Customer Reviews

Country Music

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Prime Cuts: Man with the Blues, Seaman's Blues, Freight Train Boogie

Without a doubt, Willie Nelson is the singer's singer. Whilst many artists abide religiously to the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" adage for fear of being ostracized by their hardcore fans and commercial radio, Nelson is blessed with a large enough and diverse fan base that marketability is immaterial to him. Thus, this country outlaw had the liberty of cross pollinating genres over the course of his illustrious career with albums of standards ("Stardust" and "American Standards"), reggae ("Countryman"), blues ("Milk Cow Blues"), Western swing ("Willie and the Wheel"), commercial country ("Born for Trouble"), children songs ("Rainbows"), jazz ("Two Men with the Blues") and pop/rock ("Across the Great Divide"). Yet, despite the diversity of musical styles, it is Willie Nelson's signature often off beat vocals that provide the identity amongst these albums. This time round Nelson had returned back to his mother milk of music: solid old-fashioned country with lots of fiddles and pedal steel at the fore. Thanks are due to foresight of Rounder Records (a company known for keeping the traditionalism of country music alive) of signing Nelson to its roaster. And also kudos are appropriate to producer T Bone Bennett who has genes so embedded in the rustic side of music that everything he touches (including Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's "Raising Sand" and the soundtrack to "O Brother, Where Art Thou") have become touch stones of country music. Nelson's "Country Music" looks like its heading in such a lofty direction with a galore of awards waiting in the wings.

While the term "country music" is so fluid that few dare to even attempt to give definition to it. By entitling this disc "Country Music," the fearless Nelson tacitly defines it via these 15 tracks. For Nelson, country music is lyrically driven to tell the narratives of the human predicament. With his weathered-worn vocals with the occasional cracks, Nelson brings a sense of believability to Ernest Tubb's evergreen "Seaman's Blues." Reek with nostalgia, heartbreak and homesickness, Nelson tells this narrative ballad of a broken hearted seaman whose heart still longs for his sweetheart in Texas whilst travelling on a tanker to Italy. "Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down" clearly confronts the problem of evil head on as Nelson imbues this traditional Gospel number with a southern almost accapella starkness. With a laidback rootsy feel that calls back to mind the works of Soggy Bottom Boys is the oft-covered "I Am a Pilgrim." Though written all those years ago, Merle Travis' "Dark as the Dungeon" still resonates with a haunting ache as Nelson describes the abject cry of struggling miners on this country classic.

As the broken heart is the linchpin of the genre, Nelson really does country music proud with his entries here. Calling to mind Willie Nelson's self-composed "Mr. Record Man" "Man with the Blues" is another Nelson original with the same easy flowing melody over a rustic backing of some delightful sounding fiddles and steel guitars. The self-depreciating "Gotta Walk Alone" brings back the days of George Jones and Hank Williams Sr. Where country music allows you to feel a broken heart rather than just singing about it. Speaking of the Ol' Hank, Nelson gives Hank's "House of Gold" a reverential reading with an old fashioned haunting echo to it. Yet, not all works, Hazel Houser's "My Baby's Gone" is given a decelerated reading making the song drags on and on. While on the classic "Satisfied Mind" Nelson sounds disenchanted as if he was bored singing. And George Jones and Ray Price's "You Done Me Wrong" gets an unadventurous treatment coming across as a mandatory rather than a vital delivery. Yet not everything is laidback, "Freight Train Boogie," with its gorgeous harmonica introduction, finds Nelson back on the railway tracks of life and vitality as he rocks with a youthful charm.

Truly these 15 tracks define country music in ways that are satisfactorily poignant. Be it heartbreak or struggling miners or spirituality or the meaning of life, these tracks offer questions as well as answers that are often thought provoking, heartfelt and moving. And this, in a nutshell, is what country music is all about. Willie Nelson has not only defined country music with this new disc, but he is in many ways the embodiment of country music.

