Billy Joe Shaver "Old Five And Dimers Like Me" (Capricorn Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Charlie Bragg, Brian Burr & Kris Kristofferson)
Billy Joe Shaver "When I Get My Wings" (Capricorn Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Johnston)
There's a strong, definitely discernible Allman-esque Southern rock strain that runs through much of this album, which isn't too surprising, since Richard Betts is one of the many pickers on hand to propel this album forwards. Other '70s stalwarts such as Scott Boyer, Charlie Daniels and Bonnie Bramlett add to the solid set; there's a hard-rockin' tone that threatens to dominate, though Shaver's mud-fence, rootsy vocals keep things country... He's kind of a roughshod mix of Merle Haggard and Joe Ely... and that ain't bad! Good album, worth tracking down.
Billy Joe Shaver "Gypsy Boy" (Capricorn Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Brian Ahern)
Billy Joe Shaver "I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal" (Columbia Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Eddie Kilroy & Tom Pick)
Billy Joe Shaver "Billy Joe Shaver" (Columbia Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Richie Albright & Neil Wilburn)
This album was my first real exposure to Billy Joe Shaver as a solo artist, at least outside of hearing him on KFAT radio, back in the day. I picked up my copy for a buck at a Goodwill store in Fresno (and how's that for a song lyric?) and was captivated by its immediacy, clarity and true twang. One of his more concise and commercially oriented albums, the disc is packed entirely with Shaver's own songs, including some of his best and most memorable classics, notably gems such as "Bottom Dollar," "Amtrak And Ain't Coming Back," "I Been To Georgia On A Fast Train" and fine versions of "Old Five And Dimers Like Me" and "Ride Me Down Easy." Shaver was riding high on the commercial success of "I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal," which John Anderson had just made a Top Five hit, and he made the most of the moment. The album has a crispness and laser-focus that wrests your full attention -- it also sports a great lineup of studio pickers, who all seem as laser-focussed as Shaver himself: his son Eddy Shaver sits in on lead guitar, along with Pete Drake playing steel, Randy Scruggs (banjo and guitar), Ricky Skaggs (fiddle and mandolin), and Willie Nelson's wingman, Mickey Raphael on harmonica; also of interest is rhythm guitarist Gordon Payne, a fella who had made his own sort of proto-Americana solo album a few years earlier, but who had a pretty low profile after that. Anyway, lots of artists book recording sessions packed with hotshot pickers, but few of them take such good advantage of the situation. This one's a gem.
Billie Joe Shaver "Salt Of The Earth" (Sony/Lucky Dog Records, 1987)
(Produced by Billie Joe Shaver, Eddy Shaver & Neil Wilburn)
This album has a swell little theme album about The Working Man, full of shameless lyrical posturing, backed by Mr. Shaver with a ton of talent and charisma up the wazoo... Every performance on here leaps right out at you, much moreso than on his rather wordy recent efforts. Worth checking out!
Shaver "Tramp On Your Street" (Volcano Records, 1993)
(Produced by R. S. Field)
This was the first album where Billy Joe and Eddy recorded under the band name, "Shaver..." The set guest vocals from Waylon Jennings, and a couple of tracks with the rootsy Top Forty duo The Phelps Brothers. Also notable among the musicians is 'Sixties bluesman Al Kooper on organ and piano.
Shaver "Unshaven: Live At Smith's Olde Bar" (Volcano Records, 1995)
(Produced by Nick Didia & Brendan O'Brien)
Shaver "Highway Of Life" (Justice Records, 1996)
(Produced by Randall Jamall)
Shaver "Victory" (New West Records, 1998)
(Produced by Donnell Cameron, Cameron Strang & Eddy Shaver)
A stark, stripped-down, emotionally direct album, featuring plainspoken vocals from Billy Joe Shaver, and subtle, sympathetic accompaniment from his son, Eddy. The title alludes partly to Billy Joe's mother, Victory Odessa Watson (as she's listed on his birth certificate, which is reproduced in the album art...) and partly to the religious-redemptive theme that runs through the album... Initially I thought, uh-oh -- this is going to be one of those overly literary country-poet albums... But Shaver's soft-spoken, earnest delivery will win you over. This disc seems not only heartfelt and soul-searching, but soulful and artistically rich as well; songcraft was not sacrificed on the altar of introspection... Hardly! If anything, Shaver brings emotional depth to his Christianity that is sorely lacking in most contemporary country gospel... for him this isn't a way to make a living, it's a way to live his life. Definitely worth checking out.
