Are You Ready for the Country

Are You Ready for the Country

by Waylon Jennings
Are You Ready for the Country

Are You Ready for the Country

by Waylon Jennings

CD

$9.99 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
    Choose Expedited Shipping at checkout for delivery by Friday, March 22
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

If the heavy-hitters of outlaw country were acting like rock stars during their mid-'70s peak, then perhaps it was inevitable that the outlaws would start singing rock songs -- which is precisely what Waylon Jennings did on 1976's Are You Ready for the Country. Although the title is taken from Neil Young's song -- which provides an absolutely storming opener for this ten-song record -- there is a bit of a jibe to its sentiment as well, since Waylon not only sings Young, but also the Marshall Tucker Band and Dr. Hook, along with reviving Jimmy Webb's "MacArthur Park." That selection of material indicates not just the increasing rock-isms of Waylon and the outlaws, it also indicates that Jennings' focus was beginning to blur slightly as he lost the sense of purpose that propelled his records of the first half the '70s, from The Taker/Tulsa to Dreaming My Dreams. Here, the music hasn't really changed, but the flow is no longer seamless and the shifting tones can be a little jarring. Also, Jennings' songwriting starts to slip a little bit here; none of his originals are bad, and "I'll Go Back to Her" is quite good, but they're all decidedly second tier. All things considered, though, most of the individual moments hold up quite well, with "Are You Ready for the Country" and a wonderful, surging take on Marshall Tucker's "Can't You See" ranking among Waylon's best music of the era. There are other very good moments, such as the cracking "Jack a Diamonds," and the entire record is entertaining, but more for a collection of moments than a cohesive whole. That's the first time since the late '60s that one of Jennings' albums felt like less than the sum of its parts, and if it didn't necessarily mark the end of the era, it did mark the point when he started to ease back from his startling peak of creativity. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date: 12/01/2009
Label: Bmg / Sony Music / Sony Music Entertainment
UPC: 0886974961024
Rank: 37373

Tracks

  1. Are You Ready for the Country
  2. Them Old Love Songs
  3. So Good Woman
  4. Jack-A-Diamonds
  5. Can't You See
  6. Macarthur Park (Revisited)
  7. I'll Go Back to Her
  8. A Couple More Years
  9. Old Friend
  10. Precious Memories

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Waylon Jennings   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Jim Gordon   Saxophone,Horn
John Hug   Guitar
Barny Robertson   Vocals (Background),Piano,Vocals
Duke Goff   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Sherman Hayes   Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Carter Robertson   Vocals,Vocal Harmony,Vocals (Background)
Gordon Payne   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Ronald Folsom   Violin
Mackinley Johnson   Horn
Billy Graham   Violin
Charles Veal   Violin
Julianna Buffum   Cello
Thomas Buffum   Violin
John Leslie Hug   Guitar
Karen Jones   Violin
Bill Graham   Fiddle
Graham Nash   Vocals,Guest Artist
Don Robertson   Keyboards
Maurice Spears   Horn,Trombone
Rance Wasson   Vocals
Ralph Mooney   Dobro,Guitar,Guitar (Steel)
Ritchie Albright   Drums,Guitar
Denyse Buffum   Viola
Mack Johnson   Trumpet

Technical Credits

Ken Mansfield   Audio Production,Arranger,Producer
Waylon Jennings   Audio Production,Arranger,Composer,Producer
Barry Rudolph   Engineer
Vic Anesini   Mastering
Dennis Locorriere   Composer
Rich Kienzle   Liner Notes
Donnie Fritts   Composer
David Hogan   Art Direction
Ron Jaramillo   Design,Reissue Art Director
Linda Tyler   Assistant Engineer
Chuck White   Photography
Toy Caldwell   Composer
Troy Seals   Composer
Shel Silverstein   Composer
Daniel Moore   Composer
Jimmy Webb   Composer
John Sands   Assistant Engineer
John Hudson   Product Manager
Mike Reese   Mastering
Neil Young   Composer
Barny Robertson   String Arrangements
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews