Honky Tonk Heroes

Started strong

Love Country (unless its Dixie Chicks), even more do I love Country Rock/Folk. This is classic Country and although I had high hopes, while it was nice to listen to it had no wow factor.

Kantreinta kantria mitä oon kuullu. Ihan kiva siivoilla tän tahtiin.

The first track is my favorite and there are some boring tracks thrown in there. It was fun to listen to.

I didn’t think I would like this but I kinda did. The title track is great and any of the other tracks with that energy are fun to listen to. The slower, more melodic stuff I can do without, but with the proper speed this can be great to listen to.

Country isn't really my thing. But every now and then, you find some gems in that genre that I really enjoy. That's how I felt about this album. I probably won't listen to it again, but it was fun for this one time. 3/5

I like the simplicity. There is some good guitar work. Unfortunately some of the songs are a bit too snoozy/wander into lounge territory. I’m not a big country fan but this wasn’t bad.

3/5

Listened Before? N Good album. I'm in overtime on this list now, so I'm running out of words. I signed up for 1001 and I'm sitting at 1041/1001 or something. Waylon is great, awesome voice. At least it's not another britpop album. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Honky Tonk Heroes

Not really not country, but this was okay.

Huh. This wasn’t terrible. I don’t generally like country music (understatement), but I made it through this without complaining. I should probably go to the hospital and get scanned.

Not really my thing but not bad

Enjoyable album. Not one I’d heard of before, but I do enjoy some Country music from time to time. Not something I’ll listen to again, but I can appreciate its cultural significance

3.5

Nice

very croony, but ok

5.5/10

Good enough stock-standard country. For some reason I zero'd in on the bass on this one and it was incredibly uninspired even by country music standards, but Jennings has a nice enough voice and lyrically it's pretty alright. Fav tracks: Black Rose

Nice songwriting parts here, albeit a little boring at times but I liked enough songs here

Great short country album

#138/1001 🇺🇸 Well the country albums are coming thick and fast at the moment. 4 out of the last 8 to be precise. Jennings has a really rich baritone voice and i've really enjoyed hearing this. Best tracks: Omaha,

3+

As degenerate as modern country is, it's almost comforting to hear country that lives and dies by the old stereotypes. This is brokedown truck and old dead dog country. It's amazing how that can go from a snarky dismissal of the genre, and then the genre can get to a place where you start to miss all that. The first thing I really notice is that Waylon keeps shifting his voice across the first few tracks. All of them are dated, but it's sorta interesting that he keeps making those choices. And yet, the songs aren't all that different. They're just… they're there. It's fine music, but this is music that you listen to because it's on and it's inoffensive. Outlaw country would be upset realizing how inoffensive this is. Most of this is a step away from grandma music… a little more modern, but a solid clip less iconic. It doesn't deserve under a 3*, but it only barely deserves that. No one needs to hear this before they die. They've already heard a hundred identical songs and forgotten them all

Equal parts bravado, humility, tenderness and, let’s call it a narrow world view with plenty of experience. The last track feels like it was a lot people’s wedding song, if you were from Texas in the 70s.

Country from the old but not oldest days. Definitely not what my wife calls bootlicking country. Kinda rock, ballads are good but I don't love country ballads unless they're great (John Prine). Worth a listen, questionable as a "must".

Really good. Definitely gonna have to come back to it, especially given how short it is. Wish it would let loose a bit more like it threatens to do in the first track, though--if it did, that'd easily bump it up another star.

2.7 3x it's honky tonk alright

De la country tout à fait correcte

Boomer (but correct) take: This is what country sounds like, not the bullshit that passes nowadays.

I dont like country but I liked this.

While not my favorite genre, a good example of country

mehhh mid but ok

probably the most stereotypical but also most palatable country music i've ever heard

7/10 el country no siempre se puede salvar con una armónica. Canción rescatable: Honky Tonk Heroes

They all seems the same to me, but yeahhh, welcome to Nashville !!

Definitely a good country album but it didn’t really wow me

This is good for some old school country.

10 good country songs. Nothing mind blowing, but all solid.

My initial reaction when I started listening was an unimpressed "yeah, ok". It's alright, you know? Pretty standard honky tonkin' outlaw country. But by the time I was through to the second half, I was really digging it. 'Ride Me Down Easy', 'Ain't No God in Mexico' and 'Black Rose' stood out as a terrific run of songs, only spoiled by the syrupy ballad 'We Had It All' that the record company insisted Jennings tack on the end. They should have had more faith in Billy Joe Shaver's songwriting. Shaver seems like the real deal, a true cowboy outlaw -- lost two fingers in a sawmill accident, spiritual adviser to Kinky Friedmann, shot a man in Austin because he wouldn't say "sorry". Jennings -- a bit of a bad-ass himself -- really understood the songs and delivered them well (even if Shaver didn't always agree at the time). Is outlaw country my thing? Not really, but I can appreciate that this is a seminal and enjoyable example of the genre. And there are a couple of songs here I would gladly listen to anytime. Fave track: 'Black Rose'.

It’s fine as far as country goes

Wasn’t clicking, I’ll go back to it

Nice chill country album. Would happily drink cheap beer and play pool to this

Outlaw country.

