Honky Tonk Heroes

My 16 year old self would've wanted to punch me for saying this, but I actually really liked a Country album. Didn't overstay its welcome and after a stressful day of work, felt soothing. Had some great acoustic guitar and bass to accompany the outlaw imagery. Would say Omaha was the best of the bunch.

This is what country is about. Waylon takes pain and hope and love and blends it all together in a great album. He’s definitely a pillar of country for a reason.

Well, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I still really hate that whimpering steel guitar sound with a deep and abiding passion and the lyrical content of most of these songs absolutely do not connect with me. But not all of them. There are some solid tracks here. Enough to give it a middling grade from me, at least.

First album generated that I gave more than one listen for the day. Shaver writing for Waylon. Awesome.

I loved it. It took me back to my childhood when I worked for my dads drywall company in hill yard (an area of spokane) and would go get lunch across the street and they played country music with slide steel guitars

Waylon gets in, handles his business, and gets out. Great lyrics (no, really, some true classics in here) and slick early-70s production make this a good time to listen to.

one of my favorite all time country albums. The birth of Outlaw country and by far Waylons best work (only album you really need by him imo). I always thought Willie Nelson was the better of the 2 but that this album may have been the best between them all. The tone, the lyrics, the non twang-y country and his deep voice all just took Country in the best direction it's ever been taken, mixed with blues and rockabilly

Surprisingly really enjoyable. Old country is so much better than new country damn

This was actually pretty cool! Really liked the first song and seems like some funny/cool old country to have in your lexicon.

Pretty good listen, but it's short and forgettable. Favorite track might be Willy the Wandering Gypsy and Me

Not a huge country fan, but don't mind this kind of "classic country". Songwriting is great and production is clean. Would have liked the songs to open up a bit more and have time for longer solos and more jamming, but I guess that wasn't the style.

An underrated classic artist. Need to remember Waylon more!

Take me back to Nashvillle right now. Lush with the kind of pathos and grit that all of favourite country music shows. Real characters in profound circumstances. Pure songwriting magic.

I'm finally able to appreciate classic country.

Nr. 108/1001 Honky Tonk Heroes 3/5 Old Five And Dimers 2/5 Willy The Wandering Gypsy And Me 4/5 Low Down Freesom 4/5 Omaha 3/5 You Ask Me To 3/5 Ride Me Down Easy 3/5 Ain't No God In Mexico 3/5 Black Rose 3/5 We Had It All 2/5 Average: 3,0/5 Ultimately forgettable Country album.

What a KILLER album. Tight songwriting, great melodies and bass lines, zero superfluous songs and just long enough to leave you wanting more. This will be going on my regular rotation… INSTANT 5 stars!

I love Waylon and his brand of country. Apart from that, the songwriting here is really good and was a good listen from start to finish.

Loved this. Always wanted to get into Waylon but didn't know where to start. This is the place.

Great album and great rhythm section. I like the songs my favorite was You Ask Me To and the title track.

Such a great record! One of my favs. The drums sound killer, love the groove at the end of honky tonk heroes. This is peak waylon imo

Yes please. Loved this. Short, to the point and with a fuck tonne of attitude.

The genesis of outlaw country. Just incredible. Best track: Honky Tonk Heroes

I love Waylon. He practically created a genre. This album has many wonderful songs and is a perfect example of outlaw country.

have loved this album literally all of my life. It was on heavy rotation as I grew up.

This is my first country album and it's actually really good!

As far as I'm concerned, this is what Country music is and should be. One of those albums that are historically important (laying the groundwork for all the Outlaw Country albums to come), but also just good fun to listen to.

Vet

Really love it !

yee haw

Essential country album. They don't make them like this anymore.

country music

Honestly, some very good old country. I really love some good steel guitar playing. The high harmonies are a treat whenever they show up. The peak of the album is at the end, which I was a little confused/worried about in the middle of my listen-through, but it made the end of the album that much better. Favorite Song(s): Old Five and Dimers (Like Me), You Ask Me To, Black Rose, We Had It All

Day238 - i love waylon jennings and billy joe shaver wrote him a classic. ain’t no god in mexico and black rose are fantastic songs

I am not the biggest fan of country music, specifically what they call country music today (some unholy blend of pop and country), but I've always had a soft spot for Waylon Jennings. Every time I listen to his music, I am immediately transported back in time to driving around in dad's old truck with him listening to Waylon on cassette. Dad loves Waylon, and has passed that admiration of his work on to me. Waylon, and specifically this album, is attributed to the start of the outlaw country subgenre. A perfect melding of rock/blues/country. This era of country was fantastic. So many amazing acts came as a direct result of the works of Waylon, Willie, Johnny, and Merle. It is insane how similar Colter Wall's voice is to Waylon's. Especially in the song Ain't No God In Mexico. Listen to that song, then listen to the song Raisin' Cotton by Colter Wall. The similarity is crazy!! Overall, I loved today's listen, and enjoyed shot of nostalgia that came with it! Favourite songs: Honky Tonk Heroes, Omaha, Black Rose, Slow Rollin' Low, Old Five and Dimers (Like Me), Low Down Freedom, Ride Me Down Easy, Ain't No God In Mexico Least favourite song: if forced to pick, Willy the Wandering Gypsy and Me 5/5

