RSSNaked Willie Brings in the Sunshine
Mar 17
Music Album Reviews, country music Comments Off
I have always had a soft spot for Willie Nelson, who knows his way around a tune. And dude can sing.
His voice is showcased front and center on his latest collection of tracks, Naked Willie, 17 stripped down songs that he originally performed in the 60′s. Most, like Following Me Around and The Local Memory, are just brief, two-minute drills through folk rock. But there are some surprises. The opening track Bring Me Sunshine will put a bright smile on your face. Happiness Lives Next Door, with a piano-heavy arrangement, has been transformed into a track worthy of Frank Sinatra.
Yet Nelson manages to avoid sounding like a nostalgia act despite the long years on all of these tunes. Somehow, stripped down doesn’t mean washed out, just simple. The arrangements work to great effect on tracks like When We Live Again showing the artist’s connection to these classic tunes, several of which were culled from his 1970 album Laying My Burdens Down. And just when the album almost grinds to a halt, Nelson infuses it with new life in a big way with two energetic tracks, the spiritual Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down and the closing track Laying My Burdens Down.
