Showing posts with label Willie Nelson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Willie Nelson. Show all posts

10/12/2019

Country Review: Willie Nelson-Ride Me Back Home

Release Date:  June 21, 2019
Label:  Legacy Recordings
Website 
When Willie Nelson sings, people listen. Throughout his storied 60-year career, The Redheaded Stranger has become a genre unto himself. His mastery lies in the poetic, heartfelt expressions of romance, loneliness, and the exploits of an outlaw’s life on the road.

Willie’s 69th studio album Ride Me Back Home thematically does not wander far from home. Yet there are echoes of melancholy, remorse, and gravity, which force the listener to sit up and take notice. In late-stage releases from Bob Dylan (Tempest), Johnny Cash (American series), and Leonard Cohen (You Want It Darker), one hears underlying themes of the wrath of time, the futility of existence and death. These undercurrents serve as haunting reminders of what is to come and serve a warning for all to live every moment as if it were your last. In Willie Nelson’s inimitable style, Ride Me Back Home follows suit.

The title track is classic country fare serving a double-metaphor signifying a returning to his roots and a longing for a time when the world was a bigger place. “Come on Time” follows by pleading with the powers that be to give him more, and an acceptance that in the battle of Willie vs. Time, Time will ultimately prevail.

Willie’s cover of Guy Clark’s “My Favorite Picture of You” is a standout track. Heartbreaking lyrics layered on soft and subtle country chords is Willie at his finest. Reminiscent of his 1998 masterpiece, Teatro, the spacing between the lyrics and notes in this song is used to dramatic effect, proving what is left out can be as important as what is put in. “Just a moment in time that you can’t have back. You never left, but your bags were packed.”

Willie’s commonsensical wit is at the forefront of the upbeat “Seven Year Itch,” and “Hard to be Humble” while “Nobody’s Listening” and “Maybe I Should Have Been Listening” ride a rueful tone of sadness and remorse.

The sole misfire on the album is “Just the Way You Are,” a compulsory cover of the Billy Joel classic. The iconic Hammond organ sounds of the original do not port well to Willie’s country guitar jangling. When Willie sings, “I said I love you.” I couldn’t help envision him shouting this to his wife because she couldn’t hear him the first time. 

In Ride Me Back Home, Willie Nelson packages a set of covers, retreads, and new material co-written with Buddy Cannon to form a dark, yet delightful whole. As the last part of a trilogy beginning with 2017’s God’s Problem Child and 2018’s Last Man Standing, Ride Me Back Home is ironic as well. After being on the road so long, it is hard to imagine Willie ever turning back.

Key Tracks Include: “Ride Me Back Home”, “My Favorite Picture of You”, “Seven Year Itch”, “Nobody’s Listening”

Tom Endyke-MuzikMan.net Staff
October 9, 2019

Reviews Provided By:

Tracks:
01. Ride Me Back Home
02. Come on Time
03. My Favorite Picture of You
04. Seven Year Itch
05. Immigrant Eyes
06. Stay Away from Lonely Places
07. Just the Way You Are
08. One More Song to Write
09. Nobody’s Listening
10. It’s Hard to Be Humble

 

5/07/2018

Country-Blues Review: Willie Nelson -Last Man Standing

Release Date: April 27, 2018
Label: Legacy

Willie Nelson is a National Treasure. He just keeps keepin’ on like very few recording artists do. In fact, many of them never live as long as Willie. 85 years young and he is still going strong.

Willie’s music has really grown on me over the years and most recently really caught my ear. The latest release is a country blues fest called Last Man Standing.

His tongue in cheek and matter of fact lyrics will put a smile on your face and warm your soul. The music is superb, it’s as simple as that. I love the combination of blues and country and always have. To make an outstanding record you need polished and experienced professionals like Willie. That would also include anyone he decides to bring into his camp to record his next album. That is exactly what you can expect from Last Man Standing.

I think the amazing thing about Willie is his resiliency throughout the years and the ability to make meaningful music. Some of the tracks are quite funny, like “Bad Breath.” Willie sings “It’s better to have bad breath than none at all.” That very point-blank frankness of the lyric tickled my funny bone.

