Willie Nelson - It Always Will Be

Big Love Booty

Having recently reviewed Willie Nelson’s 2012 release Heroes and been reminded of his genuine legendary status, I’ve been listening to this 2004 album where, like 2006’s Songbird too, Nelson demonstrates his familiar ability to mix romanticism with comedy – not on the same track – so keeping the listener swayed by both the lushness of love laments and the irreverence of comic storytelling, the latter embraced on this album by both Big Booty,

She said I ain’t gonna fix you no more sausage

Biscuits and gravy on the side

You done said the wrong thing to me baby

And you can kiss big booty good-bye

and I Didn’t Come Here (And I Ain’t Leavin’),

I didn’t come here and I ain’t leavin’

I’ve been thrown into better places than this

I didn’t come here and I ain’t leavin’

If you wanna pucker up, I got just the place for you to kiss

There is a gorgeous romantic cover of Tom Wait’s Picture In A Frame, and the duet with daughter Paula Be That As It May has her in one of the best vocals I’ve heard as they both plot the dark side of being down and out. The album opens with, for me, the strongest and most Nelsonesque track It Always Will Be with accordion, pedal steel and Nelson’s nylon strumming then lead caressing with its slow and beautiful narrative,

There are some things I think about

And every time I do it breaks my heart

And there is nothing I can do

About this loneliness I feel when we’re apart

I stop and curse the darkness and the distance

And then your face I see

And when I look into your eyes I see

All the love there is inside of me

With the Wait’s track following this, the album certainly begins in a meditative mood, so be prepared for the mix of emotions the whole album will deliver with Nelson’s usual brilliance.