Once And For All, What Makes an Outlaw?

Today is the 4th of July: the birthday of The United States. It is also arguably the birthday of the Outlaw movement in country music.

Nailing down an exact date when the Outlaw movement started depends on who you talk to, but a popular one is when Willie Nelson’s legendary 4th of July Picnics started in 1973. The Dripping Springs Reunion happened the previous year, but this was held in the Spring, and was marked by classic country performances from people like Bill Monroe, Loretta Lynn, and Roy Acuff. 1973 is when native Texans Willie, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson famously reunited to headline the festival.

There’s been a lot of questions on what really makes a country music Outlaw swirling around lately, especially with the controversy surrounding the “New Outlaws” (Eric Chruch, Josh Thompson, Gretchen Wilson, etc.) Misconceptions abound. That is why the original Outlaws hated the term, and why new artists as well as fans use the term incorrectly. So I thought I would clarify:

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Being a country music Outlaw has nothing to do with having tattoos. It has nothing to do with motorcycles, or how much you cuss in your music or reference drugs. It has nothing to do with rock influences in your music, nothing to do with if you “party” a lot or live an “Outlaw” lifestyle. Being an Outlaw has very little to do with the music itself. You can play traditional country, neo-traditional country, country-rock. There is NO definable Outlaw country sound. As long as it is country music, it can be Outlaw music.

“Outlaw” is a business term more than anything. Yes, all the above can be and have been elements of the overall Outlaw culture, but neither Willie, Waylon, or Kris had tattoos, rode motorcycles, and none of them were big drinkers. What they had in common with Outlaws that WERE big drinkers like Johnny Paycheck, or that rode motorcycles and had tattoos like David Allan Coe, was that they had all fought for creative control of their music from the country music establishment, and won it. THAT is what makes a country music artist an Outlaw.

And just for the record, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and George Jones were never considered Outlaws, though you could say that Cash became an Outlaw near the end of his life with The Highwaymen project, and the Rick Ruben American Recordings later on, and he did have many dealings with The Outlaws over the years.

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The original Outlaw was Bobby Bare, who was the first to fight for creative control of his music, and the first to open up new themes that before were taboo in country. This is typified by the 1966 song Streets of Baltimore, which very subtly is about a woman leaving her man to become a prostitute. The song was written by Tompall Glaser. Another taboo hurdle was cleared by Kris Kristofferson’s Sunday Morning Coming Down, which references wanting to be “stoned.” But Tompall started the Outlaw revolution in earnest when he built a renegade recording studio called “Hillbilly Central” on 19th Ave in Nashville.

At the time almost everything in Nashville was controlled by a few men: mainly RCA producer Chet Atkins, and the Acuff-Rose Publishing Company. Nearly all music coming out of Nashville was recorded at RCA’s “Studio B”. The songs recorded by artists were written by dedicated songwriters, and selected and arranged by record label producers. All studio musicians were selected by the producer, and were unionized so as no outside musicians (say from an artists touring band) could be used.

Enter not a musician, but a slick lawyer from New York named Neil Reshen. Reshen helped two disgruntled RCA artists, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, break their RCA contracts and wrestle control of their music. (You can read more about Reshen HERE.) Willie and Waylon were inspired to do this by watching Bobby Bare and rock musicians have almost unilateral control over their music. Willie left RCA, and eventually singed with Atlantic, a rock label, with complete creative control. Waylon stayed with RCA, but established control over his music the likes of which had never been seen inside Music Row.

The first thing Waylon did was record an album in 1973 of Billy Joe Shaver songs, Honky Tonk Heroes, at Tompall’s Hilllbilly Central. This was one of the most significant moves in country music history, because after Reshen’s legal maneuverings, it broke the back of the Music Row monopoly, and opened a floodgate for artists to be able to record their music outside of RCA’s “Studio B” (or Studio A) and without using union studio musicians. It also ushered in a period where label-owned studios became virtually extinct, and independently-owned studios thrived.

The next significant move was Willie Nelson releasing Red Headed Stranger in 1975, considered by many as the greatest country music album ever. It was done in a small studio in Garland, TX with Willie’s own musicians on a shoestring budget. The next year RCA released Wanted! The Outlaws, which became the first million-selling album in country music history. All the songs on those two albums were recorded with the artists having the final say.

