Waylon Jennings at peak mid 70s perfection! Ramblin' Man fits in stylistically with the gruff honky tonk hero mode he first fully realized a couple albums earlier, but he's still fiercely blazing trails here, pairing his gruff lead vocals with sweeter female harmonies on some tracks, changing the groove from laidback swagger to fast-paced honky tonk, working in some tender ballads with the gruffer numbers...Waylon at his best. Starts up with the eternal title track and equally classic "Rainy Day Woman" and hardly lets up in greatness from there, with "Cloudy Days", "The Hunger", "It'll Be Her", a great cover of the Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider", "Memories Of You And Me", "Amanda" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic run of records from Waylon Jennings – brought together in a single package! First up is Lonesome Onry & Mean – a pivotal album for Waylon Jennings – the record where he really found the new direction that would finally get him the fame he deserved – delivered in a way that's free from all the later cliches, and which also ties Waylon pretty strongly to the hipper currents of the underground – especially that point where singer/songwriter genius intersected with country! The production is his own, and vastly different than the late 60s records – even though we love those to death too – and that magical Jennings vocal approach does fantastic things to tunes by Steve Young, Mickey Newbury, Kris Kristofferson, and others! Titles include the fantastic "Lonesome Onry & Mean", plus "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues", "Freedom To Stay", "Lay It Down", "You Can Have Her", "Pretend I Never Happened", "San Francisco Mabel Joy", "Sandy Sends Her Best", and a great take on "Me &Bobby McGee". Honky Tonk Heroes is genius material from Waylon Jennings – one of those career-defining records from the early 70s that completely put him on top, and heralded a whole new generation in country music! The set's maybe equally noteworthy as a showcase for the up-and-coming Billy Joe Shaver, who wrote much of the songs on the record – and it's also a great showcase for the important production talents of Tompall Glaser, who really gets the spirit of the music right! Titles include great versions of "Honky Tonk Heroes", "Old Five & Dimers Like Me", "Ride Me Down Easy", "Black Rose", "Willy The Wandering Gypsy & Me", "Omaha", and "Ain't No God In Mexico". This Time is one of those Waylon Jennings records from a time when he could do no wrong – fighting the stronger powers at RCA to really find his voice – recording at the studio of Tompall Glaser, with great production help from Willie Nelson – who was enjoying his own transformation at the time too! As with the previous two gems from this period, the choice of material and presentation is great – songs by Willie, JJ Cale, and Billy Joe Shavers – in a set of titles that include "Heaven Or Hell", "It's Not Supposed To Be That Way", "This Time", "Pick Up The Tempo", "If You Could Touch Her At All", "Walkin", "Slow Rollin Low", "Louisiana Woman", and "Slow Movin Outlaw". Ramblin Man is Waylon Jennings at peak mid 70s perfection! Ramblin' Man fits in stylistically with the gruff honky tonk hero mode he first fully realized a couple albums earlier, but he's still fiercely blazing trails here, pairing his gruff lead vocals with sweeter female harmonies on some tracks, changing the groove from laidback swagger to fast-paced honky tonk, working in some tender ballads with the gruffer numbers...Waylon at his best. Starts up with the eternal title track and equally classic "Rainy Day Woman" and hardly lets up in greatness from there, with "Cloudy Days", "The Hunger", "It'll Be Her", a great cover of the Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider", "Memories Of You And Me", "Amanda" and more. Features bonus tracks too – "Laid Back Country Picker", "The Last One To Leave Seattle", "Big Big Love", "Got A Lot Going For Me", "The Last Letter", and "The One I Sing My Love Songs To". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Waylon's close runner-up to Honky Tonk Heroes in overall quality, and one of the greatest outlaw albums ever! As with close buddy Willie Nelson's albums from the period, Dreaming My Dreams showed just how great he could be after wrestling full creative control from the label. The firm, proud attitude helps make the album one of the most cathartic hardcore country listening experiences you can have, as well as simply being packed with great songs. 70s country doesn't get much better, and certainly no truer than this. Book ended by 2 fine tributes to heroes, "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way" and "Bob Wills Is Still The King". Other tracks include "Waymore's Blues", "I Recall A Gypsy Woman", "High Time (You Quit Your Lowdown Ways)", "Let's All Help The Cowboys (Sing The Blues)", "The Door Is Always Open", "Let's Turn Back The Years", "She's Looking Good", and "Dreaming My Dreams With You". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius material from Waylon Jennings – one of those career-defining records from the early 70s that completely put him on top, and heralded a whole new generation in country music! The set's maybe equally noteworthy as a showcase for the up-and-coming Billy Joe Shaver, who wrote much of the songs on the record – and it's also a great showcase for the important production talents of Tompall Glaser, who really gets the spirit of the music right! Titles include great versions of "Honky Tonk Heroes", "Old Five & Dimers Like Me", "Ride Me Down Easy", "Black Rose", "Willy The Wandering Gypsy & Me", "Omaha", and "Ain't No God In Mexico". CD

