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I AM WHAT I AM
George Jones
(Sony)
We were talking about No-Show Jones.
This is his best, again released on the awesome American Milestones series, a must for anyone confused by the limp hydra that is modern country.
Released in 1980 as a comeback, Jones had survived his divorce from Tammy Wynette and a lot of rehab.
I Am What I Am is one of the saddest albums in country. He Stopped Loving Her Today, If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will) and I've Aged Twenty Years in Five are all wonderful, heartbreaking songs sung with the serious authority of a man who just keeps screwing up. And while Jones is no Rhodes Scholar, he sure knows how to get around a sad song.
This is the best he ever was, though by no means was this the only legendary recording he did. I always go on about Johnny Cash, but Cash's self-made enigmatic aura seems trite when compared to the genuine sloppy sorrow of Jones.
Buy this album if you don't already own it. The bonus tracks are extra incentive and though they remove the old "punchline" of having Bone Dry at the end, they keep the tone pure.
Do it!
Track Listing
1. He Stopped Loving Her Today
2. I've Aged Twenty Years In Five
3. Brother To The Blues
4. If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)
5. His Lovin' Her Is Gettin' In My Way
6. I'm Not Ready Yet
7. I'm The One She Missed Him With Today
8. Good Hearted Woman
9. A Hard Act To Follow
10. Bone Dry
11. I'm A Fool For Loving Her
12. Am I Losing Your Memory Or Mine?
13. The Ghost Of Another Man
14. It's All In My Mind