Waylon Jennings was always very particular about what country should sound like. He was always about capturing its original essence; ventures into pop or more sleek production wasn't particularly welcome. In an interview with Zoo World in 1974, he said as much. "The Nashville Sound as such got so smooth that it just became boring. I, for one, just couldn't get into that," Waylon admits.
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"That's one reason why I got my own group and started producing my own records. With all due respects, I just can't get into that Nashville Sound. They've got some great musicians, but I just can't get into that sound," Jennings adds.
So what was he into if he was so particular about what Nashville should and shouldn't be? Contrary to what you might think, he actually loved more artists than he hated. Later in the interview, Waylon opens up about the multitude of artists he has an affinity for.
Waylon Jennings Reveals The Artists That Made Country Music Better
"Haggard used to be one of my favorites, but he isn't anymore. Jerry Lee Lewis? Man, I love Jerry Lee! He's brilliant. And I also love George Jones. He's still my favorite singer, Jones," Waylon says. "I'm even thinking about cutting a George Jones album one of these days. Do you realize how many records that sumbitch has out? I got his first one. Makes him mad when I sing it to him, it's such a hokey song. That's when he was on Starday, back in 1955 or so."
In terms of the songwriters he loved, the Highwaymen immediately come to mind. But there's an abundance of other artists Waylon gravitated towards as well. "Willie, of course. Billy Joe. I like some of Kris' stuff, although I guess he's not writing as much as he used to. I still like some of Harlan Howard's stuff. David Allan Coe. he's gonna be good. Freddy Weller, he's really sharp. Hell, man, I still listen to Hank Williams, y'know?" Jennings says.
Lastly, Waylon highlights one last band: Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. He looked at them at the time as breaths of fresh air to the Nashville system. "Commander Cody? Hell, yeah, I like 'em. I think they're healthy for the business, and I believe they're sincere. People in the music industry as a whole are afraid of change, and that's especially true in the country music end of it," Waylon explains. "They're afraid of anything except what they've got. If they've got a good thing, they'll ride that horse until he's dead. A lot of country music people are afraid of artists like Commander Cody. Hell, that just isn't the way it should be."