This makes me want to go down to Nashville and party. :)

This was a fantastic album. Waylon Jennings is perhaps the most iconic outlaw country artist and this album shows why. It is a good mix of honky tonk with ballads throughout ending with the reflective ‘We Had it All.’ Outlaw country artists operated outside of the Nashville machine which lends a stripped down and earnest feel to their music. It sounds like the truth to me.

So I pretty much much hate all mainstream country from 1980 to now, it's absolute shit music. However I do love 70's outlaw country and I really love Waylon. This is one my favorite Waylon albums, a few of the slow numbers I don't particularly care for but Black Rose might be one of my favorite country tunes of all time, I love cranking that one. Given this might be the only Waylon album on the list I'm going 5 stars, more for Waylon than the album per se.

Really great album

The original outlaw singing songs written by the best outlaw song writer.

yee haw

Hell yea. Would definitely not have been on my radar. Although Sturgill Simpson has been a recent favorite of mine and now I can clearly see a straight line from Waylon to Sturgill. Glad to have this in my rotation now.

This music is from an age when music was well written at every level and in every aspect: lyrics, instrumentals, voice, content--before songs and tunes became entries in formulas and more focused on image instead of musical craft. These "old five-and-dimers," Cash, Jennings, Nelson, and so many others are legends for music like this.

Love this so much. Country is not high on my genre list, but his style of country hits different, and this album is just beautiful. Feels like home. Waylon is a gem.

jaa errug gezellig

I'm warming up to country and I enjoy hearing part of its history. Loved the sound on this one

Just about perfect. Short, sweet, catchy. Nobody did it like Waylon.

This album is so great. Waylon pioneers country music in this album, and the vocal and instrumental performances are amazing. The songwriting is great and has tons of catchy stuff, and I will likely listen to this album several more times.

I really liked this! Great outlaw country

Absolute roller!

Really solid coh try album

Waylon Jennings was not part of my musical education growing up, except for the theme to "The Dukes of Hazzard." So this was the first time I really listened to his music. I'm really glad this album is in the project. I have found that the country albums that have actually made it on the list are amazing. The songwriting is perfect, and Jennings' performances as well.

I first heard this album at age 5 and it’s played with regularity for my entire life. Waylon Jennings' rich, unmistakeable voice is comfort food for my soul. With Billy Joe Shaver's incredible storytelling and country arrangements that stray into rock territory with electric electric guitars this album has been a lifelong education that just keeps the lessons coming. This album is packed with great lyrics. "Piano roll blues danced holes in my shoes there weren't another other way to be for them lovable losers and no account boozers and honky tonk heroes like me." "Low down freedom you done cost me Everything I'll everything I'll ever lose Lord." "The devil made me do it the first time, the second time I done it on my own." "If I hadn't been railroaded well, I guess I'da been a train." "Been a good month of Sundays and a guitar ago had a tall drink of yesterday's wine." Lovable losers and no account boozers have never felt so seen...

Superb song-writing and excellent musicianship (and a very pleasing running time). Top notch!

CLASSIC!

Haven't spent much time listening to Waylon Jennings on his own; mostly listening to his collaboration with Willie. What a miss! This album is exactly what I look for in honky-tonk country music. Electric guitar picking, harmonica, and a driving bass line.

I keep trying to come up with something eloquent or entertaining to say about this album, but words not go together good now. This is my first listen and I loved it. For my listening pleasure, it is a 5!!

That was pretty cool. Started out absolutely great, lost a bit of steam towards the end but still a nice 4/5. Update: I listened to this twice and enjoyed it even more the second time. 5/5 now.

Really aces when it comes to blending Outlaw and Honky Tonk so smoothly. And now I have 3 out of 4 of the Highwaymen (waiting for you Kris) in my Repertoire, so that is fun.

Loved it

Brilliant outlaw country, by a member of the Highwaymen - the supergroup of the genre. I loved it, and am pleased to see Waylon get recognition as a solo artist (not just alongside his brothers in the band). Wonderful

There's more country soul in this than a backwoods graveyard

Tough, gruff, but real lyrics.

Who doesn't love Waylon! My Pops had me listening to his music and playing it when I was older!

Danny McBride should make his next HBO series based on this album. It's probably already inspired some of his work. This is really what I think of when I hear "country rock". To think Ol' Waylon was a coin flip away from being on that plane with Buddy Holly and Richie Valens the day the music died. Not on Waylon's watch! He demanded creative control, and ultimately made the music he wanted without anyone standing in his way. I wish I could have partied with Waylon.

