Bargain Audio CDs & Priceless Collection (series)

One

by Tammy Wynette (with George Jones)

Product Description:

Personnel: George Jones, Tammy Wynette (vocals); Randy Scruggs, Mac McAnally, Brian Ahern (acoustic guitar); Steve Gibson, Brent Mason (guitar); Paul Franklin, John Hughey (pedal steel); Richard Bailey, Jr. (banjo); Glen Duncan, Stuart Duncan, Randy Howard (fiddle); Hargus "Pig" Robbins, Matt Rollings, Steven Nathan, David Briggs (keyboards); Roy Huskey, Jr. (acoustic bass); Harold Bradley, Glenn Worf (bass); Eddie Bayers, Owen Hale (drums); John Wesley Ryles, Curtis Young, Liana Manis, Louis D. Nunley, Jennifer O'Brien (background vocals).

Includes liner notes by Marty Stuart.

The first new duet album from the "King and Queen of Country Music" in 15 years, ONE was eagerly anticipated at the time of its 1995 release and, while perhaps not quite living up to expectations, it compares favorably to the duo's earlier work. Both artists sing very well, especially considering their age and Tammy's poor health (she died a few years after the release of this album). The production remains true to the "countrypolitan" sound that helped make the duo's earlier collaborations (and much of Tammy's solo work) so successful.

If there's a problem here, it's the songs. Whether celebrating love or chronicling the singers' imminent breakup, in the old days George and Tammy songs were always emotionally charged, and not just because the lyrics often paralleled real life. Here the material is occasionally wistful, but more often it's just jokey or cliched. That said, there are a few good songs, notably the hilarious "If God Met You" (in which the narrator assures her chauvinist lover that God is a woman) and "Whatever Happened To Us," a pretty ballad that gives George an opportunity to show off his most pain-filled vocal stylings.