"Lonesome, On'ry & Mean/Honky Tonk Heroes/This Time/Waylon The Ramblin' Man" by WAYLON JENNINGS – Four 'Country/Country Rock/Outlaw Country' American Albums from March 1973, July 1973, July 1974 and September 1974 on RCA Records – Guests Featuring Fred Carter, Billy Joe Shaver, Randy Scruggs, Charley McCoy and Members of Area Code 615, Pete Drake and Ralph Mooney, Tompall Glaser, Willie Nelson and more (August 2023 UK Beat Goes On Records (BGO) Compilation – 4LPs onto 2CDs Plus Six Bonus Tracks – Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Moving Is The Closest Thing To Being Free..."

 

In what chart history has dubbed his Outlaw Country Music years, England's Beat Goes On Records (or BGO for short) continues their legacy exploration of the hugely successful and much-missed WAYLON JENNINGS - a serious Texan Duderino who clocked up a huge fifteen No.1 hits whilst at the same time kick-muling against sterile old ways when it came to presenting the music he loved and championed. This is BGO's fourth CD compilation for the Littlefield Highwayman (see list below).

 

What you get here are four albums issued on RCA Records in the USA (some in the UK) in rapid succession – March and July 1973 for the first two and July and September 1974 for three and four (all were Country LP chart hits in America). This twofer compilation however goes further though than just putting 4LPs onto 2CDs – it has also been smart enough to include three bonus tracks from the first LP and three more from the fourth that were previously issued on individual RCA Nashville/BMG Heritage CD Remasters out of the USA in 2003 and 2000.

 

And when you consider the huge guest name list – Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser, Billy Joe Shaver, Randy Scruggs, Charley McCoy and Members of Area Code 615, legendary Pedal Steel players like Ralph Mooney and Pete Drake – you're getting a whole lot of value for your money and all dressed up in cool duds too (sounds mighty fine as well). To the Honky Tonk Heroes...

 

UK released Friday, 11 August 2023 – "Lonesome, On'ry & Mean/Honky Tonk Heroes/This Time/Waylon The Ramblin' Man" by WAYLON JENNINGS on Beat Goes On Records BGOCD1496 (Barcode 5017261214966) features 4 LPs Remastered onto 2CDs with Six Bonus Tracks and plays out as follows:

 

CD1 (69:36 minutes):

1. Lonesome, On'ry & Mean [Side 1]

2. Freedom To Stay

3. Lay It Down

4. Gone To Denver

5. Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues

6. You Can Have Her [Side 2]

7. Pretend I Never Happened

8. San Francisco Mabel Joy

9. Sandy Sends Her Best

10. Me And Bobby McGee

Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "Lonesome, On'ry & Mean" – released March 1973 in the USA on RCA Records LSP-4854. Produced by DANNY DAVIS and RONNY LIGHT – it peaked at No. 8 on the US Country LP charts

 

BONUS TRACKS:

11. Laid Back Country Picker

12. The Last One To Leave Seattle

13. Big, Big Love

Three Previously Unreleased Studio Outtakes first released digitally 2003 on the CD Reissue/Remaster for "Lonesome, On'ry & Mean" on RCA Nashville/BMG Heritage 82876 53229 2. The first two came from the late 1972 sessions for the LP, while the third was from the album sessions for "Ladies Love Outlaws" (released September 1972, also on RCA).

 

14. Honky Tonk Heroes [Side 1]

15. Old Five And Dimers (Like Me)

16. Willy The Wandering Gypsy And Me

17. Low Down Freedom

18. Omaha

19. You Asked Me To [Side 2]

20. Ride Me Down Easy

21. Ain’t No God In Mexico

22. Black Rose

23. We Had It All

Tracks 14 to 23 are the album "Honky Tonk Heroes" – released July 1973 in the USA on RCA Records APL1-0240 and in the UK on RCA Records AFL1-0240. Produced by TOMPALL GLASSER and WAYLON JENNINGS (except "Low Down Freedom" and "Black Rose" produced by RONNIE LIGHT and "We Had It All" produced by KEN MANSFIELD and WAYLON JENNINGS) – the LP peaked at No. 14 on the US Country Music Charts

 

CD2 (71:01 minutes):

1. This Time [Side 1]

2. Louisiana Women

3. Pick Up The Tempo

4. Slow Rollin’ Low

5. Heaven Or Hell

6. It’s Not Supposed To Be That Way [Side 2]

7. Slow Movin’ Outlaw

8. Mona

9. Walkin’

10. If You Could Touch Her At All

Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "This Time" – released June 1974 in the USA on RCA Victor APL1-0539 and in the UK on RCA Victor AFL1-0539. Produced by WAYLON JENNINGS and WILLIE NELSON – it peaked at No. 4

