| Only the Greatest | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 1968 | |||
| Recorded | 28:44 | |||
| Studio | RCA Studio A (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Producer | Chet Atkins | |||
| Waylon Jennings chronology | ||||
| ||||
Only the Greatest is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1968 on RCA Victor. It includes the single "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line," which Jennings took to #2 on the country music charts that year.
Only the Greatest was Jennings eighth LP for RCA Victor in four years. Contrary to the title, it is not a "best of" package, although it does contain the singer's first pair of Top 5 country hits: "Walk On Out of My Mind," which rose to #5, and "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line, which peaked at #2. Written by Jimmy Bryant, "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" was released in July 1968 as the second single from Only the Greatest. [1] Billboard , in a review of the album, said that it and "Walk On Out of My Mind" were "typical of the robust, compelling vocal style" that Jennings became known for. [2] Nathan Brackett and Christian Hoard, in The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, wrote that Jennings began to "really assert his rough-hewn sensibility" on "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line." [3] The song spent eighteen weeks on the Hot Country Singles charts, peaking at #2 and holding that peak for five weeks.[ citation needed ] In his autobiography Waylon, Jennings recalled of the song, "I waited a damn year to cut that song; Charlie Louvin's bass player had the original version for Capitol [Records]. I didn't want to cover him. I think he outsang me on it, but I had the best track. I knew it had the potential to go all the way, and it might had not 'Harper Valley P.T.A.' kept it out of the number-one slot." [4]
In Canada, the song reached Number One on the RPM Country Tracks charts for the week ending September 30, 1968. [5] Jennings would perform the song as part of a medley on The Johnny Cash Show . Although the single was Jennings' biggest success yet, he was chafing under the constrictions imposed by RCA Victor, and remained frustrated that the strapping sound of his live shows with his backing band the Waylors was not coming across on record with the studio musicians that played on his recordings.
The album primarily relied on other songwriters, including Harlan Howard, Bobby Bare, Jerry Chesnut, Billy Sherrill, and Neil Diamond.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [6] |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" | Ivy Bryant | 2:21 |
| 2. | "California Sunshine" | Harlan Howard | 2:13 |
| 3. | "Weakness in a Man" | Jerry Chesnut | 2:51 |
| 4. | "Sorrow (Breaks a Good Man Down)" | Jackson King, Jimmy Rule | 2:08 |
| 5. | "Christina" | Steve Karliski | 2:14 |
| 6. | "Such a Waste of Love" | Bobby Bare | 2:34 |
| 7. | "Walk On Out of My Mind" | Red Lane | 2:21 |
| 8. | "Kentucky Woman" | Neil Diamond | 2:21 |
| 9. | "Long Gone" | Jerry Reed | 2:31 |
| 10. | "You'll Think of Me" | Hank Cochran | 2:12 |
| 11. | "Wave Goodbye to Me" | King, Don Bowman | 2:04 |
| 12. | "Too Far Gone" | Billy Sherrill | 2:54 |
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He is considered one of the pioneers of the outlaw movement in country music.
Nashville Rebel is the third studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in December 1966 via RCA Victor. It reached #4 on the Billboard country albums chart.
Love of the Common People is a 1967 album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor.
Jewels is a studio album by American country music singer and songwriter Waylon Jennings, released in 1968 on RCA Victor.
Country-Folk is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings featuring the Kimberlys on vocals. It was released in 1969 on RCA Victor.
Waylon is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1970 on RCA Victor.
The Best of Waylon Jennings is a compilation album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1970 on RCA Nashville.
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.
Dreaming My Dreams is the twenty-second studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings. The album was co-produced with Jack Clement and recorded at Glaser Sound Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, between February and July 1974.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1979 by RCA Records.
Waylon Live is a live album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1976.
Ol' Waylon is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings. It was 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.
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.
Hangin' Tough is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on MCA Records in 1987.
The discography of American country singer Jessi Colter consists of 13 studio albums, three compilation albums, 27 singles, 17 other album appearances, and one other charted song. Under her birth name Mirriam Johnson, she recorded two singles in 1961. Her first releases under the name Jessi Colter were issued by RCA Victor in 1969, beginning with A Country Star Is Born. The label also released several singles through 1972. Colter first had commercial success with the 1975 single "I'm Not Lisa". It topped the US country chart, reached number four on the US Hot 100 and number 16 on the US adult contemporary chart. It made similar positions in Canada, while also making multiple charts internationally. It was featured on the studio album I'm Jessi Colter. Released by Capitol Records, the album reached number four on the US country albums chart and number 50 on the US Billboard 200. The disc spawned the top five US country single "What's Happened to Blue Eyes".
Sunshine and Rain is the eleventh studio album by American country singer Connie Smith, released in October 1968 by RCA Victor. Sunshine and Rain featured an assortment of both new material and covers of songs by other country artists. The album reached the top 40 of the American country albums chart and received a favorable review from Billboard magazine following its release.
"Lovin' Her Was Easier " is a song written, composed, first recorded, and first released by Kris Kristofferson. It was also recorded and released by Roger Miller, who included it on his album The Best of Roger Miller and released it as a single in July 1971. Ten years later, it was recorded by Tompall & the Glaser Brothers for the album Lovin' Her Was Easier.
"Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" is a song written by Jimmy Bryant. Originally recorded by American country music singer Jim Alley, it was made famous by American country music singer and musician Waylon Jennings.
"Stop the World (and Let Me Off)" is a song written and originally performed by Carl Belew. It was released as a single first by Belew in January 1958. It was later followed by competing versions by Patsy Cline and Johnnie & Jack. The latter duo's version became the first successful version of the song to be a hit. It was later covered a decade later by Waylon Jennings and then again by Susan Raye in 1974.
only daddy that'll walk the line.