I love Willie's latest effort. My favorite track is "Pistol Packing Mama". This is a song originally done by Al Dexter. I have never heard of this song, so it is new to me. Riley Bungus does an excellent job playing the banjo here. All the musicians sound great on this disc. This song is very upbeat. "Drinking Champagne" has a very pretty tone and a romantic feel to it. This is a song originally done by Bill Mack, but Willie has the ability to make this song and so many others on this disc his own. "Man With The Blues" is a fun song that makes me feel good. "Freight Train Boogie" is an upbeat song with superb harmonica playing. Dennis Crouch provides good sound on the upright bass on the track "Nobody's Fault But Mine". "My Baby's Gone" is a song with a sad tone to it, but it sounds beautifully with Willie's vocals. "Ocean of Diamonds" is a pretty song. I love the steel guitar playing on this track. This song puts me in a good mood. "Satisfied Mind" is a comtemplative song originally done by Johnny Cash. This is the best country music I have heard in a long time. Every track sounds new and fresh.

I noted that another reviewer called the "The Real Willie", but I have to disagree. Nelson knows almost no bounds in his interest in musical styles (well, so far he hasn't tackled Opera!). Like Johnny Cash, Nelson loves all kinds of music, not that he's always adept at carrying it off. (His duets with Wynton Marsalis on their jazz CD is an example. Nelson tries but spends most of his time adding to support to Marsalis and his band on that project.). On this CD, one of my favorites - as well as the Western Swing one he did about a year ago with Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel - Nelson is in his element and his playing is upfront with the other musicians.

The fact that Willie is on Rounder - until it was recently purchased by Concord Music Group on its 40th Anniversary - one of the last of the independent labels, is testament that he knows a passionately run label when he sees it.

Nelson's choice of musicians also shows he knows where the best ones are. With Buddy Miller on nearly every track and Jim Lauderdale on backing vocals, he's supported by fine company. His voice perfectly matches the songs - both the standards like "I Am A Pilgrim" and "Dark as A Dungeon" fit nicely with the leadoff track "Man With The Blues" - a Nelson-penned piece.

Who knows what direction this "Red Headed Stranger" will take next - or even what label he'll pop up on - but I'm sure going along for the ride. So should you.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"

I love this CD. I have loved Willie Nelson for many years. He is a real country artist, although his music transcends musical boundaries. His voice is unique, and so is his guitar picking. I can always recognize his guitar playing. These selections are all beautiful and make me emotional. I have listened to it over and over this week, may 9 or 10 times so far.

This is really country at its best. Great song writing, true country vocals, and no bells and whistles--just pure, good music. Another great album by Willie Nelson. So glad he and t-bone teamed up! Voice Lessons To Go Volume 1: Vocalize and Breath

It is hard to believe that Country Music is the first collaboration between the two Texas music legends Willie Nelson and T-Bone Burnett. When I heard about the pair's working together, I couldn't wait for it to come out, and I am certainly not disappointed in what they've created. After American Classic, last year's attempt at recapturing the magic of Stardust, it was good for Willie to get back to the basics, and there is no one better at roots music than Burnett.

Nelson penned one original for Country Music - the opener "Man With The Blues", and it is the opener on the guilty pleasure of stereotypical country music. It sounds like it would fit in nicely on the O' Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack (no coincidence considering Burnett produced that too). I love the line "If you need a little shove/in foulin' up in love/Come to me/I'm the man with the blues". It also assures longtime Nelson fans that his harmonica playing sidekick Mickey Raphael is present and accounted for. The melancholy country blues sound continues on "Seaman's Blues" where "My good gal's behind me/No lovin' for so long". I also liked Nelson's take on the bluegrass classic "Ocean Of Diamonds". It continues the theme of love and loss. The blues really bottom out, however, at the midpoint of the CD on Nelson's cover of "Satisfied Mind". I wonder if he knew that his longtime friend Johnny Cash's posthumous American VI: Ain't No Grave (see my review) released only a month prior would include the same song. Nelson's version includes richer instrumentation and harmony vocals in contrast to the sparse version on Cash's CD. I like them both, but the timing on Nelson's release is not the best.