This project has taught me one thing: If I'm going to listen to any country music, it's going to be from the 70's. This was pretty good, but not as good as Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton albums I've had from the same era. Definitely had moments. Especially enjoyed Omaha and Ain't No God in Mexico.

Feelin' like an outlaw after this.

Ralph Mooney is the MVP here, I could listen to that man play his steel guitar all day. Big fan of all the fiddle, violin, viola and cello players as well. This is far from my preferred genre but this isn't bad at all. I can see how someone could love this and spend an evening crying into their beer. 3 stars.

Fun romp with a country legend.

My tolerance for country is low, but this was better than I thought it’d be. I guess there’s a reason I know his name and recognized a few songs.

Songs to listen on your horse Not my tea but if I listened to these songs irl I would tune in Songs I liked: Omaha, black rose, you ask me to

i unfortunately can’t get behind any non-johnny cash country but this was inoffensive at least

It seems good but this is never music I’ll turn to

Well, it's country. It does exactly what it says on the tin. It isn't anything exceptional but wasn't crap either, ill give it a 3.

3.5 Stars, I guess. I was excited for this one. I'm always excited for Waylon Jennings because he's one of the many artists that, on paper, I should love. Unfortunately, it rarely leads to an epiphany. The album is okay/good. I might listen again to see if I missed anything, but it didn't leave much of an impression. Update: I did listen again and liked it more the second time around. It might be a grower. I added a half star (still wishing we could do that in the actual rank)

Wasn't bad

It was a nice reprieve from the genre that the algorithm has provided me recently. It is as advertised honky tonk music.

This record was pretty good. The slow, sad ballads required some endurance, but the rest was fun: short little songs with toe-tapping music and old-timey lyrics. The cover is intriguing - the guys are all partying down but then there's that intense-looking hipster in the background. Dude's probably wishing these guys would finish it up so he can close up the studio and go home to bed. 3 stars

Musically good but not really my thing. Perfectly listenable, though.

A perfect soundtrack for an evening walk—beautiful weather, steel guitar drifting right into your mood, and the songs settling in like they’ve always been part of your life. The album’s easy swagger and lived‑in warmth made it a genuinely enjoyable listen, the kind that deepens the longer you stay with it.

Een half uurtje degelijke country. Over het genre heb ik inmiddels genoeg gezegd, denk ik. Waylon Jennings is zeker niet de vervelendste in het genre. Ik hoor dit liever dan Ice Cube. Drie sterren.

Not one I would put on regularly but I can recognize it’s good music.

It's country, so I didn't love it. I also didn't hate it, so that's a win. It was short. I liked some of the music. The country twang is always off-putting, but this would be fine in the background. 3 stars.

Actually enjoyed it! Country stuff is not usually my bag but some interesting songs here! Got to be the shortest album so far at 27mins.....

It's fine for what it is, but I'm not a honky tonk guy.

Yeah this was fine

A quintessential country album, possibly with a bit more depth and nuance than some. It feels a skilful and accomplished mosey through the stories, feel and structure of this genre. Doesn’t particularly grab me or be something that I may come back to in a rush, but that’s mainly due to not particularly being stimulated or excited by country. But if I was, this is a great capturing of it (3.5)

Tasteful pallet of the 1970s

Willy the Wandering Gypsy and Me through Omaha was the best part of this album.

Not my favourite type of country but decent

I didn't expect to enjoy this but was happily proven wrong. His voice is great and that swayed it for me

I enjoyed this. I will almost certainly never listen to it again

I never really listened to the outlaw country guys much but as I get older I find myself enjoying a lot of stuff they released.

country

Not too bad for country

Enjoyable enough outlaw country. I’ll listen to more Waylon for sure. This record…it’s fine.

enjoyed this, but it didn't really do it for me

Clearly a limited in scope, but intentionally so and an enjoyable listen in the time and place.

Countrya tulee kuunneltua (liian) vähän. Hyvä levy oli. Tuskin jää rotaatioon. 3/5.

Honky Tonk Heroes is a solid country and western album that strips things back to Waylon Jennings' performances and Billy Joe Shaver's songs. Shaver delivers convincing, thoughtfully assembled tales of modern cowboys. And Jennings plays a perfect modern cowboy in his performances. It really is that simple. I will say that I don't gravitate as strongly to this vein of country as I do to some other artists and interpretations of the genre. But, I *really* like We Had It All. And the rest of what's delivered here makes for an enjoyable, breezy, and well-written 27 minutes.

Pretty much what you’d expect from an album with this title. Compétent country 3.1

Sad bastard country tunes for when you’re feeling like a sad bastard.

OK album generator, this BETTER be the end of my country streak because I can't take this much longer

Like it 3/5

Listening from the future, we might not hear the outlaw in this country music, but the circumstances of its production and the way it sounded on release were a break with how things had been done in Nashville. Most of the songs hold up over 50 years later — we can thank Billy Joe Shaver's writing and Waylon's voice for that.

Slushy but easy.

