The covers on these 1970 recordings feature a finely dressed Waylon more closely resembling a Rat Pack member than his iconic image as a longhaired scruffy outlaw. Underneath lay the first musical rumblings of Waylon’s eventual rejection of the Nashville record-making system, with songs like the tempting “I May Never Pass This Way Again” and “The Thirty Third of August.” His earthy, craggy voice put a distinctive stamp on songs penned by George Jones, Bill Anderson, Chuck Berry and even The Rolling Stones. Singer of Sad Songs brought focus to Waylon’s vision and was an artistic success (albeit not a commercial one), combining R&B (“Sick and Tired”), folk (“If I Were a Carpenter”) and country. An essential collection for any Waylon fan.