's welcome. Nothing groundbreaking, just good solid classic country.

Only a 28 minute album, and I couldn’t finish it. Total snooze

most country music is worse than this

George Jones sang the saddest, heart grabbing Country tunes of all time. Musical giant whose legacy will remain.

I didn’t hate this but it’s not my thing at all

Honky tonk my baby left meeeee

That's not my taste in music - But some pleasant songs

Ok album.

A little too twangy for my taste. I can get behind country when it's truly gorgeous or historically significant, but this to me feels like neither -- sort of just run-of-the-mill farmhouse lovin'. I get the sense that a lot of people in America would probably call this album their favorite yet; I also get the sense that every single one of them would be the worst person you've ever met. All I'm saying is, maybe there's a reason it's a country music stereotype to only ever sing about your wife walking out on you. Fave songs: - Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through) - The Weatherman - She Told Me So

Country music is abominable.