this CD's sound is the fault of the record label. if a different one did this, it would probably sound better. the songs are all previously released, so George wasn't singing badly! the people who did the CD messed up.

We are avid fans of Jones and If this is him singing I am very disapointed in him for recording such good songs on such a poor quality tape. Surely he doesn't need the money this badly. I will say I learned my lesson about buying cheap tapes. His picture on the front is misleading . I will be very careful in the future about buying tapes by this company .

Ignore the other two reviews about this CD. Direct Source is not at fault with the quality of these recordings of the young George Jones. All of these recordings are from Satrday, the first label that George was at, but track 11 is actually none other than Roger Miller, who started at Starday when George signed onto Mercury Records in 1957.

There are also three recording that "The Possum" made under two pseudonyms. Tracks 5 and 6 are under the pseudonym "Thumper Jones". George knew these rockabilly recordings, along with two more songs, wouldn't make it, and created Thumper, named after the rabbit from Bambi, so they wouldn't ruin his reputation. Track 12 was recorded under the pseudonym Hank Smith.

These recordings span from January 1954, when George Jones started at Starday Records, to possibly his last days at the label in 1956. Some of these songs are crystal clear; some are not, as the mixing boards may have not been set right to the acoustics of the rooms the songs were recorded in. If you are a true fan of George Jones' early material, then this low-priced compact disc is the one for you. I give this cd four stars because numbers five and twelve are the worst recordings on there; the rest, you can tell that George was trying to find his true voice.