Johnny Paycheck - Slide off Your Satin Sheets (1977/2018)

Even if 11 Months and 29 Days didn't tear up the charts, it established the sound and persona that became Johnny Paycheck's signature in the late '70s, and it provided the template for his next album, Slide Off of Your Satin Sheets, which did indeed become a big hit, in large part due to its title track, a relaxed, nearly seductive tune that once again illustrated how Billy Sherrill could polish singers as ornery as Paycheck without defanging them. All of Satin Sheets is a smoother affair than 11 Months and 29 Days, but it doesn't feel compromised: it just feels that the focus has shifted slightly, emphasizing the elements of Paycheck's music that would win him a wider audience. And this isn't limited to the ballads this includes the rougher, wilder material, as on the myth-making rebel anthem "I'm the Only Hell (Mama Ever Raised)" or the Williams' worshipping "Hank (You Tried to Tell Me)" or the revival of the classic honky tonk song "You're Still on My Mind" or the riotous "I've Got Them Lookin' in the Mirror Wonderin' Where My Woman Went Blues" which is every bit as funny as the title suggests. These are songs that are broad enough to win a large audience, but never at the expense of Paycheck's integrity. Despite the slight polish here, he remains one of the hardest country singers in history, and this is one of his best records, retaining its potency years after its release.