Customer Reviews

Ol Waylon

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is truly a masterpiece by the man that is quite possibly the greatest country artist of all time. I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself is a laugh riot, Lucille offers a touching look at a wifes leaving, This is Getting Funny (But There Ain't Nobody Laughing) explores the awkwardness of breakups, and Belle of the Ball magnificently expresses a man's loving beyond his stature. Of course Luckenbach, Texas is here, too. But the standout track is If You See Me Getting Smaller, which almost seems like an elegy since his passing. If you can listen to that song and not feel at least a little sad that he's gone, you are a bigger man than me.

This was the first album I ever owned. I still have the original LP and recently revisited it. Growing up around country music from birth, the stereotypes of the country sound - of drinking, pickup trucks, wives leaving and all the other things that came through the expression of country's raw roots - climaxed with this album. It became popular. Everything after this album became derivative and country slowly moved toward the "pop" sound it has achieved today.

By this time, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson (couldn't say one without the other) had become not only famous, they had become icons, bringing "outlaws" to the mainstream. CBs, truckers, Smokey and the Bandit and the whole genre had gone mainstream. 'Luckenbach, Texas' became a huge hit (which is quite a paradox because the song speaks directly to the fatigue that Waylon, and many others, had experienced due to achieving stardom).

It would seem that an attempt was made at a big selling album as the songs "Lucille" and "Sweet Caroline" were popular in their own rights. But it worked. It is a great, great album.

The hidden gem on here is the second song "If You See Me Getting Smaller." It is highly personal and confessional and you can feel the emotions of a man coming to grips with the consequences of decisions made in his life.

"Willie, you're my constant companion
You know the light and shade
We have spent a million dollars
To find out what we've made

We have made the maidens marvel
At the things we do and say
Down, down and out brother
Up, up and away

If you see me getting smaller I'm leaving
Don't be grieving
Just got to get away today..."

It's only four stars because it is a super short LP, as are the songs. I was left hungry for more. But I have never tired of listening to it. A little comedy, a little bit of confession and even a little bit of religion makes this a gem for anyone's collection.

i have over 60 waylon albums and this is by far my favorite. on this album you get to hear what waylon can do and what he is all about. brand new goodbye song is a must hear for anyone who thinks they know what country is. ol'waylon is a must have for anyone who thinks garth made big changes in the industry because this album changed the industry when it didnt want to change

Track Listings
Side A
1. Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) - Waylon Jennings, Emmons, Bobby
2. If You See Me Getting Smaller - Waylon Jennings, Webb, Jimmy [1]
3. Lucille - Waylon Jennings, Bowling, Roger
4. Sweet Caroline - Waylon Jennings, Diamond, Neil
5. I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself - Waylon Jennings, Knox, Buddy
6. Belle of the Ball - Waylon Jennings, Jennings, Waylon
Side B
1. Medley of Elvis Hits: That's All Right/My Baby Left Me - Waylon Jennings, Crudup, Arthur
2. Till I Gain Control Again - Waylon Jennings, Crowell, Rodney
3. Brand New Goodbye Song - Waylon Jennings, Moman, Chips
4. Satin Shoes - Waylon Jennings, Ramsey, Willis Alan
5. This Is Getting Funny (But There Ain't Nobody Laughing) - Waylon Jennings, Smotherman, Michael

This was the first Waylon album I ever bought, simply because it was his current album at the time. Although I have bought many great Waylon albums in the years since, this remains among my favorites.

The big hit here is, of course, Luckenbach Texas. The other songs include covers of Lucille (Kenny Rogers), Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond), Till I gain control again (a Rodney Crowell song that has also been recorded by Emmylou Harris and Crystal Gayle among others) and the Elvis medley. Note that Waylon later recorded a cover of Lucille (Little Richard) - this sometimes confuses people. I suspect that Waylon is the only singer ever to record covers of both Lucille songs.

Apart from the songs already mentioned, there are several other great songs including If you see me getting smaller, I think I'm gonna kill myself, Belle of the ball, Brand new goodbye song and This is getting funny.

Overall, this is a great album that every Waylon fan should have. It may not be the place to begin a Waylon collection (I recommend the double-CD RCA Country legends for starters) but anybody collecting Waylon's original albums should have this high on their priority list.

This isn't Waylon's best album -- not by a long shot.

That being said, it's got a couple of good songs on it. "Brand New Goodbye Song" and "Belle of the Ball" are two of my all-time favorites out of everything Waylon Jennings ever did.

Unfortunately, a lot of the album strikes me as being filler material, and Chips Moman's over-the-top production values (synths, horns, and the whole nine yards) just make some of the weaker songs sound even weaker.

