Legendary country musician Willie Nelson’s new album “Band of Brothers” has been released by Legacy Recordings. Nine of the 14 tracks on this album are original songs. This recording has the most new material from Nelson since the 1996 release of “Spirit.”
The first tune on this CD is called “Bring it On” and that is just what Nelson has continued to do for more than six decades. In the title track, “Band of Brothers,” Nelson conversationally adds “and sisters and whatever” to acknowledge his all-inclusive musical family on a mission to break the rules. Willie Nelson certainly had fun writing many of these new lyrics. My personal favorite, and definitely the funniest, is “Wives and Girlfriends.” The tempo picks up as this songwriter hopes his numerous wives and girlfriends never meet.
Old fashioned country ballads with wailing harmonica, the twang of steel and periodic guitar solos with the recognizable tone of Willie’s old friend Trigger (his guitar) accompany Nelson’s casual conversation style of singing.
The natural tremolo in his voice is still going strong as he lowers his register at just the right moments in each and every song, especially on the final track “I’ve Got A Lot of Traveling To Do.”
Another stand out track on this album is Nelson’s rendition of Gordie Sampson’s “Songwriters.” It tells the story of a songwriter from an insider’s perspective. Willie Nelson is simply a great story teller and in his songs, he shares his experiences of love and trouble. Two things that we all fall into at some point. If you’re a Willie Nelson fan, you’ll certainly want to add this to your collection and even if you’re not, Willie is a legendary artist who continues to stand the test of time. This recording is one worth listening to.
