Waylon Jennings - Greatest Hits [RCA]
These cuts capture Waylon Jennings in the first flush of his status as a country music superstar, after he gained control of his music in the early '70s. When he began to produce or coproduce his own records, it should be stressed, his music didn't change much--his "Good Hearted Woman" from 1972 (to cite the only pre-Outlaw cut here) is of a piece with later hits like "Honky Tonk Heroes" and "Luckenbach, Texas," from their ramblin'-man themes to Waylon's booming baritone and his music's burping bass lines. What was different was the rock-influenced Outlaw ad copy pushing his career, a rebellious new image he cultivated in country chart-toppers like "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way" and "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," a duet withWillie Nelson. That new frame made all the difference. Jennings had always been great but now, on eight of the nine tracks here, his singles went all the way to the top of the charts.--David Cantwell