Customer Reviews

Last Of The Breed

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

With close to 100 years of performing under their collective belt buckles, country music legends Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and Ray Price have certainly earned the right to enjoy a quiet life of retirement.

Turning 70 on April 6, Haggard is the youngster. Willie will celebrate his 74th on April 30. Price is the elder statesman, having hit mile marker 81 in January.

Rather than easing into their twilight years, however, the three superstars just wrapped up a whirlwind tour, covering 15 cities in 17 days, and releasing their new 2-CD set, "The Last of the Breed."

Write it down. This CD will rake in a trophy case full of honors. There's not a bad cut out of the 22 classics that made it onto the set list, although some may be disappointed by the omission of hits like "Night Life," "For the Good Times," "Pancho and Lefty," and "Okie from Muskogee."

There are some real gems on the new CD. "Heartaches by the Number," the Mickey Newbury song that became one of Price's first hits in 1959, features smooth supporting vocals by Vince Gill.

Haggard and Nelson's poignant cover of Lefty Frizzell's "Mom and Dad Waltz" is haunting and will make you stop whatever you're doing to listen and remember those who have gone on.

Price and Nelson tip their hat to Hank, Sr. covering "Lost Highway," Williams' hit written in 1948 by Leon Payne. Price and Nelson seem most comfortable together and just when you think it can't get any better, the Jordanaires, Elvis' beloved backup singers, chime in with pitch-perfect harmonies. Goose bump time, for sure.

There's a touch of jazzy blues in "I Gotta Have My Baby Back," with each musical master taking a phrase or two. The cover of Floyd Tillman's tune is one of the nicest little surprises, tucked in at the conclusion of disc one.

If there was any doubt about Price's staying power as a pure singer, his work on this cut puts it to rest. He's smooth, suave and the king of cool. Nothing against Merle and Willie, but the years of hard-living show up in each note they sing. Price must have gone to bed early during his years on the road, because his pipes are still strong and silky.

Cindy Walker's song "Going Away Party," originally recorded by Bob Wills, is enjoying a recent revival. These men owe a lot to Wills, the King of Western Swing, and the prolific Ms. Walker, who died last year in her hometown on Mexia. Willie released a CD called "You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker" last year.

This cut is a great way to honor two of country music's most influential artists. Having Johnny Gimble's fiddle and the Jordanaires' backup makes the cut sheer perfection. Walker and Wills would be proud.

"Why Me," the 1972 Kris Kristofferson song, is a tour de force. Willie and Merle delivery is captivating. Kristofferson makes a brief appearance, too. Listening to these men sing, knowing their much-publicized histories of wine, women and more than a few brushes with the law, just deepens the heart and soul of the melody. It's a haunting moment not soon forgotten.

"The Last of the Breed" will go down in the history books as one of the best collections ever to have been laid down in a recording studio. It will clean up at the Grammys and will take all comers at the Country Music Association's big annual awards bash. Write it down.

Enjoy!

I was put off at first when I listened to this album. It didn't sound new, it didn't sound outstanding. I would expect an album featuring Willie Nelson, Ray Price, and Merle Haggard to be something extraordinary, something spectacular.

And then I slapped myself and came to my senses. This album IS spectacular. Why? Because it's nothing new. Instead of trying to breathe new life into these classic songs, this trio (can I make a Holy Trinity comparrison without offending anyone?) lets the songs rejuvinate themselves. Thus, while showing their own immense talents, they also show the power of a good country song.

Willie is the obvious anchor here (he appears on all tracks but two), but the three legends work well together, and obviously enjoy doing something life this. Special guest Vince Gill adds his beautiful harmonies to the standard "Heartaches By the Number," while Kris Kristofferson's duet with Willie and Ray on his own "Why Me" is possibly the vocal event of the year (seeing Kristofferson reunited with producer Fred Foster after all these years is a delight in and of itself). The rest of the songs get carried on their own weight--the three guys simply sing 'em, and let the songs be themselves. Which, on a classic country album, is exactly how it should be. Foster's production is perfect as always; the songs sound real, organic, and COUNTRY. This is an album that will probably go overlooked by the pop-country fans of today...but those of us who know what country music really is will appreciate this effort by three men who are, unfortunately, the last of their breed.

This may be the Holy Grail of classic country recordings. Three legends in Ray Price, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. Twenty-two selections containing some of the greatest country songs ever written, although not necessarily the biggest hits of Willie, Ray or Merle (except a cover of Ray's "Heartaches by the Numbers"). On eleven (11) of the tracks all three artists appear. Ray and Merle each have a solo (Ray's with Vince Gill assisting), and the rest feature two of the three (with Kris Kristofferson assisting on "Why Me"). The backing band consists of top current session men and some legends who played in the bands of the legends such as Buddy Emmons and Johnny Gimble. Plus the legendary Jordanaires can be heard on several tracks

Here's a partial list of the songs and who made them famous:

My Life's Been a Pleasure - Bob Wills
Mom and Dad's Waltz - Lefty Frizzell, John Anderson
Why Me - Kris Kristofferson
Lost Highway - Hank Williams
I Love You a Thousand Ways - Lefty Frizzell
I Gotta Have My Baby Back - Floyd Tillman
Sweet Memories - Don Gibson & Dottie West, Willie Nelson
Pick Me Up On Your Way Down - Charlie Walker
I Love You Because - Leon Payne, Ernest Tubb
I Love You So Much It Hurts - Floyd Tillman
That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine - Gene Autry
Still Water Runs The Deepest - Bob Wills

Ray Price has had the lowest profile of the three over the last ten or so years, but even at 81 years of age, he is one of the most effective singers on the planet. It is no knock on either Willie or Merle to say that neither is in Ray Price's league as a pure singer - no one else is either. Maybe this CD will sell well enough to introduce a new generation to the music of Ray Price. If so, it will have done everyone a big favor.