 

11. I’m A Ramblin’ Man [Side 1]

12. Rainy Day Woman

13. Cloudy Days

14. Midnight Rider

15. Oklahoma Sunshine

16. The Hunger [Side 2]

17. I Can’t Keep My Hands Off Of You

18. Memories Of You And I

19. It’ll Be Her

20. Amanda

Tracks 11 to 20 are the album "Waylon The Ramblin' Man" – released September 1974 in the USA on RCA Victor APL1-0734 and in the UK on RCA Victor LSA 3196 (APL1 0734). Produced by WAYLON JENNINGS and RAY PENNINGTON - it peaked at No.3 on the US Country Music Album Charts

 

BONUS TRACKS:

21. Got A Lot Going For Me

22. The Last Letter

23. The One I Sing My Love Songs To

Tracks 21 to 23 are outtakes from the sessions first released on the 2000 CD Reissue of the "Waylon The Ramblin' Man" album on Buddah 74465 99699 2

 

There's an outer card slipcase that lends the release a classy feel, the substantial 24-page booklet has liner notes from noted writer and Folk/Country Music aficionado JOHN O'REGAN and the artwork for all four albums, the musician credits and a long potted history on Jennings  that names Net Sources. It's a deep read that refers to Jennings' interviews done around the LPs - hands-on info from the man himself. But most will want to know about the audio.

I'm aware that some have said these albums (this period in general) was not really served well by Producers and RCA - yet there are others who swear by the naturality of the sound. In short you're probably getting that fans are often divided. To my ears the sonic improvement in ANDREW THOMPSON's New Remasters is considerable - the clarity of acoustic guitars - clean bass - very little traceable hiss - but yes the vocals are somewhat in the back of the mix on some songs, but it rarely gets in the way of his roadside performance. And those six Bonuses are actually worth having - putting an already tasty haul of Primo period albums over the edge. I love it, and as usual a quality release from BGO. To the tunes...

 

 

Recorded in late 1972 and determined not to fall back on tried and tested Country songs of old, Jennings fully embraced the new contemporary Country Rock sound of the early Seventies for his began to feel "Lonesome, On'ry & Mean" album. Sometimes referred to as Outlaw Country Music – the songs were still real but sometimes more macho and brutal in their subject matters. You get Danny O'Keefe and his 1971 ache-song "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues" (check out the Harry Manx cover of this), the huge Kris Kristofferson crossover hit "Me And Bobby McGee", Johnny Cash and Waylon between marriages as they don their broken hearts and scuffed black coats and be "Gone to Denver" - while the cult artist Steve Young has his feeling uppity song used as the title track to the LP - "Lonesome, On'ry & Mean". As the harmonica wails and the guitars pluck and slide – I like the fullness of the Remaster - a title track no one but a bandit would use. More hit me with a sledgehammer lonesome comes a smoking out of your speakers with "Freedom To Stay" – a rambler who had walked alone too long finally finding the lady eyes he wants to settle down for. Lovely gut-string acoustic is remastered so nicely for "Lay It Down" – a lovely Gene Thomas song that Waylon lays into with real vocal power.

 

His vocal gets a tad lost in "Gone To Denver" even if the rest of the instruments are so clear. A nod too goes to the magnificence of Mickey Newbury over on Elektra Records in his cover of "San Francisco Mabel Joy"). But if I am completely truthful here – I turn away from the flashy chart-bound cover versions and go far more for the three stripped down laid-bare bonus tracks – very cool stuff and somehow imbibed with honesty that is more touching. But I have to say that while the ladies that join him for the backing on "Pretend I Never Happened" – the in-your-face vocals by them in You Can Have Her" has not weathered the years well.

 

But in my not-so-humble opinion, his second LP here trounces the first - "Honky Tonk Heroes" from June 1973 almost entirely dominated by the songwriting chops of Billy Joe Shaver who provides and is involved in a whopping nine of its ten tracks. With most of the LP Produced by Country Legend Tompall Glaser (Ronnie Light produced two) - man is it good - talk about dudes suiting each other musically. The acoustic is quiet and airy – his vocals sweet and the violin and Dobro both sail in nicely for "Honky Tonk Heroes" – and then that electric geetar too. Jennings just goes straight up Country Ballad with the lovely "Old Five And Dimers (Like Me)" – songwriter Shaver talking of fence yards and weary bones that think too much needing a place to belong. Nice vocals and a clean remaster for "Willy The Wandering Gypsy And Me" – the Bass, Fiddle and Harmonica all holding up the strumming. Waylon does not want to risk love making a fool of him in "Low Down Freedom" – so he is a confused soul having to leave town when he does not really want to go (quality Remaster on this wildly underrated album).