A lot of Waylon's albums from the late seventies and early eighties are like this -- probably as a result of the rapid pace at which they were churned out and Waylon's wild living in those days. There are some true gems on the albums from this period -- as well as some pure crap.

The songs which are gems are really gems, though.

You'd think that with the huge number of Waylon Jennings "greatest hits" records out there, there would be one which complied the best songs from his hit-or-miss late seventies and early eighties RCA albums. Many of the great songs on these records -- such as "Brand New Goodbye Song" on this album -- are not well-known, but deserve to be.

Ol'Waylon is an example of a rare combination of artist and material blending to produce a work which transcends the narrow bounds of the genre in which it was produced. This album is great music not just great country music. Anyone who honestly loves fine musical artistry would enjoy this collection of songs. The signature song for this album, "Luckenbach,Texas" or "Back to the Basics of Love", is one of many songs Waylon has recorded in which he voices his dissatisfaction towards excess and the music industry. After this opening the album takes on very introspective feel in which one truly get a glimpse of the soul of this performer. This album also reflects the turbulent emotions surrounding a performer slipping into the hell of addiction. "Till I Can Gain Control Again" is a moving Rodney Crowell number in which a man tries to hold onto a relationship while dealing with the problems of life. Not all of this album is emotionally heavy. Waylon's medley of Elvis songs is a fast mover and was certainly hard stuff for country music at that time. "This is Getting Funny, But There Ain't No Body Laughing" is another uptempo number and serves to finish the album off on upbeat note. The other selections are all superb examples of musical craftsmanship. The key feeling one gets when listening to this album is honesty or pureness. There is no hype or pretension. Only honest feelings and pure emotions are found on this album. This is true artistry and not just industry generated junk intended to make money. The song most enjoyed by this performer is "If You See Me Getting Smaller". In this song, the writer is giving a account of his jouney through the music industry. The song is a supprisingly candid and self defacing ballad in which the artist marvels at how far he has come in his career. The song seems to ask "We've done it all, now what?". The line from the chorus "If you see me getting smaller, I'm leaving, Don't be grieving, I've just got to get away from here.", seemed to serve as a sad goodbye as Waylon's talent disappeared into the toilet of drugs and addiction. Although he would eventually emerge, Ol'Waylon was the highest acheivement of the artist known as Waylon Jennings.

This is a fantastic album, showing Waylon's baritone voice. Many of the songs are intertwined with the feel of jazz and blues. Waylon sings a classic like Lucille as well. No offense to Kenny, but he changed the wording and made it rhyme much better, and the song is smoother. Sweet Caroline is one of N. diamond's icons, but Waylon sings it second to none. The mood of the album is relaxing with great lyrics and Waylon's baritone voice. "If You See Me Getting Smaller, Till I Gain Control Again, Belle Of The Ball, and I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself", are slow ballads. The hit "Luckenbach, Texas, Medley of Elvis Hits, Brand New Goodbye Song, and This is Gettin Funny" are up tempo. Waylon shows his voice and range are in an elite class.

This is a pretty good album. As Waylon's career progressed, it seemed to become more rock, and less country. This album lacks the ballsy soulfulness of earlier LP's like "Honky Tonk Heroes". If you can get ahold of "Honky Tonk Heroes" (which I've sadly heard is out of print), listen to the burning passion of a tune like "Omaha", and not get a lump in your throat, then you're a colder man than me. It's albums like that which make me put Waylon up there with the great ones-- Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, and Gram Parsons. However, it is also fair to say that it is of the most influential country and western albums of alltime and has molded the voice of entire generation of singer-songwriters in Nashville. Indeed, much of the modern-day fluff known as "contempary country music" can be traced to the rock-laced LP's of Waylon Jennings in the late 70's epitomized by "Ol Waylon". It's ironic that on this CD Waylon gives a soaring rendition of the Neil Diamond tune "Sweet Caroline" because there's definitely a layer of (how shall I say?) Vegas-style "cheese" permeating this album. That being said, it's still a pretty good album despite its excesses. The classic "Luchenbach" makes this CD worth the purchase even if it has become a cliche. I recommend "Ol Waylon" as a good starting point for the music of Jennings.

I give this a three when grading on a curve. I'm not rating that way based off of other people's albums but Waylon Albums. For instance if I lost my Waylon albums, which ones would I buy back first? This is not among those first. If you don't have any Waylon records this is definetely not the place to start in my opinion. Sure it's a good record. Obviously- it's a WAYLON record! There is always something good things about a Waylon album. But this one is very short and not particularly essential. Good album, nothing great. However when you compare it to his live at jds release or Honky Tonk Heroes or Dreamin' or This Time or well, his top albums- this one does fall into the mediocre range from that perspective. So enjoy it if you've got those other ones but don't start here by any means. That's my advice.