Recording and composition
The album's biggest hit – and the biggest hit single of Jennings' career – was "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)," written by Moman and keyboardist Bobby Emmons. The song references a couple whose position in "high society" has placed strains on their marriage and finances ("four-car garage and we're still buildin' on"). As Andrew Dansby of Rolling Stone wrote in Jennings' obituary in 2002, "The song was part of a self-referential trinity for Jennings, who was always first to call bullshit when a scene had gotten out of hand. The song condemns 'this successful life we're living' that had Willie, Waylon and the boys living like 'the Hatfields and McCoys.' The spoils of success frequently made Jennings uncomfortable." Luckenbach, a microscopic hamlet 80 miles from Austin, became a metaphor for spiritual renewal, although most people had never heard of it. In his autobiography, Jennings admitted that he hated the song immediately, feeling it was too similar to the laid back "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues," but also recognized that it was a sure hit. It debuted on April 16, 1977 reaching #1 on the country charts on May 21, 1977 and staying there until June 25, 1977. It also reached #25 on the pop charts, causing Ol' Waylon to skyrocket to the top of the country album charts and hit #15 on Billboard Top LPs and Tapes chart. Willie Nelson, whose own monumental success had begun to eclipse Jennings', makes a cameo on the song near the end. Moman also contributed "Brand New Goodbye Song," which he wrote with Reggie Young.
The album cover features a photo of Jennings on a wall covered by graffiti, including references to Jennings' wife Jessi Colter ("JESSI"), RCA Records ("VICTIM") and ("WHERE IS NIPPER?"), a 1964 Roger Miller song ("MOON is HIGH SO AM I"), Willie Nelson ("WILLIE WAS HERE FIRST!" and "WILLIE WHO?"), Chips Moman ("CHIPS WUZ HEAR"), the Grammy Awards ("My GRAMMY DON'T WORK") and the Country Music Association ("THE CMA IS WATCHING").
