Ultimate Waylon Jennings

It’s near impossible to adequately summarize Waylon Jennings’ career in a single disc, but Ultimate Waylon Jennings does a top-notch job of touching on every stage of the singer’s long and accomplished career. Jennings really came into his own in 1973 with Honky Tonk Heroes, and this collection emphasizes his famous Outlaw persona with songs like “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way,” and “Don’t You Think This Outlaw Bit’s Done Got Out of Hand,” the last of which addresses Waylon’s growing disillusionment with the Outlaw moniker. The collection arguably puts too much emphasis on the singer’s Outlaw days at the expense of his ‘60s collaborations with Chet Atkins, which are brilliant and too often overlooked. However, “Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line” is one of the best of the Jennings-Atkins collaborations, and represents that period in fine style. Waylon never fell off. He made great music through the '80s and into the '90s, and introduced country music to a new kind of authenticity and masculine charisma. Devoid of gimmicks or goofiness, Ultimate Waylon Jennings can be enjoyed front-to-back.