Customer Reviews

Honky Tonk Heroes

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(1)
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Country music's long slide into pop-pap drool was arrested for one glorious moment when this wonderful album came out more than two and a half decades ago. It felt like fresh air, and if anything, the air it exudes now -- when nearly all of Nashville music seems hellbent on a grotesque race to the bottom -- is even more invigorating. There was a time when country music and folk music were nearly synonymous, and Honky Tonk Heroes, with its spare arrangements, melodies cut close to the bone, and wide-open landscapes, tells you what might have happened if the two genres had kept company and learned from each other. This is American music as good as it gets. "Willy the Wandering Gypsy and Me" and "Ride Me Down Easy" are the deeply moving anthems I remember them to be, back in the days when I was playing the vinyl version down to the grooves. And now, many years later, I finally get the wornout-shoe wisdom of "Old Five and Dimers (Like Me)." If they'd never done another record or sung or written another song, Honky Tonk Heroes would have assured Waylon Jennings and Billy Joe Shaver their places in hillbilly heaven.

After a tough contract renegotiation, Jennings was truly free of the Nashville machine. Free to produce his own records, free to say what he wanted, and free to record what and where he pleased. The full fruition of these freedoms can be found on this landmark 1973 release.

It's surprising to find that this most un-Nashville album was recorded at the very heart of all that Jennings was rebelling against musically: RCA's "Nashville Sound" studio. That it sounds absolutely nothing like the prevailing Nashville pop is a tribute to Jennings, his co-producer (Tompall Glaser), his band (The Waylors), his songwriter for this album (Billy Joe Shaver), and the sympathetic players Jennings brought in for the sessions. A further surprise is the lengthy list of musicians, given the relative spareness of the productions.

Whether or not the legend of a drunk Jennings promising Shaver he'd record his songs is true, it's clear that no other songwriter of the day so vividly captured the singer's ethos. The songs combine outlaw rebellion, mythical storytelling, and a sense of all-out relief at being able to finally say what's on one's mind. Its sentiments, couched in minimal arrangements, remain as salty and vibrant as the day they were recorded.

Buddha's reissue adds two bonus tracks to the original ten: Shaver's "Slow Rollin' Low" and the single version of Shaver & Jennings' "You Ask Me To," both of which match the quality of the original LP lineup. The original liner notes (by Roger Schutt) are augmented by a 1999 essay from Rich Kienzle that adds an excellent historical perspective.

Period. This is the best country album I have ever heard. It was good in 1973 when it came out and it is good in 2000. Good music doesn't go bad because of time, and this is the best country album ever recorded. It is complete. These songs are so much more developed, so much more emotional, so much more REAL than the tripe you hear today. Country singers today can't fathom making a country record with this much guts.

As a youngster of thirteen, I purchased "Honky Tonk Heroes" from the bargain bin at our local Woolworth store for ninety-seven cents. You see, country music wasn't very big in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1973. From the first guitar notes of the title song, I realized that this was unlike any country music I had ever heard. Different from the worn out syrup they played on our local 1500-watt "Country" station or my Mom's Eddie Arnold and Tennessee Ernie albums. I ran the needle through the album, a fact to which my father and siblings will attest, and to this day continue to be amazed when I hear one of the songs covered by one of today's "stars" or by some four-piece band in some out of the way watering hole.The fact that it has now been re-releaased more than twenty-five years later is a true measure of the albums staying power and timelessness. A true classic, and for a young Michigan boy with a limited budget, a true diamond in the rough. Buy this CD, but don't be surprised if you catch your own thirteen year old son ( or daughter ) borrowing it.

How sad that they don't make them like this anymore. Folky/country/rockish/blues that truely deserves a broader audience than the cult status it has earned. Just a perfect mix of great storytelling, refined yet edgy playing, and Waylon singing. A true find that needs to be unearthed by those who appreciate good music no matter the genre.

This is my favorite country album of all time. It's down-home music that is great to sit back at look up at the stars and think about life. I have spent nights with only a 6 pack of Heineken and this album by myself sitting and thinking about where i'm headed. It's pretty much a flawless listen from beginning to end. Even if you don't like country music buy this CD because it's people music.

Willie Nelson became "Willie Nelson" with his 1976 classic album "Red-Headed Stranger." Wayon Jennings became "Waylon Jennings" with this 1973 release. All but one of the songs was written by Billy Joe Shaver, and that consistency of attitude makes this short album almost as good as Willie's. Thirty years ago a group of musicians got together in Nashville and made this record, which at the time, was as un-Nashville as "country music" could possibly get. This collection is folk-country-confessional art song, with a touch of rock and blues. At least five of the songs are among the best performances Waylon would ever manage. If you only want to own one CD to represent Waylon's 40-year-career, this would be a great choice. Such a decision would be a little unjust to Waylon, who put out at least 30 unforgettable renditions in varying styles. "Honky-Tonk Heroes' however, fully merits its cult status and classy reputation among knowledgeable fans.

Country music--and, largely, rock n roll--would not be what it is today without the teaming of Waylon Jennings and Billy Joe Shaver. The result of their combined efforts--the hostility, the respect--is HONKY TONK HEROES, an album of pure, unfiltered music that strikes straight to the heart.

Songs such as the title track, "Black Rose," and "Ain't No God in Mexico" use upbeat rhythms and pounding guitars to convey their serious messages; other tracks, such as "Old Five and Dimers" and "Low Down Freedom," are so haunting you'll shiver. Shaver's songwriting is nearly unparalleled in music history, and, let's face it, nobody could sing a tune quite like Waylon Jennings. HONKY TONK HEROES is a classic, pure and simple--a true classic.

This one of my all time favorites--an album that should be in the collection of any fan of quality country music (I still have not embraced the "americana" label...). This Waylon Jennings, in his prime, singing material (primarily) written by Billy Joe Shaver--one of the most underapreciated talents in American music.

Many reviews will tell you that this album, "Honky Tonk Heroes" is Waylon at his best. Well I slightly disagree. Although this album, along with "Dreamin' my dreams" are indeed Waylon at the top of his game, this is second place next to the latter. This one is kind of folksy and lacks the punch that I am used to hearing from Waylon. Even the first song, "Honky Tonk Heroes" is not the same from the very improved studio version found in RCA's greatest hits version. This album will grow on you and you will appreciate the subtle aspects that other reviews speak of, so dont hesitate to buy it. But, "Dreamin my Dreams", now that is really the Waylon I know and love.