Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. No Money in This Deal
2. Why Baby Why
3. Seasons of My Heart
4. I'm Ragged But I'm Right
5. Just One More
6. Don't Stop the Music
7. Too Much Water
8. Flame in My Heart
9. Hearts in My Dreams
10. Tall Tall Trees
11. No Use Crying
12. Frozen Heart
13. Cup of Loneliness
14. Take the Devil Out of Me
15. Color of the Blues
16. New Baby for Christmas
17. Maybe Little Baby
18. I'm Gonna Burn Your Playhouse Down
19. Will the Circle Be Unbroken
20. If I Don't Love You (Grits Ain't Groceries)
21. Treasure of Love
22. White Lightning
23. Mr. Fool
24. Who Shot Sam

Disc 2:

1. Big Harlan Taylor
2. Everything Ain't Right
3. Relief Is Just a Swallow Away
4. Talk to Me Lonesome Heart
5. Accidentally on Purpose
6. Last Town I Painted
7. Your Old Standby
8. What'cha Gonna Do?
9. You Better Treat Your Man Right
10. Out of Control
11. Glad to Let Her Go
12. You're Still on My Mind
13. Tarnished Angel
14. Slave Lover
15. Family Bible
16. Window up Above
17. Nobody's Lonesome for Me
18. Heartaches by the Number
19. I Love You Because
20. I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)
21. If You Got the Money (I Got the Time)
22. Life to Go
23. Tender Years
24. Achin' Breakin' Heart

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #142534 in Music
• Released on: 1994-10-18
• Number of discs: 2

Amazon.com essential recording
Possum's Mercury years--1953 to 1961--are his least celebrated, but his most rewarding. Over the barest and purest of honky-tonk arrangements, Jones can be heard developing the vocal style that would eventually separate him from mere country music mortals. Only toward the end of the era, on 1961's number one original hit "Tender Years," does his unmatched balladry truly emerge, sounding light years away from the Hank Sr. tendencies and rockabilly forays of the previous decade. Still, to witness the transformation is fascinating, and the material is uniformly excellent. Fans of Jones's countrypolitan stylings will be amazed by the sheer force of these bare-wire honky-tonk classics. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews

George Jones changed the way Nasville sings
This collection is your one-stop shop for George. Sinatra once called him the second best singer in America. Had I been George, I would have been mad at the slight. As a listener, you feel what he feels, and that is the ultimate compliment for a singer. Other than a few misguided attempts to cash in on the rock and roll craze, this album is a masterpiece of country music. The arrangements are always tight and the playing on it, especially the pedal steel, is other-worldly. George Jones is the real deal.

The start of a long and distinguished career
This collection begins with a rare 1953 recording that George made for Starday (No money in the bank) while the remaining 47 tracks within this collection showcase George's recordings from 1955 to 1961, during which time Mercury took over Starday. Most of George's greatest successes came later, but he made some great music for Starday and Mercury, and not just the hits.

Among the classic tracks here are Why baby why, Seasons of my heart, I'm ragged but I'm right, Tall tall trees, Color of the blues, White lightning, Who shot Sam, Accidentally on purpose, Window up above and Tender years. Many of these were hits on the American charts for George. Others have become classics via cover versions.

While George's songs have often been covered (and not just by other country singers), he recorded plenty of covers. Some are included here, including Nobody's lonesome for me (Hank Williams), Heartaches by the number (Guy Mitchell), I love you because (later covered by Jim Reeves, who had a huge British pop hit with it), I'll be there if you ever want me (Ray Price), If you've got the money (Lefty Frizzell) and Will the circle be unbroken.

This is the best collection of George's early recordings yet released. With 48 tracks, it will satisfy all but George's most fanatical devotees, remembering that this covers just the beginning of his career.

I HATE doing this
i hate writing these short reviews, but the truth is this:

jones recorded a lot of great material, and a lot of mediocre material that was only good because of him. this set is a great collection of songs that are either great or are good and rendered great by george jones.

the song "You Better Treat Your Man Right" is reason enough to pay 20+ dollars for this.