Shaver "Electric Shaver" (New West Records, 1999)
(Produced by Ray Kennedy)
Shaver "The Earth Rolls On" (New West Records, 2001)
(Produced by Ray Kennedy)
This was Shaver's last album recorded with his guitarist son, Eddy, who died on New Year's Eve, and by and large it's a pretty good record. The best songs are tuneful backwoods honkytonk toss-offs, such as "Hard Headed Heart" and "New York City Girls," which remind me of his understated releases on Columbia, 'way back when. It's when he gets all rocket-science-y and craftsmanlike that my attention starts to wander -- Billy Joe's got a touch of Townes Van Zandt-style grandiloquence that makes some songs sound a bit forced. And although I don't wish to speak ill of the dead, his son Eddy's muscle-bound, flashy guitar work was a bit too blaring and Stevie Ray Vaughn-ed out for my tastes. (Possibly they mixed the guitars up higher than normal, in tribute... regardless, it seems a bit intrusive...) On balance, though, this is a record worth checking out; it might not be as mind-numbingly fab as the folks at No Depression would have you believe, but it's still pretty tasty. As a songwriter, Billy Joe's got a great way with a melody, and as a performer, he's much more vigorous and engaging than, say, Merle Haggard, who he's frequently compared to. At least Shaver's heart is really in it. One wonders where things will go from here, but so far so good.
Billy Joe Shaver "Freedom's Child" (Compadre Records, 2002)
(Produced by R. S. Field)
Billy Joe Shaver & Kinky Friedman "Live From Down Under" (Sphincter Records, 2002)
(Produced by Debora Hanson, Jeff Shelby & K. S. Mysinski)
Billy Joe Shaver "Try And Try Again" (Compadre Records, 2003)
Billy Joe Shaver "Billy And The Kid" (Compadre Records, 2004)
(Produced by Tony Colton)
Billy Joe Shaver/Various Artists "A Tribute To Billy Joe Shaver: Live" (Compadre Records, 2005)
Billy Joe Shaver "The Real Deal" (Compadre Records, 2005)
(Produced by John Evans, Big Kenny, John Rich & Billy Joe Shaver)
Billy Joe Shaver "Storyteller: Live At The Bluebird, 1992" (Sugar Hill Records, 2007)
(Produced by Billy Joe Shaver & Gerd Mueller)
A fine, funky, informal acoustic set, recorded in 1992 at the Bluebird Cafe, Nashville's famous, fabled venue for singer-songwriter types. Shaver was backed by his son, the late Eddie Shaver, and bassist Keith Christopher -- a quiet, compact threesome that play in such an understated style that the lyrics become even that much more poignant and penetrating. It's a fairly unadorned, unvarnished performance -- the sound quality is modest, the musicianship is unflashy, the pace is unhurried and the tone is laconic and utterly heartfelt. The set itself is packed with "hits" -- songs such as "Honky Tonk Heroes," "Old Chunk Of Coal," "Georgia On A Fast Train" and the then-new "Live Forever"... All great stuff, but also few surprises. What makes this record a treat are Shaver's asides, his unselfconscious, self-effacing recollections of days gone by, the wild times when he ran with the wind, burned bridges, and lost his loves, and almost his lost his life. Like his songwriting, this onstage patter is direct and down-to-earth, and shows the same fragility and strengths he explores in his music -- fans and newcomers alike will be drawn to him like moths to a flame.
Billy Joe Shaver/Various Artists "Everybody's Brother" (Compadre Records, 2007)
(Produced by Jack Clement)
With his rough, gravel-lined voice and chunky poetry, Billy Joe Shaver (1939-2020) was a true hard-country icon... In the 1960s and '70s established artists such as Bobby Bare, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson discovered his work and recorded his songs, helping propel Shaver's own career. Billy Joe Shaver rode high in the outlaw 'Seventies then faded from sight, resurfacing in later years in full-on, grizzled-veteran mode, hailed as an icon by the alterna-twang/Americana crowd. He formed a band with his son, guitarist Eddie Shaver, who died on New Years Eve, 2000/2001. Mr.Shaver continued to perform and record, though he suffered numerous setbacks in his own health over the years. He always made good music, though!Here's a quick look at his work...
