| I've Always Been Crazy - Various Artists | |
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Reviewed by Matt Bjorke
Waylon Jennings is a country music icon so it'd only be natural that he would be the subject of a Tribute album. DualTone Records released one earlier this year, with some "alt-country" acts and RCA Records has just released their own tribute with I've Always Been Crazy: A Tribute To Waylon Jennings. The album features fifteen songs, one of which is the final song Waylon ever recorded. While primarily a tribute by modern country acts, rock artists such as Kid Rock, John Mellencamp, Ben Harper, Stargunn (Shooter Jennings' band) and Metallica's James Hetfield.
With a varied mixture of artists tributing to Waylon, it's only natural that the record would indeed reflect Waylon's own "outlaw" ways. John Mellencamp opens up the record with Waylon's self-penned "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way" and succeeds at capturing the sound that Waylon created with an ode about the changing tides in country music.
Waylon was always a generous man and would constantly mentor up and coming artists as they came to town. Travis Tritt is such an artist and he covers "Lonesome On'ry And Mean." Travis' tribute is close to Waylon's original version and that is what makes it the logical choice for the first single. Sadly, it seems radio only wants sugary ballads from Travis nowadays.
Dwight Yoakam, like Tritt, has always been considered a modern "outlaw" and as a thanks to Waylon for paving the way for artists to do stuff their own ways he mixes his "Bakersfield soul country" with Waylon's "Stop The World (And Let Me Off)" and the result is a classic Yoakam-styled rocker that surely should be on the radio, sadly, like Travis Tritt, radio doesn't seem to favor Dwight Yoakam at all.
Hank Williams, Jr. was mentored by Waylon so it's fitting that the he'd cover "Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line." True to form, Hank Jr. makes the song his own with a bluesy guitar sound that would have Waylon smiling.
Pinmonkey became one of my favorite bands last year when they released their bluegrass meets pop and rock debut. It seems that since then the band disappeared only to pop up on this album to tribute Waylon with a Neil Young song, "Are You Ready For The Country." True to their outside-the-mold form, Pinmonkey sings the song in a way that makes it truly their own.
Andy Griggs has proclaimed Waylon as one of his heroes and even previously covered "I Ain't Livin' Long Like This" and had Waylon guest on his debut CD from 1998. Andy picked "This Time" and sends it up to Waylon as a gift of love. It sounds as fresh with Griggs singing it as it did when Waylon scored his first ever No. 1 hit with it in 1974.
As I mentioned in the beginning of the review, Waylon's last recorded song is on this record and it is a song that compares life to a dream. It's a piano drenched ballad that is the treasure of this album. It is as haunting as Johnny Cash's "Hurt" was. Waylon fans will want to get this CD just for this song alone as it is a wonderful send up to his visionary career and life.
While there are a couple of tracks that some country fans will be asking "why are they" on this record, each performance is worthy of being on this CD, even if the songs are given rock and roll or heavy metal treatments. This is an album made out of love and respect for the man who "Has Always Been Crazy." Waylon may not be with us any longer but his music will be listened to and analyzed for years to come.
Album cover used with permission of RCA Nashville
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