Friends in High Places (George Jones album)
{{Infobox album
| name = Friends in High Places
| type = Studio album
| artist = George Jones
| cover = FriendsinHighPlaces.jpg
| alt =
| released = March 12, 1991
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Country
| length = 27:52
| label = Epic
| producer = Billy Sherrill
| prev_title = You Oughta Be Here with Me
| prev_year = 1990
| next_title = And Along Came Jones
| next_year = 1991
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Friends in High Places
| type = Studio
| single1 = If I Could Bottle This Up
| single1date = September 3, 1988
| single2 = All Fall Down
| single2date = February 1991
}}
}}
Friends in High Places is an album of duets by the American country music artist George Jones, released in 1991.{{cite journal |last1=Nash |first1=Alanna |title=Friends in High Places by George Jones |journal=Stereo Review |date=Jul 1991 |volume=56 |issue=7 |page=68}}{{cite news |last1=Hamel |first1=Chris |title=Country stars keep shining |work=The Republican |date=March 21, 1991 |location=Springfield |page=W4}} It was Jones's final studio album for Epic Records.{{cite news |last1=Hurst |first1=Jack |title=In the wake of his signing with MCA... |work=Edmonton Journal |date=3 Feb 1991 |page=C8}}
The album peaked at No. 72 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart.{{cite web |title=George Jones |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/george-jones/chart-history/tlp/ |website=Billboard |access-date=27 January 2023}} "A Few Ole Country Boys", a duet with Randy Travis, was a country music hit.{{cite news |last1=Sharpe |first1=Jerry |title=Entertainment |work=The Pittsburgh Press |date=March 17, 199 |page=J2}}
Production
The album was produced by Billy Sherrill. Its title was inspired by the hit single by Garth Brooks, "Friends in Low Places".{{cite news |last1=Anderson |first1=John |title=George Jones and Friends |work=Newsday |date=17 Mar 1991 |department=Part II |page=13}}
Critical reception
{{Album reviews
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web |title=Friends in High Places Review by Rovi Staff |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/friends-in-high-places-mw0000266961 |website=AllMusic |access-date=27 January 2023}}
|rev2 = Calgary Herald
|rev2score = D{{cite news |last1=King |first1=Frank |title=Recent Releases |work=Calgary Herald |date=31 Mar 1991 |page=F5}}
}}
The Calgary Herald noted that Jones "simply overwhelms bland singers, like Ricky Van Shelton, or forces them to become shrill, like Shelby Lynne." The Dallas Morning News wrote that most of the tracks "are overproduced throwaways in which the singers' interplay is so perfunctory that George might as well be faxing in his harmonies."{{cite news |last1=Maurstad |first1=Tom |title=Albums |work=The Dallas Morning News |date=April 3, 1991 |page=5C}}
Track listing
{{tracklist
| extra_column = Duet partner
| title1 = A Few Ole Country Boys
| writer1 = Troy Seals, Mentor Williams
| extra1 = Randy Travis
| length1 = 3:37
| title2 = All Fall Down
| writer2 = Harlan Howard, Ron Peterson
| extra2 = Emmylou Harris
| length2 = 3:18
| title3 = Fiddle and Guitar Band
| writer3 = Charlie Daniels
| extra3 = Charlie Daniels
| length3 = 2:25
| title4 = All That We've Got Left
| writer4 = Buddy Cannon, Vern Gosdin, Russell Smith
| extra4 = Vern Gosdin
| length4 = 2:57
| title5 = Love's Gonna Live Here
| writer5 = Buck Owens
| extra5 = Buck Owens
| length5 = 1:58
| title6 = If I Could Bottle This Up
| writer6 = Dean Dillon, Paul Overstreet
| extra6 = Shelby Lynne
| length6 = 3:11
| title7 = I've Been There
| writer7 = Tim Mensy
| extra7 = Tim Mensy
| length7 = 2:22
| title8 = You Can't Do Wrong and Get By
| writer8 = Larry Cordle, Jim Rushing
| extra8 = Ricky Skaggs
| length8 = 2:41
| title9 = It Hurts as Much in Texas (As It Did in Tennessee)
| writer9 = Dennis Knutson, A. L. Owens
| extra9 = Ricky Van Shelton
| length9 = 2:22
| title10 = Traveller's Prayer
| writer10 = Gretchen Peters
| extra10 = Sweethearts of the Rodeo
| length10 = 3:01
}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.georgejones.com/ George Jones' Official Website]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070403204132/http://www.epiccenter.com/ Record Label]
{{George Jones}}
{{Authority control}}