Closing In on the Fire | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 16, 1998 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 53:09 | |||
Label | Ark 21 | |||
Producer | Gregg Brown | |||
Waylon Jennings chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Closing In on the Fire is an album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on the small Ark 21 Records label on June 16, 1998. It features contributions from several celebrities associated with both country and rock music. The selections include, among others, Sting's "She's Too Good for Me" and Tony Joe White's title track, creating a greater degree of musical eclecticism than in many previous Jennings releases. The singer incorporated elements of genres such as blues and rock, in addition to traditional country ballads. "Best Friends of Mine," an autobiographical song, is a tribute to Buddy Holly, Hank Williams Jr. and Jim Garchow (former DJ and longtime voice of the Idaho Falls Chukars) minor league baseball team who was one of Jennings' close friends from Waylon's days in Phoenix. Carl Smith, one of Jennings's idols, appears on "Untitled Waltz." In an interview [2] the singer mentioned that he wasn't fully satisfied with his take on The Rolling Stones' "No Expectations", calling it "a little more contrived than I would have liked." An interview featuring Jennings commenting on the record is included as a bonus track. Closing In on the Fire, Jennings' 72nd release, reached #71 on the country charts and was the last studio album by the singer to be released before his death in 2002.
Chart (1998) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 71 |
The Restless Kind is American country music artist Travis Tritt's fifth studio album, released on Warner Bros. Records in 1996. The tracks "More Than You'll Ever Know", "Helping Me Get Over You", "She's Going Home with Me", and "Where Corn Don't Grow" were released as singles, all peaking in the Top 40 on the country charts. "Where Corn Don't Grow" was previously recorded by Waylon Jennings on his 1990 album The Eagle, and was his #67-peaking single that year. "Double Trouble" was a duet with Tritt's long-time friend and recording partner Marty Stuart.
Strong Enough is American country music artist Travis Tritt's eighth studio album, released on Columbia Records Nashville in 2002. The tracks "Strong Enough To Be Your Man" and "Country Ain't Country" were released as singles, respectively reaching #13 and #26 on the Billboard country charts.
Water from the Wells of Home is the 75th album by American country singer Johnny Cash, released on Mercury Records in 1988. It features several collaborations with other artists, including "New Moon Over Jamaica" with Paul McCartney. Other guests include Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams Jr., Glen Campbell, Emmylou Harris and family members Rosanne Cash, John Carter Cash, June Carter Cash and members of the Carter Family. "Call Me the Breeze" is a J. J. Cale song that had been previously performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd. "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" is a new recording of a song that had appeared on Cash's Sun era album Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous. The album did not fare well on the charts, peaking at No. 48; the two singles, "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" and "That Old Wheel", reached No. 45 and No. 21, respectively. A 2003 re-release of the album contained a bonus track, consisting of Johnny Cash discussing various songs on the album.
This Time is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1974, at the peak of the outlaw country movement. It was produced by Jennings and Willie Nelson.
Wanted! The Outlaws is a compilation album by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser, released by RCA Records in 1976. The album consists of previously released material with four new songs. Released to capitalize on the new outlaw country movement, Wanted! The Outlaws earned its place in music history by becoming the first country album to be platinum-certified, reaching sales of one million.
Black on Black is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1982.
The Eagle is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on Epic Records in 1990. It was the first of his two solo albums on the label, which he joined after a two-year stay at MCA. This was also the last new Waylon Jennings album to be made available on LP; commercially in Europe, and only through the Columbia House record club in the US.
Right for the Time is an album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on Justice Records, an independent label, in 1996. Most of the songs on the album, as is the case with several later Jennings releases, were written by the singer himself. Among the other tracks, a cover of Paul Simon's "The Boxer" is notable. The liner notes for the album were written by the record's producer, Randall Jamail. Right for the Time failed to chart. "Deep in the West," a duet with Jessi Colter, was released as a single and a music video was made.
