When I Get My Wings

AMG Review of When I Get My Wings

Thom Jurek
All Music Guide

Billy Joe Shaver's sophomore effort came three years after 1973's Old Five and Dimers Like Me. Issued on Phil Walden's Capricorn label, Shaver was in the company of some serious Southern rockers as well as a small crew of his own and recorded a program entirely comprised of his own songs. Like many things coming from Capricorn at the time, including some of Delbert McClinton's early records, production was a bit heavier than suited the material. Nonetheless, the power, grace, and elegance in Shaver's songwriting come through even when his voice is mixed a bit low. Some of the standout tracks here are the title track, with its awesome hook in the refrain; the down-and-out "There Ain't No God in Mexico," which has been covered by everyone from Waylon Jennings to Steve Young live; the nostalgic party anthem "When the Word Was Thunderbird"; and one of Shaver's most covered and beloved songs, perhaps his anthem, "Ride Me Down Easy." This track alone is worth the purchase price of the album in that it carries within its simple melody and burning, honest lyric the nature of Shaver's life as an artist: communicate as directly as possible, never lie, and say it as if you mean it. The entirety of When I Get My Wings is a testament to an artist who has found his way as a songwriter and is aspiring to make records as good as the gems he pens.