So when Josh Thompson says to blame his Outlaw ways on Waylon, meaning his college-style coed drinking antics and pop-style “partying,” I have to object. Waylon’s “Outlaw Ways” would be to insist on not putting out music that was tooled from beginning to finish by industry producers. I also have to object when someone thinks being an Outlaw means getting a skull tattoo and interjecting devil and drug references into their music.

“Outlaw” is a state of mind; an approach based on strong-willed principles. Anything beyond that is lesser qualifying points based on opinion or simple elements of culture.

Happy 4th.

Album Review -Hank III’s The Rebel Within

I’m going to have a lot to say about this record, but the upshot is that its damn good. It is an improvement from Hank III’s last offering Damn Right, Rebel Proud. It may not be his best album, or the album of the year, but considering all the different factors Hank had to juggle when making it, he hit just about as close to the bulls-eye as anyone could expect.

Hank has been in a 14-year battle with his label Curb Records, and while making this album he had to ask himself, “Do I make it with his best material available, and hand the rights of those top-notch songs over to my mortal enemy so they can continue to fill their filthy coffers even after I leave?” He’s publicly said that once he’s done with Curb (which happens after this album release), he wants to be independent, mainly because he wants to reserve all his music rights.

But if he puts out a dud, he jeopardizes the loyalty of his famously loyal fan base. Hank has to keep his fan’s attention to proceed without label support. And that’s another issue: the fans.

EVERYBODY seems to have an opinion about what Hank III should be doing with his music. He cut his teeth as a neo-traditionalist, but his album Straight to Hell, considered his masterpiece, created an influx of punk and metal fans into the Hank III fan base, and into country music in general. Now the traditionalists and metalheads are going 9 rounds over what direction they think Hank III’s music should go, and Hank III has gone from being the most revered man in underground country to being one of the most polarizing.

And EVERYONE wants to compare any new Hank III album to his previous ones. Hank III might have started this trend, famously saying “Damn Right, Rebel Proud ain’t shit compared to Straight to Hell,” a message still on his MySpace page. But is every Willie album compared to Red Headed Stranger? Can’t we judge subsequent albums, good or bad, on their own merit?

Somehow, someway, with all these balls in the air, Hank III has figured out how to strike a balance between warring forces, and not forget that the way for him to make the best album possible is to listen to his heart.

The Rebel Within has those traditional country elements that his country fans crave, and a little of the metal edge to keep red meat in the bellies of the folks in black. And it does so fairly seamlessly. It doesn’t feel like “oh here’s another metal country song,” the album just flows. There’s some new sounds here too, new for Hank III, and new, period.

This album is Hank III settling into a sort of early Hank Jr., late Waylon, Johnny Paycheck-esque “hard” country style. He’s not reinventing the wheel; he already did that once, and if he does it again it might as well be when the Curb leech is off his ass. He doesn’t wow you with his songwriting, though it does have it moments. This is more of a party album, even more than his previous two.

The standout tracks for me were “Lookin’ for a Mountain,” “Karmageddon,” and “Tore Up & Loud.” Many people are calling the first the “Waylon Song,” and yes it has that identifiable two note bass line. But it also opens up a new theme for Hank. He’s always said he prefers the simple life, cutting the grass and running the dogs, and this song delves into the yearning for simplicity we all have.

“Karmageddon” is one of the “new sounds.” It comes across as plain weird at first, but multiple listens reveal its genius. Down the road we might look back at this song as a hint of the direction Hank III goes post-Curb. “Tore Up & Loud,” is just Hank III doing what made Hank III famous, but unlike some of the “hellraising” songs of Damn Right, Rebel Proud, this one works. The production isn’t overdone, and the heavy metal elements blend with the country elements smoothly. This is Hank III. This blend is his contribution to country music.

In some ways, this album made me judge Damn Right, Rebel Proud even more harshly. I’ve always said it was an album of good songs buried with poor production, a sentiment Hank III has asserted himself. But again, let’s look at this album on its own merit. The production of Rebel Within is clean and balanced. It’s more country, but not in a way that usurps Hank III’s country/metal blend. Simply put, the album works.

Some will complain that the drinking songs are too much. I agree that Hank should open up some new song themes in the future, though he starts down this path in this album. But Hank III reinvigorated the ‘hellraising” attitude in country. One of the reasons it seems overused is because Hank inspired an army of copycats who can’t craft an original idea, throwing out “whiskey,devil, cocaine” references with no direction or purpose.

My least favorite song is the title track, with the “screams” feeling out of place and dragging down an otherwise good song.

