Much is made Jennings' early '70s escape from the clutches of RCA's staff players and producers. Much less is said about his pre-RCA material, recorded in the wake of his association with Buddy Holly. Jennings' first single, "Jole Blon" b/w "When Sin Stops," was produced by Holly, and though the sax dominated arrangements (courtesy of King Curtis) are clearly not the singer's forte, the rock 'n' roll rebelliousness would serve with him throughout his career.
The remaining eighteen tracks are gathered from brief stops at Brunswick, Vocalion, Trend and A&M. Covers of Holly's "It's So Easy" and "Rave On" (complete with Mariachi horns from Herb Alpert!) and Roy Orbison's "Crying" and "Dream Baby," find Jennings searching for artistic direction. The maudlin tribute, "The Stage (Stars in Heaven)" recounts the night the music lived for the very last time.
More fitting are Ian Tyson's "Four Strong Winds," Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alight," and the lone original, an early version of "Just to Satisfy You." Each song matches Jennings voice beautifully, and points to his "folk-country" work at RCA. Covers of Buck Owens ("Love's Gonna Live Here Again"), Harlan Howard ("Sally Was a Good Old Girl"), and the Big Bopper ("White Lightnin'") pack a healthy dose of twangy telecaster.
Jennings' distinctive baritone and eclectic song mix are present on this grab bag of his earliest tracks, but they've yet to form a coherent whole. This peek at his formative years provides valuable context for Jennings' eventual success and a fine spin for his fans.
3-7/8 stars, if Amazon.com allowed fractional ratings.
This album beats the...bootlegs hands down. Waylon's first album has been released on bootlegs so many times it's getting ridiculous -- and often the CDs are actually made from the faux-stereo '60s LP reissue. Needless to say, the sound quality of those releases is terrible.
Anyone who has heard such CDs will breathe a sigh of relief when they put "Phase One" on. The sound quality is outstanding, and I AM picky about sound. In fact, I'm a sound engineer. For such old tracks, these sound amazing. Very clear, crisp, and certainly far removed from the bootleg quality we're all used to.
How about the material?
Well, if you're expecting rockin' Outlaw anthems, this isn't the CD for you. What it IS, however, is a collection of Waylon's earliest recordings. The material goes from country to folk to rock to pop, but it's all done in that unique Waylon style which, while still young, was already pretty well formed. For instance, "Sally Was A Good Old Girl" has some guitar work that wouldn't be out of place on an Outlaw-era recording. Waylon's vocals are, of course, fantastic. We hear his range on some of these tracks -- he could sing as high as Roy Orbison and as low as Johnny Cash. Very impressive. Listening to this album, you can hear Waylon's style coming together, and you can get a sense of just why Chet Atkins signed him to RCA Records. He had a great sound and style... even all those years ago!
Among the standout tracks are "Four Strong Winds," "Sally Was A Good Old Girl," "Don't Think Twice (It's All Right)," the early version of "Just To Satisfy You," and "House Of The Rising Sun," which is a little different than the 1976 version. ("Waylon Live.")
Buy this album to hear Waylon's earliest recordings. They're great. Don't buy it to hear Waylon changing country music's rules or cranking out "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way." It's early Waylon... and it's definitely good Waylon. (Although isn't it all?)
Also, the packaging is very nice. When I opened this CD, I was quite impressed with the packaging, and I almost wished MCA/Hip-O owned Waylon's RCA catalog, because I'd love to see them reissue some more classic material that hasn't yet seen a quality reissue -- or a reissue at all ("I've Always Been Crazy," etc).
All in all, Waylon fans will love this one. More casual fans would probably also enjoy hearing this because it shows what Wayon was like back in the JD's days. That place would have been a-rockin'!
Wow, what a difference. Learned some new info about Waylon's beginnings. Same great voice, just different music. Great album, great music.
