Merle Haggard and George Jones. 11/4/2008

In my recent blog, “Merle Haggard, who’s she?” I mentioned that I admired Merle greatly and that he would be high, very high indeed among my most favourite singers, along with some other “Singer/songwriters, even when their singing (Like Merles) is not the purest I have heard.” Yes Merle’s voice is not the purest in my humble opinion, but he uses it to its full advantage on the songs he both sings and writes.

Another of the same era and of similar, if slightly lesser stature in Country Music’s Hall of Fame is George Jones. George is also still around, and performing. George however never quite received the same exposure on Australian/Melbourne Radio as Merle in his younger days. Thus although I had heard of him I had never really heard George Jones as such that I would have known his music or singing style. Sure heard of Him, but not knowingly heard him. This changed a few years back when I saw a cheap Cassette of his Greatest Hits for sale for 50 cents. Which I brought, only because he had two of Merle’s songs on it and I wanted to hear how they sounded coming from someone else other than the writer, who always in my humble opinion, has the edge.

Well listening to the Tape I found I quite liked George’s singing (and now have a couple of His CD’s. Yes! Only Greatest Hits! And Cheapie’s too!). However, listening to George, I was taken by two things. First his voice was much clearer and purer than Merle’s and quite enjoyable. Yes quite enjoyable, when he didn’t sing Merle’s songs, that is! On Merle’s two songs, a pure sweet singing voice was inappropriate and completely out of place. It really did need a gravely voice to sing a gravely song like Merles two there.

So although I like and admire the talent of both singers, Merle is high up there in my pantheon of top singers, but George would be lucky to make my top 50 of all-time favourites.

The lesson in this is not to be too occupied by being the purest and best but to always give your best and in everything put your whole heart and soul into it.

So don’t always go for the purest and sweetest*, but go with what is appropriate for the task you want it to perform. What say you?

* Having implied that their voices were like Chalk and Cheese, you might like me, be surprised to learn that they have produced an album of Duets together during their careers. Unfortunately I have not heard any tracks from it to say how they blend together.