Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Language available : english
The Battle, from 1976, is one of the most confusing records George Jones ever released. And, like many records from his mid-'70s period with Epic, it's an effort as inspired and emotionally satisfying as anything he has done. While nothing touches The Grand Tour musically, The Battle is nonetheless a gorgeous record. Released immediately after Memories of Us, the first postdivorce album the singer and his producer Billy Sherrill made after the Jones/Tammy Wynette divorce was over, The Battle is the more poignant of the two because while its title suggested a concept album, it is anything but. In fact, it's an exercise in the conflict of emotions from sadness and loss, denial, anger, and grace. And everything here is a love song. There's "The Battle" itself, which tells the story. It begins with a string section and snare drums playing the refrain from "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," and as a piano enters on top of the snares, Jones is telling the story of his regret for his ruthlessness and for winning the battle, but he loses to himself in the war. The mixed emotions in "I Can't Get Over What Lovin' You Has Done" and "Baby, There's Nothing Like You" are in the classic Jones ballad style before the rambling rounder honky tonk of "The Nighttime (And My Baby)" and "I'll Come Back," two jumping country tunes that reflect an unwillingness to surrender the inevitable. But "Wean Me" sums it all up: "If you can still believe/Take this bottle from my hand and wean me/I've got a feeling with your help/I still might be a man/Take this bottle from my hand and wean me." Too little, too late, and Jones sings it like he wishes it were still possible. "Love Coming Down" offers more self-recrimination and begs for another opportunity, and again it's sung from the other side: the past. It's a devastating track, one that sums up not only the marriage with Wynette, but Jones' entire life up to that point. Sherrill's use of he pedal steel here, which is constant in the song, adds to the depth and dimension of the lyrics. The album closes with "I Still Sing the Old Songs" by David Allan Coe, with a fiddle mournfully playing "Red River Valley" and "Dixie" in the background, and the story is one of continuance, forbearance, and the willingness to continue and move through whatever has befallen the protagonist and "rise again." And he's still rising.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From 12,49€/month
N. Wilson, Composer, Lyricist - G. RICHEY, Composer, Lyricist - L. Kimball, Composer, Lyricist - BILLY SHERRILL, Producer - GEORGE JONES, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - M.C. Rather, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1976 Sony Music Entertainment
J. EMERSON, Composer - BILLY SHERRILL, Producer - GEORGE JONES, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
(P) 1976 Sony Music Entertainment
GEORGE JONES, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - B. Sherrill, Producer - G. Jones, Composer - E. Montgomery, Composer
(P) 1975 Sony Music Entertainment
C. Putnam, Composer - S. Pippin, Composer - GEORGE JONES, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - B. Sherrill, Producer - M. KOSSER, Composer
(P) 1974 Sony Music Entertainment
N. Wilson, Composer - C. Taylor, Composer - GEORGE JONES, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - B. Sherrill, Producer - J. Stampley, Composer
(P) 1974 Sony Music Entertainment
BILLY SHERRILL, Producer - GEORGE JONES, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - E. Montgomery, Composer
(P) 1976 Sony Music Entertainment
T. Wynette, Composer - GEORGE JONES, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - B. Sherrill, Producer - G. Jones, Composer
(P) 1974 Sony Music Entertainment
Jerry Chestnut, Composer - BILLY SHERRILL, Producer - GEORGE JONES, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
(P) 1974 Sony Music Entertainment
H. Cochran, Composer - G. MARTIN, Composer - GEORGE JONES, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - B. Sherrill, Producer
(P) 1974 Sony Music Entertainment
D.A. Coe, Composer - BILLY SHERRILL, Producer - GEORGE JONES, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
(P) 1974 Sony Music Entertainment
Albumbeschreibung
The Battle, from 1976, is one of the most confusing records George Jones ever released. And, like many records from his mid-'70s period with Epic, it's an effort as inspired and emotionally satisfying as anything he has done. While nothing touches The Grand Tour musically, The Battle is nonetheless a gorgeous record. Released immediately after Memories of Us, the first postdivorce album the singer and his producer Billy Sherrill made after the Jones/Tammy Wynette divorce was over, The Battle is the more poignant of the two because while its title suggested a concept album, it is anything but. In fact, it's an exercise in the conflict of emotions from sadness and loss, denial, anger, and grace. And everything here is a love song. There's "The Battle" itself, which tells the story. It begins with a string section and snare drums playing the refrain from "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," and as a piano enters on top of the snares, Jones is telling the story of his regret for his ruthlessness and for winning the battle, but he loses to himself in the war. The mixed emotions in "I Can't Get Over What Lovin' You Has Done" and "Baby, There's Nothing Like You" are in the classic Jones ballad style before the rambling rounder honky tonk of "The Nighttime (And My Baby)" and "I'll Come Back," two jumping country tunes that reflect an unwillingness to surrender the inevitable. But "Wean Me" sums it all up: "If you can still believe/Take this bottle from my hand and wean me/I've got a feeling with your help/I still might be a man/Take this bottle from my hand and wean me." Too little, too late, and Jones sings it like he wishes it were still possible. "Love Coming Down" offers more self-recrimination and begs for another opportunity, and again it's sung from the other side: the past. It's a devastating track, one that sums up not only the marriage with Wynette, but Jones' entire life up to that point. Sherrill's use of he pedal steel here, which is constant in the song, adds to the depth and dimension of the lyrics. The album closes with "I Still Sing the Old Songs" by David Allan Coe, with a fiddle mournfully playing "Red River Valley" and "Dixie" in the background, and the story is one of continuance, forbearance, and the willingness to continue and move through whatever has befallen the protagonist and "rise again." And he's still rising.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:28:37
- Main artists: George Jones
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Columbia - Legacy
- Genre: Blues/country/folk Country
(P) 1976 Sony Music Entertainment
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.