Customer Reviews

Burn Your Playhouse Down: The Unreleased Duets

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This duets CD from George Jones is essential hearing in my opinion. I gave the CD five stars because each and every duet is great. The duets range from 1977, 1988, 1994, and more recently 2006. The most recent recording, "You and Me and Time", is the kick off track. It is a duet with Georgette, his daughter with Tammy. Georgette in places sounds like Tammy. This isn't the first time the two have recorded together, though. If you've been a fan for decades like i have you'll all remember George and Georgette's song "Daddy Come Home" on the 1981 SAME OLE ME album. However, that recording took place when Georgette was 11 i think? This 12 song duet fest runs the gamut of emotions and besides the duet with his daughter another highlight is the 1977 duet with Tammy herself, "Lovin' You, Lovin' Me". It's a sing-a-long song in the tradition of "We Loved It Away". The fold-out cover features a picture of George and Tammy from 1977 and a picture of George and Georgette from 2006. Sonny Throckmorton is the credited songwriter of "Lovin' You, Lovin' Me". Georgette is listed as a co-writer of the song she sang with George. Keith Richards appears singing with George on the title track, "Burn Your Playhouse Down". The duet was recorded in 1994 and left off THE BRADLEY BARN SESSIONS. In fact, as i mentioned earlier, all of these duets with the exception of "You and Me and Time" were all recorded 14 years ago or more. The pace is slowed down on "When The Grass Grows Over Me" from the 1968 original. George and Mark Chesnutt trade lines on that recording. One of the other highlights among the many is the duet "Rockin Years" with Dolly Parton. This recording took place in 1988 and it's interesting that three years later the song would be a hit for Dolly and Ricky Van Shelton. Dolly's recording sounds similar to the way she sang it with Ricky in 1991...in fact, i wouldn't be surprised if Ricky didn't over-dub his voice in place of George's to create his and Dolly's recording. George sings the song very differently than Dolly and so you can hear George singing the song in a different melody while Dolly is singing in the style of which people will be more accustomed to. Another song from the 1988 era is "Tavern Choir" with songwriter Jim Lauderdale that has a good hand clapping feel to it. Having THE BRADLEY BARN SESSIONS as I do it's fun to hear the songs that were recorded for that project that didn't make the final cut. Marty Stuart appears on "You're Still On My Mind" with George but the cut that made the 1994 project was "I'm A One Woman Man". Marty and George really get into the lyrics of "You're Still On My Mind" with George doing even more vocal bending on this particular performance than any other on this CD. Guitarist Mark Knopfler appears on this CD on the track "I Always Get Lucky With You". The recording features George singing the first verse and chorus and Mark singing the close. Oh...another highlight is "I Always Get It Right With You", a duet from 1988 with Shelby Lynne. The two of them recorded a minor hit in 1988 called "If I Could Bottle This Up" and so "I Always Get It Right With You" came from that session. It might be just my ears but parts of that song sound similar in melody to Steve Wariner's hit "What I Didn't Do", which George himself recorded on his album THE ROCK in 2001. The picture of George on the front of the CD i believe is a 1978 picture? I've seen it before...it's in the box set THE ESSENTIAL GEORGE JONES...but i forget if it's a 1977 or 1978 picture. I hope this becomes a good seller for George...it has all the ingredients...and there's nothing like hearing unreleased material from vintage George Jones...and i know we're talking about mostly 1988 and 1994 recordings but vintage is certainly the way i describe these duets.

