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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jones Rides "Harley" into Rich Country Terrain, March 4, 2004
Prime Cuts: Two Hearts, I'll Give It to You, My Hat's Off to HimDue to the lack of supervision, some independent records can give in to artistic indulgence resulting in songs that have little or no commercial appeal. Also, the shoe-string budget of such products might result in lackluster production and song quality. However, such fears can be laid to rest when it comes to D-Records, Zona Jones' debut effort. With such heavyweights like Bryon Gallimore (producer for Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Jo Dee Messina, Teresa Harris and so on) and Randy Boudreaux on the helm, "Harleys and Roses" is a well produced album worthy of abundant accolades. And with the right promotion, it could be commercially explosive. "Harleys and Roses" fills a lacuna country radio has yet to fill in recent years-earthy, honest to life songs infused with the traditional soundings of the fiddle and some tasty steel guitars. Facially Jones looks a little like former BNA records artist Doug Supernaw. Vocally, Jones' tenor timbre augmented with a deep southern drawl reminds one of Tracy Lawrence and to a lesser extent, Clint Black or Mark Chesnutt. After paying his dues in the smoky bars in Nashville and keeping his day job as a lawyer for years, this debut album truly is a labor of love. And a labor of love it truly is! 5 out of the 13 tracks here are covers. Such covers were well selected as they were not overtly recognizable. Further, Jones added his own signature to them, claiming their ownership. The best of the covers is an old Doug Stone chestnut, "My Hat's Off to Him." A gentle ballad sung from the perspective of a dejected lover, Jones' performance here is par excellence--filled with verve and passion. In contrast, "Honky Tonk Baby," a former minor hit for country group Ricochet, is an effervescent love ditty. Something you would expect from a George Strait repertoire. Also, Lionel Cartwright's "In My Eyes," a song of unwavering devotion, is noteworthy. However, I was less enthuse about Jones' cover of Turner Nichols' "Harleys and Roses" and Keith Gattis' "Back in My Arms." Both of which are not offensive, but a little redundant. Amongst the originals, the Texas shuffle "Two Hearts" finds Jones in a more romantic light. The same goes for beautiful "I'll Give It to you." On the other hand, proving that his time spent in honky tonks was not in vain, "A Whiskey Kind of Way" and "One Fool on a Stool" are so country that you can almost swear you could smell the saw dust and the poured whiskey. The title of the lead single "House of Negotiable Affections" may sound like a philosophical treatise, but in reality, it's a Friday night country party romp. Though I find it a little pedestrian; truth be told, "Honky Tonk Baby" might be a better contender for the debut single prestige. Bottom line, if you are tired of the Nashpop and you want your ears to be tingled by some unadulterated country music that is still commercially viable, "Harleys and Roses" is my hearty recommendation. "Harleys and Roses" is country music that would make the giants of country music like George Strait and Alan Jackson proud!
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~ Lady Antebellum
~ Dean Brody
~ Ashton Shepherd
~ Kevin Fowler
~ George Strait
by Zona Jones 
