Vintage country duet package from two of country music’s most famous and best loved performers, Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Legends in their own right, together they offered something magical. As did fellow acts Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, George and Melba Montgomery, and lower down the pecking order Glen Campbell and Bobbie Gentry.
Vying from the heartfelt ballads to the snapping ditties where the couple, and they were a real couple since they were married (1969-1975) express much joy. But it is inevitably the powerful show of emotion of the break up ballads the listener is drawn. Originally released in 1972, 1973 and 1976 the remastered set is brim full of terrific vocal performances; the chemistry and songs that reflect the state of affairs of an often-turbulent marriage the material reaches out to the country devotee. If listened closely to by those not usually fans of the art songs rich in life’s struggles are told in a beautiful fashion, made all the more real by George and Tammy who not only could relate to the material but lived the life for better or worse.
Spread across the albums you go from such gems as uptempo odes “A Perfect Match”, “You And Me Together” and lyrically testing on their relationship “We’re Gonna Hold On” plus “We’re Not the Jet Set” to go with the more serious. As in “The Great Divide”, “A Lovely Place To Go” to go with terrific version of standard country tunes “The Crawdad Song” and “Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms” the set is littered with highlights.
From the final album, Golden Ring the songwriters who wrote specifically for them providing material, as did producer Billy Sherrill perfectly suited for Jones and Wynette, and with generous helpings of steel guitar in the mix the record is a pure delight. Versions of Buck Owens’ “Cryin’ Time”, “Near You” (1940s pop song), Lee Hazlewood – Nancy Sinatra hit “Did You Ever? (Bobby Braddock) and an infectious “I’ll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)” plus bubbly cut “If You Don’t, Somebody Else Will”. All of this and more before the Jones boy pours out his heart and soul opens album closer “Keep The Change”; as for Tammy her voice on the record possesses a beautiful buoyancy and is totally class. Make no mistake this was the lady at her best and Jones at his sharpest too (even though his solo efforts that followed during for him the troubled 1980s were a mite special too!).
Maurice Hope