I like Waylon Jennings voice — the tunes were mired in a Country style I can't quite get excited about, but it played on and sounded genuine and not too slick, which I appreciated.

I was not looking forward to this one. I don't know why. I don't really know Waylon Jennings. But man when Honky Tonk Heroes got cranking I was ALL IN! I didn't need to have it all (We Had It All) at the end. But I was really delighted with this discovery.

Kinda liked this in a 'not my usual genre but I see the attraction' sort of way...

Once upon a time, I couldn't stand country, but over the years, that view has changed considerably. Waylon Jennings is a stud, and while I wouldn't have picked this album of Waylon's for this list, it was a fun listen, ridiculously brief though.

Don't hate country but don't like much old school country, like this.

Another series of comments from Kori: “Oh great!” (In response to finding out its only 28 minutes long) “Honestly it’s tolerable”

Alright, not much of a country fan

Turns out I like country more than I thought

3 - Honky Tonk Heroes, Omaha, Low Down Freedom Not a country fan at all but this isn’t too bad! The wiki describes it as outlaw country so perhaps I’ll look into that genre more since I enjoyed this :p

Quite pleasant, short and sweet. Not as annoying as I often find country albums, and nothing had a grating affect on me. Felt engaged throughout.

6/10

I think my issue with country music of the 70s and 80s is production. The songs seems like they are there, but I don’t like the sound. It’s not a terrible album, but I wouldn’t seek it out again.

Two country albums in row.... much preferred Waylon to Merle. Sound quality is a lot better - which helps alot - I prefer his vocals and the content is a lot less grating than Merle. Still find country fairly pedestrian and cliched but there were a few nice moments in this. A low 3.

This album coming off the back of Haggard, cements my belief that country music operates in a very limited sphere - innovation is non-existent in its true sense. About as innovative as this gets is adding in more traces of rock and less alternating basslines vs Haggard's pure Bakersfield twang. But it certainly gives this album a bit more pep then Merle's effort. A pleasant baritone, absorbing some rock elements into a bouncy country sound. Something of a liquor-infused sound pervades, the guitars more gritty, the vocal popping off the mic at times like it's a live performance. 'Black Rose' is a highlight, lamenting his lack of willpower when faced with a dusky beauty ("the devil made me do it the first time, the second time I done it on my own). Some excellent twanging amidst a great band performance. I've seen this classed as 'outlaw country' which I don't particularly understand, but nevertheless it's a decent 'way out west' bar vibe. It's got the swagger, it's got a few tunes, it's got a little variety, it's got a little mettle.

I’m not a huge country fan and have never listened to any of his albums. This was just ok for me.

It's fairly consistent, a little too safe

Outlaw country legend and evocative storyteller. Not a Country fan, but Waylon sings you a story and pulls you in.

yeehaw

Good ole honky Tonk

Country really isn't my absolute favorite thing, but the songwriting and melodies on this were all unique and memorable, and I enjoyed it. Felt like I was sitting at a campfire listening to these guys play.

It's great for what it is, gets three stars just because it's not something I'm not going to put back on again.

After 2 really bad albums this pretty average album sounds like a sweet relief. No experimental trying to stand out music, just easy listening old school country... and I don't listen to country often either but after something really bad this felt pretty pleasant. That really says something about this list I think. This might be genuine 2 but I feel a 3 because at least it wasn't something noisy or avant-garde thing.

Clipity-clop, clipity-clop. Pretty upbeat for a bunch of songs about down on their luck drinkers, gamblers, truckers, hobos, fools, and lovers. Strong start with title track Honky Tonk Heroes. Solid through the middle, We Had It All is a little slow, but all songs are listenable. Gets outta there on a Slow Rollin’ Low in a short 32 and a half minutes, yep - some easy listening. (3.1*s) That there’s some country folks.

Fine, but mostly quite boring after the first track 2.9/5

First song was 5 stars the rest really nice for what it is, a bit slow for me

nice short introduction to Waylon if your not familiar with his work

I don’t hate this but it’s not something I’d ever put on to listen to. Not for me, I guess. First track is great though, kinda disappointing when the rest of it didn’t measure up

Good listen. Nothing incredible but good album. I particularly enjoyed the last song: We Had It All

Finally, some country. Older than my taste profile for the genre, but a solid 4/4 boots on the ground album. Standout track was "Black Rose:. Solid album overall, though it mainly blended together. 3/5 stars.

Good early blend of rock and country.

I’ll admit, this is a style of music I am woefully unfamiliar with. We started off very strong with the title track! I thought it was a nice little number that made me want to go line dancing! Old five and dimers reminder me of something I’d find in my grandparents record collection. Same with Willy the wandering… I think this album did itself a slight disservice by putting both slower songs together right after the punchy opening track. Low down Freedom,however, picks it up again. Omaha and You ask me to actually have a nice groove to them. Ride me down easy sounds like a song an old white man would sing while sitting by a campfire. Actually this whole album does, but I’m not one to judge. Ain’t no god in Mexico and Black Rose were genuinely enjoyable, and we had it all was an apt closer to this album and had good vocals. I’m torn on this album, because I don’t feel the under half an hour runtime really gave me a good taste of what this has to offer. A lot of the language is also very outdated and it is hard to look past for the sake of the art at times. I also don’t usually like country. I think it’s going to get a solid 3.5/5 ⭐️, 7/10. I didn’t hate it, but it wasn’t something I actively enjoyed. 34/1089

