The Complete MCA Recordings

Waylon Jennings

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 25, 2004)
• Original Release Date: May 25, 2004
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Mca Nashville
• ASIN: B00026WTUQ
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #156,603 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A different Waylon..., July 19, 2004

By	Casey Newbold - Kerr (Melbourne, Australia.) - See all my reviews

This was a different era for Waylon. He moved to MCA, was using many studio musicians (but he still used his bass player, Jerry Bridges, studio ace and Waylon regular Reggie Young, and even the future head of his horn section, Jim Horn), and didn't start introducing his own compositions, really, until the last two albums, A Man Called Hoss and Full Circle which, in my opinion, are the two best of his MCA era.

Even though he was moving back to a fuller, more polished sound with his last few RCA albums, the sound with MCA was... quite different. In a way, it was the Nashville Sound all over again. Waylon said in his autobiography that he didn't feel right with these albums -- he felt like he wasn't good enough, in a way. I believe he said his heavy smoking was hurting his voice, and it could be heard. In my opinion, he turns out some of the best vocal performances of his career on these albums. His voice was once again sounding fresh and rich -- sober, if you like.

The sound here is fine. It's DDD (all digital), so don't look for the analog warmth that you might hear on Honky Tonk Heroes or the DCC Dreaming My Dreams, because you won't find it. The last two albums don't sound as sterile. They sound much more natural. A Man Called Hoss is just a great sounding album. As we progress through the set the electronic drums and big digital reverb sound goes away a bit and, like I said, the sound is quite good on the last two albums. From a technical perspective, these are well produced albums, but, of course, there are some '80s sounds here, particularly the electronic drums. Waylon's performances are fantastic, though, and that's all that matters.

I have given this set 5 stars because any Waylon fan would, I imagine, be very pleased to have these four albums on a two CD set. The bonus tracks are also very nice. If you're familiar with Waylon's MCA years, this set will be a welcome addition to your collection. Don't buy this expecting the "outlaw" Waylon, because he's not here. But Waylon didn't have to be an outlaw to be badass, and he proves that on these albums. The production is slick, many of the songs (particularly on the first two albums) are from outside songwriters, and sometimes there are sounds that you wouldn't expect from Waylon's music, but overall the music is very good because of one key factor: Waylon Arnold Jennings.

Waylon fans, you'll love this.

(By the way, does anyone else think the title "Full Circle" was Waylon's way of saying he realised he was back to the "Nashville Sound" and whatnot and was not pleased with it? Food for thought...)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 80's Waymore, June 9, 2004

By	C. P. Gay (Sioux Falls, SD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This album is a collection of the recordings that Waylon made for MCA upon leaving RCA in 1986 after 20+ years with Nipper. You will find all four MCA albums in their entirety plus two bonus tracks. These records marked a departure from Waylon's approach to making records during his heyday. For example, there is a much greater dependence on/use of studio musicians and Nashville songwriters. The one exception to this from a songwriting standpoint is the audio-biography "A Man Called Hoss".~ The albums were co-produced by Waylon & Jimmy Bowen, recorded digitally and have a very clean, crisp sound to them.
There are a few interesting covers, such as Los Lobos' 'Will The Wolf Survive', Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street' and Sammy Johns' 'Chevy Van'. Personally, I think the two best of these albums are his MCA debut, "Will The Wolf Survive" and $Q

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5.0 out of 5 stars Waylon - The Untouchable Country Music Man at MCA, March 19, 2007

By	Randall J. Lancaster "Outlaw Music Fan" (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a truly outstanding CD set and it is a "must have" for every serious Waylon fan. The audiobiography on Disc #2 provides a heartwarming glimpse into this legend's ability as a writer, singer, and story teller. A true genius, the likes of which we probably will never again see.