Waylon Jennings
Love Songs
(RCA/Legacy)
First Appeared in The Music Box, May 2005, Volume 12, #5
Written by John Metzger
As the late ’60s mutated into the early ’70s, sensitive singer-songwriters
commandeered the music business and received ample opportunity to promote their
introspective musings. Even rough and rowdy outlaw Waylon Jennings scored quite
a few hits by exploring more sentimental avenues — Dreaming My Dreams with
You, The Wurlitzer Prize (I Don’t Want to Get Over You), Amanda,
and Come with Me, among them — and he filled his albums with countless
other tunes that were cut from the same cloth. In assembling 14 tracks that were
recorded by the legendary country artist between 1972 and 1992, the recently
released compilation Love Songs emphasizes this aspect of Jennings’ work. Mixing songs that exude tender-hearted affection (Yours Love and You
Ask Me To) with those that relay anguished tales of heartache (It’s Not
Supposed to Be that Way and We Had It All), the set is poignantly
resonant, particularly because his grizzled vocals so perfectly bend each lyric
into a rainbow of emotional residue. Although Jennings’ Love Songs never
quite achieves the lofty status of a comprehensive, greatest hits-style
collection, it’s still a worthwhile endeavor, especially for those seeking a
more concise career retrospective. ½
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2005 The Music Box