Heroes (Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings album)

Heroes

Studio album by Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings

Released

June 1986

Recorded

December 4, 1984 - May 23, 1985

Genre

Outlaw country, folk

Length

30:30

Johnny Cash chronology

Class of '55
(1986)

Heroes
(1986)

Columbia Records 1958–1986
(1987)

Waylon Jennings chronology

Will the Wolf Survive
(1986)

Heroes
(1986)

The Best of Waylon
(1986)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]

Heroes is an album by country singers Johnny Cash (his 72nd overall album release) and Waylon Jennings, released on Columbia Records in 1986 (see 1986 in music).

Background

Cash and Jennings first met in the mid sixties. Cash, who had fallen in love with June Carter but could not move in with her because her divorce was not final, rented a one-bedroom apartment in Madison so he could be close to her (the period is documented in the Cash biopic Walk the Line, with Waylon played by his son Shooter Jennings). "It was like a sitcom; we were the original 'Odd Couple,'" Jennings wrote in his memoir. "I was supposed to clean up, and John was the one doing the cooking. If I'd be in one room polishing, he'd be in the other room making a mess...making himself a mess." Comically, although both men were taking amphetamines by the fistful, each tried to hide it from each other. In 1978, in the midst of Waylon's superstar success as a key figure in the outlaw country movement, the pair scored a #2 hit duet with "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang." The duo had previously worked with Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson to form the highly successful Highwaymen, with whom they would work together again in the early 1990s, but Heroes was their first and only full-length LP.

Recording and composition

Heroes was Cash's second-last original release on Columbia, with which he parted ways soon after the record's release (though he later returned to Columbia alongside Jennings for Highwayman 2 in 1990). It was produced by Chips Moman, who had helmed the Highwaymen sessions and had produced several Jennings albums, including 1977's Ol' Waylon. Despite the success of the single "Highwayman" and Waylon's chart topping album Will the Wolf Survive (his first album for MCA after leaving RCA after twenty years), their presence on the charts had diminished compared to previous years. "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues," the single from Heroes, reflected this state of affairs, reaching #35 on the country charts. The song was composed by Cash's son-in-law Rodney Crowell, who also contributes "I'm Never Gonna Roam Again." The duo also included "Love Is the Way," written by Kristofferson.

The tone of the album is bright, congenial, and sober, far removed from the hell raising past that had become a big part of each man's legend. It opens with a tribute to their fans, "Folks Out on the Road." The patriotic ode to Dixie, "American by Birth," also courts the country music fan base, augmented with marching band horns. The title track taps a similar vein, celebrating courage and self-sacrifice (this is not the song of the same name that appears on Jennings' 1982 duet album WWII with Willie Nelson, also produced by Moman). Cash co-wrote one song, "Field of Diamonds," which he would record again fourteen years later for American III: Solitary Man (2000). The last track, "One Too Many Mornings" is a song written by Bob Dylan for his album The Times They Are a-Changin', and had been recorded, but deemed unusable, by Cash and Dylan in 1969 during the sessions for Nashville Skyline. Jennings had recorded Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" during his earliest recording sessions for A&M.

Reception

The album got as high as #13 on the Billboard country albums charts. Cash the solo artist would not have another higher charting LP until 2000's American III: Solitary Man (#11 C&W). Bruce Eder of AllMusic calls the LP "one of the most obscure records in either artist's output, a fact that's astonishing, given the quality of the music, the singing, and the overall production. Co-produced by Chips Moman, and with Cash and Jennings at the top of their game (and so good at what they do that they make it sound easy), there's not a weak point anywhere here."

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Folks Out on the Road"	Frank J. Myers, Eddy Raven, David Powelson	2:47
2.	"I'm Never Gonna Roam Again"	Rodney Crowell	2:56
3.	"American by Birth"	Roger Alan Wade	2:33
4.	"Field of Diamonds"	Cash, Jack Routh	2:37
5.	"Heroes"	Jennifer Kimball, Thomas Kimmel	4:16
6.	"Even Cowgirls Get the Blues"	Crowell	3:03
7.	"Love Is the Way"	Kris Kristofferson	2:31
8.	"Ballad of Forty Dollars"	Tom T. Hall	3:11
9.	"I'll Always Love You (in My Own Crazy Way)"	Frank Miller, Troy Seals, Eddie Setser	3:58
10.	"One Too Many Mornings"	Bob Dylan	2:38

Personnel

Johnny Cash - Vocals, Guitar
Waylon Jennings - Vocals, Guitar
Rick Yancey, Danny Hogan - Background Vocals
Al Casey, J.R. Cobb, Jerry Shook, Reggie Young - Guitar
Marty Stuart - Guitar, Mandolin
Ralph Mooney - Steel Guitar
Larry Butler, Bobby Emmons, Bobby Wood - Keyboards
Gene Chrisman - Drums
Jimmy Tittle - Bass
Mike Leech - Bass, Arranger
The A-Strings - Strings
Ace Cannon, Dennis Good, Wayne Jackson - Horn
Mickey Raphael - Harp

Additional personnel

Chips Moman - Producer, Engineer
David Cherry - Engineer
Steve Hoffman - Mastering
Bill Johnson - Art Director
Mike Ragogna - Reissue Director
Murray Brenman - Reissue Design
Kevin Gray - CD Preparation

