Recorded between 1968 & 1986. Includes liner notes by Lenny Kaye.
The 2004 collection ULTIMATE WAYLON JENNINGS has a lot in common with the 1996 ESSENTIAL WAYLON JENNINGS. Both are single-disc, career-spanning RCA anthologies that contain most of the late country legend's biggest hits. Due to the enormity of Jennings's catalogue, one CD simply can't hold every major Jennings tune, but these compilations include a remarkable amount of top-notch material. There's significant overlap between the two, but some differences as well. ULTIMATE one-ups ESSENTIAL by featuring Waylon's incisive version of Neil Young's "Are You Ready for the Country," the definitive early hit "This Time," and the self-mythologizing anthems "Luckenbach, Texas" and "I'm a Ramblin' Man." There was a notable drop-off in the quality of Jennings's '80s work, but ULTIMATE wisely focuses on the Outlaw Country pioneer's '70s salad days, presenting a credible case for Jennings as one of the finest country singers of his generation.
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