Easy going and guick country album. Not really a standout but nice enough. 3/5

The birth of outlaw country! The songs are strong, the performances are great. While the Nashville production takes to the fore on certain songs, many others have a very stripped-down, bare-bones feel that I really enjoy. This is good stuff. THREE STARS

Good album

enjoyable as background music, not something I'd revisit tho

3.4 What is happening! First I really enjoyed an Elton John album and then I really enjoyed a Honky Tonk album in quick succession. Might need to the docs... Anyway, I normally absolutely hate this shite, but I think the first track really charmed me. Really enjoyed the change in style and tempo mid way through. Third track also had a charm. There's a number of generic tonky ones on here but nothing grates too heavily. It's not something I'd put on again probably but I'm happy that I appreciated it for these few listens.

That's country alright.

The start made me feel like it was another white American yeehaw album. But, the last two songs got me right in the feels. We Had It All got me very emotional ngl.

Nice n’ honky

I wish I could edit those fucking thing, I wrote "remplacing" in yesterday's log instead of "replacing" because I'm french and I write these quickly, now I wanna kill myself. Anyway this looks like a nightmare. I'm joking, I'm glad to listen to these old country records. I certainly haven't enjoyed, in any sort of capacity, modern country music, so it's fun to listen to something in the genre that actually has some charm!

It’s my first time listening to a solo project from Waylon Jennings. I do love The Highway Men though. Strong moments, but not my favourite. I like that he wants to be a train.

Jolly good old-fashioned country. And Honky Tonk Heroes is (arguably) the perfect example of the genre. Not the creative pinnacle, mind you –but an archetypal slice of what the genre had to offer. The music itself is nothing special, but it's the mixing that really brings out all the little details in each instrument. You can feel the earnest bass playing, the flecks of gravel in the singing, the lyrical agility and sharpness (even as someone who pays little-to-no attention to lyrics unless they're particularly bad). Still, most of the chords are I/IV/V, which severely limits how enjoyable an album can really be. The instrumentation is limited to vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, and simple percussion. But for 1973, the musical competition is far too intense to justify a lacklustre inclusion like this into the list. Keep in mind this list showcases the 1001 most important albums of all time. Picking a medium-obscure British spin on the country from any time past 1963 is kind of spitting in the face of "importance". But all of the songs are performed darn well. Despite them being covers from the same songwriter, Billy Joe Shaver, Jennings had me believe these were all originals with the gusto and confidence he had at his disposal. Ain't No God In Mexico, Black Rose, Low Down Freedom... these are great tracks, and they're still not even in my top three on the record. The title track, Honky Tonk Heroes, is the bluesiest of the lot – featuring dirty guitar, harmonica, and some harmonies that stray from the boring ones. I wish Jennings had done the whole album like that. 3/5 Key tracks: Honky Tonk Heroes, You Ask Me To, We Had It All

Fun as hell.

I liked this album! Felt like old-timey family listening country.

Not my style but cool

I think it starts off very, very strong with "Honky Tonk Heroes" and turns into the kind of music you'd expect in a sad pub with slumbering old men remembering their wasted love lifes.

love the story. and “if i hadnt been rainroaded well i guess id been a train” is the best lyric ever.

3/5 - Not generally a fan of country but this was pretty good. Apart from a couple of songs I probably wouldn't listen to it again.

Not a honky Toni fan, but this might be good for those that are.

Waylon is great but this album feels very empty musically, despite having a full band. It fails to separate itself from the droves of 70s country albums. It is just not remarkable.

Feelin like a 60yo farmer, crossing Texas on a road trip, wearing my hat and some of the tightest skinny jeans and the wickedest boots ever seen to mankind. Meanwhile irl I'm a 23yo girl who loves some 1D, Adele and Olivia Dean. But I do feel like I'd define this album as the best ever made if I were American, 60yo and driving to my divorce hearing. Darlene is leaving me goddammit!

A fun listen, i won't be coming back to this.

Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

Delightful and didn’t overstay its welcome.

Decent album. Nothing overwhelmingly great, but a good listen.

Good old school country from the balladeer.

It was an OK album but I enjoy his more outlaw country stuff

Starts fun, then crooner/sad. Classic honky tonky lighthearted country, followed by some love songs.

Twangy country, not super my vibe but a good time

Jennings has that great thing that all good country music has in that there’s always an air of melancholy to his voice, even throughout the most triumphant sounding songs. Solid.

Album No. 0111 on my list. Well, I’m not that much into country music, so I didn’t have too high expectations, even though I’m aware that Waylon Jennings is an important figure of the whole outlaw genre (or movement, rather?) This is a solid country album. Musically and lyrically, you clearly see that it is different from other, more “classic” country albums. I get why this is considered to be an “outlaw” album. Personally, I don’t find it spectacular, but I get why it ended up on the 1001 album list. I’ll add “Honky Tonk Heroes”, “Ain’t No God In Mexico”, and “Black Rose” to my playlist, these songs really stood out for me compared to the rest. 3/5 stars.

