George Jones: Cold Hard Truth

In the wake of a near-death experience that announced to the world his fall from the wagon, it might have been inevitable that George Jones' first album for Asylum, arriving 40 years after his first single, would be overlooked. Jones has apparently recovered, but it's unfortunate that this summer's events would obscure an album of such obvious worth. As some have said of Tom Waits' great Mule Variations, Cold Hard Truth sounds like a greatest-hits collection made up entirely of new material. Working with producer Keith Stegall and an impeccable selection of songs, Cold Hard Truth is a no-nonsense, no-frills, hardcore country album that confirms Jones' still-powerful artistry. "I've had choices / since the day that I was born," Jones sings on the opening track "Choices," setting the stage for an album dealing with the classic country themes of sin, redemption, love, and loneliness. "Our Bed Of Roses," in which Jones mourns a dead wife, and "When The Last Curtain Falls" take on added resonance in light of recent events in Jones' life. But even without it, there's no denying the power of these performances. In classic Jones style, Cold Hard Truth alternates between steel-guitar weepers and honky-tonk rave-ups, but aside from the I'm-your-man sentiments of "Real Deal," the up-tempo numbers sound as unflinching as the heartbreaking title track, one of the finest moments of Jones' career. Asylum asked him to make "the record he would have done 20 years ago if he had been sober." He didn't quite do it: Though you wouldn't know it, the vocals on Cold Hard Truth were not those intended for the final album, the recording of the final sessions aborted by Jones' accident. It was another case of his life getting in the way of his music, but the music won in the end, as usual.