When
Waylon Jennings hooked up with songwriter
Billy Joe Shaver, he found the perfect author for his obsessions, his fascinations, and his very image.
Waylon had always been looking, perhaps unintentionally, for a common ground between
country and
rock, and
Shaver's songs -- sketching an
outlaw stance with near defiance and borrowing
rock attitude to create the hardest
country tunes imaginable -- were perfect. On his previous album,
Waylon had sung that "ladies love outlaws," but now he found the music that would soon be called
outlaw country, a defiant, ballsy blend of mythmaking and truth-telling.
Shaver never had a better voice for his songs, and
Jennings never had better songs for his style.
Honky Tonk Heroes arrived at a crucial moment, a time when true
honky tonk was fading, so only a dose of
rock & roll could save it. And, no matter how much
rock attitude is here, this is pure
country in its stance and attitude -- yet
Honky Tonk Heroes' very defiance makes it a perfect discovery album for listeners who never thought they would like
country music. And the songs!
Shaver earned his stripes here, with songs that were emotional, funny, and clever, utterly bringing the mythic
outlaw ethic to life.
"Black Rose," "You Asked Me To," and
"Honky Tonk Heroes" remain among the greatest things
Waylon ever cut, and every other song here matches them. Few
country albums have ever been this consistent, and few records, from any genre, have been as consistently compelling. A wonderful album -- one that's hard to tire of. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