I like this one! It’s just real fun to listen to. I don’t think it’s an essential because it’s not that popular of a record and there’s other music that fits this bill but it is really nice to listen to I like it and it has a cool back story. I wonder if popularity should matter for rating something? I kind of think it’s important. If I was reviewing this right when it came out I think it wouldn’t matter AS much. Am I rating the amount of advertising that went into it though? What does it mean to rate and factor in popularity?

Pretty nice, chill, old school country Faves: Honky Tonk Heroes, You Ask Me To, We Had It To

Klassisk country. Ingen av hans kjente bangere.

I normally quite dislike country music, but this was shockingly tolerable.

I don't normally like country music but I didn't hate this. Pretty solid.

Honky Tonk Heroes is a very conflicting record for me, with aspects that I love and aspects that I cannot stand. First, on a positive note, the production is lovely, particularly the hard-panned guitars and the pastoral instrumentals. The record has a very charming classic country sound to it, and does a very good job at creating an atmosphere reminiscent of its setting. The main problem I have with the record is just how formulaic it can be. Listening to these songs separately, say on the radio or in a playlist, I could see myself liking them a lot more in short doses. In album format though, listening to all of these tracks back to back with very similar lyrical themes, very similar song structure, and the same damn fadeout on every track makes it get repetitive even at a brisk 27 minutes. I found myself enjoying the slow acoustic sections more, as it was a nice break from an album that is otherwise very one-note. Are the songs good? Yeah, I'd say so; Old Five and Dimers and Omaha stick out a bit, but the tracks are consistently quite enjoyable. But back-to-back in album format like this makes this album surprisingly hard to get through. Please, for the love of all that is holy, find another way to end a song, I'm begging you!

Incredibly short, at only 27 mins. Sort of just some generic older country music, although you can more clearly hear the ties to Irish trad and classic rock in a few songs. It's ok

Eh, it was ok. Afterwards I went to listen to Marty Robbins again. That guy is way cooler.

I guess I’m still American because I adored this

Yeehaw! I like that it's short and sweet.

Decent option if I’m in the mood for country but nothing that really stood out to me.

70

honky tonk heroes- 5 old five and dimers- 5 will the wandering and me- 5 low down freedom- 5 omaha- 5 you ask me to- 5 ride me down easy- 5 aint no god in mexico- alright man. 5 black rose- 5 we had it all- 5

Noh, aika perus hyvää kantria. Puolet hidastemposta, puolet menevämpää. Eipä tästä sen enempää sanottavaa. Parhaat: Honkey Tonk Heroes

Something about this album was quite comforting. Warm music for a cold day.

Non male però nkn sono sicuro sia tra i 1001 album da sentire prima di morire

I'm instantly struck by the crisp clean production on this album. The bass is nice and high in the mix and the instrumentation is kept sparse, with solo instruments dropping out completely for large sections of the songs. It's not really my thing, but it's an excellent album and warrants some further listening.

classic

I think once upon a time I might have been into Waylon Jennings. I still "like" his style and his way. It is unlike country for country lovers, even if it IS that, by spanning a more rock/ folk gap that makes it more accessible. Nevertheless I am not a big country fan, nor a down on your luck hard drinkin' type. Which w o u l d help to identify with this sort of groove. Now, it IS kind of easy to listen too and has a pleasant overall feel enough to fit a themed party or something, or if you happen to be driving across Texas (hopefully to gtfo).

You Ask Me To was surprisingly romantic and I enjoyed it! This album sounds so different from modern day country, I don’t know that I would have considered it country music if I hadn’t known already that it was. Why do I think it sounded more like an album from the 60s?

Really not bad. I like the band's contributions, because this could really sparse otherwise. Very Western singer-songwriter vs honkey-tonk

That was pleasant to listen to while reading before bed.

Favorite track(s): Honky Tonk Heroes, Omaha, Black Rose

If y'all like country, this is a fine slice. If you don't, this won't convert you

It’s actually not bad at all, in that old-school country kind of way. I probably wouldn’t put it on again myself, but if it were playing somewhere, I wouldn’t be annoyed.

Country

Not a bad album, nice and short. Standard old fashioned country.

This is actually pretty great for what it is, it's just not something I get much into.

yup thats honky tonk

Just alright. 2.5/5

Ik heb niets met country, maar dit vond ik - zeker na een tweede keer luisteren en wat meer focus op de tekst - een aangename verrassing. De stijl is misschien wat gedateerd, niet zo tijdloos als andere albums in deze lijst, maar als tijdsdocument zeker meer dan de moeite.

Once again expected a country album to be a disaster but this was pleasant and didn’t have the “country twang” or make me wanna gouge my eyes out.

Don't have much to say. Waylon is great but this one is just okay.

3.25 Solid Country

Ok album, a few nice songs but it does not really stand out 3.4 stars

Always kinda liked Nashville Sound more than any of the outlaws, and Waylon's not giving me any real standouts here, unfortunately. Pleasant, I wouldn't turn off the country station if this came on, but not much more than that.

