The Grand Tour

The Grand Tour is simply a very pleasant country classic with a few truly exceptional songs. George Jones proves his strengths as a performer across The Grand Tour, with clever, classy and instant classic country tunes delivered in his wonderful baritone. Everything that makes this album great may be best exemplified in the title track, a grand, classic country weeper. However, there are some other really great tracks here. The Weatherman is energetic and fun. I'm a big fan of the lapsteel on Pass Me By. The chorus on she Told Me So is a great example of the unique and clever writing on display here. And Our Private Life is a really interesting, sort of tongue in cheek song about the consequences of celebrity culture. It's also, incidentally the most fun you can have on this album in my opinion, I'd probably love dancing to this one in the right setting. There's plenty to love here. I will say, the strongest song here may be the first, which I have mixed feelings about. Also, this isn't all the sort of country I gravitate towards. Despite that, there is something undeniable about this, and I liked it a lot.

one of the best country albums we've had on the list so far

I was not expecting this. It's a weird album written for cucks. In almost every song, he's getting cheated on but he don't mind as long as he get some leftover scraps. This is a whole other side of country music.

Really liked this but not quite a 5. Something about this album felt comforting

4 ⭐️

George has got a nice voice and the instrumentation here is performed really well (some very cool pedal steel). I just can't get into this whiney "woe is me" style of country. Sorry your dog died, your wife left you, and your truck won't start.

From a lyrical and songwriting standpoint, this is great. But the way that the songs are rendered on the recording feels a bit hokey and dated. I feel like this album could really take off if some other artist covered it though. Like a pop-punk version of this album would probably be killer.

Does anyone outside of the US rate country? Folk music across is very cultural in the same way I wouldn't expect someone from Kentucky to understand the Wurzels

Fine.

Please, not for me, absolutely no country... This is something that will make me die if I have to listen to it!

So yes, I think it's apropriate to say that with a record like this on this list, if you're not dead afterwards you'll survive pretty much anything :-/

Ik heb dit maar even in drieën geknipt. Even wat Italiaanse rap er tussendoor. Man, wat een energietrekkende saaiheid. Het is jammer dat de man prima kan zingen. Kan ik hem geen 1 geven.

I suggest reading the Wikipedia article about this guy. Incredible

Starts out solid but loses its footing along the way. Overall decent as far as country goes.

He's got a good voice, but this is not my kind of thing at all. Every song started to sound the same after a while

This is actually pretty heavy.

It's fine, not offensive. Definitely not the type of country I like. It's very twangy and "generic" (maybe wasn't generic in 74 and that's just a function of a lot of country since then through the 90s sounding like that), and the lyrics aren't doing much for me outside of The Grand Tour. Well covered ground for these topics in country.

Would be a 2.5 if I could give half points.

I really do seem to find many of these old county records kind of charming/a vibe. George Jones has a great voice, and the content of the songs are pretty unique. Pleasant album! 3.4/5 -> 3/5

Well written well sung and well played with thematic consistency and mastery. I just hate steel guitar and country vocals.

Horrible man but I love the music.

Jones truly had a hell of a voice. Pretty much everything on here is expertly played as well. Despite its short run time, it still ends up feeling a bit samey with some of the arrangements and “standard” country tricks. But it might rise in my estimation with a few more listens.

3.5/5

Some say George Jones was the best country singer ever and this album does not present any evidence to the contrary! Short and sweet, funny, sad, lots of pedal steel and violins. Traditional Country that modern day singers try and mostly fail to emulate.