White Mansions/The Legend of Jesse James

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Country Music CD » White Mansions/The Legend of Jesse James
White Mansions/The Legend of Jesse James
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  1. Audio CD: Release Date 1999-07-27
  2. Publisher: A&M
  3. Artist: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings
  4. Format: Extra tracks
  5. Sales Rank in Music: #14118

Product Review

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This double-disc reissue documents one of the more curious careers in country music. Both 1978's White Mansions and 1980's The Legend of Jesse James are Southern song cycles that were conceived by Britain's Paul Kennerley, then an unknown songwriter who somehow recruited a high-profile cast for each. A Civil War saga from the Southern perspective, White Mansions suffers from caricature and cliché but benefits from signature contributions by Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, and Eric Clapton. Jesse James has more focus and narrative momentum, with Levon Helm, Johnny Cash, and Emmylou Harris in lead roles. Though the albums are more noteworthy for artistic ambition than memorable material, Kennerley subsequently became a successful Nashville songwriter and Harris's husband from 1985 to 1993. --Don McLeese
Title Tracks for White Mansions/The Legend of Jesse James

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (33 customer reviews)

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars high water mark of country music, brought to you by a Brit, May 21, 2005
Joseph C. Thomas "book bandito" (Suffolk, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: White Mansions/The Legend of Jesse James (Audio CD)
Very often, the best music of any genre is produced by outsiders who are impressed with the purity of sound and seek to replicate and pay homage to that genre. Such is the case with Confederate Tales. Both original ablums, White Mansions and Jesse James, were written and produced by Paul Kennerly, a Briton a long way from Nashville. His compositions however are more country than what Nashville has produced since these ablums came out. His songs weave tales from history, amplifying the anguish and destruction of the War Between the States from the Southern perspective, and reminiscing the romance of the outlaw James Gang.

Guesting on these recordings were Nashville heavyweights, like Cash, Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, and some non-Nashville rockers like Clapton and Levon Helm of the Band. Each puts in an absolutely astounding performance. Listening to Jesse James, in particular, is far more enjoyable than watching the movie Frank and Jesse.

Highly recommended...Read more


14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars My prayers have been answered!!!!!!!!!!, September 24, 1999
shankrob@aol.com (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews
This review is from: White Mansions/The Legend of Jesse James (Audio CD)
This is short, sweet and to the point!!! I've been looking for the "Legend" for years, ever since the original copy my dad had dissapeared. This album is the greatest! The characters come to life and the musicianship of these fantastic performers is 2nd to none! GET IT!!!!!!


17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Civil War and American West concept albums by a British Guy., August 10, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: White Mansions/The Legend of Jesse James (Audio CD)
Paul Kennerly wrote two country music "concept albums" that were released in the late seventies on A & M records. "White Mansions" was a song cycle about the Civil War "narrated" in song by Waylon Jennings with a cast of characters that included Jesse Colter and Bernie Leadon of the Eagles and some guy called Eric Clapton on guitar. A fine pedigree indeed, but I like "The Legend of Jesse James" much better. Released around '79 or '80, this took the White Mansions modus operendi to the Jesse James legend, with Levon Helm of the Band as Jesse James, Emmylou Harris as Jesse's wife Zerelda, Johnny Cash as Frank James and Charlie Daniels as the James boys associate Cole Younger. The songs are all excellent and the slide guitar work of Charlie Daniels and Jesse Ed Davis is exceptional. I have to say that I've been waiting for this particular album since the CD format was introduced years ago. Too bad you can't buy them seperately.

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