On this day (August 14) in 1976. Waylon Jennings went to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart with Are You Ready for the Country. The album contained covers of several songs that now fall within the realm of classic rock. The album came after his first chart-topping LP, Dreaming My Dreams, and the wildly successful collaborative album Wanted! The Outlaws.
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Jennings was one of the originators of Outlaw Country. In his mind, an “Outlaw” artist was someone who didn’t chase trends or bend to the whims of industry executives. It was all about taking creative control of one’s music. For the “Good Hearted Woman” singer, this meant blending aspects of rock and roll with country and cutting the songs he wanted to cut. His 1973 album Honky Tonk Heroes is a great example of this ethos. He took the combination a step further with Are You Ready for the Country.
The title of the album suggests that Jennings had delivered a stone-cold country album. However, the title track was a cover of a song from Neil Young’s classic album Harvest. Additionally, the tracklist includes covers of Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See” and a new rendition of Richard Harris’ “MacArthur Park.” It also features the song “Old Friend,” which Jennings wrote about his late friend Buddy Holly. “Precious Memories” is one of Jennings’ rare forays into gospel music. Despite the far-flung origins of the songs, Are You Ready for the Country stands as a shining example of the Outlaw Country philosophy, despite receiving lukewarm reviews upon its release.
Waylon Jennings Proved Outlaw Country Could Be Successful
Waylon Jennings didn’t single-handedly invent Outlaw Country. However, he is one of the first artists to find success with the new, progressive style. Good Hearted Woman and Ladies Love Outlaws, both released in 1972, seem to have laid the groundwork. Then, in 1973, he released Honky Tonk Heroes, which was mostly composed of songs penned by the then-unknown Texas-based songwriter Billy Joe Shaver, despite protests from his longtime producer, Chet Atkins.
Before then, Jennings saw solid chart success, launching several singles and albums into the top 40, with some charting in the top 10. However, he didn’t see his first No. 1 single until “This Time” topped the chart in 1974. His first No. 1 album was Dreaming My Dreams, which went to the summit of the country albums chart in 1975.
RCA Records made the best case for the popularity of Outlaw Country with the 1976 compilation album, Wanted! The Outlaws. The LP featured songs from Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, Willie Nelson, and Tompall Glaser. It spawned two hit singles and topped the country albums chart for six weeks. More importantly, it was the first country album to sell 1 million units.
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