Outlaws & Armadillos: Country's Roaring '70s
by Various Artists

The Country Music Hall of Fame compilation Outlaws and Armadillos is a comprehensive primer for anyone not familiar with the Nashville outlaw movement and the lesser known "redneck rock" scene from Austin TX. All the major players are here in this 2-CD collection. An LP version also exists but it omits more than half the tracks.

First are the singer-songwriters of the late sixties who insisted on more creative freedom in the country music industry and infused their music with themes more familiar with folk music and traditional country music. These artists are Mickey Newbury, Waylon Jennings, Bobby Bare, John Hartford, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson.

Next are the singer-songwriters that were so left of center that they had more luck in the college town of Austin than they did in Nashville. Some, like Terry Allen, were some of the first country artist to release their music independently. These artists include Willie Nelson, Joe Ely, Billy Joe Shaver.

Several more little-known artists complete this project, with practically every artist from that era represented. The result is a rich presentation of country music that may be more tasteful and authentic, especially for listeners that wouldn't be caught dead listening to commercial country music.

Unfortunately, only a handful of women were part of this era. For a companion piece that showcase "outlaw" women, I highly recommend the Intimate Portrait: Women of the Heartland compilation.

Essential.

A-Side: Honky Tonk Heroes
B-Side: San Francisco Mabel Joy