A set recorded at a time when Waylon Jennings had really reached superstardom – and was also finding a whole new ear for his music on the TV screen, thanks to his work on Dukes Of Hazzard! Think what you might about that show, Waylon's theme is a great one – and it's presented here along with a number of other well-chosen numbers that are delivered with a nicely understated sound overall – no attempt to try to force any sort of country rock agenda on Jennings, even when he's taking on the music of Steely Dan! And surprisingly, he does a pretty great job of that – reworking "Do It Again" into a completely different sort of song – heard here next to "It's Alright", "Storms Never Last", "Nashville Wimmin", "He Went To Paris", and "Good Ol Boys". LP, Vinyl record album

Waylon Jennings' last album of the 70s, and a set that continues the superstar run he forged during the decade – delivered with that increasing power and focus that Jennings brought to his records as the years went on – still strongly country through and through, but with a quality that helped Waylon to really reach out and find audiences that some of his contemporaries couldn't touch! The material is really well-chosen, and fits that swagger that Jennings could bring to his vocals, but without ever pushing things too far – none of the hoke that could occasionally get in the way – on titles that include "I Ain't Livin Long Like This", "What Goes Around", "It's The World's Gone Crazy", "Old Love New Eyes", "Come With Me", and "Ivory Tower". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Loads of 70s gems – including "Lonesome Onry & Mean", "Honky Tonk Heroes", "Luckenbach Texas", "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys", "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way", and "Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line". LP, Vinyl record album

A quadruple package of late 60s albums from Waylon Jennings – served up here in a single set! First up is Love Of The Common People – a tremendous late 60s album from Waylon Jennings – a set that really has the singer finally finding his groove, and working that amazing vocal style towards the kind of material that would soon help him become the stuff of legend! At some level, it could be said that there are currents of folk on the album – at least in the choice of some of the tracks, including the title cut – but throughout, Waylon Jennings has a way of turning things towards the darker side of the spectrum, and delivering things in a way that goes way beyond familiar RCA Nashville territory! Titles include "Money Cannot Make The Man", "I Tremble For You", "If The Shoe Fits", "The Road", "Love Of The Common People", "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away", and "Taos New Mexico". Hangin On has Jennings emerging as a singer with a depth that goes way beyond some of the more pop-oriented country acts handled by Chet Atkins on RCA, with a way of transforming tunes and really making them feel like they were all his own! Jennings did write a few of the words on the set, but most of the music is by well-chosen contemporary songwriters – spreading out with a slightly larger scope than some of the other RCA acts might handle – which might be an indication of the larger audience that Jennings would soon reach with his music! Titles include "The Crowd", "The Chokin' Kind", "I Fall In Love So Easily", "How Long Have You Been There", "Julie", "Looking At A Heart That Needs A Home", "Woman Don't You Ever Laugh At Me", and "Lock Stock & Teardrops". Only The Greatest is a damn near perfect batch of top notch honky tonk numbers from the late 60s! Waylon's distinctive voice works its magic on a bunch of great tunes, including honky tonk classics like "Only Daddy That'll Walk That Line", Harlan Howard's "California Sunshine", plus some song choices that steer towards countrypolitan, pop and folk, but really brought into Waylon's world regardless, via his incredible voice, which is at peak power at this point. Other titles include "Weakness In A Man", "Sorry (Breaks A Good Man Down)", "Christina", "Kentucky Woman", "Long Gone", "Wave Goodbye To Me", and "Too Far Gone". Jewels is a record with a very well-put title – as the set's filled with late 60s jewels by the amazing Waylon Jennings – tracks from a time before the singer was hitting as big as he should have, but which are perfect for digging out and loving again as the years go on! Jennings has an edge and darkness here that's so different than so many of his contemporaries – a quality that maybe resonates with Johnny Cash's best moments, but which has a focus here that avoids some of the mis-steps that could often be more frequent on Johnny's studio albums at the time – really rock-solid presentation throughout, as Waylon takes on tunes by Harlan Howard, Merle Haggard, and Dallas Frazier – and throws his own tune into the mix too. Titles include "New York City RFD", "Six Strings Away", "How Much Rain Can One Man Stand", "Today I Started Loving You Again", "If You Were Mine To Lose", and "See You Around. CD

