Waylon Jennings Album: “The Essential 3.0 [Digipak]”

Several of Legacy's two-disc Essential releases have been upgraded with a third-disc and plastic-free eco-friendly packaging. Such is the case for the

of this set, augmented here with eight additional tunes on a third disc. Although disc three clocks in at only 26 minutes, it adds several tracks that, in retrospect, should have been included in the original line-up. Highlights of the newly added tunes include a live version of Jimmie Rodgers "T For Texas," Jennings' superb cover of the Marshall Tucker Band's "Can't You See," the autobiographical 1981 hit "Shine," the chart-topping cover of Little Richard's "Lucille (You Won't Do Your Daddy's Will)," and the title track from the Highwaymen's first album. This isn't collector's bait intended to lure fans into repurchasing the Essential set - all of the newly added tracks are (or have been) available on CD - it's sweetener to a set that's already quite sweet. The original two-disc version of this title provided a superb overview of Jennings' career, with a deep focus on his most productive years at RCA. The first two discs are reproduced here verbatim from the original release, as is the booklet's excellent liner notes, recording details and chart info; the eight new additions are detailed on the inside of the four-panel cardboard slipcase, along with four full-panel vintage photographs. At the same list price as the original two-disc version, this is a terrific upgrade to a terrific set. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]

Chances are if you're looking at this listing eager to purchase a Waylon Jennings compilation, you already know the man's music. If you're trying to decide which one to choose from the many out there, look no further. This is hands down the best Waylon collection you'll find. Almost every previous comp has been marred by a combination of poor song selection, shoddy packaging, and worst of all lousy sound quality. This one finally gets it all right.

First and most importantly, the audio quality is superb and beyond compare. Other recent comps have suffered from record industry-killing trends - extreme limiting and dynamic compression. These processes are employed to make the music sound as loud as possible. The problem is that they are commonly overused and produce the ill-effects of reduced dynamic range, natural volume peaks being eliminated, extraneous hiss, and unnatural digital distortion (particulary Waylon's "RCA Country Legends" on Buddha, which should be avoided at all costs, even free). This "Essential" entry, however, is mastered by Vic Anesini, one of the few great mastering engineers in the business. This means there is no pushing the gain past the threshold limit (distortion) and no squashing of the dynamic range (over-limiting), allowing the music to flow naturally as recorded and intended. Since there is no over-processing, additional noise reduction is not needed to mask extra hiss (which often results in a 'swirly', mp3-like sound). So thanks for getting it right yet again, Vic.

The track selection is authoritatively chosen and includes nearly every essential hit, providing a thorough overview of Waylon's heyday at RCA from the mid-'60s to the early '80s, even containing a track apiece of his pre- and post-RCA recordings. Though there is a noticeable lack of tracks from '82-'85, the newer '3.0' edition (issued in 2008) makes up for this gap by adding a third disc comprised mostly of tunes from this era, making it an even more complete retrospective. The liner notes are informative, with detailed track annotation and a concise essay that focuses on the early years of Waylon's life in music.

Legacy's "Essential" series has produced some outstanding listening experiences - the Stevie Ray Vaughan, Earth Wind and Fire, and Clash volumes are five-star examples. Add Waylon's "Essential" collection to that list. So what are you waiting for? Grab this and a bottle of Kentucky sour-mash and get schooled.

Good old Waylon is hard to beat. I could and do listen to this cd a lot. This is another of his best work. Thanks Amazon for your amazing amount of music to choose from. Your shipping and prices are very good too. This is the only place I buy music from.

I thought I had everything Waylon did, but RCA shuffled songs around and reissued them so many times that my collection of Waylon is bigger than any other artist. I already have most of these great songs, but bought this because of "What Ever Happened To The Blues." Uncharacteristic Waylon, and no less disappointing than anything he did.