Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 18, 1995 TAG: 9502220035
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: C-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
OK, maybe on disc. Jones has released a series of some of his best work in years. And his ``greatest country singer alive'' voice is still intact.
But in concert, is Jones really better than ever?
Judging from his concert Friday night at the Salem Civic Center, yes and no.
At least, at age 63, he's up there after that dark period in his life and career that earned him his nickname, "No-Show" Jones, because he spent more time on the bottle than on stage. And when he steps up to the microphone, he can still drop a tear into a beer like nobody else.
He proved it again Friday before an adoring audience of 4,008. The standout weepers included, ``He Stopped Loving Her Today,'' ``Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes,'' ``A Good Year For The Roses'' and ``A Picture of Me (Without You).''
Pass the tissues.
Unfortunately, Jones also gave essentially the same show he came here with a year ago. Both shows were noteworthy for the amount of time Jones spent not singing - at least he's consistent.
Throughout his hour-long set, he rested and let his band take center stage for nearly half of the songs. The cover songs his band filled in with were even the same ones from last year.
About the only difference from last year's show was, in the end, the ticket price: Last year, it was $18.50; this year, $21.50.
Second on the bill Friday night was ``hard-working'' Aaron Tippin.
Characteristically, he arrived on stage from inside a rolling, smoking tool cabinet like you might find in a garage - only without the smoke.
Tippin carried a plumber's plunger and wore a yellow hard hat, tool belt and coveralls. He fetched his microphone from a tool box.
``Friends, I came here to work,'' he howled. Tippin does a lot of howling.
When he talks to the audience, he howls. When he sings, he howls. Even on slow songs, he howls. Really, it's a one-note, good-time party boy persona that is like getting drunk. It seems funny at the time, but the next morning, you wonder, ``What was I thinking?''
Through his 45-minute set, he was the ultimate ham, almost a hilarious parody of himself - only he wasn't joking.
The audience loved it.
Martinsville-born and bred Clinton Gregory opened Friday's show with a rock-solid set of country rock, without the pumped-up, over-the-top antics of Tippin. And although he doesn't have the authentic hillbilly voice of Jones, at least he maintained a pulse through every song during his half-hour set.
Importantly, too, Gregory showed a natural, easy-going stage charm that in today's world of country music should help his rising star. For Gregory, you could tell it wasn't all just show-biz put-on.
But then, what do you expect from a good ol' Martinsville boy?
by CNB