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.

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.

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.

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

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.

An underrated classic artist. Need to remember Waylon more!

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

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

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.

I don't like country music, but the first track started and maybe I've just been listening to the wrong country music?? The first country album I think I would go back to, such easy listening. It gets an extra star because it made my 3yr old daughter want to dance with me. 6/5

I was introduced to Waylon through Alvin and The Chipmunks. They covered his song Luckenbach Texas, and I loved it. Honkey Tonk Heroes is a five star album, beginning to end.

I'm finally able to appreciate classic country.

Alveg heyrt verra honk í tonk í stöff. Vistaði meira að segja upphafslagið á playlista. En þetta verður þreytt áður en platan klárast og hún er ekki nema 27 mínútur og 10 sekúndur að lengd. Yeehaw.

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.

“My feet would fit a railroad track I would made one Hell of a train” - Peak Southern Poetry -

Classic Waylon. We lost the giant when he passed.

9.7/10. Maybe greatest country album of all time.

This was a welcome reminder that when I say "I hate country music," what I actually mean is that I despise what commercialism did to country music. Starts strong and never drags. This kind of experience is why I'm here; perhaps the list could lose just a small portion of the Morrissey and middle of the road Brit nostalgia in favor of more varied influential albums?

Waylon just has a voice like no others and isn’t boring while using it.

Outlaw country

If anyone ever makes a movie about me, I want this album to play at a pivotal scene where I’m struggling with a big decision. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, THIS is Country music. And it doesn’t get much better than this.

Outlaw country is easily my favorite country subgenre. Seems almost unrecognizable to the modern trash coming out. Somehow comes in at under 30 minutes despite the songs feeling like they take their time and aren't rushed. Rating: 4.8

An absolute banger of an album. Every song is near country perfection. I had never heard this album before but I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to discomer it. The band is stellar, the playing on every track filled with nuance, subtlety, space and attention to detail. Speaking of detail this is an beatiful sounding album. The details in the instrumentation is beautifully rendered. The details of each instument is easily discerened but never in your face, always balanced in in service of the song. A nearly perfect album. 5 stars

Wow! Amazing

This is a certain kind of fantastic. I may have heard this before, years ago, as my dad had a cassette with Merle on one side and Waylon on the other side, and I don't remember the album titles... but believe me when I say that modern country is a pale shadow of the real roots country. Bob Wills is still the king!

The audio quality is so good, so dynamic and rich. I love how country music like this excels at story telling. That instrumentation on You Ask Me To. The track lengths and album length, chefs kiss. A nice mix here. You can slow dance with your partner or ride the rails with them. Sounds nice if you ask me.

I love Waylon’s playing and singing and Billie Joe’s songwriting. There are very few perfect country albums and this is one

Really good country album. No complaints.

Waylon is a legend, and I knew that I was going to love this. And I did. This is everything that is great about classic country, especially outlaw country. My only regret is that this album is so short (27 minutes), but there is a lot more Waylon out there to listen to.

Solid album. I'm never putting Country on, but I really like this style. It has enough rock and roll in it to make it interesting.

Релакс хонкитонк, все как надо, уже спокойно скачу на лошади по полю

As always, I feel somewhat conflicted that the name on the record isn't the name of the person who wrote the music. In my eyes, this is Billy Shaver's record, filtered through the possibly more marketable Waylon Jennings. That being said, it's great. I've always had a soft spot for outlaw country. I just love the blues, man.

Thoughts before listening: I'm very excited for this. Waylon's great, and I'm pretty sure Billy Joel Shaver wrote this album. I'm sure this will get the normal "country music sucks" 1-star reviews so unless I'm WAY off on what this will sound like, I'll likely be giving it 5-stars to help right the ship a bit. Review: This is 100% a 5-star album full of so many classics of the outlaw country movement. This is my favorite era of country music and Waylon is one of the all-time greats.

I'm really pleased that this album makes the cut. Coming from the 'Nashville of the North', Liverpool (UK), I am quite familiar with C&W music. Liverpool is one of the few, if not the only, cities in the UK of having had a dedicated C&W radio channel. My brothers friend was the son of the legendary Joe Butler - C&W dj. This is a great album and my stand out favourite is, 'we had it all'. 5 stars all the way!

One of the kings of country at the top of his game. Quick and punchy, rollicking one minute and mourning the next. A quintessential country album. Best song: Honky Tonk Heroes

Never heard of this one, and absolutely love it

Unexpected masterpiece of engaging songwriting. Perfection.

Two great songwriters spawned a whole movement. Johnny Cash may have the picture with the double birds, but these two did it on record. Outsider music in the country tradition has created an enduring through line to 2025. This album is why Sturgill Simpson exists. The production sounds like the Smokey bar on the cover. And those are the hard drinking, hard living cats that made it happen. I love all the songs on this album, hard guys willing to put themselves out there for the sake of the song.

I'm a Honky Tonk Hero.

This album is a 4 but I'm giving it a 5 out of spite. Too many losers on here who think Radiohead is the best to ever do it, but cringe at the thought of a country album. This is Waylon Jennings we're talking about.

Nice

It's just about all I could ask for from a classic country album. Hard-hitting yet mellow vocals, a beautiful soundscape that makes you wanna turn into a cowboy, and with some well crafted lyrics written by Billy Joe Shavers. Very solid indeed. Top 3 Favorites: You Ask Me To, Honky Tonk Heroes, and Black Rose No bad songs 4.50-4.75/5

It doesn’t get any better than this album. This is an outlaw masterpiece.

Love

Waylon was a Honky Tonk Hero

Is it a perfect album? Probably not. Is it damn good? Certainly.

yee haw

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.

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

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

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

Awesomeness

Quite possibly the most perfect country album ever.

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”

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

Classic country album. Essential

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.

Vet

jaa errug gezellig

Great country. Not overdone or hokey, just quality.

What country should have always been.

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

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

Gold

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 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.

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

yee haw

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

Really love it !

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Absolute roller!

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

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'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.

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.

Really solid coh try album

I really liked this! Great outlaw country

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 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!!

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

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...

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.

loved it, wanna be in the mountains

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

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.

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

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