Moment Of Forever

Willie Nelson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 29, 2008)
• Original Release Date: January 29, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Lost Highway
• ASIN: B000ZK0CKI
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,530 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Over You Again

2. Moment Of Forever

3. The Bob Song

4. Louisiana

5. Gravedigger

6. Keep Me From Blowing Away

7. Takin' On Water

8. Always Now

9. I'm Alive

10. When I Was Young And Grandma Wasn't Old

11. Worry B Gone

12. You Don't Think I'm Funny Anymore

13. Gotta Serve Somebody /(Hidden Track)You Don't Think I'm Funny Anymore

Editorial Reviews

Countless Westerns have centered around the theme of a young turk coming into town to try to take down a legendary gunslinger. Well, for the past couple of decades, Willie Nelson has turned that imagery on its head, attracting countless younger artists eager to soak up some of his musical mojo and infuse the master's work with some of their own spirit.

Moment of Forever, matches Willie with Kenny Chesney. The very idea of these seemingly disparate characters coming together is intriguing enough on paper. What really counts, however, is how it works on disc -- and work it does, with Chesney's production bringing out Nelson's natural warmth and grace.

While he's written some of the most enduring tunes of the past few decades Nelson has long been considered one of the premiere song interpreters of his time, infusing a surprising array of tunes with his singular personality. This record includes a hushed, poignant version of the Kris Kristofferson-penned title track and a super-heated, album-closing version of Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody."

The songs that Nelson wrote for Moment of Forever take on many of the same topics addressed in that pair of tracks -- taking stock of a life well lived and considering the possibilities of what might lay down the road. On songs like the sweetly twanging "Always Now," Willie comes across like a man who's come to terms with most of those issues, coming to the conclusion that "there never was a used to be...it's always now."

Other highlights include Willie's take on Dave Matthews' "Gravedigger" and tracks like "Worry B Gone" -- where Willie trades verses with Chesney The easy vibe carries over to the gently celebratory "I'm Alive" -- on which Nelson marvels at life's simple pleasures.

Willie Nelson Photos

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Willie is a true gem!!, January 30, 2008

By 

Suzanne Collier "Vivisue" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Moment Of Forever (Audio CD)

If you like Willie, you are going to LOVE this latest work. Collaboration with Kenny Chesney seems to have paid off in a big way. Smooth, mellow vocals and an eclectic song selection make this one of the most enjoyable of his works in years.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars There's still much to enjoy in this assured and varied collection., April 22, 2008

By 

monte (in your mind) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moment Of Forever (Audio CD)

"Moment Of Forever" is another classic Willie collection with thirteen tracks of country songs infused with rock.

The songs are forceful and edgy, upbeat and delightful to the palate and all 'Willie Nelson'.

Songs like "Over You Again" takes you to Willie Nelson more romantic side, whereas "The Bob Song" is a playful romp with a hint of vaudeville to it, "Gravedigger" is an eerie but intense song.

However, perhaps the cheekiest track is the song "Louisiana" (the Randy Newman classic inspired by a 1927 flood that struck an eerily evocative chord in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina) about the recent problems of that state and how the president flew down to take a look with 'a fat guy and his notepad', assessing the situation in as unaffected manner as only a politician could muster.

Willie Nelson managed to pulled off a hit, with Toby Keith in 2002, with a track called "Beer For My Horses" on Toby Keith's album.

Chesney, who shares lead vocals on the amusing booze homage, "Worry B Gone", provides an ear-pleasing, accessible, yet not overly slick sound stage for Nelson's strong, resonant vocals.

The American music legend, who turns 75 this year, sounds like he still has something to prove and, with this effort, he succeeds : he hasn't sounded this committed in years and his distinctive renditions of Dave Matthews' "Gravedigger" and Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody" are as revelatory as the work Johnny Cash was doing with producer Rick Rubin up to the time he died.

Produced by Kenny Chesney and Buddy Cannon, the album works so well because the music accommodates Nelson's vocal rather than distracting from it.

Living a full life as Willie Nelson is doing has afforded him some exceptional talent collaborating with him on "Moment Of Forever".

"I'm Alive" is a great tribute song to his own life, and how grateful he is, as Willie puts it, for being "alive and well".

Being one of the two Highwaymen left, Willie Nelson has remained a storyteller, a charismatic singer and "Moment Of Forever" stands just as formidable an album beside any of Willie Nelson's other previous works.

The album finds Willie Nelson in his element, singing quality material with absolute conviction. His distinctive ability to interpret a song that, in turn, gives voice to others, remains his greatest contribution to music

"...This is Nelson's finest recording since 1993's similarly rich Across the Borderline.

The star and his label would do well to treat this like an event record. It's that good. Don't let it go ignored.

Like "Across The Borderline", "Moment of Forever" finds Nelson mixing stronger than usual originals with inspired covers of Kris Kristofferson, Dave Matthews, Randy Newman and Bob Dylan. There isn't a dud, but some of the new compositions stand out"...Miami Herald.

The country-blues "Over You Again", written with sons Lukas and Micah Nelson, recalls U2's ringing guitar style. "Always Now" embraces a certain emotional vulnerability that makes him seem ironically resilient. The reflective ballad "Always Now" could only come from an artist of Nelson's age and experience.

Highlights :"The Bob Song", "Gravedigger" and "Over You Again".

Across the Borderline

Unleashed

29 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some covers work, others don't, January 29, 2008

By 

William Merrill "eclecticist" (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Moment Of Forever (Audio CD)

(3 & 1/2 stars) Willie Nelson has been SO very prolific, it's just an incredible thing. Perhaps the most amazing aspect of his heavy output of music is that the quality of his albums is generally quite good. So along comes this latest one, a collaborative effort with country star Kenny Chesney. (Mr. Chesney co-produced, wrote or co-wrote a couple of the songs, sings a duet on another, etc.) At its best, Moment of Forever can be compelling. It happens on the title track, an underappreciated Kristofferson gem, and "Keep Me From Blowing Away" with its true classic-country feel, and even on some of the original songs Willie contributed, such as "You Don't Think I'm Funny Anymore." The energy and strength of those songs made me want to hear them live. But the CD is mostly a covers album (as with essentially all of Nelson's hundred or so records!), and the covers are sometimes pretty mediocre. A tame version of Dave Matthews' "Gravedigger" pales by comparison to the original, as does Nelson's take on Randy Newman's "Louisiana." (For a better version of the song, try just about any recording from the post-Katrina benefits, especially Aaron Neville's.) The Bob Dylan tune, "Serve Somebody," has a few flashes of glory, particularly Kenny Greenberg's electric guitar solo, but still draws unfavorable comparisons to the original song. Nelson has always been able to personalize the songs he chooses by others, giving them his own unique and often fun spins. But on Moment of Forever, it's a scattershot affair.