... CD

Four fantastic early 70s albums from Waylon Jennings – all brought together in a single set! First up is Singer Of Sad Songs – a real career-changing record from Waylon Jennings – a set that's a few years before his big burst of fame, but which already shows him exploring the kind of material and direction that would fuel that later fire! Lee Hazlewood is on board for some of the production, and the tunes are a really well-chosen batch of numbers that shake loose from some of the more commercial or folksy work that Jennings was recording for RCA a few years before – and starting to open up into some of the cooler country currents that were coming from the underground. The set features a wonderful version of the Lee Hazelwood tune "She Comes Running" – "Time Between Bottles Of Wine", "Sick & Tired", "No Regrets", "Honky Tonk Woman", "Rock Salt & Nails", "Donna On My Mind", and "Must You Throw Dirt In My Face". The Taker/Tulsa is seminal 70s work from Waylon Jennings – a set recorded at a time when the singer was really starting to break from the rest of the country music pack! The set features some great tunes penned by the young Kris Kristofferson – a hint at the sort of vibe going on here, as Jennings was starting to bring in some more interesting material to his performances – which here often including some nicely stripped-down instrumentation that hints at the outlaw sound to come! Titles include "The Taker", "You'll Look For Me", "Lovin' Her Was Easier", "Six White Horses", "Casey's Last Ride", "Sunday Mornin' Coming Down", "Tulsa", and "Grey Eyes You Know". Good Hearted Woman is a record that would give Waylon Jennings one of his big songs of the 70s – the great title track co-written with Willie Nelson, and a real blueprint for the growing outlaw vibe the pair would soon inhabit! Ronny Light handles a lot of the production, with that fresh style that's newly respectful of Waylon in comparison to some 60s recordings – sparkling nicely here on tunes that include nicely mature themes that really show the depths that Jennings could offer when given a chance. Titles include "Do No Good Woman", "To Beat The Devil", "One Of My Bad Habits", "The Same Old Lover Man", "Good Hearted Woman", and "It Should Be Easier Now". Ladies Love Outlaws has a hokey title – but the set's the sort that laid the groundwork for the big rise of Waylon Jennings in the 70s – full of material that includes some classics penned by Waylon himself, plus more from Hoyt Axton, Mickey Newbury, and Lee Clayton! The production is nicely modern – RCA finally getting things right with a singer of this depth – and titles include "Thanks", "Frisco Depot", "Sure Didn't Take Him Long", "Crazy Arms", "Revelation", "Never Been To Spain", and "Under Your Spell Again". CD

