Waylon Forever

Waylon Jennings was one of my dad's favorite artists. Many great childhood memories have Jennings' music as my mental soundtrack. I most fondly recall the album he cut with Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser, and wife Jessi Colter under the name The Outlaws. Thus, it was with great sadness that I mourned his passing in 2002. Wow, has it been six years already?

My heroes at Vagrant Records are releasing a collection of his final recordings, which also involved son Shooter Jennings and the .357's, called "Waylon Forever" on October 21.

From the press release:

The inception of Waylon Forever began in 1995 when Waylon asked Shooter to collaborate on an album with him. "I'd been playing my dad the music I was inspired by at the time," Shooter explains. "Whether it was Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy, Pink Floyd or Cream he really enjoyed being apart of my musical journey. It was then he suggested we do an album together." Of the recording process Shooter states, "He was always so creative and inspired by new musical directions and this was my first real album to put together.

I buried myself in the studio for weeks constructing the tracks. With 20 or so songs we went into the studio to cut vocals and overdubs. He was so excited for us doing a record together, constantly pushing himself and coming up with new ideas. I was so nervous but he was calm as a gunslinger." Final recording sessions for the album began in 2006 after Shooter transferred the original tapes to pro tools.

Shooter then brought the .357's into the studio in Los Angeles to cut tracks to his father's vocals and complete the record. "The tracks I originally made were a little young and messy, but they were still really wild. Now I feel like I been given the chance to take my years of experience and match them to his," confesses Shooter. "Either way, we did it and we now have a record that reflects his huge creative drive and the boundlessness of his own artistic mind. Waylon forever!"

The first single from the album is a great albeit melancholy track called "Outlaw Shit".

Pre-order Waylon Forever today!