George Jones's latest disc "Burn Your Playhouse Down" is a collection of duets George has recorded between 1977 and 2006 but never released. Listening to this album you wonder WHY these were never released until now. The whole album is pure Jones country, but the highlight of the album is the duet between George and his daughter with Tammy Wynette, Georgette, "You And Me And Time". Georgette looks an awful lot like her mom and vocally she sounds more like LeeAnn Womack, but on the first line of the chorus she sounds a lot like Tammy. The other stand out tracks for me are the Ricky Scaggs, Vince Gill, Jim Lauderdale, Shelby Lynne and Mark Chesnutt tracks. The duet with Dolly Parton, "Rockin' Years" would later be redone with Ricky Van Shelton and would hit #1. A prior review suggests that Jones's original vocal may have just been edited out and Ricky Van Shelton's inserted, that's not the case, the version heard here is a completely different recording, Dolly's vocals included. The album wraps up with a lost duet with Tammy Wynette from 1977. Anytime a new Tammy song is uncovered it's a treat and this one is no exception.
If you like George Jones, or just great real country music, this is the disc for you.

The gentleman with the last review sums everything up nicely. This is George Jones, do you really need any other reason to buy it? Basically there is no bad George Jones song old or new. He is one of the greatest country singers ever! Every song on here is great especially his new duet with his daughter Georgette. I can't believe how much she looks like her mother Tammy Wynette. Just compare the side by side pictures on the inside of the CD cover and you'll see what I'm talking about. I took my Dad on Fathers Day a couple of years ago to see George Jones in concert and we still talk about that show to this day over some cold beers. This is a great album with great duets - BUY NOW!!!!!!!

I just got my CD this last week, and I've played it at least 20 times. There are very few singers in country music today who can convey emotion like George. He's paired on this album with some of the best country has to offer, and every song is a masterpiece. I'm amazed some of these weren't already released and counted as hits for him.

My favorite is "Lovin' You Lovin' Me" with Tammy Wynette. But I have "You and Me and Time", his duet with his daughter Georgette, stuck in my head. She sounds and looks so much like her mother! I also love the harmonies in "Selfishness in a Man" with Vince Gill.

If you're a George Jones fan, this is a rare new collection you will enjoy.

I would like to say that this CD is wonderful. I absolutely love Mark Chesnutt, and the song that he sang as a duet with George Jones, WHEN THE GRASS GROWS OVER ME. I had heard at the last Mark Chesnutt concert that we attended this summer. Their voices blended so well. I thought that the song he sang with his daughter Georgette was great, she sounds so much like her mom, Tammy Wynette. There was not one bad song on the CD. I truely enjoy listening to all of the music on the CD.
Jackie
Copemish, MI

All good songs with great performances. The opening track with daughter Georgette will stop any Jones/Wynette fan in their tracks. I've been getting a kick out of playing it for family and friends. The reactions range from goosebumps to just shaking their head in amazement. A most enjoyable and varied collection that will be in my rotation for a long time.

This is an amazing compilation of songs. George Jones is a treasure. worth it just for the title track with Keith Richards. It gets better though.

Big surprise from George and at least Georgette Jones.
Where has she been 'til now ?

First and foremost, I was totally devasted that this CD did NOT include a duet with TANYA TUCKER as was advertised. I've been waiting years to hear George and Tanya do a duet and this cd was promoted as having including one, but it did not!
Georgette's duet with her Dad was AWESOME! She does sound alot like her mother in some places, but she definately inherited the vocal talents from both parents. This is a fantastic song, and I hope Georgette will release her own album soon.
Georege's vocals are impeccable on this album. however, I think Ricky
Shelton did a better job on the duet with Dolly Parton on "Rockin' Years".
Tanya Tucker sang "Window Up Above" at George Jone's 75th Birthday tribute, and this would have been the best duet for George and Tanya. I'm so disappointed it didn't happen. I think it could have been released as a single and hit the top 10 on radio play. Leon Russell just didn't "cut the mustard" on this duet, in my opinion. Some of the other songs would have been better had he sang them with a female artist, such as, "I Always Get Lucky With You". And of course, the duet of he and Tammy was fabulous! Over all, I'm glad I purchased it, if for no other reason than to hear Georgette's voice, which is awesome. I was very disappointed he didn't do the duet as promised with Tanya.

I loved this album. It is George Jones at his best. I especially liked the duets with Leon Russel and Marty Stuart and "I Always Get Lucky With You" with Mark Knoffler (sp?) was most excellent!