Sony Legacy



It seems that Willie Nelson is on a mission to record as many albums as he can in the shortest period of time. This is his fourth album in less than two years and his first since 1996 to feature new self-penned songs, with nine of the 14 tracks being co-writes with producer Buddy Cannon. One of the greatest country talents ever, Nelson remains a possessed writer and singer, so far removed from today’s formulaic 9 to 5 songwriters that he seems revolutionary. His gift for crafting intensely relatable lyrics, with that emotional complexity is a testament to his strength and honesty as a songwriter. Clever and engaging, clear and succinct, the music of BAND OF BROTHERS draws the listener in and asks you to take your coat off and stay awhile.

The title song is a typical Willie Nelson number in the mould of the classic Me And Paul. His lithe, lyrical guitar lines provide the aural linkage between such highlight tracks as the lovely, serene When You Come Around, the moody break-up of I Thought I Left You and the swinging Used To Her with its subtle lyrical humour. Chuck Cannon provides unobtrusive production, which is the best kind, and Nelson’s exquisite vocals and trusty ‘Trigger’ guitar are accompanied by Jim ‘Moose’ Brown (keyboards), Eddie Bayers (drums), Kevin ‘Swine’ Grantt (bass), Bobby Terry (guitar), Tommy White (steel guitar) and Mickey Raphael (harmonica). They create a tight, funky sound that leaves space for the songs to breathe. The most lucid tracks such as opener Bring It On, the tongue-in-cheek Wives And Girlfriends and the acoustic-guitar driven The Wall demonstrate Nelson’s ability for sharp observation of human relationships and frailties. The other element of Willie Nelson’s style is his remarkable ability as a storyteller, a trademark of the classic itinerant troubadour musician. He sums up his whole attitude to his life with album closer, I’ve Got A Lot Of Travelling To Do, showing us that even at 81 years old he’s still not ready for those old carpet slippers.

When it comes to selecting outside material he chooses the kind of songs that fit his persona such as Billy Joe Shaver’s Hard To Be An Outlaw and Bill Anderson’s The Songwriters. The latter is treated as tastefully and as delicately as if it had been written by Nelson himself; it could easily have been a left-over track from his classic RED-HEADED STRANGER. A masterful storyteller with a sparse musical tapestry, combining the happy and the sad, the heavy and the light, and creating an ongoing narrative between the artist and the listener, Willie Nelson still has much to say and with BAND OF BROTHERS is as relevant, musically, as he’s ever been.

www.willienelson.com

June 2014