Search - George Jones :: Cup Of Loneliness: The Classic Mercury Years

The start of a long and distinguished career

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 02/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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

Matthew A. Evans | Louisville, Kentucky United States | 06/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

A ten-star album

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 12/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Nipping fast at the heels of Lefty Frizzell came young George Jones, whose first recordings in the mid-1950s had some of the sizzle of rockabilly, but were hard country all the way. It's hard to describe just how incredibly delicious this 2-CD set of his old stuff is. Recorded between 1954-61, these are some of the rawest, livliest, and yet most soulful honkytonk tunes ever burned into vinyl. Over the years, Jones became rightly known as country's greatest heartbreak balladeer, but these early uptempo tunes are also pretty amazing. This compilation is pure gold -- a true must-have collection!"