George Jones Early Hits: The Starday Recordings CD

This seven-song CD opens with the driving 'Lizard On A Rock', which oddly enough was the last song written for the project. It features the guest vocals of Rose Reiter, and once it was added to the project, Robert knew he had the name for his first CD. 'Happenstance At Fire Mountain', the short breezy interlude at the end of the track, was also an afterthought and was recorded using Robert's home studio equipment. 'Save My Soul' rocks with full tilt conviction, due in part to the insightful lyrics that lend themselves to this song and the rest of the album in general. 'Ride With Me' is achingly beautiful with its shimmering guitars and after-hours mystique. You can almost hear the surf and smell the sea air. All of a sudden, you're playing for all the marbles. 'You Tear Me' takes us somewhere else with it's relentless riff and driving rhythm until we're deep in uncharted waters. Surprisingly enough, this is also new territory for Robert as he handles all the guitar chores on this particular track. 'Diary' has been in Robert's repertoire since 1983 but was always played in a decidedly acoustic setting. Theintricate acoustic guitar patterns mesh well with the string section and to see this song performed live with Robert on a ...