The mid- to late '70s were good to
Jerry Jeff Walker. He recorded a string of absolutely endearing classics of the
outlaw singer/songwriter genre of
country music:
Viva Terlingua,
Walker's Collectibles,
Jerry Jeff Walker,
It's a Good Night for Singin', the live
A Man Must Carry On, and this one,
Ridin' High from 1975. Most
Walker fans will argue like hell about which is best, but they are interchangeably great and stand the test of time in the same way
Guy Clark's and
Billy Joe Shaver's albums do. In any case,
Ridin' High is pure Texas
country drunk & roll with some Nash Vegas players added to
the Lost Gonzo Band for some truly
Cosmic Cowboy yammering. The material here is top-notch:
Willie Nelson's
"Pick Up the Tempo," Bob Livingston's
"Public Domain," and
Guy Clark's
"Like a Coat from the Cold" -- and they're the first three tracks on the album!
Walker has a way of delivering drunken anthems and tender
ballads in his deep bass voice that brings you into the song so far you feel as if he's singing it just for you and your friends. He does this consistently on this album, backed by a star cast of players including not only
the Gonzos but also
Johnny Gimble,
David Briggs,
Norbert Putnam, and others. And the gorgeous horn touches added by
Michael Brovsky are stunning. Two of
Walker's own best songs are here,
"I Love You," written for his then new wife
Susan, and the rowdy man's good-time anthem
"Pissin' in the Wind." The album is rounded out by
Jesse Winchester's
"Mississippi You're on My Mind," Mike Burton's oft-covered nugget
"Night Rider's Lament," and a few others. The album feels like a solid stream of hippie
cowboy music fed by cold Lone Star, lots of pot, and the occasional line. To listen closely is to miss the point. This is an album to be experienced with the senses, entering into the free flow of
Walker's good-time world even for the 40 minutes it takes to listen to the album. But that's far better than nothin', ain't it? ~ Thom Jurek
