The Rock (Stone Cold Country) is the new release from George Jones off the BMG label. It is another solid album from The Possum. George has a few friends joining him on this project. There is a rousing duet with Garth Brooks, you can hear the distinctive voice of Patty Loveless helping with background vocals and Stuart Duncan lends his fiddle and Mandolin skills. George continues to establish the fact that the experienced artists can more than hold their own with the new crop of rising stars.

"The Rock" is the title track of the album. It is classic George Jones. He compares his life with her to "a rock." Like a rock, he has stood by her through life's trials and tribulations. Like a rock, he can sink in the sand. She says that like a rock, he is dragging her down. So he says that like a rock, he is going to roll away and let her live her life. Makes you really think about the work involved to keep a marriage rock solid on the part of BOTH parties.

"50,000 Names" is a song about the Veteran's Memorial - The Wall. It talks about the many different things that are left by the wall. There is everything from combat boots, to flowers, to teddy bears. There are Fathers, Uncles, Brothers and Sons on the wall. Families come to visit and you see fathers with their children, playing ball by the wall. There are people having picnics and there are people just sitting and reflecting about what could have been. It makes you realize that life does go on no matter what may happen.

"The Man He Was" is probably my favorite song on the album. Although this is a tough choice to make as all of the cuts are great. It is a really catchy tune that is a tribute from a son to his dad. His dad was from the country and proud of it. One of the frequent phrases you will hear is, "That's the way he was, my ol' man." The extremely catchy chorus goes, "He could drink like a fish, smoke like a fiend, never got drunk and never got mean. Strong as an ox, worked like a dog, hard as a rock and slept like a log. The only man my mama ever loved, that's my dad and that's the man he was."

"I Got Everything" is an upbeat tune. It is somewhat of a different sound from George. He has his girl and his guitar. That is all he needs to keep him happy.

"Half Over You" is more classic George. He's seen rock bottom and sailed to the top. He knows that the relationship is over but says, "There's no place so lonely as half over you." He is having a hard time letting go and moving on even though he knows he needs to. He is going through the motions of returning to normal life.

"I Am" is basically a song drawing attention to the fact that each and every one of us is human. No matter what people may see on the outside, we are all human and all make mistakes. He says, "The Good Lord made me a man - and I am."

"Around Here" is a fast moving song that points out that life in the city is fundamentally different from life in the country. He comes from the city and falls for a country girl. He goes about courting her the "city" way. She won't give him a second look. He is told that things are different around here. You need to say, "yes ma'am, no ma'am, treat her like a lady. Open the door for her and take things slow." You need to trade the suit for a pair of jeans. That is the way things are done in the country. It is a fun little song.

The bottom line: This is a great album from George Jones. He continues to release great material with the potential to become "Classic," while lending his talents to many other artists. You just never know when, where or with whom you will hear the vocal talents of George Jones. When it comes to his albums, he seems to have a knack for picking material that just sounds "right." New and old fans alike will enjoy this latest release.

Song List:

1. The Rock
2. Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In (With Garth Brooks)
3. Wood And Fire
4. 50,000 Names
5. The Man He Was
6. I Got Everything
7. Half Over You
8. I Am
9. Honey Hush
10. Around Here
11. What I Didn't Do
12. Tramp On Your Street

Audio clips courtesy of Amazon
All graphics © Shelly Fabian, with the exception of the album cover, used with permission of Bandit Records