Last of the Breed [Bonus Tracks]

Performer: Willie Nelson
Artist: Kris Kristofferson; Vince Gill
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: LAST OF THE BREED partners Willie Nelson with two other legends of maverick country, Merle Haggard and Ray Price. With a collection of talent this archetypal, the title sounds less like a boast and more like a statement of fact. Price is an old-school country gentlemen hip enough to hang with the Outlaws, while Haggard and Nelson are probably the only pot-smoking hippies universally accepted by the red states. LAST OF THE BREED is an easy-on-the-ears honky-tonk shuffle of a record. The trio ambles through many of the classics that made them famous and, surprisingly, the weather of age suits them well--particularly Price, always the best singer of the bunch, whose robust tenor has lost a step or two over the years. The lack of power gives frail yet touching readings to, among others, his own "Heartaches By The Number," and Hank Williams's classic "Lost Highway." The latter song features the angelic Jordanaires, and is probably the least ravaged and thereby most tragic version of this oft-covered song. The listener is led to think: If these guys can get lost, then we're all in trouble. Not to be outdone by Price, Haggard brings the only new original composition to this session, the easily mournful "If I Ever Get Lucky," while ol' Willie offers his gingerly jazzy vocal phrasing and light picking touch, which hasn't sounded this assured with frontier music since THE RED-HEADED STRANGER. The title Last of the Breed speaks with a defiance that, for the most part, the music on this album does not, and that's just as it should be -- while Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price are indeed among the last functioning practitioners of pure, unadulterated Western swing, honky tonk, or countrypolitan blues in the classic manner, on this album they seem less concerned with fighting the changing face of country music than with playing this music with the easy confidence and quiet conviction that's been the hallmark of their respective careers. For the most part, Last of the Breed finds these three friends and occasional collaborators working through a set of old-school country classics (Haggard is the only member of the trio to bring any original material to the sessions, and delivers one of the album's best performances on his new song "If I Ever Get Lucky"), and they treat chestnuts like "Heartaches by the Number," "I Love You Because," "That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine," and "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down" with both strength and familiarity -- these guys could probably sing these numbers in their sleep after all these years, but they also approach them like pros, realizing these old standards gained their status as classics because they endure and people love them, and they give them the respect and care that they deserve. Haggard is in fine voice on this set, and Nelson sounds good though his phrasing occasionally lags behind the melodies a shade more than is comfortable. As for Price, time has added a slight wobble to his instrument, once one of the most impressive in country music, but he still projects a dignity and commendable emotional warmth, and when he joins voices with his pals Willie and Merle, it's a stirring reminder of just how much these artists still have to offer. Legendary producer Fred Foster supervised these sessions, with a band of seasoned Nashville veterans backing the singers (and the Jordanaires adding harmonies on several numbers), and at its best Last of the Breed really sounds the way these things did in the old days, and Nelson, Haggard, and Price achieve something more than nostalgia -- they offer a stirring reminder of the strength of this music when country music spoke to something deeper than just a marketing demographic. ~ Mark Deming The title Last of the Breed speaks with a defiance that, for the most part, the music on this album does not, and that's just as it should be -- while Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price are indeed among the last functioning practitioners of pure, unadulterated Western swing, honky tonk, or countrypolitan blues in the classic manner, on this album they seem less concerned with fighting the changing face of country music than with playing this music with the easy confidence and quiet conviction that's been the hallmark of their respective careers. For the most part, Last of the Breed finds these three friends and occasional collaborators working through a set of old-school country classics (Haggard is the only member of the trio to bring any original material to the sessions, and delivers one of the album's best performances on his new song "If I Ever Get Lucky"), and they treat chestnuts like "Heartaches by the Number," "I Love You Because," "That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine," and "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down" with both strength and familiarity -- these guys could probably sing these numbers in their sleep after all these years, but they also approach them like pros, realizing these old standards gained their status as classics because they endure and people love them, and they give them the respect and care that they deserve. Haggard is in fine voice on this set, and Nelson sounds good though his phrasing occasionally lags behind the melodies a shade more than is comfortable. As for Price, time has added a slight wobble to his instrument, once one of the most impressive in country music, but he still projects a dignity and commendable emotional warmth, and when he joins voices with his pals Willie and Merle, it's a stirring reminder of just how much these artists still have to offer. Legendary producer Fred Foster supervised these sessions, with a band of seasoned Nashville veterans backing the singers (and the Jordanaires adding harmonies on several numbers), and at its best Last of the Breed really sounds the way these things did in the old days, and Nelson, Haggard, and Price achieve something more than nostalgia -- they offer a stirring reminder of the strength of this music when country music spoke to something deeper than just a marketing demographic. ~ Mark Deming

Rolling Stone (p.114) - Included in Rolling Stone's "50 Top Albums of the Year 2007" -- "Country music with none of the modern trimmings....But it is big and rich in every other way." Entertainment Weekly (p.75) - "[T]his veritable Mount Rushmore mostly revisits forgotten country classics, making this a particularly tasty hall-of-famer hookup." -- Grade: B+ Dirty Linen (p.49) - "Together, there's a certain fraternal bond and tight-knit chemistry that allows each artist enough space to shine individually as well as to collaborate freely as egoless peers."

Willie Nelson began working in a conventional Nashville style and had great success as the songwriter of Faron Young's hit "Hello Walls" and others, but he was initially unable to make it as a performer. In the 1970s, he and Waylon Jennings made history with their outlaw country sound and image, growing their hair long and utilizing a raw, rock-influenced sound that endeared them to millions of country fans and rockers alike. Subsequently, Nelson ventured into Sinatra territory with STARDUST, an album of standards that became a huge success and established him as a singer who transcended genre boundaries. Throughout the '80s, '90s, and into the 21st century, he crossed over into pop and back again continually, even releasing an album of reggae covers, working with artists as diverse as Julio Iglesias and Ryan Adams.

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