50 Years of Hits by George Jones

Personnel: George Jones (vocals, guitar); Melba Montgomery (vocals); Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Merle Haggard, Randy Travis, Tammy Wynette, Waylon Jennings. Liner Note Author: George Jones. Even the title of the three-disc George Jones collection 50 YEARS OF HITS should be enough to tell you that the man being anthologized is one of the all-time giants of country music. A towering influence on all that followed him, not only in country but in rock and pop as well, Jones started out in the 1950s as a Hank Williams-influenced honky-tonk man who wasn't afraid of a little rockabilly either (the Hank influence is clearly audible on such early tracks as "Just One More"). By the '60s, he'd refined his approach, taking a bit from the jazz-inflected style of Lefty Frizzell and becoming a striking balladeer. "She Thinks I Still Care" and "Color of the Blues" stand as templates for how to sing a country ballad. For most performers, that would have been enough, but Jones never stopped turning out heart-stopping per...