A trio of pre-stardom albums from Waylon Jennings – brought together here in a single set! First up is Just To Satisfy You – fantastic early work from Waylon Jennings – exactly the kind of record that shows how the singer could burst out of the pack, even in a familiar setting! There's still a lot of Chet Atkins elements in the production, but Waylon really pushes all that aside with his upfront, honest vocal approach – so much so that even hits by others are completely transformed in his style! Titles include "Farewell Party", "Sing The Blues To Daddy", "Straighten My Mind", "Just To Satisfy You", and "Lonely Weekends" – plus duets with Anita Carter on "I Got You" and "Rings Of Gold". Next up is Country Folk – one of the most unusual albums ever recorded during the early RCA years of Waylon Jennings – a set that features backing vocals from the male/female quartet The Kimberlys – of the sort that you might have heard from the Anita Kerr Singers on a Chet Akins production – but tuned much more towards a style that suits Waylon well! There's none of the too-sweet modes that Kerr might bring into the mix – and there's also occasional female leads that appear for a bit, creating a sense of duet with that magnificent Jennings voice – further deepened by the great choice of material, too – really unusual tracks that aren't the sort that RCA was usually adding to country sessions at the time. Titles include Jimmy Webb's immortal "MacArthur Park", plus "These New Changing Times", "Come Stay With Me", "Cindy Oh Cindy", "Games People Play", "Mary Ann Regrets", "Let Me Tell You My Mind", "Long Way Back Home", and "A World Of Our Own". Last up is Waylon – pivotal work from Waylon Jennings – a record that has him really starting to show the maturity and individuality that would make his mid 70s hits so great! Production here isn't that different than before – Chet Atkins and Danny Davis are still at the helm in the studio – but Waylon himself has really blossomed, and gone from being just an already-great country singer to a mature male interpreter of tunes – able to bring his own spin to material from an array of well-chosen sources. Anita Carter duets with Waylon on two tracks – and titles include "Brown Eyed Handsome Man", "Don't Play The Game", "The Thirty Third Of August", "Yellow Haired Woman", "This Time Tomorrow (I'll Be Gone)", "Where Love Has Died", "I May Never Pass This Way Again", and "Just Across The Way". CD

Four full albums from Waylon Jennings – served up here in one double CD set! First up is What Goes Around Comes Around – Waylon Jennings' last album of the 70s, and a set that continues the superstar run he forged during the decade – delivered with that increasing power and focus that Jennings brought to his records as the years went on – still strongly country through and through, but with a quality that helped Waylon to really reach out and find audiences that some of his contemporaries couldn't touch! The material is really well-chosen, and fits that swagger that Jennings could bring to his vocals, but without ever pushing things too far – none of the hoke that could occasionally get in the way – on titles that include "I Ain't Livin Long Like This", "What Goes Around", "It's The World's Gone Crazy", "Old Love New Eyes", "Come With Me", and "Ivory Tower". Music Man is a set recorded at a time when Waylon Jennings had really reached superstardom – and was also finding a whole new ear for his music on the TV screen, thanks to his work on Dukes Of Hazzard! Think what you might about that show, Waylon's theme is a great one – and it's presented here along with a number of other well-chosen numbers that are delivered with a nicely understated sound overall – no attempt to try to force any sort of country rock agenda on Jennings, even when he's taking on the music of Steely Dan! And surprisingly, he does a pretty great job of that – reworking "Do It Again" into a completely different sort of song – heard here next to "It's Alright", "Storms Never Last", "Nashville Wimmin", "He Went To Paris", and "Good Ol Boys". On Black On Black, Waylon Jennings gets some great help from producer Chips Moman – who creates this laidback, rootsy groove that's perfect for the singer's sound – a move that's a wonderful choice, given that at this point in his career, Jennings could have gone for an arena-filling country rock sort of approach – but instead stays true to the kind of confident, up-close material that filled his classic albums for RCA in the 70s! Titles include "Honky Tonky Blues", "Women Do Know How To Carry On", "We Made It As Lovers", "Gonna Write A Letter", "Shine", and a remake of "Just To Satisfy You". On Waylon & Company, the "company" is as key as Waylon Jennings himself – as the set features the country music legend serving up a set of duets with a surprisingly great range of other singers – an all-star lineup that includes Jerry Reed, Tony Joe White, Hank Williams Jr, Willie Nelson, and Emmylou Harris! The set's a great reminder of the collaborative spirit that Jennings really started bringing to his music in the 70s – similar to Willie Nelson, a frequent recording partner – as a way of never letting superstardom make Waylon too prideful to not share the spotlight with someone else. Titles include "Hold On I'm Comin", "Spanish Johnny", "I'll Find It Where I Can", "Sight For Sore Eyes", "The Conversation", "So You Want To Be A Cowboy Singer", and "Leave Them Boys Alone". CD