To summarize: Buy It!

It's amazing. Ray Price is 81 years old and still sounds great. Willie and Merle are not that far behind but they still sound awesome.

The one slight disappointment I had was that I was hoping for a little more *oomph* to this album. I was lucky to catch this troup in concert recently. They played several 'rowdy' songs. This album is a little softer than their tour. I was expecting a few more 'I think I'll just stay here and drink' type songs. This is the only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5- there's nothing wrong this album, it's just not 100% what I was hoping for. I also wish Willie would have included the tour's closing song, Superman.
Folks who are primarily fans of new country (Rascall Flatts, Carrie Underwood, etc) might not enjoy this album as much so I recommend you sample it before you buy. But folks who listen to Willie's Place on XM or The Roadhouse on Sirius, will really enjoy this double serving of authentic country.

I love this CD without any reservations.
These boys became men.
Ray, Willie and Merle are now seasoned and sing with feeling and love and humor and guts and wisdom...

The world owes this idea to Willie, who apparently called up Merle and said "we need to record with Ray and make him some money"! Good thing, because Ray (in particular) needed to be heard by a generation of fans who are likely not familiar with his music. The quality of his voice on these recordings is amazing for an 81 year old man. I'm usually not a fan of having three or more artists trying to sing together, but (for the most part) they did a good job with song distribution, not all trying to sing on every song. I was disappointed that they didn't use a little more imagination in selecting the songs for this project (for instance, three of these songs were on "Pancho and Lefty" and there's only a handful of songs on here that these guys haven't recorded in one form or another over the years). As good as the performances are, too many of these songs are overly familiar to a long time country fan. I'm sure part of the reason is due to time constraints, as the vocals were cut in two days. As good as Ray sounds, Merle and Willie are a bit more erratic. Hag doesn't sound quite as good as he has on other recent projects, at times sounding like he needed to clear his throat. Willie is always a good duet partner, as he is always such a contrast to the other singers, but Ray and Merle aren't an ideal pairing (and only duet once on "Sweet Jesus" - with Hag's part a narration). That being said, there are some excellent performances in this set. I really like Hag's "If I ever get lucky", a good new original song. Also, the version of "Settle back to earth" is a nice duet with Willie and Merle. "Sweet memories" and "I gotta have my baby back" (with a terrific appearance by Boots Randolph on sax) are terrific, with all three singers trading verses (Maybe the best versions I've heard of these two classic songs). I had never heard "Night watch" before this, and it's a really nice duet with Ray and Willie. The musicianship and production are first class (with some of the greatest studio musicians in country music history, such as Charlie McCoy, Buddy Emmons, and Johnny Gimble), and at times contrasts with the looseness (and fist-take feel) of the singing.

Overall, this is a really nice, laid back set of classic country. With a little more imagination in song selection, and a couple of more takes to get the vocals better on a few tracks - this could have been a great one. On the other hand, the fact that they did two CD's worth makes up for it, and paired down to the best 12 songs or so, it's a heluva statement by three of the greatest artists in the history of American music.

You have to at least appreciate Lone Ranger on radio to fully appreciate Ray Price. While I don't claim to be a long-standing fan, I recently saw the boys in concert and for what amounts to being an old guy, he still packs a whale of a voice. Willie is well, Willie, and what more needs said? Last of the Breed

This cd set is only lacking about 5 or 6 more cd's from this group of country's greatest artists. The Last Of The Breed accurately describes these oustanding songs and these three performers who represent everything that country music is missing today. No mistake about it, there will probably never again be such talented singer-songwriters as Haggard and Nelson. Their artistry has never been plasticized by the over use of mixers, tuners, and store-bought songs.

Yeah, they can't hold the notes as long as they once could, but they still hit the notes and reach down deep inside of you and bring the songs to life. Merle, Willie and Ray, the best of the best. This album doesn't have a bad selection on it. Two of the best cuts are country gospel, "Night Watch" and "Sweet Jesus." Even if you haven't been in a church in years these good ol' boys will make you feel like Sunday morning in the south. In the same vein, Kris Kristofferson joins the boys on "Why Me" and these troubadors sing it like they mean it. When you purchase this CD burn a copy right away, you'll play it so often you might wear out the original!
My wife and I were fortunate enough to see Ray, Willie and Merle in one of the 15 cities on the "Last of the Breed Tour" over Labor Day weekend, it was truly a special event. Don't know about Merle and Willie but Ray proudly stated that he is 81 years old and has no intention of slowing down.
If you like traditional country music this CD is a must have, buy it, you won't be sorry.

Willie Nelson's contributions on this CD convinced me to buy it, 'cause, frankly folks, I'm not much of a "country" fan (EXCEPT for Willie's stuff).

But the voices on these guys! Mellow, flowing, convincing, and hitting all the right harmonies, at all the right times.

I've heard Haggard and Price in the past of course (radio), but never purchased anything of theirs until this CD w/Nelson. Glad I did!

Disc one has the GREAT "Some Other World" (which I seem to be addicted to playing), and Disc 2 has "That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine" and also "Sweet Memories" (these two are the pick of the crop for me). Ah, the sound!

Go ahead and give this CD a try. Even if, like me, you're not the biggest fan of pure country, you'll find these guys have voices that'll convince you to listen long, stay awhile, and maybe even search out some of their older work.