Put the O Back in Country

• Artist: Shooter Jennings
• Rating:
• Release Date: March 01, 2005
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Country

Review

Shooter Jennings is the son of the late Waylon. This is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that because of his pedigree people will take the opportunity to check him out. The curse is that the comparison factor is inevitable and unfair. And since birthright is unavoidable here, we'll get this out of the way straight up: this is modern-day outlaw country music. This is rockin' country music. The title track goes a little far in terms of stressing its point -- including getting George Jones to slur his way through some introductory words. The very next cut, "4th of July" contains the same kind of pumped-up guitar-slinging grittiness and glory that the original outlaws did. It's loud, and has a killer hook and near-chanted refrain. "Lonesome Blues" is pure Texas country -- drawling, slow, full of pain and pathos. And so it goes. Jennings can write songs. The best of them, like the aforementioned "4th of July" is a quintessential Southern rocker; the acoustic "Sweet Savannah" and electric "The Letter" are fine busted love ballads that tell full-on stories, dig deep into country archetypes, and have fine choruses and hooks that are timeless. "Southern Comfort" sounds like a dead cross between Lynyrd Skynyrd's more laid-back moments and an outtake from Chris Whitley's Living with the Law, and features a backing chorus of Mom Jessi Colter, Faith Evans, and Cece White! In Jennings' singing voice there is the trace of his father's grain, but in his music he is unruly and fiercely independent; that's a compliment more than a comparison. This is a fine debut album. It has a miss here and there, but it's got soul and grit, and displays its creator's wealth of talent. Recommended. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Put the O Back in Country	Neil Young	Shooter Jennings	(3:25)
4th of July	Shooter Jennings	George Jones, Shooter Jennings	(4:26)
Lonesome Blues	Leroy Powell	Shooter Jennings	(4:00)
Solid Country Gold	Shooter Jennings	Shooter Jennings	(3:05)
Busted in Baylor County	Shooter Jennings, Leroy Powell	Shooter Jennings	(3:53)
Sweet Savannah	Shooter Jennings	Shooter Jennings	(4:09)
Steady at the Wheel	Ted Russell Kamp	Shooter Jennings	(2:57)
Manifesto No. 1	Shooter Jennings	Shooter Jennings	(3:09)
The Letter	Shooter Jennings	Shooter Jennings	(3:32)
Southern Comfort	Shooter Jennings, Ted Russell Kamp, Leroy Powell	Shooter Jennings	(5:49)
Daddy's Farm	Shooter Jennings	Shooter Jennings	(8:19)

Credits

David Cobb (Producer), David Cobb (Engineer), David Cobb (Mixing), Jessi Colter (Vocals), Chris Lawrence (Pedal Steel), Faith Evans (Vocals), Eric Heywood (Pedal Steel), James Minchin (Photography), CeCe White (Vocals), Mark Rains (Engineer), Mark Rains (Mixing), Travis Parker (Fiddle), Brandy St. John (Stylist), Bryan Keeling (Drums), Chris Rakestraw (Assistant Engineer), Shooter Jennings (Guitar (Acoustic)), Shooter Jennings (Arranger), Shooter Jennings (Guitar (Electric)), Shooter Jennings (Organ (Hammond)), Shooter Jennings (Vocals (Background)), Shooter Jennings (Main Performer), Shooter Jennings (Art Direction), Shooter Jennings (Wurlitzer), Shooter Jennings (Piano (Grand)), Geoff Burkert (Design), Ricky Chow (Assistant Engineer), Ted Russell Kamp (Bass), Ted Russell Kamp (Piano), Ted Russell Kamp (Arranger), Ted Russell Kamp (Vocals (Background)), Leroy Powell (Guitar (Acoustic)), Leroy Powell (Banjo), Leroy Powell (Dobro), Leroy Powell (Guitar), Leroy Powell (Harmonica), Leroy Powell (Strings), Leroy Powell (Arranger), Leroy Powell (Guitar (Electric)), Leroy Powell (Vocals (Background)), Leroy Powell (Guitar (12 String)), Leroy Powell (Slide Guitar), Leroy Powell (Lap Steel Guitar)