Band of Brothers
*Band of Brothers* is the much-anticipated follow-up to Willie Nelson’s 2013 album *To All the Girls…*, his first Top 10 set in more than three decades. *Band* features 14 new recordings, including nine brand-new songs written by Nelson himself. The remaining five tracks include Nelson’s interpretations of Vince Gill’s “Whenever You Come Around,” Billy Joe Shaver’s “Hard to Be an Outlaw” and “The Git Go” (a duet with Jamey Johnson), and Gordie Sampson and Bill Anderson’s “The Songwriters.” Producer Buddy Cannon again joins Nelson, assisting in the writing and recording. (The sessions were held at Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, with additional recording at Nelson’s Pedernales Studio in Austin, Texas, and The Hit Factory Criteria in Miami, all between October 2013 and March 2014.) Highlights include personal numbers like the deeply felt title track, the album’s first single “The Wall,” and “I’ve Got a Lot of Traveling to Do,” which, for Willie, means more business as usual for country music’s most loved and dynamic star.
Band of Brothers is Willie Nelson's first collection to feature predominantly newly penned songs in nearly 20 years, so it arrives with a great deal of expectations. Even if it doesn’t measure up to recent glories, Band of Brothers is still a showcase for what Nelson does best.
Willie Nelson has a problem. It’s not weed; it’s age. Like Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young before him—or after him, even—Nelson is running up against the burden of his own material. Simply put: He’s got too many great songs.
<p>The octogenarian outlaw's stuttering guitar and laid-back delivery remain unique and oddly touching, writes <strong>Neil Spencer</strong></p>
Fine new country music albums from Holly Williams, Red Molly, John Fullbright and Willie Nelson are among the picks of summer 2014