''Heroes'' is an

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

singers Johnny Cash (his 72nd overall album release) and

Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...

, released on Columbia Records in 1986 (see

1986 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1986. Specific locations *1986 in British music * 1986 in Norwegian music Specific genres * 1986 in country music * 1986 in heavy metal music * 1986 in hip hop music * 1986 ...

Background

Cash and Jennings first met in the mid sixties. Cash, who had fallen in love with

June Carter June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the second of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the third of five months to have a length of less than 31 days. June contains the summer solstice in t ...

but could not move in with her because her divorce was not final, rented a one-bedroom apartment in Madison, Tennessee so he could be close to her (the period is documented in the Cash biopic ''

Walk the Line ''Walk the Line'' is a 2005 American biographical musical romantic drama film directed by James Mangold. The screenplay, written by Mangold and Gill Dennis, is based on two autobiographies authored by singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, 1975's '' M ...

'', with Waylon played by his son

Shooter Jennings Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings (born May 19, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He is the only son of country singers Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. In a career spanning over two decades, Shooter Jenn ...

). "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 Substituted amphetamines are a class of compounds based upon the amphetamine structure; it includes all derivative compounds which are formed by replacing, or substituting, one or more hydrogen atoms in the amphetamine core structure with sub ...

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 "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang" is a song written by Hal Bynum and Dave Kirby, and recorded by American country music artists Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. It was released in May 1978 as the second single from the album ''I Would Like to See Y ...

." The duo had previously worked with

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album '' Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (1 ...

and

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are " Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", " Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and " Help Me Make It Through the ...

to form the highly successful

Highwaymen A highwayman was a robber who stole from travellers. This type of thief usually travelled and robbed by horse as compared to a footpad who travelled and robbed on foot; mounted highwaymen were widely considered to be socially superior to fo ...

, 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 ''Highwayman 2'' is the second studio album released by American country supergroup The Highwaymen. This album was released in 1990 on the Columbia Records label. Johnny Cash had left Columbia several years earlier, making this a "homecoming", ...

'' 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 The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

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 Rodney Crowell (born August 7, 1950) is an American musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music. Crowell has had five number one singles on Hot Country Songs, all from his 1988 album '' Diamonds & Dirt''. ...

, 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 Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cover ...

, "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 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

'' 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 Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

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 ''Nashville Skyline'' is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on April 9, 1969, by Columbia Records as LP record, reel to reel tape and audio cassette. Building on the rustic style he experimented with on '' J ...

''. 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 AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

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

Personnel

* Johnny Cash - vocals, guitar *

- vocals, guitar * Rick Yancey, Danny Hogan - backing vocals * Al Casey, James B. Cobb Jr., Jerry Shook, Reggie Young - guitar * Marty Stuart - guitar, mandolin *

Ralph Mooney Ralph Mooney (September 16, 1928 – March 20, 2011) was an American steel guitar player and was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1983. He was the original steel guitarist in Haggard's band, the Strangers. A native of Duncan, Okl ...

- 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 John Henry "Ace" Cannon (May 5, 1934 – December 6, 2018) was an American tenor and alto saxophonist. He played and toured with Hi Records stablemate Bill Black's Combo, and started a solo career with his record "Tuff" in 1961, using the Black ...

, Dennis Good, Wayne Jackson - horns *

Mickey Raphael Michael Siegfried "Mickey" Raphael (born November 7, 1951) is an American harmonica player, music producer and actor best known for his work with Willie Nelson, with whom he has toured as part of The Family since 1973. He has performed or rec ...

- 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 *Kal Roberts - photography

Charts

Album - ''Billboard'' (United States) Singles - ''Billboard'' (United States)

References

External links

Luma Electronic's Johnny Cash discography listing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heroes 1986 albums Columbia Records albums Johnny Cash albums Waylon Jennings albums Albums produced by Chips Moman Collaborative albums