Album: Honky Tonk Heroes
Artist: Waylon Jennings
Release Date: July 1973
Genre: Country
Length: 0:27:21
Label: RCA Victor
Producer: Waylon Jennings/Tompall Glaser/Ronny Light/Ken Mansfield
1,001 Album Book: Yes
Grab your ten-gallon hat, cowboy boots and meet me at the saloon...
Peaking at 14 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums chart, Honky Tonk Heroes established an important subgenre of country by combining honky tonk with rock and roll to get outlaw country.
The opening track of the same name "Honky Tonk Heroes" brings out the classic country sound in the beginning, utilizing the calming, rocking chair, porch sitting playing of the guitar, followed by the mysterious sound of the fiddle and slight bass strums which all combine with Jennings' singing all makes it a classic slow country song. Just as you get comfortable with the intro sounds, the song takes a rock and roll turn near a minute and a half into the track. The bass pattern speeds up, drums are introduced and the guitar plays little patterns here and there to bring out that honky tonk rock feel. The song features a call and response solo from the harmonica and electric guitar that adds to the ambience Jennings gives to the listener.
Contrary to the initial track, the album does feature songs that are less upbeat than "Honky Tonk Heroes". Songs like "Old Five and Dimers (Like Me)" adopt a laid back approach. The bass is clear across the entire song, steadily beating away along with the melancholy strum of a guitar and the timid bowing of a cello behind the contemporary instruments. One very interesting part of the track is the background vocals that come in at the very end with a high pitch compared to Jennings' deep monotone vocal style.
One of the only instantly fast-paced tracks is the fifth song "Omaha". The lyrics contain a story about someone returning to none other than Omaha, Nebraska. The song's consistent guitar strumming that nearly sounds percussive, pairs with the drums that open up the song with pounding tom hits, along with the off-beat groove the bass brings out, all to fade out into the sunset with a country-western guitar solo.
The lyrics throughout the album come across as original and provide fantastic storytelling from the perspective of country personalities. Unfortunately, the only song written with Jennings credited is "You Ask Me To". This song is a typical love song, but the way the song is arranged keeps it exciting and emotive. The verses played are more laid back until the vocal explosion happens during the chorus. The drum sound throughout is very tight in a way that makes the sound very compact and chippy, but paired with the nostalgic combination of the vocalists during the chorus allows interesting instrumental sounds like this work flawlessly.
All albums need contrasting opinions in vibe, but unfortunately the slower tracks on this album are stylistically the most boring tracks on the record. Songs like "Low Down Freedom" and "Ride Me Down Easy" are forgetful to say the least. The repetition between each layer create sleep-inducing songs. When you compare these tracks to songs like "Ain't No God In Mexico", it's hard to imagine why Jennings and the record company didn't realize they weren't great fits for these songs. The constant feeling that something is going to break out and invoke every ounce of brain power in "Ain't No God In Mexico" is fantastic.
The album ends on a slower track in "We Had It All" but this is one of the more solid slower songs on the album. The instruments are all easily heard, especially the bass guitar and the string section that plays accompanying melodies throughout. The difference between this and some of the lower-tier slow tracks is the amount of interesting qualities it has, which was served correctly for an album ending song.
Honky Tonk Heroes is a wonderful listen to throw yourself back into the country life. Containing numerous honky tonk styles, this album is a great introduction into Waylon Jennings and his sound. The instrumental sounds, clearly playing across the entire record is definitely the strength of the entire album but everything works well together; even the slower, dreary songs are a perfect contrast to the honky tonk energy of the other tracks. The classic country sound is amazing to hear and really strengthens the world the album builds for us. I recommend listening to this album because it is a fun look into the genre, especially if you aren't sure if you like or dislike country music...
Favorite Songs: "Honky Tonk Heroes", "Omaha", "You Ask Me To"
Least Favorite Songs: "Ride Me Down Easy"
Production Quality:
Mix = 8.5/10 (Extremely clear mix allowing you to hear every single layer of the music, but the background vocals sometimes show the records date and every song seems to end with a fade out)
Innovation = 8.5/10 (One of the first to combine rock and honky tonk)
Songwriting Quality:
Arrangement = 8.5/10
Lyricism = 5.5/10 (Great country lyrics, not written by Jennings)
Instrumentation Quality:
Vocal Timbre = 7.5/10 (Fun sound for the record, but not particularly the greatest sound overall)
Instrumental Timbre = 10/10 (Perfect sound from the instruments)
Group Chemistry = 9/10 (Countless solos, all with complex playing alongside other instruments)
Overall Likability:
My Personal Rating = 8/10
Overall Rating: 8.2/10
Any confusion on how the rating is weighted/calculated, please look at my "About" page.
Remember this is all my opinion! Let me know if you agree, disagree or have any comments!