Look no further
J. Scott | 05/30/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Chances are if you're looking at this listing eager to purchase a Waylon Jennings compilation, you already know the man's music. If you're trying to decide which one to choose from the many out there, look no further. This is hands down the best Waylon collection you'll find. Almost every previous comp has been marred by a combination of poor song selection, shoddy packaging, and worst of all lousy sound quality. This one finally gets it all right.
First and most importantly, the audio quality is superb and beyond compare. Other recent comps have suffered from record industry-killing trends - extreme limiting and dynamic compression. These processes are employed to make the music sound as loud as possible. The problem is that they are commonly overused and produce the ill-effects of reduced dynamic range, natural volume peaks being eliminated, extraneous hiss, and unnatural digital distortion (particulary Waylon's "RCA Country Legends" on Buddha, which should be avoided at all costs, even free). This "Essential" entry, however, is mastered by Vic Anesini, one of the few great mastering engineers in the business. This means there is no pushing the gain past the threshold limit (distortion) and no squashing of the dynamic range (over-limiting), allowing the music to flow naturally as recorded and intended. Since there is no over-processing, additional noise reduction is not needed to mask extra hiss (which often results in a 'swirly', mp3-like sound). So thanks for getting it right yet again, Vic.
The track selection is authoritatively chosen and includes nearly every essential hit, providing a thorough overview of Waylon's heyday at RCA from the mid-'60s to the early '80s, even containing a track apiece of his pre- and post-RCA recordings. Though there is a noticeable lack of tracks from '82-'85, the newer '3.0' edition (issued in 2008) makes up for this gap by adding a third disc comprised mostly of tunes from this era, making it an even more complete retrospective. The liner notes are informative, with detailed track annotation and a concise essay that focuses on the early years of Waylon's life in music.
Legacy's "Essential" series has produced some outstanding listening experiences - the Stevie Ray Vaughan, Earth Wind and Fire, and Clash volumes are five-star examples. Add Waylon's "Essential" collection to that list. So what are you waiting for? Grab this and a bottle of Kentucky sour-mash and get schooled."
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1