What are your favorite outlaw classics?
That’s the question Mark Chesnutt had to consider in choosing songs for Outlaw, his upcoming cover album. Given that Chesnutt is about as fine a vocalist as anyone could rightly desire, and his Waylon-inspired 2004 album Savin’ the Honk Tonk was an absolute knockout, I’m pretty excited to hear the new project. The appropriately ’70s-centric track listing was recently posted to the singer’s Facebook page, and is reposted below.
What do you think of the song choices? If Chesnutt were to record a second installment, what other outlaw classics would you hope to see included?
1. Black Rose (Billy Joe Shaver)
Recorded by: Billy Joe Shaver, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Doug Kershaw
2. Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound (Hank Williams Jr.)
Recorded by: Hank Williams Jr.
3. Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line (Ivy J. Bryant Jr.)
Recorded by: Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams Jr., Roger Miller
4. A Couple More Years (with Amber Digby) (Dennis Locorriere, Shel Silverstein)
Recorded by: Waylon Jennings, Dr. Hook
5. Need A Little Time Off For Bad Behavior (David Allan Coe, Bobby Keel, Larry Latimer)
Recorded by: David Allan Coe
6. Sunday Morning Coming Down (Kris Kristofferson)
Recorded by: Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Ray Stevens, Bobby Bare, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson
7. Are You Ready For The Country (Neil Young)
Recorded by: Neil Young, Waylon Jennings
8. Lovin’ Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again) (Kris Kristofferson)
Recorded by: Kris Kristofferson, Bobby Bare, Waylon Jennings, Roger Miller, Tompall Glaser, Willie Nelson
9. Country State Of Mind (Roger Alan Wade, Hank Williams Jr.)
Recorded by: Hank Williams Jr.
10. Freedom To Stay (Bill Hoover)
Recorded by: Waylon Jennings
11. Bloody Mary Morning (Willie Nelson)
Recorded by: Willie Nelson
12. Desperados Waiting For A Train (Guy Clark)
Recorded by: Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, The Highwaymen, Willie Nelson, David Allan Coe, Waylon Jennings
I think Chesnutt can make good music when he has a good producer. If Pete Anderson is producing this, then that is a good sign. Chesnutt made good commerical music with Mark Wright, but as soon as they parted ways, Chesnutt’s music got to stinking it up. The “Saving the Honky Tonk” CD is ok, but its really a pretty rote performance. Some of the songs are subpar and Chesnutt really didn’t offer anything interesting or new on the others. I know it got good reviews but I think a lot of the reviews were reviewing the idea more than looking long and hard at the mostly dull and subpar music on that album. “Beer Bait and Ammo” is a weak novelty song. “I’m A Saint” is super bland, et cetera. Even the weaker Mark Wright-produced albums were way better than “Saving the Honky Tonk.”
I know Chesnutt got a lot of praise in the 1990s and I think his music was some of the better commerical stuff. But I think it is Mark Wright who really deserves the praise. I’ve heard Chesnutt in interviews and he comes across as someone who is good at memorizing songs but who is otherwise kinda dumb. I think Mark Chesnutt is probably Exhibit A for the argument that some artists should not have artistic freedom. When a good, strong producer like Mark Wright tells Chesnutt what to do (and maybe Anderson also) then Chesnutt is good. But otherwise he’s able to ape the classics but he has nothing to bring to them that hasn’t been done before.
Anyway Mark Chesnutt is a major has been. And if Pete Anderson is working with Chesnutt the has been in a way that suggests that maybe Anderson is becoming a has been. I know some people will enjoy the record but Chesnutt seems pretty irrelevant to me in 2010. Send him to Branson the dude is washed up. I think at this point more people would rather hear Taylor Swift belch than anything coming out of Chesnutt’s mouth.
Wow! To mention Mark Chesnutt and Taylor Swift in the same breath shows you know nothing about REAL country music! Saving the Honky Tonks was and is one of the best Country cd’s to come out in a long time.You might be showing your age in that you don’t really know what country should sound like. Nothing you hear on radio today is country. What is being played on radio today would have been played on Pop stations in the 80′s. The closest thing to country today is Mark and Daryle Singletary, and you’ll never hear them on Today’s country stations. It’s sad where Country radio is today!
Maybe you should stick to Fresh Prince albums. Savin the Honky Tonk is one of the best Country albums of the last decade.
Mark Chessnut is on of the best country singers out there. Maybe the best of the guys that have been around twenty years. When he keeps it traditional, he’s hard to beat. Maybe only Dwight Yoakam is with him keeping it honky tonk (Dwight has been a little more consistent). So an album of Outlaw songs, performed by Chessnutt and produced by Pete Anderson, this is something to look forward too. Especially when 99% of “country” radio is unlistenable and not country at all.
Mark is a somewhat limited artist, but he sings with conviction and puts on a great live show. This is definitely an album I will pick up
Mark is one of my favorite vocalists in country music, and there are plenty of great song choices here. I will most certainly be picking this album up.
Wow, DJ Jazzy Jeff, you are obviously entitled to your opinion but I must say I disagree with it. Mark Wright was at one point a great match for Mark, but when Chesnutt teamed up with Tony Brown for his 1995 release “Wings” that album left any album Chesnutt had released to that point in the dust. Problem was it didn’t sell so for his next proper studio album Chesnutt went back to Wright for “Thank God For Believers” which was a solid record but the formula had started to run it’s course as sales indicated.
Under Wright’s direction, he almost ruined his career by recording that awful Aerosmith cover in 1998.
I will say that although the album “Rolling With The Flow” was weak compared to his 2 previous albums, the title track is superb and stands as one of his finest vocal performances. I might also add that unless you have had access to the recording sessions, plug meetings, etc you really shouldn’t speculate as to how limited Mark’s role in his sessions is. And hey, if George Jones likes him, he must be doing something right.
As for Taylor Swift, I’d rather listen to nails on a chalkboard than to listen to her performance at the Grammy’s this year ;)
Cheers, JS
You’re so right Joe S.!! Even I have to admit that the album “Rollin’ WIth The Flow” is pretty spotty, Mark’s voice has held up very well and with the right material, his albums would be first class!
To me Chesnutt is an artist whose music almost never matched the quality of his voice. “Longnecks and Short Stories” is the only Chesnutt album that stands up years later. The fact that he is actually influenced by George Jones instead of merely claiming to be really doesn’t change that.
I’m interested in this album. I’m a Chesnutt fan, though I agree that he hasn’t always chosen material to match his talent or hasn’t always interpreted certain songs as well as I would liked.
To all the idiots,
Mark is a great singer, if not one of the greatest! He puts on a hell of a show and his vocals are pretty unmatched! I will admit that some of his songs are not that good, but as a country singer he is up there! Dj Jazzy F or G or Z what ever you call yourself. Come to Texas so you can hear some great country and when you do, you will find Mark! He puts on a hell of a show and is so down to earth!!
Thanks Mark for recording my song “Need a Little Time off For Bad Behavior” You are one of the greats and I am look forwarding to this album release.
If you are a fan of Mark Chesnutt, Hank III, and other outlaw country artist you should (if you haven’t already!) take a listen to Bob Wayne & The Outlaw Carnies. His new album “Outlaw Carnie” comes out January 25th and will give you a feel for the true, hard, gritty outlaw music. Go add him on http://www.facebook.com/BobWayneOfficial !