I don’t love this kind of country music, but this feels like it’s about as good as it gets.

Don't know why I like this stuff but I do. Not the finest but I'd have no issue listening again

That was fine. Nothing amazing, some good, soulful notes in it.

A good old school country album. I like this style but was not overly drawn to any songs on here. Still not a bad listen at all.

Decent album, terrible name

Ça reste du country mais c'était plaisant! Bon en mettre en musique de fond. 3/5

It's actually OK

Pleasant enough. Not really my style but has a time and a place

Don't mind it

Short album. Enjoyed it for what it is.

Very earnest, which is probably not that unusual for a country album. There are a few good songs here and there, with Honky Tonk Heroes being an absolute banger.

3.5 stars. Pretty good early outlaw country record. Too much splitting instruments out to each stereo channel individually is a little distracting at times. Re-listened to a bit of it with mono audio and wished it would've been mixed closer to that. Standouts is the title track, which is a genuinely great song and musically a step above standard country. "We Had It All" ballad a nice example of Jennings's pretty good singing voice.

6/10

Eh I like the genre but this isn’t memorable to me

3.5/5 Aint No God in Mexico is a wild name for a song

Sure. This was solid. Classic country.

It's fine but seemed like every time a song was starting to really cook it would just end at 2 and a half minutes

A good listen 3 or 4

Se ha quedado anticuado, pero fue un buen disco de country.

Pretty good

Well won't you look at that, I got two country albums from the 1970s which both begin with Honky Tonk. First with Honky Tonk Masquerade and here with Honky Tonk Heroes. And my opinions with this one is the fact that it is just fine. Like the album i did just prior, its everything that you would expect from this genre, except less interesting as every sound here isn't really all that original. The songs here are okay and have some pretty decent lyrics as well as a pleasant feel to all the songs but they don't really stand out all that much from each other and feel too much like they are cut from the same cloth. This album was thankfully very short at just 27 minutes which is why it made it to a very soft 3 stars. Best Song: Ain't No God In Mexico Worst Song: Black Rose

decent enough country album. i'm not averse to country music at all, but this one felt a little lacking in both the song department and also for a first experience of waylon jennings, i kind of wanted more from his vocal performance. on the more upbeat tracks, it works well, but on the country ballads, i find his voice to be a little weak. not a bad album, but ultimately felt a little underwhelming.

Good ol' classic country. About what you'd expect. I don't love or hate country, so average score from me.

Alright, first country record. I know and love the title track, but never listened to the album by itself. So had a few listens and sadly only title track really stands out, however there are some other nice songs and the overall vibe is authentic and warm. A good classic country album, 3.5/5.0 but probably rounding down to 3 stars.

Not my thing but highly amusing to listen to. (Yes, ugly syntax. Shoot me.)

Enjoyable, I thought the playing was a step up from other albums of the genre. Nothing especially remarkable to me though

Toe tapping Outlaw Country style done by a future member of The Highwaymen.

Love Waylon. 7/10

I can’t really tell if it’s a good album or not, since country isn’t my taste and I can’t properly engage with it. I liked the guitar on the opening track, but the slide guitar sound on the second track—the stereotypical “country twang”—isn’t for me

3.5

Good tunes…three chords and the truth. I like “outlaw country” and enjoyed this, but I’m also not sure what made the editor of this list pick this particular album. I found the exaggerated Beatles-level panning of the stereo mix really distracting…it made the individual instruments louder, but in a ham-handed way that I think was disorienting and took away from the experience. Nothing like checking your right AirPod is broken because a harmonica solo blasted into your left out of nowhere

3.4

One of the great country male singers. Great voice, great songs.

I can’t believe I’m rating this album this high. This is a type of music I specifically dislike. Yet I found myself enjoying this, finding some of the songs catchy, and even laughing while listening to ridiculous country lyrics.

A very solid country album with some rock n roll twang to it.

I particularly liked the knee-slappers, the slow songs maybe for a sad day. Likes to sing about people like him apparently. Wild and free.

Enjoyed this more thab I thought I was going to. Short snappy fun songs. Pretty enjoyable overall

Just classic old school country from one of the greats. Decent listen.

This was a fun listen, and a nice departure from some of the more recent albums here. Just good ‘ol boys singing good ‘ol outlaw country songs.

Very solid. Nothing really stood out which holds me back from rating higher but overall a good listen. I haven’t listened to much Waylon but prob should explore more of his catalog. I also don’t listen to much country but I really enjoy sturgill Simpson. I guess I never appreciated how much his vocals sound like Waylon.

This is fine. Thought I'd like a lot more, but it was just fine. 2.5/5

Fun listen and a short run time. Drives me nuts when the artist doesn't write their own music and only one song on this album was written by Waylon. Album is a 4 but rating a 3 for not writing the music.

Short and sweet and actually good. Highlight: You ask me to.

it alright. i wish texas was real.

rinky dink zeroes

Not bad

Cartoonish classic

Very good

Surprisingly enjoyable

Ni idea. La portada es como la ultima foto de "El resplandor" pero en versión country. No estilo, pero "we had it all" es una maravilla de este disco. Quiero revisar mi puntuación sobre Nick Drake, puedo? Sé que no, pero es para que quede constancia. Cinco estrellas para él totalmente. Cantando así de mierda el tío hace un disco formidable. Cinco estrellas sin ironía.

3/5 - I guess I needed to hear one of the early outlaw country albums, but nothing here is going to stick with me.

I had heard some Waylon Jennings before but not a whole album. There was a lot I liked and a lot that was too hokey for me. I can see how the album was influential in the genre though. Overall- pretty good

6/10

I'm more of an old-school country fan so this wasn't really my flavor and I've never been much of a Waylon fan. This was OK.

Considerando que en general no me gusta este tipo de música country, puedo decir que este álbum al menos me pareció agradable de escuchar. De todas maneras no me gustó, pero aunque sea tiene una buena orquestación, letras y una equilibrada combinación entre un sonido country acústico y rock eléctrico. En estos términos prefiero una música más llevada al rock que al country (como hace Mark Knopfler por ejemplo). Pero al menos el álbum es corto y no llega a cansar en la escucha. Por momentos me recuerda a ciertos temas interpretados por Elvis. Hay una cuestión estética en la voz particularmente que tiene una sutil similaridad. El último tema "We Had It All" es un lindo cierre para el álbum. Pero el álbum en si no me pareció sobresaliente.

7/10

Better than any country album today, which I guess doesn’t say much

Another old school country album that I liked much more than I expected I would. Still didn't love it or think it was amazing, but it was good enough. It was a little slow/subdued for me, but the points when it picked up made it better. The transition for the second half of Honky Tonk Heroes grabbed my attention pretty early. There were a few other moments like that. I would've liked for there to have been more, since I did find it a little easy to zone out on and have it blend together a bit. I'll say I found it solid, bordering on good. Overall: 3/5

my complaint of lack of diversity of melodies and moods in country albums shows up here as well but there’s something about the record ( maybe how long it’s been since I got country ) stands out to me. The lyrics do grab my attention at time as well and the first few songs are super fun

country creo

Its nice!

Like a lot of country, Honky Tonk Heroes was an easy-on-the-ears album. It's that old style country but has more of a bop to it, which allows it to sound more modern for 1973. The more specific genre of outlaw country isn't terribly removed from country, but I think Waylon Jennings did a good job on this album to make such a distinction. Jennings' album probably flew too much under the radar, but it still sounded a lot better than other nonsense I've heard.

I'm not historically a Waylon Jennings person, or even much of an outlaw country person. But going into this album with an open mind, it was decent. It was short and sweet and to the point. Sometimes I can find outlaw country to be a pit one-note, but honestly, this album shows a decent amount of diversity in the genre. To put it simply, Waylon Jennings is an absolute country legend and deserves a spot on this project. Would I have picked THIS album? Probably not. But here we are. Don't get me wrong, there's some good songs on this album, but none of these are his BIGGEST hits, which are more in line with what I would call essential listening. But anyway, glad to see this legend represented!

3.5 stars

mi piace

First listen

Make sure u throw this on the jukebox next time ur in the saloon

This is pleasant enough. I’m not really drawn to the singles (e.g., “We Had It All”), but “Omaha” is really nice. I’m a lot more drawn to Jennings’s later work.

This album did not get off to a good start. Admittedly, I’m not a country fan, but it wasn’t that. It’s that the opening 3 songs were all pretty sleepy and a bit slow for my taste. Low Down Freedom is when this album picked up from my perspective. The phrasing and cadence gave me a Gordon Lightfoot type of feel, even if it was a true country song. Omaha followed with some good harmonies in another well constructed song. Then came You Ask Me To, which might have been when this album peaked. Builds really well with tons of interesting guitar work. And Jennings voice really stands out on this one. An excellent song. The rest of this album is uneven. Ride Me Down Easy wore me down quickly. A boring song that’s just sort of there. Ain’t No God In Mexico picked back up and had a lot more energy to it. Same went for Back Rose, which had some cool guitar and harmonica work. The closer, We Had It All was better than some of the other slow songs on here, but still just wasn’t that great for me. Solid album, just nothing that exciting.

Toimivaa kantria. Mukavan napakka myös.

I appreciate this album for what it is. It’s widely regarded as the first signature outlaw country album. After renegotiating his contract with RCA, Waylon Jennings gained full creative control and stepped away from the polished Nashville production style that was dominating country music at the time. Instead, the production on this album leans into a deliberately rough edge, with an organic sound that feels more like a live performance than a carefully constructed studio record. Overall, it’s a very solid album and one that clearly influenced a wave of artists to pursue a more raw and organic country sound. That said, I have to admit I wish I enjoyed it more personally. It’s a fun album to visit, and I respect its importance, but it’s not something I see myself returning to often.

Rasti seinään, ensimmäinen kantrilevy josta tykkäsin?

This is the good country. Im not blown away by this record though kinda sadly. Still a good record. Tons of variety. Hits a million different notes. Slow songs. Upbeat songs. Ballads. Title honky tonk. Its just good without standing out too much

That was some good Honky Tonk!

