The World Famous Ultimate Twang: George Jones "You've Still Got A Place In My Heart" Classic Album Review

Greetings from Asheville, where good music is always on the turntable, or in the CD player. Today’s Classic Album Review pulls a long play from the stack of the legendary George Jones, one of his estimated sixty-plus albums of original material. Released in May, 1984, by Epic Records, You’ve Still Got A Place In My Heart would climb as high as seventeen on the bestseller lists. Only one single, the title cut, was released from the album, a somewhat unusual happening on albums, by the 1980′s.

The title cut opens this collection. An old Leon Payne written song that previously had been a Country 20 hit for Con Hunley, as well as a pop single for Dean Martin, George’s version, to this point, has been the only top ten version, climbing as high as number three in the Spring of 1984. Great ballad, perfectly suited for George, and one of his more underrated hit.

“From Strangers, To Lovers, To Friends” is also a vintage George Jones-style song. Fine performance, of course, makes an otherwise ordinary song, that much better.

“The Second Time Around” is another okay ballad; again, the song itself, is nothing particularly special (an okay piece), but, again, when you have George Jones singing, even a most ordinary number is elevated two or three notches.

“Come Sundown” was a 1971 top ten hit for Bobby Bare, and George gives a really nice interpretation, here. George’s incredible ability to get to the heart with his vocal is really apparent, here. You like George, you’ll like this track.

Side one ends with George’s take on the song “Even The Bad Times Are Good”, which Jerry Wallace had a single on, back in 1964. George’s version, in my opinion, was single-worthy. Good way to end the first side.

Side two opens with a song that George wrote and became Moon Mullican’s final hit in 1961, “I’m Ragged But I’m Right”. A bouncy track, in fact, the first up tempo piece on the album. A light-hearted, fun piece that is enjoyable to listen to.

Perhaps the most interesting cover on the album is George’s take on the 1954 T. Texas Tyler hit, “Courtin’ In The Rain”. Kind of a goofy piece, yet if you like George’s novelty work like ‘I’m A People” or “Nothing Ever Hurt Me (Half As Bad As Losing You)”, then you’ll like it.

“Love Shine” is a novelty-ish track that falls into a similar vein of “Love Bug”, with a little “White Lightin’ mixed in. Not nearly as strong as those two Jones classics, but still not a terrible track.

One of the album’s best cuts would be George’s take on the early John Anderson hit, “Your Lying Blue Eyes”. I really like this track. Good, solid country music.

The album’s wrap-up track is also pretty decent, “Learning To Do Without Me” is pure George Jones at his best. A medium-slow song that is full of heartache, but not morbidly so. George nails it, as usual.

This album’s been out of print for several year, but you can find used copies with a little searching. Most I saw were around $10.

The title cut gets the Standout Track nod, while I have to give “Your Lying Blue Eyes” the Hidden Gem. Weakest Track? “The Second Time Around” is a pretty ordinary track, though again, with George Jones singing, it’s elevated in terms of quality. But the song, itself, is weaker than the other nine.

Overall, this is an okay, not spectacular album. After checking the release date of it, compared to it’s predecessor (Jones Country, released in October, 1983) and it’s follow-up (Ladies Choice, released in September, 1984), one has to wonder if this album was merely, at least in the eyes of Epic Records, a filler between the two, rather than release another single from Jones Country. Still, it’s not a bad album, though not nearly the best of George Jones’ extensive discography, but still worth an occasional listen. I rate it a 3 out of 5.

Your thoughts?

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