Johnson’s take on “This Time” isn’t revolutionary but then again, when you have a great song, why try to change it? As a recording artist who has recorded previous Waylon Jennings classics like “Dreaming My Dreams,” “The Door Is Always Open” and “Mental Revenge.” His performance brings out the same vibrancy of “This Time” as Waylon Himself had with the track. Alabama is on a hiatus of sorts but they reconvened to record the album’s single “Are You Sure Hank Done it This Way.” Alabama, too, doesn’t deviate from the classic melody but I can think of a dozen or so more singers who I’d like to hear sing this song. Randy Houser has one of the strongest voices in Nashville and he was really born to sing country music of this ilk – check out “They Call Me Cadillac,” his latest record which features much of Jennings sonic blueprint. Anyway, Like he did with Skynyrd’s “Simple Man,” Randy Houser really knocks his take on “…Ramblin’ Man out of the park. If it weren’t 5 minutes, I’d say that it could be a good ole radio single from this collection.
Shooter Takes “Belle of the Ball” and does well and showcases just how much he sounds like his father at times. With “From A Table Away” close to being a Top 10 hit, Sunny Sweeney certainly proved more than radio-ready with her just released 5 song EP. It contained the kind of modern outlaw sound that makes her as natural a fit for this record as the guys on the disc. Waylon’s wife Jessi Colter joins Sunny for a fantastic duet on “Good Hearted Woman.” Like Randy Houser, Sunny Sweeney was born to sing country music. Roots music legend John Hiatt sings a rockin’ and rollin’ version of “Just To Satisfy You” with an assist from Waylon while Kris Kristofferson takes Rose In Paradise and makes a hell of a song out of it, with the help of the angelic Patty Griffin. Trace Adkins sings “You Asked Me To” and shows how great he is at singing traditional country ballads while newcomer Chanel Campbell gets one of the ‘new artist spotlights’ on this album, a thing that Waylon would’ve loved due to his championing of unknown or young talent as opening acts on his tours. Chanel’s version of “Wurlitzer Prize” feels like a long-lost Jewel song while Waylon’s own “Go Down Rockin’” is a nice song but feels weird to have such a song on a ‘tribute’ project.
This fantistcally produced, fantastically selected ‘tribute album,’ The Music Inside: A collaboration dedicated to Waylon Jennings is the first of three albums like this for 2011 and if the other two are as good as this one, we’ve got ourselves a lot more great music to come.
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