George Jones
It Don’t Get Any Better Than This (MCA)
The recent death of Tammy Wynette served as a reminder that giants still do walk the Earth in Nashville, even if those few left can’t get their records played on the radio. George Jones, Wynette’s former husband and collaborator, is one of those musical legends who can’t buy his way on to “new country” playlists but remains one of the most compelling artists working today. True, “It Don’t Get Any better Than This” doesn’t break new ground, but every cut on the album will strike a chord with longtime fans, as Jones sticks close to the basics and revisits many familiar themes. Nothing is quite so mournful as the steel-guitar wail that accompanies a Jones ballad, and he delivers the goods in “Don’t Touch Me,” “When Did You Stop Lovin’ Me” and “No Future for Me in Your Past.”