Ridin' High

by Jerry Jeff Walker

Overview

The mid- to late '70s were good to Jerry Jeff Walker. He recorded a string of absolutely endearing classics of the outlaw singer/songwriter genre of country music: Viva Terlingua, Walker's Collectibles, Jerry Jeff Walker, It's a Good Night for Singin', the live A Man Must Carry On, and this one, Ridin' High from 1975. Most Walker fans will argue like hell about which is best, but they are interchangeably great and stand the test of time in the same way Guy Clark's and Billy Joe Shaver's albums do. In any case, Ridin' High is pure Texas country drunk & roll with some Nash Vegas players added to the Lost Gonzo Band for some truly Cosmic Cowboy yammering. The material here is top-notch: Willie Nelson's "Pick Up the Tempo," Bob Livingston's "Public Domain," and Guy Clark's "Like a Coat from the Cold" -- and they're the first three tracks on the album! Walker has a way of delivering drunken anthems and tender ballads in his deep bass voice that brings you into the song so far you feel as if he's singing it just for you and your friends. He does this consistently on this album, backed by a star cast of players including not only the Gonzos but also Johnny Gimble, David Briggs, Norbert Putnam, and others. And the gorgeous horn touches added by Michael Brovsky are stunning. Two of Walker's own best songs are here, "I Love You," written for his then new wife Susan, and the rowdy man's good-time anthem "Pissin' in the Wind." The album is rounded out by Jesse Winchester's "Mississippi You're on My Mind," Mike Burton's oft-covered nugget "Night Rider's Lament," and a few others. The album feels like a solid stream of hippie cowboy music fed by cold Lone Star, lots of pot, and the occasional line. To listen closely is to miss the point. This is an album to be experienced with the senses, entering into the free flow of Walker's good-time world even for the 40 minutes it takes to listen to the album. But that's far better than nothin', ain't it? ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	08/13/1990
Label:	Mca
UPC:	0076732092026

Tracks

1. Public Domain
2. Pick Up the Tempo
3. Like a Coat from the Cold
4. I Love You
5. Night Rider's Lament
6. Goodbye Easy Street
7. Pot Can't Call the Kettle Black
8. Mississippi You're on My Mind
9. Jaded Lover
10. Pissin' in the Wind

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jerry Jeff Walker   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Gary P. Nunn   Vocals,Keyboards
John Inmon   Guitar,Vocals
Robert Livingston   Bass,Vocals,Keyboards
Tomas Ramirez   Wind
Kelly Dunn   Organ
Donny Dolan   Drums

Technical Credits

Hal Odum   Photography
Chuck Pyle   Composer
Gene Eichelberger   Engineer
Gary P. Nunn   Composer
John Inmon   Composer
Jesse Winchester   Composer
Michael Brovsky   Engineer,Producer
Guy Clark   Composer
Michael Burton   Composer
Willie Nelson   Composer
Robert Livingston   Composer
Jerry Jeff Walker   Composer
Scott Newton   Photography
Melinda Wickman   Photography
Jim McGuire   Photography
Bob Livingston   Composer
Bill Callery   Composer