Willie Nelson/Ray Price/Merle Haggard - Last Of The Breed

Artist:

Haggard, Merle

UPC:

602517240179

See Also:

Carter Family (The) George Jones & Merle Haggard - Kickin` Out The Footlights Again....

Description:

Personnel: Willie Nelson (gut-string guitar); Willie Nelson (vocals); Merle Haggard, Ray Price, Vince Gill (vocals); D. Bergen White (chant); Don Potter (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason (electric guitar); Johnny Gimble (mandolin, fiddle); Elana James (fiddle); Charlie McCoy (harmonica, vibraphone); Boots Randolph (saxophone); Gordon Mote (piano); John Hobbs (Wurlitzer organ, keyboards); Eddie Bayers (drums); Kris Kristofferson (vocals); Aubrey Haynie (mandolin, fiddle); The Jordanaires (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Fred Foster; Brent Maher.
Recording information: Blue Room Studios, Nashville, TN; Soundkitchen, Franklin, TN.
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.

Track Listing:

DISC 1:

1. My Life`s Been a Pleasure
2. My Mary
3. Back to Earth
4. Heartaches by the Number
5. Mom and Dad`s Waltz
6. Some Other World
7. Why Me Lord
8. Lost Highway
9. I Love You a Thousand Ways
10. Please Don`t Leave Me Any More Darlin`
11. I Gotta Have My Baby Back

DISC 2:

1. Goin` Away Party
2. If I Ever Get Lucky
3. Sweet Memories
4. Pick Me Up on Your Way Down
5. I Love You Because
6. Sweet Jesus
7. Still Water Runs the Deepest
8. I Love You So Much It Hurts
9. That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine
10. I`ll Keep on Loving You
11. Night Watch

Album Information

Release Date:

03/20/2007

Type:

Performer

Genre:

Country

Subgenre:

Progressive Country

Label:

Lost Highway

Producer:

Fred Foster; Fred Foster

Catalog Number:

008530

Original Release Year:

2007

# of Discs:

2

Studio/Live:

Studio

Mono/Stereo:

Stereo

Guest Artist:

Kris Kristofferson; Vince Gill

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