Never Say Die: Live is a live album by Waylon & The Waymore Blues Band, released on Sony Records through the Lucky Dog imprint in 2000. Jennings' third live album – after Waylon Live (1976) – and his last record of original material to be released during his lifetime, it was recorded at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium on January 5 and 6, 2000. At that time, Jennings was battling both emphysema and severe diabetes that had forced him to give up the sort of long tours he had always done. The album is credited to "Waylon & The Waymore Blues Band", referring to the singer's backing band, actually a mix of many of his original road band, the Waylors, and additional musicians. The album features a host of guests, including Waylon's wife Jessi Colter and three artists then on Sony: Montgomery Gentry, John Anderson and Travis Tritt. The songs themselves are a mix of original Jennings hits, tracks from his more recent albums and compositions he had never covered. Like 1998's Closing in on the Fire, Never Say Die: Live reached #71 on the country charts. The original 2000 release did not by any means constitute the complete concert, which ran an hour and forty minutes and was recorded by Sony in video. On July 24, 2007, Legacy Recordings, the Sony BMG reissue specialists, released the complete concert including all twenty-two tracks on two CDs and on DVD as well.
Out of the Ashes is the 11th studio album by American country artist Jessi Colter, released in 2006 on Shout! Factory Records. It was Colter's first album in 10 years, and her first country music album in 22 years since 1984's Rock and Roll Lullaby. It was also her first release since 1981 to chart on the Top Country Albums chart, where it reached #61. It was the first album by Colter to be released following the death of her husband and country artist, Waylon Jennings. The title of the album, Out of the Ashes, explains the message that she has remained an artist without the help of Jennings.
Paul Kennerley is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer working in the American contemporary country music industry.
You Won't Ever Be Lonely is the debut studio album by American country music singer Andy Griggs, released in 1999 via RCA Nashville. Four singles were top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts between 1999 and 2000: "You Won't Ever Be Lonely", "I'll Go Crazy", "She's More", and "You Made Me That Way". The album has been certified Gold by the RIAA.
The Chain is the sixth studio album by American country singer/songwriter Deana Carter, first released in 2007. Since, the album has peaked at #60 on the US Country chart. The first and only single off the album, "On the Road Again," was released in 2007, failing to land on the chart. All the tracks on the album consist of cover songs, and many are duets with artists, such as Dolly Parton and George Jones. The record was intended as a tribute to her father, Fred Carter Jr., and many of Deana Carter's heroes.
Inspirational Journey was released on October 24, 2000, and is the thirteenth studio album from American country music artist Randy Travis. His first album of gospel music, it also marked his return to Warner Bros. Records. The album was originally recorded during Travis' tenure on Warner Bros. in the late 1990s, but was not released until 2000.
Never Say Die: The Final Concert is a 2000 concert film featuring Waylon Jennings. Jennings, his health failing, played his last major concert at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium in January 2000. He was backed by the all-star Waymore Blues Band, whom Jennings called "the band I always wanted," and joined onstage by his wife Jessi Colter, and by guests John Anderson, Travis Tritt and Montgomery Gentry.
Waylon Forever is an outlaw country album by Waylon Jennings which was released on October 21, 2008, on the Vagrant Records label. The backing band for this album is Waylon's son Shooter and his band, the .357's.
Honky Tonkin's What I Do Best is the ninth studio album by American country music artist Marty Stuart, released on June 18, 1996, by MCA Nashville. Four singles were released from this album, and they were the title track, "Thanks to You", "You Can't Stop Love", and "Sweet Love". The album peaked at #27 on the Top Country Albums chart in the United States, and #21 on the Canadian albums chart.
Diamond in the Rough is the fourth studio album released by American country artist Jessi Colter. It was the second album issued by Colter in 1976; the previous was Jessi, released earlier in the year. Diamond in the Rough was issued under Capitol Records and was produced by Ken Mansfield.
Goin' Down Rockin': The Last Recordings is a posthumous album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on September 25, 2012. The release includes eight unreleased songs written and recorded by Jennings along with his bassist Robby Turner during the last years of his life, as well as eight songs never released before in any version.
Robby Turner is an American pedal steel guitarist, best known for his work with Waylon Jennings and his contributions to recordings by many other artists.