When
Waylon Jennings
hooked up with songwriter
Billy Joe Shaver
, he found the perfect author for his obsessions, his fascinations, and his very image.
Waylon
had always been looking, perhaps unintentionally, for a common ground between
country
and
rock
, and
Shaver
's songs -- sketching an
outlaw
stance with near defiance and borrowing
attitude to create the hardest
tunes imaginable -- were perfect. On his previous album,
had sung that "ladies love outlaws," but now he found the music that would soon be called
outlaw country
, a defiant, ballsy blend of mythmaking and truth-telling.
never had a better voice for his songs, and
Jennings
never had better songs for his style.
Honky Tonk Heroes
arrived at a crucial moment, a time when true
honky tonk
was fading, so only a dose of
rock & roll
could save it. And, no matter how much
attitude is here, this is pure
in its stance and attitude -- yet
' very defiance makes it a perfect discovery album for listeners who never thought they would like
music. And the songs!
earned his stripes here, with songs that were emotional, funny, and clever, utterly bringing the mythic
ethic to life.
"Black Rose,"
"You Asked Me To,"
"Honky Tonk Heroes"
remain among the greatest things
ever cut, and every other song here matches them. Few
albums have ever been this consistent, and few records, from any genre, have been as consistently compelling. A wonderful album -- one that's hard to tire of. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine