The fact of Willie Nelson issues a fresh record can hardly surprise anybody who knows that the nonagenarian will be willing to work on new projects while there’s a whiff of marijuana, rather than a wing and a prayer – yet the fact of the veteran outlaw dedicate a platter to his friends’ songs and pick no other than John Densmore, whose credentials have rarely been flaunted outside of his most famous ensemble’s context, is surprising, indeed. Or not so much if one takes into account the presence of THE DOORS drummer on “Particle War” from 2018, a collaborative effort between young folkstress Sunny War and PARTICLE KID, a band led by Willie’s scion Micah Nelson, the producer of his pater’s forthcoming album for which the junior Nelson co-penned a track.
The piece titled “Color Of Sound” sits closer to the end of “Last Leaf Of The Tree” that’s to be released on November 1st, prefacing a recent take on “The Ghost” which Willie originally put out back in 1962 and, apparently, another Nelson’s number – at least, there’s no one to attribute “Lookin’ For Trouble” to as of now. The rest of it was written by, and found place on records by, not only Micah and Sunny but also Tom Waits and Neil Young, the cache of each having supplied the country statesman with two songs, Beck, Keith Richards, Warren Zevon and even THE FLAMING LIPS, with just a Nina Simone perennial hailing from earlier era. Must be great.
Last Leaf Of The Tree
1. Last Leaf (Tom Waits)
2. If It Wasn’t Broken (Sunny War)
3. Lost Cause (Beck)
4. Come Ye (Nina Simone)
5. Keep Me In Your Heart (Warren Zevon)
6. Robbed Blind (Keith Richards)
7. House Where Nobody Lives (Tom Waits)
8. Are You Ready For The Country? (Neil Young)
9. Do You Realize??” (THE FLAMING LIPS)
10. Wheels (Micah Nelson)
11. Broken Arrow (Neil Young)
12. Color Of Sound
13. The Ghost
14. Lookin’ For Trouble