 

CD2 opens with Waylon wanting his woman to walk the mark and toe the line – but despite his doomy threats as he sings "This Time" - you can’t help think the schmuck is setting himself up once again (Don Brooks on Harmonica). Produced by Willie Nelson, the no-nonsense back to business "This Time" album had been his best charting LP for nearly seven years – it hit No. 4. The title track was in fact put out by RCA in April 1974 ahead of the album and its warmth took it to No.1 – another in his huge tally of fourteen poll toppers. Willie Nelson also plays some lead guitar on "This Time" tunes supplemented by real pickers like Reggie Young and Fred Newell. The cover of "Louisiana Woman" (a J.J. Cale song) sounds lovely on Remaster even if the instruments like the Pedal Steel of Ralph Mooney sounds like its off in the distance by a (forgive me) a country mile. More walls of acoustic guitars and Pedal Steel to the left on the WN-penned "Pick Up The Tempo" – Waylon sounding like – well, Willie Nelson. Very good sound to the Acoustic and Harmonica driven "Slow Rollin' Low" – another poor-me tune set to a dancing beat – superlative Dobro moment from Ralph Mooney (WN also contributes Rhythm and Lead Guitar).

 

Willie joins Waylon for the jauntily odd "Heaven Or Hell" – a treated Trumpet not quite working on this one. Gorgeous Acoustic, Harmonica and Vocals on "It's Not Supposed To Be That Way" – a father pining for his estranged wife and child – regretting the distance imposed by bad decisions and the grind of separation. That same ache permeates every nuance of "Slow Movin' Outlaw" – a-once-quick-draw old-timer bemoaning the state of all around him (a Dee Moeller song, also plays Piano and Organ on the album). It ends on the pure Country of "If You Can Touch Her At All" – a Lee Miller-written smoocher that swirls and shuffles its sneaky way into your heart. Deep inside the album too was another fruitful collaboration – the "Mona" song on Side 2 of the LP being written by Miriam Eddy, the ex wife of Duane Eddy who would go on to change her name to JESSI COLTER. Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter because a commercial duet – a force to be reckoned with (see my BGO Reissue list below for two albums they did in 1971 and 1980).

 

You would think that album number four in such a recording rush might let the ball drop – think again. Jennings cleverly picked up again on Country Rock and mixing it with genuinely touching ballads – the "The Ramblin' Man" filled with both hipswayers and heartbreakers. Dig that fantastic Outlaw-Vibing guitar-shuffling cover version of The Allman Brother Band 1971 gem "Midnight Rider" – bound to be on some themed compilation soon. Gorgeous remastered audio on "The Hunger" – a woman aging fast and longing for a connection that will satisfy her fears and the reflections in too many mirrors. More ballad in "I Can’t Keep My Hands Off Of You" – but for me the album highlight is the guitar-swinging lilt in the brilliant "Memories Of You And I" – a prisoner with lines on his face that grow deeper. All the guitars – electric, pedal steel and acoustic – all collide into a sort of hugely produced Gram Parsons moment – all tune and emotions (the song was written by Lee Clayton). Fab...

 

I dare say most Waylon Jennings enthusiasts will need little persuasion here - they will press their battered purchase buttons and await the wife with a bill in one hand and a rolling pin in the other. Heartache hasn't sounded this good in five decades...

 

 

WAYLON JENNINGS CD compilations as of August 2023

On Beat Goes on Records (BGO) of the UK

In Album Release Date Order

 

1. JESSI COLTER and WAYLON JENNINGS

"A Country Star Is Born/Leather And Lace" (1971 and 1980 albums)

CD compilation offering 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD released 14 February 2020 on Beat Goes on BGOCD1300 (Barcode 5017261213006)

 

WAYLON JENNINGS

2. "Lonesome, On'ry & Mean/Honky Tonk Heroes/This Time/The Ramblin' Man" (2 x 1973 and 2 x 1974 albums)

CD compilation offering 4LPs and Six Bonus Tracks Remastered onto 2CDs, released 4 August 2023 on Beat Goes On Records GOCD1496 (Barcode 5017261214966)

 

3. WAYLON JENNINGS

"What Goes Around Comes Around/Music Man/Black On Black/Waylon And Company" (1979, 1980, 1982 and 1983 albums)

CD compilation offering 4LPs Remastered onto 2CDs released 8 October 2021 on Beat Goes on Records BGOCD1462 (Barcode 5017261214621)

 

WAYLON JENNINGS

4. "It's Only Rock & Roll/Never Could Toe The Mark/Turn The Page/Sweet Mother Texas" (1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986 albums)

CD compilation offering 4LPs Remastered onto 2CDs released August 2021 on Beat Goes On Records BGOCD1454 (Barcode 5017261214546)