"I'm Not Ready Yet", which like "He Stopped Loving Her Today" includes a recitation, peaked at number 2 on the charts. The singer even got one of his own songs, "A Hard Act To Follow", on the album, which he wrote with Earl Montgomery, and finally recorded his own version of the country classic "Good Hearted Woman". There was no information provided in the liner notes on the four bonus tracks added to the 2000 Legacy CD edition other than songwriting credits for three of the four songs, with "Am I Losing Your Memory or Mine?" credited to "writer unknown", and stating all four were "previously unreleased". There was no mention of when these songs were originally recorded. Reception I Am What I Am peaked at number 7 on the Billboard country album charts, his first top 10 album in five years, and even appeared on the Billboard Top 200 at 132. The phoenix-like reemergence of Jones only made the performances of the songs more captivating for listeners, as Glen Gass observed in 2000: "I Am What I Am is music from the abyss. The 1980 album was released at a time when George Jones seemed as likely to die than resurrect his career, after a personal disintegration that shocked even his most hardcore friends and fans." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic raves "the production is commercial without being slick, the songs are balanced between aching ballads and restrained honky tonk numbers, and Jones gives a nuanced, moving performance...like the best country music, these are lived-in songs that are simple, direct, and emotionally powerful, even with the smooth production." Sputnikmusic calls the album "As raw as the cheapest whiskey, as pretty as the girl you can’t forget...George took his tenor, along with the mainstay Country music themes of drinking and heartbreak, and made the entire genre his own." Amazon.com calls it "an unassailable classic of modern country music." Track listing Personnel George Jones – vocals Billy Sanford – guitar Pete Wade – guitar Phil Baugh – guitar Pete Drake – pedal steel guitar Henry Strzelecki – bass guitar Jerry Carrigan – drums Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano Charlie McCoy – harmonica Bob Moore – upright bass Bob Wray – bass guitar Charts Weekly charts Year-end charts Certifications References 1980 albums George Jones albums Epic Records albums Albums produced by Billy Sherrill