A fabulous look at a new wave of music that hit the American scene at the end of the 60s – sophisticated songs with a deep sense of narrative that went way beyond the usual – first sprung by the world of country music, but with an influence that went on to touch all other styles too! This set goes right to the core – and brings together cuts from the hippest songwriters of the period, delivered in versions that may well be the best to ever make it on records – including a few tunes that will really come as a surprise if you think you know the artists from their hits! As you'd guess from the title, the world here is very similar to that in "Ode To Billie Joe" – a world that's also given great illumination by the detailed notes within. Titles include "Endless Miles Of Highway" by Jerry Reed, "If Only She Had Stayed" by Chris Gantry, "July 12, 1939" by Charlie Rich, "What Am I Doing In LA" by Nat Stuckey, "The House Song" by Lee Hazlewood, "Mr Jackson's Got Nothing To Do" by John Hartford, "Widow Wimberley" by Tony Joe White, "Mr Walker It's All Over" by Billie Jo Spears, "Drivin Nails In The Walls" by Waylon Jennings, "Four Shades Of Love" by Henson Cargill, "The Back Side Of Dallas" by Jeanne C Riley, "Way Before The Time Of Towns" by Hoyt Axton, "Down From Dover" by Dolly Parton, "Fabulous Body & Smile" by Sir Robert Charles Griggs, and "Why Can't I Come Home" by Ed Bruce. CD

A fabulous look at a new wave of music that hit the American scene at the end of the 60s – sophisticated songs with a deep sense of narrative that went way beyond the usual – first sprung by the world of country music, but with an influence that went on to touch all other styles too! This set goes right to the core – and brings together cuts from the hippest songwriters of the period, delivered in versions that may well be the best to ever make it on records – including a few tunes that will really come as a surprise if you think you know the artists from their hits! As you'd guess from the title, the world here is very similar to that in "Ode To Billie Joe" – a world that's also given great illumination by the detailed notes within. Titles include "Endless Miles Of Highway" by Jerry Reed, "If Only She Had Stayed" by Chris Gantry, "July 12, 1939" by Charlie Rich, "What Am I Doing In LA" by Nat Stuckey, "The House Song" by Lee Hazlewood, "Mr Jackson's Got Nothing To Do" by John Hartford, "Widow Wimberley" by Tony Joe White, "Mr Walker It's All Over" by Billie Jo Spears, "Drivin Nails In The Walls" by Waylon Jennings, "Four Shades Of Love" by Henson Cargill, "The Back Side Of Dallas" by Jeanne C Riley, "Way Before The Time Of Towns" by Hoyt Axton, "Down From Dover" by Dolly Parton, "Fabulous Body & Smile" by Sir Robert Charles Griggs, and "Why Can't I Come Home" by Ed Bruce. LP, Vinyl record album

The great Jimmy Webb is one of our favorite songwriters of the 60s – a young man at the start, but one who could come across with a maturity that few of his contemporaries could match – arguably setting the scene for a key step into adult pop that would really explode in the 70s! Yet by that, we don't mean that Webb is any sort of "adult contemporary" figure from the softer side of the spectrum – as his tunes are open, honest, and filled with an understanding of the heart and its ability to break, delivered in ways that are still as powerful today as they were back when first written. The package features some of Jimmy's greatest songs, some in their famous recordings, but many more in lesser-known takes that only stand as further testament to Webb's words on the page – which really work some magic, no matter what the setting! In the best Ace tradition, the whole thing comes with a superb set of notes and details on the material – mostly late 60s tracks from Jimmy's key years, but a few gems from later too. Titles include "If This Was The Last Song" by Dee Dee Warwick, "I Keep It Hid" by The Supremes, "Carpet Man" by The Nocturnes, "I Need You" by Shane Martin, "Midnight Mail" by Joey Scarbury, "MacArthur Park" by Waylon Jennings, "Do What You Gotta Do" by Nina Simone, "The Worst That Could Happen" by BJ Thomas, "Requiem 820 Latham" by Mel Torme, "Magic Garden" by Dusty Springfield, "Rosecrans Blvd" by 5th Dimension, "Honey Come Back" by Chuck Jackson, "Wichita Lineman" by Tony Joe White, "Didn't We" by James Darren, "Which Way To Nowhere" by Brooklyn Bridge, and "Clowns Exit Laughing" by The Fortunes. CD

