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| Never Could Toe the Mark | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1984 | |||
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| Length | 27:01 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
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| Waylon Jennings chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Never Could Toe the Mark is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1984.
Never Could Toe the Mark was released at a pivotal time for Jennings, who was trying to get sober after over twenty years of drug abuse, beginning with amphetamines in the late 1960s and early 1970s and cocaine into the mid-1980s. In the audio version of his autobiography Waylon, he recalled that he was in such bad physical shape that he decided to take off April 1984 so he could clean up and get his health back, although he still intended to use: "I told Jessi [Colter, Waylon's wife] I'd always be a drug addict and I'd always do cocaine, and that this was just temporary, to slow it down." Jennings rented a house in Arizona and went cold turkey, and it was largely because of his young son Shooter that he decided to quit drugs for good.
Never Could Toe the Mark would be the singer's next-to-last studio album for RCA and sounds like a stop-gap release as Jennings was in the midst of his rehabilitation. The album's lone hit single was the title track, which peaked at #6. Jennings also made a music video for the song which features him playing a mandolin. For the most part the mood of the album is light, with the singer composing four of the album's ten tracks that celebrate his home state ("People Up in Texas"), outlaw bravado ("Never Could Toe the Mark," "Gemini Song"), and sobriety ("Talk Good Boogie"). A Dixie band makes an appearance on "If She'll Leave Her Mama," a rarity for a Jennings' record. Jennings continued his longstanding practice of remaking rock and pop songs in his own style as well, covering Billy Joel's "The Entertainer." He also records his own version of Dire Straits' country-tinged rocker "Setting Me Up." "Sparkling Brown Eyes" is a remake of Bill Cox & Cliff Hobbs song from 1937 that was popularized by Webb Pierce with The Wilburn Brothers in 1954, and by George Jones in 1960.
"Where Would I Be" is the only ballad on the album. Although written by Paul Kennerley, it is most certainly Waylon's tribute to his wife Jessi Colter, who stuck with him throughout his cocaine addiction and remained a pillar of strength in his recovery. In the authorized video documentary Renegade Outlaw Legend, the singer recalls, "The look I saw on her face, that drawn look from worry, and just going through hell livin' with me. I wasn't mean to her but I was never home, I was never there. And the only time she'd see me is when I'd come in and crash and sleep for days, and she didn't know when I'd sleep if I'd ever wake up."
Never Could Toe the Mark peaked at #20 on the Billboard country albums chart, Jennings' lowest showing since 1971's Cedartown, Georgia .
All tracks composed by Waylon Jennings; except where indicated
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 20 |
Mirriam Rebecca Joan Johnson, known professionally as Jessi Colter, is an American country singer who is best known for her collaborations with her husband, country musician Waylon Jennings, and for her 1975 crossover hit "I'm Not Lisa".
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 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 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.
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.
White Mansions is a 1978 concept album written by English singer-songwriter Paul Kennerley which imagines the lives of American Southerners in the Confederacy during the Civil War. The songs were performed by country singers, each portraying different characters in an attempt to show the Confederacy and the concept of "Southern pride" through their eyes. The album's vocalists included Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, John Dillon and Steve Cash. Eric Clapton played guitar on several tracks. The album charted at #38 on the Country Billboard chart and #181 on the Billboard 200.
Leather and Lace is a duet album by Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, released on RCA Records in 1981.
Waylon and Company is an album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Records in 1983.
Ol' Waylon is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1977. It eventually became one of Jennings' highest-selling albums, due in no small part to the phenomenal success of the chart-topping "Luckenbach, Texas ." It was also the singer's fourth solo album in a row to reach the top of the country charts, remaining there for thirteen weeks and becoming country music's first platinum album by any single solo artist.
I've Always Been Crazy is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1978.
Music Man is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1980 on RCA Victor.
Black on Black is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1982.
It's Only Rock & Roll is an album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1983.
Turn the Page is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Records in 1985.
Will the Wolf Survive is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings. It was released in 1986 as his debut for MCA Records.
A Man Called Hoss is a concept album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on MCA in 1987.
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.
Nashville Rebel is a box set by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Nashville through Legacy Recordings in 2006. According to Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine, it is "the first comprehensive, multi-label Waylon Jennings retrospective ever assembled," comprising ninety-two songs recorded between 1958 and 1994, with selections from the majority of the singer's recording career. The first track of the box set is the Buddy Holly-produced "Jole Blon," released in 1958, while the last is "I Do Believe," a song produced by Don Was that was included on The Highwaymen's 1995 release, The Road Goes on Forever. The other material on the box set covers Jennings' career chronologically, with songs ranging from his years on RCA's roster to later compositions from his short-lived stay at Epic Records; it ignores, however, the tracks from Jennings albums released on independent labels. The majority of the singer's charting singles are included in the package, as are collaborations such as "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" with Willie Nelson and "Highwayman" with The Highwaymen. A notable addition is the previously unreleased "The Greatest Cowboy of Them All," a 1978 duet with Johnny Cash which was later recorded by Cash alone for A Believer Sings the Truth (1979) and The Mystery of Life (1991); two others, "It's Sure Been Fun" and "People in Dallas Got Hair," had never been released in the United States. Nashville Rebel was released on four CDs, with a 140-page booklet and liner notes by Rich Kienzle and Lenny Kaye.
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.
Jessi is the third studio album released by American country music artist Jessi Colter. It was her second release for Capitol Records and was produced by Ken Mansfield and husband, Waylon Jennings. It was recorded September–October 1975 at Woodland Sound Studios in Nashville and released in January 1976, becoming one of two albums issued by Colter in 1976.
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.
