Outlaw is the fourteenth studio album

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 by American country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 artist, Mark Chesnutt

Mark Chesnutt

Mark Nelson Chesnutt is an American country music singer. Chesnutt recorded and released his first album, Doing My Country Thing, in the late-1980s on private independent record label, Axbar Records, with the vinyl album version now a collector's item...

. It was released on June 22, 2010, via Saguaro Road Records.

Background

Outlaw, unlike Chesnutt's previous work, is compiled of re-recordings of some 'Outlaw Classics'. Covers included material from, Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe Shaver is a Texas country music singer and songwriter. Shaver's 1973 album Old Five and Dimers Like Me is a classic in the outlaw country genre.-Biography:...

, Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson

Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...

, Kris Kristofferson

Kris Kristofferson

Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...

 and Waylon Jennings

Waylon Jennings

Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...

. When approached to record this record Chesnutt liked the idea, and responded by saying “When I was first approached to record this CD, my reaction wasn’t just ‘yes,’ but ‘hell, yeah. I cut my teeth on this kind of music, and it’s an opportunity [that might not have otherwise presented itself] for me to pay tribute to some of my biggest heroes in country music.” Producer Pete Anderson commended Chesnutt on the work he did with the record by saying “Mark Chesnutt put on a vocal display like I’ve never before seen in the studio. He stood in front of the mic and sang the whole record, from beginning to end, flawlessly [and in less than three hours]. We are all amazed at the results. There may be singers out there as good as Mark, but there are none better and, at this point in my career, I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with this caliber of talent.”

Track listing

Chart performance

Chart (2010)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	42