Bottom Line:
Mel Tillis has always been so much a part of my life it didn't occur to me until this re-issue crossed my desk just how much "the forgotten legend" he is. Back in the 70's it seemed to me you couldn't turn around without hearing Mel's smooth, mellow singing; or, of course, his overstated stutter on the television, since he was also a popular guest star. He was quietly one of the "outlaws," always retaining his own pure country sound while still sending songs like "Coca Cola Cowboy" across genres. This long awaited re-issue of a 1980 serves to remind us just how good Mel really was.
The minute I spun this disc I remembered ol' Mel, and all of these songs. My memory is telling
me he got a whole lot of airplay back in the day. He seemed to be everywhere, especially after
the release of the Clint Eastwood movie, Every Which Way But Loose, which catapulted
Mel's "Coca Cola Cowboy" to the top of the charts. Mel made appearances on TV, in movies
(notably in the Kurt Douglas coyote/road runner farce, The Villain), and pretty much
everywhere. Your Body Is An Outlaw was the second of three solo albums Mel recorded
for Elektra Records in 1979 and 1980, capping a career as a singer/songwriter dating back to
1957, when Mel arrived in Nashville carrying what many guys like him did - little more than a
dream. What Mel also has was an astounding talent for songwriting. He sold songs to Webb
Pierce, Carl Smith, Ray Price, and a slew of others, before he hit it big himself with "Stateside."
More hits followed, including Kenny Rogers' "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" and
Bobby Bare's "Detroit City." In 1970 he hit his own first #1 hit with "I Ain't Never," and in
1976, he was finally named the CMA "Entertainer of the Year."
The Elektra releases in the late 70's and early 80's attempted to re-capture more of that same
success, but Mel as countrypolitan singer didn't fare as well as his more traditional efforts. Thus
Your Body Is An Outlaw, which contains tracks such as the Bob Wills' classics "Cherokee
Maiden" and "Stay A Little Longer," as well as pure country originals like the title track
(featuring daughter Pam) and "Whiskey Chasin'," along with some oldies and good, solid, basic
songs that are all around terrific, but unfortunately, the album didn't do as well as was hoped. As
the 80's waned into the pop sound, Mel Tillis all but disappeared, surfacing once in a while for
such projects as teaming up with pals Waylon Jennings, Bobby Bare, and Jerry Reed to release
the "Old Dogs" disc. But somehow it seems that despite being one of the voices of country
music for over a decade, M-M-Mel has been all but forgotten. And I'm glad they finally re-
issued these albums, including this one, to remind folks of just how really awesome he still is.
Release Date: April 29, 2008 - Label: Collector's Choice Music
Track List:
- Your Body is an Outlaw
- Steppin' Out
- Love Up a Storm
- Whiskey Chasin'
- Stay a Little Longer
- She's Just Being a Woman
- Rain On My Parade
- Sweet Little Miss Blue Eyes
- Thing Called Sadness
- Cherokee Maiden
