This Time appeared just as outlaw hit its stride, thanks in large part to the excellent
Honky Tonk Heroes. If this record isn't its equal, it's still pretty wonderful all the same. Part of the record's flaw is its heavy reliance on
Willie Nelson -- actually, not just on
Willie, but on
Phases and Stages, which is the source of no less than four of this record's six songs. Granted, these are great songs, and
Waylon's versions are hard to fault, but they nevertheless give the record a slightly recycled feeling. Fortunately, these songs are surrounded by excellent material, such as the number one single "This Time." Overall,
This Time is fairly muted and deliberate, surprising for an album coming on the heels of the defiant
Honky Tonk Heroes. Even the songs that swagger, like
Billy Joe Shaver's "Slow Rollin' Low," are laid-back, and the whole thing is fairly reflective (appropriate, if it uses a divorce album as its template). It's not that the monochromaticity makes it a lesser affair than its predecessor, yet the whole thing does feel a bit reserved and not quite as overpowering as a sequel to
Honky Tonk Heroes should be. Still, it's a first-rate record -- perhaps not a classic, but a subdued, understated album unlike anything in his catalog. [The 1999 Buddha reissue contained five bonus tracks featuring
Waylon supported by
the Crickets, running through (mostly) highlights from
Buddy Holly's catalog. Though incongruous with
This Time, these are highly entertaining cuts, packing more immediacy than the album itself.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine