Lonesome, On'ry And Mean: A Tribute to Waylon Jennings
Though his outlaw persona defined the lateWaylon Jenningsin the minds of many, this tribute underscores the expansive range of both his artistry and his influence. As with Dualtone'sDressed in Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash, producers Dave Roe and Chuck Mead (fromBR549) go beyond the obvious in both artist and song selection.Guy Clark's laid-back acoustic rendition of "Good Hearted Woman" makes the song sound like one of his own, while the sophistication of supper-club piano informs "Wurlitzer Prize (I Don't Want to Get Over You)" as interpreted byNorah Jones. Punk-rock renegadesJohn DoeandHenry Rollins, roots-rockerDave Alvin, and country mainstays Cowboy Jack Clement (in a trans-generational duet withPam Tillis) andKris Kristoffersonall find a kindred spirit in Jennings. With "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way,"Robert Earl Keensubjects one of Jennings's best-known anthems to the album's most radical rearrangement, but many of the interpretations are more faithful to the originals.Junior Brown's "Nashville Rebel" could pass as a Waylon soundalike, andRadney Fosterslips as comfortably into "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)" as if it were favorite flannel shirt.--Don McLeese