Love of the Common People/Hangin' On/Only the Greatest/Jewels

Collectors Choice's 2009 two-fer combines 1967's Love of the Common People and 1968's Hangin' On onto one CD. Both of these records are cut from the same cloth, containing the same rich tapestry of stringed instruments and layers of vocal harmonies, containing the same mix of progressive country that touches on folk, pop, soul, and even rock & roll, with Love of the Common People containing a cover of Lennon & McCartney's "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away." If the albums aren't heavy on classics -- the former contains no big hits, the latter only "The Chokin' Kind" -- they're nevertheless consistently strong, testaments to Waylon's strength as an interpreter and the appeal of RCA's Nashville studio system, two elements that often tend to get short shrift in the conventional biographies of Jennings but, as this two-fer proves, could produce some truly fine music. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine