Country Music Hall of Fame

Country Music Hall Of Fame (Series), Grandpa Jones | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 28, 1992)
• Original Release Date: April 28, 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mca Special Products
• ASIN: B000002OKF
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #190,432 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great banjo-led folk-country music, January 12, 2005

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Country Music Hall of Fame (Audio CD)

Grandpa Jones recorded for several different record labels and often re-recorded his old songs. In the thirties, he was nicknamed Grandpa aged just 22 because of his general outlook and his old-sounding voice.

In the late forties, Grandpa achieved great success with Mountain dew, Eight more miles to Louisville and Old rattler, while signed to King records. He switched to RCA in 1952 and made some great music for them before switching to Decca in 1956. This CD contains everything that Grandpa recorded for Decca between 1956 and 1959 - just fifteen studio tracks and one live recording.

Here you will find re-recordings of some of his earlier country hits with King (Mountain dew, Eight more miles to Louisville, Dark as a dungeon) along with songs about dogs and hunting (Rattler's pup, The hunting's over for tonight, Old Towzer).

Grandpa had a sense of humor, never clearer than in Don't bring your banjo home, an adaptation of Johnny Cash's Don't take your guns to town, and Daylight saving time, about changing the clocks in October (a debate that still endures). Grandpa clearly liked Johnny's early music - he also recorded a straight cover of Picking time. Another great cover is Waiting for a train, originally by Jimmie Rodgers, Grandpa's first musical idol.

After his spell with Decca, Grandpa recorded for Monument (1960 to 1973) and CMH (1976 to 1981) where he continued to make great music, albeit in a somewhat different style, more folk than country.

If you enjoy old-time country or folk music, especially if you like Pete Seeger (another banjo-picking singer), you might enjoy Grandpa's music. But if you want the original versions of his country hits, look for a compilation of his King recordings.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classiest Grandpa Jones collection available., December 4, 2003

By 

Cory L. Schwent (Bloomsdale, MO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Country Music Hall of Fame (Audio CD)

First off, the music here is from his time on Decca Records in the 1950's, in fact this is his entire Decca output (excluding one lost song). Now, Grandpa's most well known recordings are were on King Records, and his chart hits were on Monument Records.

The booklet is very well done, and the essay is great. Recording dates are included.

Probably the best cut is a live version of "Cindy" from the Grand Ole Opry, with Ray Price introducing Grandpa.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grandpa's late-'50s Decca sides still sound great, October 12, 2004

By 

Scott MacGillivray (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Country Music Hall of Fame (Audio CD)

Country-music master Grandpa Jones recorded prolifically for several different labels; this CD represents his entire output for Decca Records (1956-59). This writer was pleasantly surprised by what a consistent performer Jones was: the 1958 rendition of "Mountain Dew" heard here is almost precisely the same as his 1971 performance on "Hee Haw," right down to the ad-libbed humming during one of the banjo breaks.

The CD features traditional country ballads (with Jones leading a close-harmony vocal arrangement); up-tempo banjo specialties with Grandpa's infectiously genial solo vocals ("Mountain Dew" is a highlight); and sometimes a happy combination of the two styles ("The Huntin's Over for Tonight" is a glorious hootenanny that you'll enjoy again and again, with Jones leading the whole gang). There are also some tongue-in-cheek selections: "Daylight Saving Time" has Grandpa railing against monkeying with the clocks, and he practically spits out the title phrase contemptuously; "The All-American Boy," the story of a backwoods kid who became a rock-and-roll sensation, seems an odd choice for Grandpa Jones, but he sings it in character with chip-on-the-shoulder cockiness.

This collection could have used "Old Rattler" and some of Grandpa's other tunes, but it is confined to the Decca sessions. It does include an unissued track, a live recording, and a rare side issued only as a 45-rpm single. Those who know Grandpa's vocals on "Hee Haw" will not be disappointed by this CD.