Chart performance

Album

Chart (1986)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	13

Singles

Year	Single	Peak positions
Year	Single	US Country	CAN Country
1986	"Even Cowgirls Get the Blues"	35	40
1986	"The Ballad of Forty Dollars"	—	50

References

↑ link

External links

Luma Electronic's Johnny Cash discography listing

Johnny Cash

Studio albums	With His Hot and Blue Guitar Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous The Fabulous Johnny Cash Greatest! Songs of Our Soil Sings Hank Williams Now, There Was a Song! Now Here's Johnny Cash The Sound of Johnny Cash All Aboard the Blue Train Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash I Walk the Line Orange Blossom Special Everybody Loves a Nut Happiness Is You Old Golden Throat More of Old Golden Throat Hello, I'm Johnny Cash The World of Johnny Cash Man in Black A Thing Called Love International Superstar Any Old Wind That Blows Ragged Old Flag The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me John R. Cash Look at Them Beans One Piece at a Time The Last Gunfighter Ballad I Would Like to See You Again Gone Girl Silver Rockabilly Blues The Baron The Adventures of Johnny Cash Johnny 99 Rainbow Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town Classic Cash: Hall of Fame Series Water from the Wells of Home Boom Chicka Boom The Mystery of Life American Recordings Unchained American III: Solitary Man American IV: The Man Comes Around Personal File American V: A Hundred Highways American VI: Ain't No Grave Out Among the Stars

Concept albums	Ride This Train Blood, Sweat and Tears Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian Sings the Ballads of the True West From Sea to Shining Sea America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song The Johnny Cash Children's Album The Rambler

Gospel albums	Hymns by Johnny Cash Hymns from the Heart The Holy Land The Gospel Road (film soundtrack) Sings Precious Memories A Believer Sings the Truth Believe in Him Return to the Promised Land (video soundtrack) My Mother's Hymn Book

Christmas albums	The Christmas Spirit The Johnny Cash Family Christmas Classic Christmas Johnny Cash Country Christmas

Collaborations	The Lure of the Grand Canyon Carryin' On with Johnny Cash and June Carter Johnny Cash and His Woman The Legend of Jesse James The Survivors Live Highwayman Class of '55 Heroes Highwayman 2 The Road Goes on Forever VH1 Storytellers

Live albums	At Folsom Prison At San Quentin The Johnny Cash Show På Österåker Strawberry Cake Koncert v Praze (In Prague–Live) At Madison Square Garden A Concert Behind Prison Walls

Non-Gospel Soundtracks	I Walk the Line Little Fauss and Big Halsy

Compilations	Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Heart of Cash Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Sunday Morning Coming Down Five Feet High and Rising Destination Victoria Station Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 The Unissued Johnny Cash Johnny & June Tall Man Encore Biggest Hits The Man in Black 1954–1958 The Man in Black 1959–1962 Come Along and Ride This Train The Essential Johnny Cash (1992) Wanted Man The Man in Black 1963–1969 The Man in Black – His Greatest Hits 16 Biggest Hits Love, God, Murder The Essential Johnny Cash (2002) Unearthed The Legend The Legend of Johnny Cash Johnny Cash: Patriot 16 Biggest Hits: Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II The Complete Columbia Album Collection

Songs	"25 Minutes to Go" "Seasons of My Heart" "Any Old Wind That Blows" "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" "Big River" "Blistered" "A Boy Named Sue" "Busted" "Cat's in the Cradle" "Cocaine Blues" "Cry! Cry! Cry!" "Daddy Sang Bass" "Dark as a Dungeon" "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" "Engine 143" "Flesh and Blood" "The Folk Singer" "Folsom Prison Blues" "Forty Shades of Green" "Get Rhythm" "Goodnight, Irene" "Green, Green Grass of Home" "Greystone Chapel" "Guess Things Happen That Way" "Hey, Porter" "Home of the Blues" "Hurt" "I Couldn't Keep from Crying" "I Love You Because" "I Still Miss Someone" "I Walk the Line" "If I Had a Hammer" "If I Were a Carpenter" "In My Life" "In the Jailhouse Now" "It Ain't Me Babe" "Jackson" "Kate" "The Man Comes Around" "Man in Black" "The Matador" "Oh Lonesome Me" "One Piece at a Time" "Oney" "Orange Blossom Special" "The One on the Right Is on the Left" "Remember the Alamo" "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" "Ring of Fire" "Rock Island Line" "So Doggone Lonesome" "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" "Tennessee Flat Top Box" "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang" "A Thing Called Love" "Understand Your Man" "What Is Truth" "What'd I Say"

Family	June Carter Cash John Carter Cash Rosanne Cash Carlene Carter Vivian Liberto Tommy Cash Carter Family

Related articles	Albums discography Singles discography Sun Records discography Highwaymen Carter Family Fold Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words Cash: The Autobiography Johnny Cash! The Man, His World, His Music Walk the Line We Walk the Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash Ring of Fire (2013 film) Ring of Fire (musical) My Father and the Man in Black Dyess, Arkansas The Sound Behind Johnny Cash

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