Waylon Jennings Album: “Folk-Country”

Get this CD -- It is worth every penny you have to pay for it, since it is now out of print. The phrasing and baritone emphasis is all there - It was an interesting wat for Nashville to attmpt to "classify" one who defied classification -- my favorite!!!!!

Long before turning outlaw, Jennings cut his debut under the direction of RCA's "Man in Nashville," Chet Atkins. Although spared some of the era's more syrupy inclinations, this set still finds Jennings a bit constrained by the polished choral vocals and staid tempos.

That said, this is still a big cut above the standard mid-60s countrypolitan product. Jennings' blend of folk and country, informed by his time as one of Buddy Holly's Crickets, adds the lighter touches of folk to the tougher world of Texas country. The result is sharply different than that wrought by folkies going electric.

The album hit the charts with "That's the Chance I'll Have to Take" and "Stop the World (And Let Me Off)," the latter a staple of Jennings' live set. "Just For You" resounds with echoes of Holly, while Howard Harlan's "What Makes a Man Wander" effectively crosses swagger and self-doubt. The closer, "What's Left of Me" is a wonder of self-pity.

Though he'd later trade as an outsider, this reissue of his early "company" work is still a great spin.

Folk-Country

Produced by Chet Atkins

Jerry Reed, guitar/dobro; Fred Carter, Pete Wade, guitar; Gerald Gropp, Paul Foster, rh.guitar; Henry Strzelecki, Bob Moore, bass; Buddy Harman, Kenneth Buttrey, Richie Albright ,drums; Hargus Pig Robbins, Floyd Cramer, piano/organ; Charlie McCoy, harmonica; Harold Ragsdale {Ray Stevens}, vibes. Vocals: Anita Kerr, Dorothy Dillard, Louis Nunley, William Wright. Recorded: Mar-July/1965, RCA Victor Studio, Nashville

Another Bridge To Burn, Stop The World And Let Me Off, Cindy Of New Orleans, Look Into My Teardrops, Down Came The World, I Don't Mind, Just For You, Now Everybody Knows, That's The Chance I'll Have To Take, What Makes A Man Wander, I'm A Man Of Constant Sorrow, What's Left Of Me

I like this CD very much because I like the style of the years '65 -'75 so Waylon is one of my favorites.