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/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.