Waylon Jennings is known first and foremost as the king of Outlaw Country, the man whose rebellious image and rough-and-ready, rock-influenced sound changed the face of country music in the 1970s. As LOVE SONGS makes clear, though, that doesn't mean he entirely eschewed the world of romance. Like any country singer worth his boots, Waylon did plenty of singing about the ladies. Even on his classic '70s albums (many of which are represented here), there was always a love song or two tucked away amid the rabble-rousers, such as the elegantly simple "You Ask Me To," from his career-making HONKY TONK HEROES, and the poignant Hank Williams tune "Let's Turn Back the Years," from the equally definitive DREAMING MY DREAMS. For the good of all concerned, LOVE SONGS largely avoids dipping into Jennings's often-inconsistent '80s work, focusing instead on the juicier portions of his catalogue, and presenting a seldom-considered side to the man who made it cool to be an outlaw again. minimize