Lonesome, On'ry and Mean:
A Tribute to Waylon Jennings

(Dualtone)

First Appeared at The Music Box, May 2003, Volume 10, #5

Written by John Metzger

Unlike Dressed in Black (last year’s Dualtone-released tribute to Johnny Cash), Lonesome, On’ry and Mean: A Tribute to Waylon Jennings contains a few surprises. For starters, Henry Rollins adds his fiery touch to the title track, sounding like Jim Morrison fronting a metal band. Elsewhere, Norah Jones turns Wurlitzer Prize (I Don’t Want to Get Over You) into a charming, lounge-jazz piece, and Robert Earl Keen fits Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way with a foot-stomping, rock ’n‘ roll beat. Though the rest of the album doesn’t stray from Waylon Jennings’ originals, all of the performers find ways to make the songs their own. Faring best are Guy Clark’s rendition of Good Hearted Woman, Radney Foster’s interpretation of Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love), and Junior Brown’s Nashville Steel, but there really isn’t a dud in the bunch, making Lonesome On’ry and Mean a fitting tribute to a country legend. ½

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Ratings

1 Star:   Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 2003 The Music Box