Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Willie Nelson, Sony Music 2021.
We’ve lost a lot of our musical greats over the last few years.
Some had ceased recording years beforehand like rock legend Chuck Berry and others continued to work until the end such as blues legend BB King and the wonderful and greatly missed David Bowie.
Johnny Cash’s last album revealed a man who was well aware that his time was almost up and the pathos was heightened by his faltering vocals.
Willie Nelson is one of the few of his generation that’s still alive and recording and it’s important that we appreciate him while we still have him.
This particular album sees Willie abandon his country roots and delve into the Great American Songbook.
He opens with Nice Work If You Can Get It and moves on to Just In Time and Cottage For Sale and it becomes apparent to the listener that he’s selected songs that dwell on changing lives and circumstances.
It’s not an album about aging as such but it’s hard not to think about the inevitable march of time when listening to it.
Willie is remarkable, he’s lost little of his skill as both a singer and a fine guitarist.
His beautiful guitar solo in I’ve Got You Under My Skin is a delight and makes me think of all the melodies that old, beat-up, Maton acoustic guitar he plays has churned out.
The one track that gives hints of Willie’s age is You Make Me Feel So Young where there is a touch of aged wear to the vocal. It adds an authenticity to the lyrics.
For this album Willie has recorded with a full orchestra which is befitting of the content.
Many artists have explored the unlimited possibilities to be found within the Great American Song Book including Rod Stewart who recorded a slew of discs from this material.
And lounge musicians around the world have earned a living performing these classics in cocktail lounges from Manhattan to Munich and Melbourne.
Willie Nelson’s relaxed style is perfectly suited to these songs and is probably one of the main reasons that he’s still able to perform so well at an advanced age.