That Waylon Jennings could maintain a career as a recording artist and performer while wearing so much plot armour is worthy of the deepest respect. It’s fitting, really, that the 20th century’s most notable musical survivor would go on to play such a pivotal role in keeping a receding musical tradition alive. And while all that honky tonk isn’t totally to my taste, there’s something genuinely charming about the country music outlaws – rage against the winnowing machine? – and their sticking it to the Nashville man. This is a solid collection of songs that – and one presumes by design – sounds like it’s beaming in from a time long before it was recorded. And as silly as I’ll admit to finding its themes, Jennings’ baritone keeps the sweet molasses from getting overwhelming. Surely – this is a man who launched a thousand parodies. Yet you’d struggle to ever call anything here a joke. With something of this quality as its guarantor, honky tonk forever lives to fight another day.

Good. Could get into it a bit more

nice! Had always heard of Waylon Jennings, never listened.

I did enjoy this but i'm not sure it's something i'd relisten to on the regular.

We had it all at the end was nice

solid

I am not a country guy, but this classic stuff is tolerable to most other country. I'll be nice and lean towards a low 3 here but don't plan to come back to this one.

Solid country. Not much else to say.

Some nice old timey country that was under a half hour, can't complain about that. High 3

This was ok. As someone who is not a huge fan of country it definitely seems on the better side although a bit boring, but had its moments. There is some sad country in here also which I am leaning into because I am depressed from Bonnaroo. Meh 3.

Harvoin kantria kuuntelee, mutta kyllähän tällasta kuuntelee!

This was decent but we can't really remember it either.

I enjoyed this.

Now THIS is my type of country.

Quick in and out. Not bad.

Not very familiar with classic country like this, but I do know his name. This was not my cup of tea (especially today) but was fine. 3/5

Unexpectedly enjoyed this! I can’t really relate to any of these songs, but there is an undeniable gentlemanly charm in Jennings’ delivery. The slower tunes drag a bit, but the interplay between electric guitar and banjo on the more upbeat numbers is really fun. I’d listen to this again. ✨

ja ganz süßer country record. 3.5

Turns out I fuckin' live Waylon Jennings. Would recommend as a soundtrack when digging a hole

short and sweet, not my usual genre, but not an offensive listen

1973. This kind of slower paced soulful country music is enjoyable and easily transports you.

A pretty breezy album, clocking in at only 27 minutes. Great artist-writer partnership between Waylon Jennings and Billy Joe Shaver here too. Some tracks shine a little more than the others, but the production was pretty clean all throughout and captures what "outlaw" country is all about. I don't know when outlaw country really got its start, but I've got to imagine these guys were among the forefront of this movement.

This one felt a little more "yee haw" than other country albums on this list.

Perfectly enjoyable. Great instrumentation. Bits reminded me of Warren Zevon.

I have a soft spot for country, especially sad cowboys. But this is no later years Chip Taylor

One of the few country albums I actually enjoyed

favorite song: Honky tonk heroes. Overall score: 5.8/10

rikollismusiikkia, rikollisille. kuuntelee vähän tämmöstä ja kyniä alkaa katoamaan toimistokopista. hei mihin mun kumi meni sanoi pomo.. eikä tarkoita kondoomeja heh.. joku ottanu papereita mitä vittua? tukkuja ja tukkuja vittu paperia on vaan otettu mitä saatana tapahtuu täällä? kuka on ottanut paaleja vittu paaleittain ottanut toimistosta paperia vienyt jonnekkin vaan siis mitäh? yhteensä lava viety... lava paperia tiiättekö paljonko saatana maksaa.. pari tonnia ainakin.. ryöstäjä otetaan kiinni ennemmin tai myöhenmmin joten astukaa nyt eteen mielummin.. ride me down easy

not usually my jam but i enjoyed it

ok, so kann ich country hören.

Gmögige Countrymusik. Auch wenn es bahnbrechend gewesen sein soll.

This was a very solid country rock record. I really enjoy the rock influences here and there are some fantastic guitar solos throughout. I don’t love his voice, but it has grown on me.

This was a good old outlaw country album! And I always liked Waylon! It wasn't the best if his but still pretty good!

this townn ain big enuff fo the both of us i like the first two tracks a lot but the rest is whatever

I was surprised with how much I enjoyed this one. Will definitely give it a few more spins.

Honky tonk describes the music quite well - who would've thought.

Solid album Standout songs: Honky Tonk Heroes Low Down Freedom Aint no God in Mexico

Something on in the background is fine. I swear they ripped Jonny cash ring of fire. And heard Dr hook on one of the songs. Maybe rip off merchants who knows?? No issue with music. Middle of road for what it is for me

Nice old school country . Nice. Too short of an album... 27 minutes?

2.5

You know what, quite groovy for a country album. 3.5

Unexpectedly good. A true country album, unapologetic but knowledgable grounded in drinking like a night out in Eccy. Really enjoyed will listen again.

Stripped back, old school.

Outlaw Jams.

Rating: 3.5/5 | Favorite Track: Honky Tonk Heroes --- I normally really dislike country music but, honestly, this album provided a pretty decent listening experience.