Willie To Release Long Awaited Reggae Album

Jahfin · Post by **Jahfin** » May 12, 2005 11:47 am

From Billboard.com:
http://tinylink.com/?mt8DcpVg7o

Willie Readies Reggae Riddims

Nearly a decade after hatching the idea for a country album that infuses reggae, Willie Nelson's "Countryman" will see release this summer by Lost Highway. The album finds the outlaw country icon covering Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come" and dueting with Toots Hibbert on the Johnny Cash/June Carter Cash composition "I'm a Worried Man."

The project was originally conceived with Island Records founder Chris Blackwell when Nelson joined the label's roster in 1995. Basic tracks were recorded with producer Don Was over the next few years, but Blackwell's exit from the label and a series of sales and mergers involving its parent companies put the album in limbo.

"Countryman" was revived by Nelson and Luke Lewis, whose Lost Highway label is part of the Island Def Jam family and home to Nelson's most recent works. Producer Richard Feldman (Toots & the Maytals, No Doubt, Wailing Souls) was brought in last year to finish the album, which will be released Aug. 2.

Nelson also covers "Sitting in Limbo," a song that appeared on the soundtrack to Cliff's film "The Harder They Come," and fills out the set with reggae versions of seven self-penned songs (including "Something To Think About" and "Darkness on the Face of the Earth") plus songs co-written with Ray Price ("I've Just Destroyed the World") and Hank Cochran ("Undo the Right").

As previously reported, Nelson will be joining Bob Dylan for the second summer in a row to tour minor league baseball parks. The run kicks off May 25 in Fort Myers, Fla., and Dylan will also join Nelson at his annual 4th of July Picnic event, which will return this year to the Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas.

Here is the "Countryman" track list:

"Something To Think About"
"How Long Is Forever"
"I'm a Worried Man" with Toots Hibbert
"The Harder They Come"
"I'll Still Be Thinking of You"
"Sitting in Limbo"
"Darkness on the Face of the Earth"
"One in a Row"
"I've Just Destroyed the World"
"You Left a Long, Long Time Ago"
"I Guess I've Come To Live Here"
"Undo the Right"

-- Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.

sonofabeach · Post by **sonofabeach** » May 13, 2005 7:02 pm

First Sinead O' Conner goes reggae and now Willie "I'll record with anybody" Nelson!!!

Just kidding. I'm actually looking forward to it.

Jahfin · Post by **Jahfin** » May 14, 2005 2:29 pm

I've looking forward to it for a while myself. In the meantime, if you wanna hear a little taste of Willie gone reggae I highly recommend checking out the version of "Still Is Still Moving To Me" that he cut with Toots Hibbert for Toots' True Love album from last year.

Pirate Lookin' at 40 · Post by **Pirate Lookin' at 40** » May 15, 2005 12:39 am

My guess is that Merle Haggard would never do anything like this. Enough said.

jbfinscj · Post by **jbfinscj** » May 15, 2005 11:27 am

Pirate Lookin' at 40 wrote:My guess is that Merle Haggard would never do anything like this. Enough said.

Yeah, but didn't he just release an album of standards. Remember Willie's album Stardust. I think Merle would look good with dreds and saying ya man.

Merle Haggard the reggae album, now I would buy that.

Jahfin · Post by **Jahfin** » May 15, 2005 2:25 pm

I don't believe there's anything the matter with Willie doing a reggae album. Listen to a song like Bob Marley's "Concrete Jungle" (especially the opening bassline) and I think you'll hear a strong connection between reggae and country. This won't be a pseudo-reggae record like the crap the Bellamy Brothers put out but will be the real deal, particularly since the original Wailers are taking part in the recording of the album. Willie has recorded with everyone from Ray Price to Ray Charles to the Supersuckers and Steven Tyler so if there's anyone that can pull it off, Willie can. To my ears, he knows no genre and excels at nearly every experiment such as this that he tries. Merle's great and a wonderful performer but he's never really been known as an artist such as Willie, Ray Charles, Neil Young or Steve Earle that are quite adept at several different kinds of music.

tdparrothead · Post by **tdparrothead** » May 15, 2005 5:35 pm

THis should be an interesting album. I'll probably wind up getting it.

Jahfin · Post by **Jahfin** » May 19, 2005 1:40 pm

Just got this from the folks at Lost Highway:

Willie Nelson Countryman
www.williecountryman.com

- Willie's first-ever reggae album. Countryman, featuring country classics and reggae standards including:

”The Harder They Come”, ”Sitting In Limbo” & the Johnny Cash rarity “I’m A Worried Man” with Toots Hibbert. In stores this summer.

- Willie will be on tour with Bob Dylan throughout the summer, click here for dates.

- Willie will be in Jamaica next week filming 2 new videos for the Countryman release. More information to come.

