Customer Reviews

Outlaw

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Mark Chesnutt..the Good Ole Boy from Beaumont with Honky Tonk in his blood isn't no stranger when singing real country music..and he definitely isn't no stranger at singing the outlaws before us who were well at it while alot of us were still in diapers. This album is precisely that, a tribute to the country music icons and personal heroes of many. This album gives a chilling tribute to Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr, Willie Nelson and others in which the outlaw era will appreciate and the younger generation can use as a tool to re-live the familiar tunes they grew up on themselves, thanks to the help of a name and voice that was once familiar in everyone's household; Mark Chesnutt.

His voice is solid as ever as he delivers voices from the past, and that solid country drawl still exists in his voice that won fans over years ago. Mark's voice and style of country was very well missed and Outlaw is one album you should definitely buy more than one copy of. One to listen to, and one to store on your shelf of favorites.

I admit I am biased, because I love Mark's music ever since his debut of "Too Cold At Home 2 decades ago. This cd has lost none of his country roots and reflects the homage he pays to predecessors such as George Jones, Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings. A super album if you enjoy traditional country.

Prime Cuts: A Couple of Good Years, Sunday Mornings Comin' Down, Only Daddy That Will Walk the Line

By today's standard, "Outlaw" sounds domesticated. Eight years after Chesnutt parted from Columbia Records, Chesnutt has never stopped churning out one album after another, albeit on smaller labels. "Outlaw" is Chesnutt's first covers CD whereby he tips his Stetson to the movers and shakers of the outlaw movement in country music. Started as a reaction against the slick strings-laden Nashville sounds of the 60s, outlaw country is a deliberate attempt to puts dome teeth and grit back to the genre. Up until the movement's abeyance, this subgenre has seen its share of sonic gems by artists such as Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, and Kris Kristofferson among others. Nevertheless, in the light of today's rock based anthemic country, these dozen songs sound pretty laidback and mind you very country. Perhaps it's producer Pete Anderson's retro-style touches on these songs giving them a late 70s/early 80s feel, these songs sound pretty much like they had lived through a time warp with an old fashioned feel yet interpreted by Chesnutt's contemporary nuances.

As with all cover albums, there is conundrum of how much creativity do you have with these chestnuts? One could easily be accused of irreverence if innovative readings were proffered. On the other hand, one could also be damned if a religiously close interpretation is mimic. On the whole, Chesnutt has chosen the latter with a slight dose of the former. Chesnutt's take of Kris Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down" is the exemplar. With his slow and thoughtful nuance of each syllable of this tune, Chesnutt has captured the angst of the song's lyrical depths. And if there could ever be another improvement on Kristofferson's "Lovin' Her Was Easier" this is truly it. Pete Anderson has taken away the dreadful string arrangements of the original and has some rustic sounding fiddling. Kudos are also in order for Chesnutt to turning Dr. Hook's "A Couple More Years" into a duet. Though there's some awkwardness to it, but Chesnutt's barroom muffled tenor is well contrasted with Amber Digsby gorgeous soaring twangy soprano.

It goes without saying that Chesnutt is indeed a Waylon fan. He has even named his son after his hero. Thus, it is not surprising that half the songs on this disc come from the late Jennings' catalog. Chesnutt is judicious in his choice: he has taken a fair number of more familiar numbers balanced with a few obscure selections. Chesnutt's stays close to Jennings' original with "Only Daddy That Will Walk the Line." Yet, despite the numerous covers of this magnum opus, it's still such a classic that it's hard to get tired of hearing. "Black Rose" and "Freedom to Stay," on the other hand, are lesser known songs. Chesnutt's bluesy and seasoned interpretations are well worth repeated listening.

With his clean cut image, Chesnutt's out of place on David Allan Coe's "Time Off for Bad Behavior." Chesnutt just doesn't have the ruggedness to do this song justice. In fact, the best cover of Coe's hit is by far by Confederate Railroad on their debut album. Despite Anderson's meatier guitar riffs, Chesnutt just doesn't seem to have the zest to tackle Hank Jr.'s "Are You Ready for the Country." Knowing that the outlaw movement had often been associated with male artists, but there were a few women outlaws such as Sammi Smith and Jessi Colter. Chesnutt could have shaken the barrel even more if he were to tackle some of their music. That would have been something. Other than that, "Outlaw" ironically is quite a safe effort of generally good coverage of the material from this era of country music.

Mark has always been an amazing artist and long time fan of mine. He music has been there for me through many important moments in my life. My husband and I bought his new CD at his concert in SLO, CA and have been listening to it over and over again. It brings back memories of past artists and shows Mark's ability to sing whatever is thrown his way. His voice sounds even more incredible than in the past. Outlaws has become a top CD in my collection, Black Rose is by far my favorite, but I never press next while listening to the CD because all of the songs are outstanding! I hope Mark continues to bring his presence to country music for years to come, he just gets better with age! =) Love Him and Love His Music!

On Outlaw, Mark Chesnutt pays tribute to the songs that "brought him to the dance." "I cut my teeth on this kind of music," Chestnutt said. "It's an opportunity for me to pay tribute to some of my biggest heroes in country music."

This Texan enjoys a special kinship with some of the performers and writers who made these songs popular. Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson, along with songwriters Billy Joe Shaver and Guy Clark, all come from Texas. Rather than permanently move to Nashville, Chesnutt chose to keep Beaumont, Texas as his hometown.