Then there are tracks on the more serious heartfelt side like “Something You Get Through.” He sure can sing a ballad. As far as I can tell the man has not lost a step in his ability to play the guitar, compose a song and deliver it in his own unique way. 

Willie’s pensive “Last Man Standing” is a matter of fact and true to life story regarding the unavoidable finality of our time here on this planet. At first, he says he doesn’t want to be the last man standing then states, “Wait a minute, maybe a do!” He has lost some lifetime buddies like Waylon and Johnny etc. (Check out The Highway Men). Even though losing a good friend is a serious matter the man still can find the humor in what life brings us. That is an essential tool he uses frequently in his lyrics.

Listen to Willie sing “Heaven Is Closed” and hell is overcrowded so I think I will just stay where I am. Again, this points to the fact that perhaps this is the reality of the world we now live in. Then the bluesy country fried “She Made My Day” is a great tune about a relationship between a man and woman. This one line says it all… “She made my day but it ruined my life.” 

Last Man Standing is Willie Nelson at his very best. This will be one the hottest selling country albums in 2018, I have no doubt.

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
May 7, 2018

Founder of:

Review Provided By MuzikMan Reviews & News

Tracks: 
01. Last Man Standing
02. Don’t Tell Noah
03. Bad Breath
04. Me And You
05. Something You Get Through
06. Ready To Roar
07. Heaven Is Closed
08. I Ain’t Got Nothin’
09. She Made My Day
10. I’ll Try To Do Better Next Time
11. Very Far To Crawl

 

7/09/2014

Country Review: Willie Nelson-Band of Brothers

Release Date: May 6, 2014
Label: Legacy Recordings

Debuting at number five on the Billboard Top 200 chart and number one on the Billboard Country chart for the first time in twenty eight years, Band of Brothers is classic Willie Nelson at his country singing best. Nine original songs out of fourteen tracks bring back what Willie is best at-his ability to write songs that reach into the grit and texture of humanity. 

From the beginning of the album with “Bring it On” you have a harmonica entwined with pedal steel and some percussion that stirs the blood. The lyrics throw a glimmer of challenge to the human condition, daring the fates to ‘bring it on.’ A rousing track, this is the perfect beginning to an album rich with imagery and emotion.

“Used to Her” is a fun and punchy number reminiscent of the faster, dance step country I grew up with. Plucky with cocky harmonica accompaniments, the vocals are well matched with the snap your heels on the dance floor and swing those hips mover of a song. Burnt bacon and bluegrass. How could you possibly go wrong with this inspiring song?

“Band of Brothers” is the title track for the album and one of my favorite pieces. The guitar playing and layers of music are woven together flawlessly. Moving into the future together, family is a bond built by love and respect. Guitar strings, harmonica and some percussive elements swirl and bob along to craft a song full to bursting with memories and life moments.

“The Git Go” has a bluesy gospel feel but is the least appealing song on the album. Lessons of life and too much in the way of politics make this one stand out from the rest of the pack. While it has some thought provoking points, it misses the artful mark the rest of the album holds.

In Willie Nelson’s long and distinguished career he has performed countless concerts and has a catalog of albums longer than my arm. His voice is smooth as butter and can turn to steel or velvet depending on his mood. His music has grown with me and seen me through my formative years. It is so wonderful to see this great artist writing original works again. If you are a Willie Nelson fan, you need to get this album. From fun and plucky to a little bit on the political side, it’s a musical experience you’re going to want in your collection.

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Bring it On, Used to Her, Band of Brothers, The Git Go

Tracks:
01. Bring It On Willie Nelson
02. Guitar in the Corner Willie Nelson
03. The Wall Willie Nelson
04. Whenever You Come Around Willie Nelson
05. Wives and Girlfriends Willie Nelson
06. I Thought I Left You Willie Nelson
07. Send Me a Picture Willie Nelson
08. Used to Her Willie Nelson
09. The Git Go Willie Nelson with Jamey Johnson
10. Band of Brothers Willie Nelson
11. Hard to Be an Outlaw Willie Nelson
12. Crazy Like Me Willie Nelson
13. The Songwriters Willie Nelson
14. I've Got a Lot of Traveling to Do

 
Dana Wright, Sr. Staff Writer

July 9, 2014

Review Provided By Write a Music Review