If handed this album and told to grade it, I would give it a B+. But knowing the challenges facing Hank III in making it, I give him an A.

It seems everyone wants to criticize Hank III, second guess him, pontificate of how he should live his life and what direction his music should go. I’d like to see those people try to fill the biggest boots ever handed down in country music while fighting off a malevolent music label. I say just enjoy the music, that is what it is there for. And if you can’t, leave it.

But don’t forget who brought you back into country music after years of disappointment from the mainstream. Don’t forget who introduced you to country music when you were listening to who knows what kind of filth. Don’t forget who introduced you to Wayne Hancock and Dale Watson, and a slew of other musicians who have changed the very complexion of your life, brought you countless joy, helped you through endless sorrow. Don’t forget who made you feel hope that maybe everything in country music isn’t lost. Don’t forget who introduced you to countless other fans who now feel like family. Don’t forget who made the music that was there for you when nobody and nothing else was.

If it wasn’t for Hank III, I wouldn’t be here. If it wasn’t for Hank III, YOU wouldn’t be here. Hank III created all of this: this genre, this scene, this website, your interest, everything. We may not even be able to agree what to call this music, but we can all agree to call Hank III the king of it, and always will be, whether he puts out another country album or not.

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You can listen to all the tracks of Rebel Within in their entirety by CLICKING HERE.

The best place to purchase or pre-order ANY album is through your local record store. But if you can’t, you can pre-order the album through Amazon by CLICKING HERE.

Note: Long time artist for Hank III Keith Neltner, who did his last two album covers did NOT do the cover art for this project.

Also for everyone hoping that now Hank III is free we might see a double disc dump of some of the best country music we’ve ever heard, don’t hold your breath. Sure, Hank III probably put some songs in the can until Curb was in the rear view, but we might not see another pure country project for years. Hank has a lot to sort out, and anyone who thinks they know what is coming up is high.

Johnny Paycheck Petition for the Hall of Fame

I will be completely honest with you. Up until about 2 1/2 years ago, I thought Johnny Paycheck was a one hit wonder with a gimmick name. And that one hit song, “Take This Job and Shove It,” wasn’t even his own song, but a David Allan Coe cover.

Well ladies and gentlemen, since then I have turned that big ship of stupid around.

It’s rare you can pull out the term “Hard Country” and have it make sense and fit like a glove on an artist, but that is exactly what describes Johnny Paycheck. And he’s was an Outlaw too, in the truest sense of the word. Sure he wasn’t as integral to the Outlaw scene as Willie, Waylon, Coe, or Kristofferson, but Paycheck fought Nashville when necessary, never settled, did things his way, and told it like it was.

In true Outlaw fashion, Paycheck started his solo career under his own label “Little Darlin’ Records.” When that folded he moved to epic, but while the “Nashville Sound” had moved to strings and choruses, Paycheck stuck with the true honky tonk style of heavy pedal steel guitar, fiddles, harmonies, and themes involving low living and real world issues.

If you ask me, the more an artist is reviled by Nashville, the bigger skin they have on the wall. Well when Hank Williams III went to release his last album Damn Right, Rebel Proud, it wasn’t a profanity-laced tribute to the infamous GG Allin that his label Curb Records decided to veto. No, it was a cover of Paycheck’s “Only Hell Momma Ever Raised.”

But Paycheck also comes with serious country music accolades, including 11 top 10 hits (including “Only Hell Momma Ever Raised”), a #1 hit in 1977 with “Take This Job and Shove It,” an Academy of Country Music Career Achievement Award from that same year, and he also was an inducted member of the Grand Ole Opry. Early in his career, Paycheck also worked as a tenor singer for George Jones, and is given credit for helping develop Jones’ unique lyrical phrasing.

It is for all of these reasons that Johnny Paycheck fans want him considered for the Country Music Hall of Fame, and have started an online petition.

Paycheck does come with some baggage. Numerous run ins with the law landed him in jail for long stints, and drug and alcohol abuse created financial issues for him and ended his career too early. Still, his impact on country music, especially Outlaw country and Hard Country (man, I just love the sound of those two words together) cannot be denied.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION

Factoid: Johnny Paycheck’s real name is Donald Eugene Lytle, and he got the name Johnny Paycheck from a boxer who fought Joe Lewis in 1940.

Thanks to Gary Hayes for helping to put together the petition and alerting me to it.