Waylon Jennings Albums (54)
'Back to Back'
Release Date 8/27/2002
Tracks 10
Label K-Tel Distribution
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Big Country'
Release Date 11/14/2000
Tracks 15
Label Dressed to Kill
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Never Say Die: Live'
Release Date 10/10/2000
Tracks 14
Label Columbia
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
At age 63, Waylon Jennings may have reached the point that he is commercially marginal, but his long hit-filled career gives him a repertoire that can make for a powerful concert set, and on this album, recorded at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in January 2000, he demonstrates that he remains able to turn in a performance to match. This is a special show, with frequent guest-star appearances from Jennings' acolytes -- John Anderson ("Waymore's Blues"), Montgomery Gentry ("[I'm A] Ramblin' Man"), Travis Tritt ("I've Always Been Crazy") -- as well as his wife, Jessi Colter, who gets a solo spot with her hit "I'm Not Lisa" and duets with Jennings on their hit "Storms Never Last." In addition to the familiar material, Jennings mixes in songs from his little-heard late-'90s albums, such as the title track from his 1998 collection, Closing In on the Fire, and covers the pop hits "Drift Away" and "Never Been to Spain." He makes an engaging host, joking with his guests and talking to the audience, but what matters most is that his bass baritone remains sturdy, while his veteran band (which earns a co-billing) still plays his songs with authority. Jennings vows that he is "Goin' Down Rockin'," and if so, that's appropriate, but this album suggests there's still plenty of life in him. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
'The Restless Kid - Live at JD's'
Release Date 4/25/2000
Tracks 27
Label Bear Family
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
In the summer of 1964, Waylon Jennings began a residency at JDs, a new two-story club in Scottsdale, AZ. He had been in Arizona playing for some time, gigging and DJing shortly after the death of Buddy Holly, but his time at JDs was pivotal, since it's where he developed his musical voice and began to establish himself as a solo star in his own right. A few short months after he began playing JDs, he went into Audio Recorders in Phoenix and cut two sessions that resulted in an independent album, JD's Presents Waylon Jennings, which was available at JDs and in area record stores. This was not a live album, but it did capture the wide-ranging nature of his live performances of the time. He relied heavily on folk and country, adding a little bit of rock, blues, rockabilly, and R&B to the mix. All of this was captured on the album, which is easily one of the most valuable and interesting items in Jennings' catalog. Bear Family reissued the album as part of their splendid, exhaustive six-disc box The Journey: Destiny's Child, but a year later, the label issued The Restless Kid - Live at JDs. This disc is not JDs Presents Waylon Jennings. Instead, it's a compilation that contains six previously unreleased cuts from those sessions (they aren't on the box set, either), then, best of all, a live performance of Wayon Jennings & the Waylors circa 1965. Understandably, the recording is a little rough, demanding close attention from the listener, but it's worthwhile for the dedicated. Restless Kid doesn't necessarily provide revelations, since it's well known what Jennings was playing during this period as he etched out his signature "folk-country," but it does add some color and texture to this period, illustrating how comfortable Jennings was with such a broad variety of material. If there are any surprises here, it's that much of the set list is very low key and leans heavily on folk songs, including cowboy songs, making the Waylors sound like disciples of the Kingston Trio. The only time the tempo really picks up is for kicking versions of "Candy Man" and "Memphis, Tennessee," which is further proof that the folk part of the equation was more dominant than the country. And that's what's really interesting about this disc; it fleshes out and brings to life a time in Jennings' career that is often read about, but seldom heard. Of course, that means it's primarily for the dedicated fans and historians, the kind of listener that knows the arc of Waylon's career by heart, but that doesn't make The Restless Kid - Live at JDs any less a welcome addition to Jennings' catalog. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Closing in on the Fire'
Release Date 6/16/1998
Tracks 12
Label Ark 21
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
With so many classic country and western artists making comebacks in the 1990s, it was only natural that Waylon Jennings did so too. But, rather than follow the surfeit of "comebacks," Jennings took his own sweet time, and you are rewarded justly with Closing In on the Fire. It's a fabulous album, spotlighting Jennings' powerful vocals as well as his direct, to-the-bone songwriting. Most of the record rocks surprisingly hard, especially Tony Joe White's swampy title track. Guest appearances by Sheryl Crow, Mark Knopfler, Mary Stuart, and others are a plus, but this is Waylon's record -- one of his finest in the last 20 years -- and the man really doesn't need the help. ~ Matthew Greenwald, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Waylon Jennings' later albums have consistently been more interesting than those of most others from his aging generation, and Right for the Time -- his first for his new label, Justice Records -- is one of his strongest of the '80s and '90s. His voice is rich and beautiful, his arrangements are spare and casual, and his songs explore life, love, and dreams with honesty and wisdom. He waxes nostalgic for small-town life on "Cactus Texas" and mixes bitter sentiments with a snap-crackle wit on "Kissing You Goodbye." Never shy about his feelings, Waylon again comments (as he has on recent albums) on the "new hats" in country music, doing so with good-natured sarcasm on the spoken word acoustic song "Living Legends, Pt. 2." ~ Kurt Wolff, All Music Guide
'Cowboys, Sisters, Rascals & Dirt'
Release Date 6/8/1993
Tracks 11
Label RCA
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Cowboys, Sisters, Rascals & Dirt is Waylon Jennings' family album, a collection of songs written for children. Jennings always has had a keen eye for detail and a warm voice, and those factors assist him on this record. He doesn't talk down to kids -- he treats them as equals, and there's a real tenderness to his songs and performances that makes the album a wonderful record for kids. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Too Dumb for New York City, Too Ugly for L.A.'
Release Date 1/1/1992
Tracks 10
Label Epic
See Album Tracklist and Review
