Nashville Rebel

*Nashville Rebel* spans 36 years, from 1958 to 1994, and gives a disc to each of the four phases of Waylon’s career. The first covers Waylon’s ‘60s output, when he dressed in a suit and pompadour and was marketed as “The Nashville Rebel.” Fans tend to dismiss this period, but there\'s proof here that he created some of the best music of ‘60s Nashville. Not only are “Mental Revenge,” “Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line” and “Just to Satisfy You” essential songs, they also feature superlative production and arrangements courtesy of Chet Atkins. The second and third discs cover Waylon’s ‘70s career, during which time he ignited the Outlaw movement, then turned it into a powerhouse brand. While disc two features the essential music surrounding 1973’s landmark *Honky Tonk Heroes*, disc three shows the introspective shift in Waylon’s music, which resulted in rich ballads like “The Wurlitzer Prize.” The final disc covers the last phase of Jennings’ recording career (excepting his exceptional 1998 comeback album, *Closing In On the Fire*), and brilliant songs like “Rough and Rowdy Days” show that he never sold out and retained his good taste and powerful voice to very end.