It's not all gloom; however, as "Freight Train Boogie" shows with its lighthearted playfulness. This same mood is also present on the very tongue-in-cheek "Pistol Packin' Mama" where the lyrics relate the story of a man trying to talk his way out of trouble with his woman after a night of too much drinking and partying.

However, there were a couple of low points on Country Music. I once heard highly repetitive songs referred to as 7/11 songs - seven words repeated 11 times. Unfortunately "Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down" is one such song. The combination of sparse instrumentation and repetitive lyrics make this an automatic skip. While not quite a 7/11 song, "Nobody's Fault But Mine" just didn't work for me either. I know that you may protest and say that some of the other songs are pretty repetitive too, but the difference for me was that there was some redeeming quality to the other songs. I could have done without these two.

Overall, though, there is a lot to like on Country Music. If your taste is for a country music legend's take on some classic country and bluegrass songs, look no further. The good far outweighs the bad.

Download this: Man With The Blues

In 2010, Willie Nelson released the aptly titled album "Country Music". At first glance, the album's title could be seen as either confrontational or pretentious given the state of country music today. However, if one were to dig a little deeper, they would find that the album is actually a tribute to traditional county music of yesteryear. Joining Willie on this musical excursion is producer T-Bone Burnett, who last year produced the Alison Krauss & Robert Plant duet album "Raising Sand" and a decade earlier produced the soundtrack to the George Clooney film "O Brother Where Art Thou". All of the songs are cover songs minus the lead off track "The Man With The Blues", which is a Willie Nelson original. He takes on the Hank Williams song "House Of Gold", Al Dexter's "Pistol Packin' Mama", Ernest Tubb's "Seaman's Blues" and Ray Price's "You Done Me Wrong" which was also composed by George Jones. He does a good job on covering "Satisfied Mind", but Johnny Cash did a much better version on his album "American VI: Ain't No Grave" released over a month prior. The album ends with the ballad "Nobody's Fault But Mine" in which gets a slightly different arrangement courtesy of Willie and T-Bone. This is great album from start to finish from Willie Nelson who does a great job on paying tribute to the history of country music.

despite getting along in years, Willie Nelson can still perform a great country song with his guitar and unique voice. this album goes back to the traditional country sound with steel guitars and strumming guitars and is one of his best on years. after experimenting with duets, reggae, and the new country sound on his lost records years, willie returns to his roots with what i think of as the nashville sound of artist like george strait, alan jackson and more traditional country artists. i really enjoy this album

Sounds like Willie got high (again) and in one evening cranked out 15 new cuts. Granted, the sound is pretty darn good. Country doesn't get much more authentic than this. Normally, records like this can get a little boring. The "country-throw-back" novelty has someone worn off in my opinion. But T- Bone Burnett, a true 201st century genius, gives these tunes a lot of color, ambience and unique texture. He really knows has to highlight certain instruments, create the right mood and always come up with a creative and engaging texture.

Willie sounds great, as always. Its Willie at his most relaxed. And no one relaxes better than Willie. To quote the Big Lebowski, "He's out there, takin' 'er easy for all of us". Some of the highlights for me are...

"Dark as a Dungeon"
"Satisfied Mind"
"I am a pilgrim"
"Freight Train Boogie"
"Nobody's Fault but Mine"

If you like Willie and good authentic country, you can't go wrong. Good stuff.

Make no mistake about it - Willie Nelson is a national treasure and his latest shows him at his best. You'd expect someone in his 70's to sound it, but Willie sounds just as good - if not better - than he has in years. That great, vibrant voice is just as strong as ever. Why he persists in making some of the duet albums he's been making over the past few years is anyone's guess, but I suppose when you're Willie Nelson, you can do just about anything you want. Willie is meant to be heard as Willie - not Willie and someone else! This is a Country album - not a semi-Country, semi-Pop album like some of the ones Willie's put out over the years - what you get here is pure Country, Willie Nelson style - and after hearing Willie doing some of the songs, anyone else's version pales by comparison. Only gets 4 stars (actually 4 1/2) because of the inclusion of a couple of Gospel tunes which could have been replaced with other, better tunes. Despite that - still a great album!