Jennings, who was at one time a member of Buddy Holly's band, added a rock strut to country. He was lucky because there was a great renaissance in country songwriting in the '70s that worked perfectly with his burnished leather voice, his Telecaster, and sharp Ralph Mooney steel pedal backup.
This long-overdue and comprehensive four-disc boxed set proves that Jennings' music is as good now as it was then — maybe better, because time and distance and grief have added a measure of depth to his recordings. There's a chunk of unreleased material here, including a duet with Johnny Cash, and all of Jennings' hits, all proving that while Jennings may have lived outside the law, no one could question his honesty.
