***1/2 Waylon Jennings

RIGHT FOR THE TIME

(Justice)

Apparently old outlaws never die; they just wind up on the main stage at Lollapalooza. At least that's the case if you're Waylon Jennings, whose contributions to the predominantly alternative Twisted Willie CD made him as hip to the MTV generation as his buddy, Willie Nelson. Although for the most part Right for the Time lacks the full-throttle approach he took on that tribute disc, Jennings is nonetheless doing what he does best: wry, rough-at-the-edges country that packs more cojones than half the "hat acts" on radio today.

Producer Randall Jamail has kept the sound clean and uncluttered, showcasing Jennings's piquant rhythm guitar licks and whiskey-flavored baritone to desired effect. His storytelling prowess is no less impressive. "Cactus Texas" talks of leaving small-town life behind for something bigger, only to discover it's not necessarily better. "Down in the West" finds Waylon wrestling with the complexities of marriage: "Are you listening to me when I'm talking to you?/Said together we're one, divided we're through" -- with wife Jessi Colter's vocal duet giving his lyrics the ring of absolute truth. Jennings's devilish sense of humor surfaces nicely on the now-classic "Take Your Tongue Out of My Mouth, I'm Kissing You Goodbye," and contemporary country gets some long-overdue skewering on "Living Legends, Part II," which pulls no punches with the likes of Garth Brooks, Clint Black, and Billy Ray Cyrus. All done in jest, no doubt.

-- David Gérard