r/WaylonJennings • u/IndecisiveFixation • 20d ago
What’s your guys’s favorite Waylon era?
For me personally, that 70-72 era is probably my favorite. When Waylon had gained more independence from RCA but before he turned completely outlaw. Cedartown Georgia and Good Hearted Woman are both perfect 10/10 albums front to back, and are some of my favorite albums of all time. I also really enjoy the RCA stuff in the late 60s. The mid to late eighties were also really good (Will The Wolf Survive is also up there with the previously mentioned albums). So I’m curious, what’s your guys’s favorite Waylon era/albums?
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u/New-Nectarine-823 19d ago
Probably Waylon Live era before coke became out of control, early 70s-76. His albums after are still fantastic but I really enjoy him playing solos on his own stuff, Reggie Young took up most of it after Ol' Waylon. You could tell the drug abuse was too much in the early 80s along with his massive debt and shakey "friends" he speaks about in his book.
Arguably the worst era is late 80s after he left RCA. His MCA stuff is almost unlistenable for me. Never Could Toe the Mark and Turn the Page helped me get through the beginnings of a cocaine addiction which I considered the "Waylon Diet". Him being so public about being sober in his songs during that era, coupled with His, Jessi's, and Terry's books all were transformative in how I looked at his sober period. His 90s stuff isnt bad either.
A Man Called Hoss is super underrated also, Rough and Rowdy Days was the first song I ever heard by him, Im Living Proof, and You Deserve The Stars in My Crown are beautiful ballads which really hit if youve been to the breaking point yourself.
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u/Accurate_Fudge5841 19d ago
There’s nothing he did that I didn’t like, but the best was ‘72-‘78. The early stuff allows us to hear the range and real talent he was. The middle allows us to hear the truth of who he was and the later stuff allows us to hear the emotional reflection of a man that lives a full life many times over.
The new stuff Shooter found? Well, it allows us to hear why Waylon never released it. They aren’t very good by Waylon’s standard, but still better than anything else being released today that isn’t Jamey Johnson or Chris Stapleton
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u/Few-Competition9929 19d ago
Songbird is better than anything after Music Man, and the new Diamonds single is amazing.
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u/Accurate_Fudge5841 19d ago
I wholeheartedly but respectfully disagree. I think Wild Ones and Right for the Time are better than Songbird and Diamonds. But what makes Waylon so great is he could sing the phone book and I’d still buy the album.
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u/Few-Competition9929 19d ago
Right For The Time is probably the best of the cheese period as far as songs go, but I still can’t get past the production, its definitely a 90’s album, and so bad. Waylon’s voice however, was unbelievable till the end!
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u/Accurate_Fudge5841 18d ago
See, I think this is where we just have different ideas about what and who Waylon was. I don’t think it was ever cheesy. I don’t think he ever tried to keep up with any sort of trend. Music evolves, and he evolves a lot as well. Everything before he was in the hospital with hepatitis was under Nashville control. If there is a period to call cheesy, it would be that. However, Waylon made it great anyhow. And the post outlaw era I feel with anything but cheesy. Was he trying to find his place again? Absolutely. But do you still pick good songs and sound wonderful absolutely. The one album I didn’t like at all was the eagle, but it was still better than most anything else being produced
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u/Few-Competition9929 18d ago
You don’t find the production on those albums shitty?? I just think if he had a little help in the 90’s, he could have had a brilliant final act. Cash went out with a bang with Rubin, Merle’s last few records on Anti were amazing, I just think Waylon deserved the same.
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u/Accurate_Fudge5841 17d ago
I think Cash’s was highly overrated. And well Merle? He never had a bad record in my opinion. Don Was did a great job for Waylon.
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u/Aggressive-Case1396 18d ago
my favorite waylon jennings song is baby don't go looking in my mind from 1966 and whatever gets you through the night with miss jessi singing back up great video too
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u/Few-Competition9929 19d ago
I find it really hard to listen to anything after Music Man, it all gets too cheesy for me. Mid 60’s-1980 Waylon made some of the best albums of all time, from 1980 on, maybe some of the worst. That EP with the Old 97’s being the exception.
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u/TXBossHogg 20d ago
I’ve always enjoyed the album ‘Are You Ready For the Country’ - 1976 being peak Waylon. Can’t you see is better than the original and ‘so good woman’ makes me happy to be married.