Navajo Rug

Jerry Jeff Walker’s most successful album since his mid-'70s prime, 1991’s Navajo Rug is where the singer figured out how to be a middle-aged version of his former famously reckless self. “Navajo Rug,” “Rockin' on the River,” and “Detour” are cut out for the wood floors of Texas dancehalls, but they're geared toward listeners who'd rather go to bed at 11 p.m. than 4 a.m. In a similar fashion, the album exhibits a domestic satisfaction rarely seen in country music. Jerry Jeff met his wife, Susan, in 1972 and married her in 1987. On “Just to Celebrate,” “I’m All Through Throwing Good Love After Bad,” and “Lucky Man,” one can witness the singer’s pride in the fact that his bond has endured. Walker still loves Texas, but rather than sing of its desperados and rednecks he now pens a tribute to a more modern family-oriented hero: Nolan Ryan. True to Walker’s style, the song is both silly and sincere, reaffirming his stature as a Texas icon—a reputation that's secure even as he ages.