A really groundbreaking set, and one that goes past all the southern rock cliches you might know – to find that special place in southern music where elements of soul, rock, funk, and country all come together – served up here in the hands of some key artists from the end of the 60s and the start of the 70s! Given that the Soul Jazz label usually digs deep into the worlds of reggae, soul, and global styles, we can really trust them on a musical journey like this – one that almost completely rewrites this generation of southern rock as you may know it from a mainstream perspective – especially the sort put forth in music magazines and classic rock radio! As usual, the presentation and notes are great – and titles include "If Love Was Money" by Dan Penn, "Out In The Woods" by Leon Russell, "Be What You Want To" by Link Wray, "Please Be With Me" by Cowboy, "Stone Fox Chase" by Area Code 615, "Hush" by Joe South, "Smokies" by Barefoot Jerry, "I Walk On Guilded Splinters" by Cher, "Ain't Wasting No Time" by The Allman Brothers, "Papa Won't You Let Me Go To Town" by Bobbie Gentry, "Thirteen" by Big Star, "Big D" by Waylon Jennings, "I'm Leaving Here Tomorrow Mama" by Billy Vera, "I Forgot To Remember To Forget" by Travis Wammack, and "Polk Salad Annie" by Tony Joe White. LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Coulter, Tompall Glaser. LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal 70s sounds from the great Tompall Glaser – a figure who maybe came a bit later to the outlaw tag than some of his contemporaries, but who definitely summed up the music with a record like this! For years, Glaser was one of these background figures on the Nashville scene – smarter than most, and more talented than many too – finally able to find his voice with music like this, in the same generation that had Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings really getting the setting they deserved. Tom didn't write most of these songs, but he really makes them his own – thanks in part to his backing band, who have great sympathy for the man himself, and keep things in the right sort of small group, non-commercial mode throughout. Titles include "Drinking Them Beers", "What Are We Doin With The Rest Of Our Lives", "It Never Crossed My Mind", "The Bad Times", "Easy On My Mind", and "My Mother Was A Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Waylon Jennings, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, The International Submarine Band, Henson Cargill, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Glen Campbell, Jeannie C Riley, Porter Wagoner, Jerry Lee Lewis, and more. CD

Beautiful work from songwriter Chips Moman – a key force on the Memphis scene at the end of the 60s, and a writer whose pen managed to touch a huge range of genres and styles over the years! Chips is maybe best known for the famous songs he gave to Aretha Franklin and others in his early years – but Moman has that special southern style of easily crossing genres, which meant that his heartfelt lyrics were also taken up by folks in country and rock as well – as you'll hear on this great collection that brings together all sorts of unusual interpretations of Chips' tunes! If there ever was an artist to warrant the treatment that Ace gives in its "songwriter" series, it was Moman – and there's plenty of notes on the songs and the recordings to help flesh out your understanding of his genius. Titles include "Promises" by Carla Thomas, "For You" by Gizzelle, "Do Right Woman Do Right Man" by Cher, "Fool In Love" by the Veltones, "I'll Never Give Her Up" by The Canes, "Don't Let It Be This Time" by The Gentrys, "You're Gonna See A Lot More Of My Leaving" by Barbara Lynn, "Okeechobee Purple" by Gary Stewart, "Dark End Of The Street" by The Flying Burrito Brothers, "Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" by BJ Thomas, "Luckenbach Texas" by Waylon Jennings, "So Much Like My Dad" by George Strait, "Here Come The Flowers" by Dottie West, and "Easy Street" by Johnny Cash. CD