The tracks are a mix of Chesnutt's neotraditional style that alternates between honky-tonk and ballads. The lyrics may not be as familiar, but the chorus on Kristofferson's "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" is immediately recognizable. It's an impressive song that Chesnutt performs to perfection. He gives Neil Young's "Are You Ready for the Country" (recorded by Waylon Jennings) a grit that Young's version never had. Another standout is "A Couple More Years," previously done by Willie Nelson, and recorded here as a duet with Amber Digby.

The production, musicianship and vocals are impeccable throughout. The songs live up to the album title with plenty of stories about women, partying and a hard lifestyle. That's not to say that this doesn't have its tender moments. Kristofferson's "Lovin' Her Was Easier" and "Freedom to Stay" (recorded by Waylon Jennings) are beautifully rendered love songs.

Chesnutt can honky-tonk with the best, but his reverent interpretations of classic ballads moved me the most. You can hear the pathos in the closing "Desperados Waiting for a Train."

Outlaw is Chesnutt's fourteenth studio recording. Along the way, he has earned four platinum and five gold albums plus fourteen #1 singles. This modern-day outlaw shows no signs of slowing down with this heartfelt work.

très satisfait, si ce n'est que les fraits de port un peu chère
par à port au prix de l'article. recommande amazon.com

Mark Chesnutt keeps not only the spirit of honky-tonk alive and well, but pumps new life into the old outlaw songs. Mark's voice has never been better as he sings the outlaw songs of the 70s that influenced his career. Waylon, Willie, and the boys are all represented here; a wonderful primer for those who were too young at the time to hear these songs growing up. Black Rose and Freedom To Stay are my two favorite songs on the record, with Sunday Morning Comin' Down running a close third. Folks, if you want good, solid country music, You just can't go wrong with this record!!

Mark Chesnutt
"Outlaw"
(Saguaro Road, 2010)
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Mark Chesnutt covering a bunch of "outlaw" oldies from Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, David Allan Coe, Hank Junior, and Guy Clark? Dude, I am so there! Naturally, all of the original artists are hard acts to follow, and it's a challenge for Chesnutt to put his own stamp on these songs, but when the day is done this is a swell set of hard-country anthems, robustly sung, with fun, crisp production by Pete Anderson. It's fun to hear him sink his teeth into classics like "Whiskey Bent And Hell Bound," "Black Rose," and "Need A Little Time Off (For Bad Behavior)" There are also a few non-hit tunes on here, like Waylon's "Freedom To Stay," which show Chesnutt digging a little deeper into the well. Newcomer Amber Digby provides a very Jessi Colter-like harmony on "Couple More Years," with Chesnutt rumbling in a low, gruff register, summoning the spirits of the elders. I love this stuff, and clearly he does, too. A great record to play good and loud after you've had a beer or two. Crank 'er up! (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue Guide To Country Music)

Like many fine artists discarded by the mainstream Country music machine, Mark Chesnutt's artistry has grown even as his commercial fame has waned. Having parted with his last major label (Columbia) after an eponymous release in 2002, Chesnutt released a series of indie albums that returned to his hard-country roots. Starting with 2004's Savin' the Honky Tonk, Chesnutt developed a sound that favored the twang of the roadhouse over the processed sound of the studio. On this latest, Chesnutt returns to the inspiring songs of his youth, covering titles written or made famous by friends and heroes that include Billy Joe Shaver, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, David Allan Coe, and Hank Williams Jr.

Producer Pete Anderson's reigned in the production touches with which he pushed Dwight Yoakam, delivering Chesnutt classic arrangements of guitar, fiddle and steel that focus on the songs and singing. The album is a tribute, but settles even more easily into the sort of dancehall Saturday night that leaves you smiling on Sunday morning... once the hangover's gone. The vocals generally follow the originals' templates, but the productions shed the studio sounds of the 1970s and 80s. Anderson's guitar is meatier than the original on "Are You Ready for the Country," the string arrangement of Kristofferson's "Lovin' Her Was Easier" is changed into a mournful fiddle, and "Sunday Morning Coming Down" is played without the dramatic climbs of the original. The song list is a combination of tunes Chesnutt's been singing live for years, including "Black Rose," "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" and "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound," treasured album cuts like Waylon Jennings' "Freedom to Stay," and tunes suggested by his label, including "Desperados Waiting for a Train."

Many of these are songs that Chesnutt's long loved, but for various reasons (often, the difficulty of learning the wordy lyrics) he'd never sung. In a couple of cases, such as with "Black Rose," he dug back past the version he knew, by Waylon Jennings, to the original approach of the song's writer, Billy Joe Shaver. In other cases, such as with "A Couple More Years," he stuck with his memories of the hit, by Dr. Hook. The album was cut in Los Angeles, and Chesnutt and Anderson took only two nights to get masters for all thirteen vocals - a mark of their preparation and the synergy the pair found in the vocal booth. Anderson adds plenty of hard guitar twang throughout the album, and the backing band includes Gary Morse (pedal steel), Donny Reed (fiddle) and Mickey Raphael (harmonica). While this doesn't push Chesnutt forward, it's a great opportunity to hear a terrific country vocalist sing some great country songs. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]