I listen to Waylon, Willie, Chris and Johnny (the highwaymen) every day.

legendary outlaw country artist waylon jennings with his signature baritone voice. what could be better? how about if you have another outlaw legend cowrite the entire album (sans one song)? this album is fuckin’ amazing and a can’t say enough about it. stellar rhythm section and waylon’s voice, so emotive. he can go from tough guy to vulnerable at the drop of a hat. so good. highlights: “honey tonk heroes” “old five and dimers like me” “low down freedom” “you ask me to” “black rose”

Quite possibly the most perfect country album ever.

Classic country album. Essential

Awesomeness

Wonderful. I have very little knowledge of country music. And this is an awesome entry point.

Bro deze gaat in de country rotation 5/5 bruuur yeeha

Even though it doesn’t have any of Waylon’s biggest hits, Honky Tonk Heroes is an excellent benchmark in a long catalogue. Its the first collaboration with Billy Joe Shaver as songwriter and it marks Waylon’s first album with full creative control. Stripped down arrangements made for an iconic sound that he and his peers would come to emulate and refine later, and come to be known as outlaw country. But this stands as one of his most consistent, with his own production work, the blueprint used throughout his career laid out in 27 minutes that stands up to repeated spins. Call it 4.5 stars, I’ll round it up.

5.0 + Classic country sounding so human and sweet. Jennings’ voice expresses joy and aching sorrow and all the emotions in between. And the dueling lap steel and slide guitar on “You Ask Me To” is undeniably awesome.

Loved this. Reminds me of fishing with my Grandpa.

Outlaw Country is basically the only kind of country I will support, and this is the OG.

What country should have always been.

Gold

Great country. Not overdone or hokey, just quality.

REAL COUNTRY MUSIC I grew up in the southeastern United States, with most of my childhood in the 90s. I was surrounded by “country music” and I hated it (there were exceptions like Garth and songs here and there). I didn’t know why, it seemed fake and largely was. Years later I discovered Waylon, Willie and newer artists making interesting country music like Sturgill Simpson (Metamodern Sounds In Country Music kicked a door open for me). This is as good as it gets in country in my view. It’s beautifully short at 29 minutes, but Waylon manages to take you on a journey throughout. His voice sounds great, the playing is fantastic, and it’s hard to find a better line than “the devil made me do it the first time, the second time I did it on my own.” This is saloon music for wayward souls. Favorites: title track, Black Rose, Ain’t No God in Mexico

This is why I'm doing this project. Loved it and I never would have thought I'd love a Waylon Jennings album. Fantastic in every respect.

I like Country Music and enjoy hearing the ‘real’ country singers!

loved it, wanna be in the mountains

Slow Rollin Low has got to be one of the best songs of all time.

Damn good.

Tykkäsin yllättävän paljon tästä kantrilevystä. Biisit oli tarttuvia, mutta ei mielestäni kuitenkaan liian renkutusta. Ja tunnelmallisesti pääsi hienosti kuvitelmien Route 66:lle rekan rattiin.

Pretty damn good. These must’ve been real bangers performed live.

I surprisingly liked it, not usually liking country. Goes hard.

I love Waylon. He's one of the absolute beet country musicians to walk the earth in my book. I want to give this a perfect score but I can't. I just think he has better albums than this. It's still really good though. It's just a shame that there's not much (mainstream) country that sounds even close to as good as this anymore.

Pretty good old country!

I really liked this, a fun listen and some songs saved.

Muy agradable outlaw country, con una voz interesante porque no se pasa de pulida, pero tampoco es una rasposidad total. Excelentes riffs de guitarra y muy buen bajo. Es de esas cosas que estando en onda country pondría con gusto.

One of the outlaws making classic country sounds. It’s easy to see how he made a difference in the genre.

As a historical artifact it is essential in understanding where Outlaw Country came from. Also noteworthy is that this is very much a Waylon Jennings and Billy Joe Shaver project, as Shaver wrote or co-wrote all of the songs. Much of country music of this were hots driven albums with a lot of filler. Waylon Jennings did things his way and this is a true album, and every track is solid. There is a direct, nonsense sound that is eschews most of the slickness that was invading popular country music. In many ways this is a punk country record.

One of country’s most iconic outlaws teams up with Billy Joe Shaver for songs celebrating wine, women, and the winding road. Though still in his 30s at the time, Jennings has a voice soaked in age and experience.

Quality old country album

Este álbum se me hizo muy interesante, ya que me parece muy icónico del country. No parece que tenga 50 años desde que se creó. También me llama mucho la atención la época en la que fue grabado; usualmente asociada al rock y al disco. Aunque tiene influencias de rock, es un rock mucho más clásico, como del tiempo de Elvis Presley.

Vmp

Really great C&W album. It took a few listens to grow on me.

Kind of loved this. Grizzled and authentic.

Enjoyed this very short album