Waylon Jennings – “Honky Tonk Heroes” from Honky Tonk Heroes (1973)
The exploration of country music has been a recurring theme on this blog (as well as on some of our favorite brother-blogs such as Setting the Woods on Fire and The Rising Storm). For me, this exploration has been largely defined by seeing past the stigmatization of the faux, good-ole-bro sentiment of modern country to a rich tradition of creativity and rebellion embodied in artists like Hank Williams, Townes Van Zandt, and Steve Earle.
During this time, I have particularly identified with Waylon Jennings’ Honky Tonk Heroes. It is the ideal crossover album for country-curious rock and rollers. But this is no mere cosmic American hybrid. Billy Joe Shaver’s songs are braced firmly in the country genre while Waylon and the band plow through them with the ferocity of any contemporary rock band minus the extensive, wanker guitar solos of the era.
Good times.
Posted by Jordy
This song is awesome.
Don’t I know it.
I love that album! Thanks for the mention too.
Anybody who likes this stuff should definitely get ahold of the Billy Joe Shaver albums from the 1970s too. Great stuff.
Thanks for the tip, Paul. I’ll check those out.