Honky Tonk Heroes

Jennings, Waylon

album cover

The Beginnings of Outlaw Country

It's somehow fitting that this set, which busted open the Outlaw Country movement and remains one of its sacred texts, came about as the result of an argument. It happened in a recording studio, when then-unknown songwriter Billy Joe Shaver interrupted Jennings's work, claiming that the singer had once promised to record an album of his songs. With musicians and others watching, Shaver threatened Jennings with bodily harm. Jennings agreed to listen to a few tunes. What he heard became the backbone of Honky Tonk Heroes—simple odes that told tales of devotion, bitterness, and lessons learned living paycheck-to-paycheck.

The first album Jennings (1937–2002) produced himself, Honky Tonk Heroes is the opposite of the prettified Nashville Sound. Its defining guitars are rough—even the typically sweet pedal steel seems brusque—and the surrounding instruments, particularly the harmonica and fiddle, carry the hint of rebellion. In this ethos, Jennings doesn't have to put on any airs: His gruff voice makes every phrase seem as lived-in as a frayed old couch on the front porch. The album includes at least one Jennings concession to the times. "We Had It All," the only song not written by Shaver, features a heavy, swooning string arrangement; it became a Top 30 single. (Of the Shaver songs, the one that fared the best commercially was "You Ask Me To," which reached the country Top 10).

The commercial success of Honky Tonk Heroes is secondary to its influence: This became a rallying point for everyone who ever wanted to break free of the Nashville system, and has inspired generations of songwriters and performers to heed their ornery inner voices.

Genre: Country
Released: 1973, Buddah
Key Tracks: "Old Five and Dimers (Like Me)," "You Ask Me To," "Low Down Freedom," "Omaha."
Catalog Choice: Lonesome, On'ry, and Mean.
Next Stop: Joe Ely: Honky Tonk Masquerade
After That: Shooter Jennings: Electric Rodeo
Book Pages: 395–396