- Willie's iTunes Originals Session will be available 6/14 featuring an interview about his recording career, several Willie classics and 2 new tracks including a rare cover of the Ned Sublette song "Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other". A studio version of this song will also appear on a forthcoming Willie release. All songs are with a stripped down version of the family band. iTunes downloadable cover will also be available for this release.

- Songs For Tsunami Relief CD & DVD in stores now. For more information, visit Texas Roadhouse: http://www.texasroadhouse.com/tsunami_relief.php

DeactiveCarib · Post by **DeactiveCarib** » May 19, 2005 4:43 pm

this should be a really cool album, im looking forward to buying this one. It's new and different so i bet it will be much better than the rest of the mediocre stuff Willie has put out in recent years . . . new things excite me!

Jahfin · Post by **Jahfin** » May 19, 2005 4:49 pm

I've actually thought some of Willie's newer material (with the exception of that "Beer For My Horses" song) was on the upswing, particularly Teatro.

DeactiveCarib · Post by **DeactiveCarib** » May 19, 2005 5:05 pm

Jahfin wrote:I've actually thought some of Willie's newer material (with the exception of that "Beer For My Horses" song) was on the upswing, particularly Teatro.

Beer For My Horses was good the first time i heard it, but then i got so sick of it after about a week. I though "It Will Always Be" was mediocre, and i thought that "The Great Divide" was mediocre other than "Maria Shut Up & Kiss Me", but i never heard "Teatro" so i cant say for that.

ph4ever · Post by **ph4ever** » May 19, 2005 5:09 pm

I love the cover for the new CD- it's so.........so..........Willie

Jahfin · Post by **Jahfin** » May 19, 2005 5:13 pm

Anyone that's been around as long as Willie and puts out as many albums as he does is gonna release a stinker here or there so I think his track record's pretty good. My biggest gripe with him is how often he records the same songs over and over again. Oh, and another of his better newer albums is called Me and The Drummer he cut a few years back with The Offenders that was released on an independent label.

ph4ever · Post by **ph4ever** » May 19, 2005 5:16 pm

Jahfin wrote:Anyone that's been around as long as Willie and puts out as many albums as he does is gonna release a stinker here or there so I think his track record's pretty good. My biggest gripe with him is how often he records the same songs over and over again. Oh, and another of his better newer albums is called Me and The Drummer he cut a few years back with The Offenders that was released on an independent label.

ok maybe I'm reading this wrong so let me ask. You don't like the fat that Me and The Drummer was released on an independent label? And if so why?

Jahfin · Post by **Jahfin** » May 19, 2005 5:27 pm

ph4ever wrote:
Jahfin wrote:Anyone that's been around as long as Willie and puts out as many albums as he does is gonna release a stinker here or there so I think his track record's pretty good. My biggest gripe with him is how often he records the same songs over and over again. Oh, and another of his better newer albums is called Me and The Drummer he cut a few years back with The Offenders that was released on an independent label.

ok maybe I'm reading this wrong so let me ask. You don't like the fat that Me and The Drummer was released on an independent label? And if so why?

You're reading it wrong. I've re-read it several times myself and don't really see where you got that from. I think it's great that he still releases stuff on the side like that.

ph4ever · Post by **ph4ever** » May 19, 2005 5:32 pm

Jahfin wrote:
ph4ever wrote:
Jahfin wrote:Anyone that's been around as long as Willie and puts out as many albums as he does is gonna release a stinker here or there so I think his track record's pretty good. My biggest gripe with him is how often he records the same songs over and over again. Oh, and another of his better newer albums is called Me and The Drummer he cut a few years back with The Offenders that was released on an independent label.

ok maybe I'm reading this wrong so let me ask. You don't like the fat that Me and The Drummer was released on an independent label? And if so why?
You're reading it wrong. I've re-read it several times myself and don't really see where you got that from. I think it's great that he still releases stuff on the side like that.

Probably the cold medicine I'm taking

shecrab · Post by **shecrab** » May 20, 2005 7:48 am

IMHO, Willie can do no wrong.

Jahfin · Post by **Jahfin** » May 20, 2005 10:07 am

shecrab wrote:IMHO, Willie can do no wrong.

Even "To All The Girls I Loved Before?"

tdparrothead · Post by **tdparrothead** » May 20, 2005 11:28 am

I hope this doesn't end up like Pat Boone's In a Metal Mood: No More Mister Nice-Guy.

Jahfin · Post by **Jahfin** » May 20, 2005 12:35 pm

tdparrothead wrote:I hope this doesn't end up like Pat Boone's In a Metal Mood: No More Mister Nice-Guy.

I don't think so, at least going by the reggae version of "Still Is Still Moving To Me" that I've heard. Also, I think folks will be amazed at just how much country and reggae have in common musically and lyrically.