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Technically, The Border is the sequel to A Beautiful Time, the 2022 album that found Willie Nelson once again ruminating upon a road long traveled. Nelson's latter-day albums with producer Buddy Cannon often concerned mortality, a quality that lends a natural gravity. That trait isn't quite absent on The Border -- Willie's 75th album, appearing after a pair of winning covers records released in the wake of A Beautiful Time -- yet it is subdued. When Nelson ponders "Once Upon a Yesterday," he's thinking of old songs and departed friends, more grateful that it happened than sad that those days are gone. Similarly, when he's wondering "How Much Does It Cost" to be free, he sounds bemused, not rueful. That levity extends through the jazzily jaunty "What If I'm Out of My Mind," joining the aforementioned tunes among the handful of Nelson/Cannon originals on the record ("Kiss Me When You're Through" is the other). Nelson cedes the weightier material to Rodney Crowell, whose "The Border" and "Many a Long and Lonesome Highway" open the respective sides of The Border, creating the impression that this album is a bit contemplative. That's not the case. Thanks to the fanciful "Hank's Guitar" and the sly shuffle "Made in Texas" -- an amiable slice of Western swing with nods to Bob Wills, Lone Star beer, and the immortal joke "You can always tell a Texan/But you can't tell him much" -- the album carries a lightness that's emphasized by its brisk running time. That might mean The Border, unlike A Beautiful Time, doesn't quite feel like a final chapter but rather a welcome coda restating Nelson's strengths with casual ease.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Allen Shamblin, Composer, Lyricist - Rodney Crowell, Composer, Lyricist - Bobby Terry, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Steel Guitar - Willie Nelson, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Lead Vocalist - Mickey Raphael, Harmonica - Jim "Moose" Brown, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer - Andrew Mendelson, Mastering Engineer - BUDDY CANNON, Producer, Background Vocal - James Mitchell, Electric Guitar - Melonie Cannon, Background Vocal - Tony Castle, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Barry Bales, Acoustic Bass - Fred Eltringham, Drums, Percussion - Mark Rothbaum, Executive Producer - Sean Badum, Assistant Engineer - Taylor Chadwick, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Freetly, Assistant Engineer - Luke Armentrout, Assistant Engineer - Joey Salit, Assistant Engineer - Adam Battershell, Assistant Engineer
(P) 2024 Sony Music Entertainment
Bobby Terry, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Steel Guitar - Willie Nelson, Composer, Lyricist, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Lead Vocalist - Mickey Raphael, Harmonica - Jim "Moose" Brown, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer - Andrew Mendelson, Mastering Engineer - BUDDY CANNON, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Background Vocal - James Mitchell, Electric Guitar - Melonie Cannon, Background Vocal - Tony Castle, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Barry Bales, Acoustic Bass - Fred Eltringham, Drums, Percussion - Mark Rothbaum, Executive Producer - Sean Badum, Assistant Engineer - Taylor Chadwick, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Freetly, Assistant Engineer - Luke Armentrout, Assistant Engineer - Joey Salit, Assistant Engineer - Adam Battershell, Assistant Engineer
(P) 2024 Sony Music Entertainment
Bobby Terry, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Steel Guitar - Willie Nelson, Composer, Lyricist, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Lead Vocalist - Mickey Raphael, Harmonica - Jim "Moose" Brown, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer - Andrew Mendelson, Mastering Engineer - BUDDY CANNON, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Background Vocal - James Mitchell, Electric Guitar - Melonie Cannon, Background Vocal - Tony Castle, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Barry Bales, Acoustic Bass - Fred Eltringham, Drums, Percussion - Mark Rothbaum, Executive Producer - Sean Badum, Assistant Engineer - Taylor Chadwick, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Freetly, Assistant Engineer - Luke Armentrout, Assistant Engineer - Joey Salit, Assistant Engineer - Adam Battershell, Assistant Engineer
(P) 2024 Sony Music Entertainment
Larry Cordle, Composer, Lyricist - Bobby Terry, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Steel Guitar - Willie Nelson, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Lead Vocalist - Mickey Raphael, Harmonica - Jim "Moose" Brown, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer - Andrew Mendelson, Mastering Engineer - BUDDY CANNON, Producer, Background Vocal - James Mitchell, Electric Guitar - Melonie Cannon, Background Vocal - Tony Castle, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Barry Bales, Acoustic Bass - Fred Eltringham, Drums, Percussion - Mark Rothbaum, Executive Producer - Erin Enderlin, Composer, Lyricist - Sean Badum, Assistant Engineer - Taylor Chadwick, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Freetly, Assistant Engineer - Luke Armentrout, Assistant Engineer - Joey Salit, Assistant Engineer - Adam Battershell, Assistant Engineer
(P) 2024 Sony Music Entertainment
Bobby Terry, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Steel Guitar - Willie Nelson, Composer, Lyricist, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Lead Vocalist - Mickey Raphael, Harmonica - Jim "Moose" Brown, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer - Andrew Mendelson, Mastering Engineer - BUDDY CANNON, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Background Vocal - James Mitchell, Electric Guitar - Melonie Cannon, Background Vocal - Tony Castle, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Barry Bales, Acoustic Bass - Fred Eltringham, Drums, Percussion - Mark Rothbaum, Executive Producer - Sean Badum, Assistant Engineer - Taylor Chadwick, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Freetly, Assistant Engineer - Luke Armentrout, Assistant Engineer - Joey Salit, Assistant Engineer - Adam Battershell, Assistant Engineer
(P) 2024 Sony Music Entertainment
Rodney Crowell, Composer, Lyricist - Bobby Terry, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Steel Guitar - Willie Nelson, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Lead Vocalist - Mickey Raphael, Harmonica - Jim "Moose" Brown, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer - Andrew Mendelson, Mastering Engineer - Will Jennings, Composer, Lyricist - BUDDY CANNON, Producer, Background Vocal - James Mitchell, Electric Guitar - Melonie Cannon, Background Vocal - Tony Castle, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Barry Bales, Acoustic Bass - Fred Eltringham, Drums, Percussion - Mark Rothbaum, Executive Producer - Sean Badum, Assistant Engineer - Taylor Chadwick, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Freetly, Assistant Engineer - Luke Armentrout, Assistant Engineer - Joey Salit, Assistant Engineer - Adam Battershell, Assistant Engineer
(P) 2024 Sony Music Entertainment
Bobby Tomberlin, Composer, Lyricist - Bobby Terry, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Steel Guitar - Willie Nelson, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Lead Vocalist - Mickey Raphael, Harmonica - Jim "Moose" Brown, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer - Andrew Mendelson, Mastering Engineer - BUDDY CANNON, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Background Vocal - James Mitchell, Electric Guitar - Melonie Cannon, Background Vocal - Tony Castle, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Barry Bales, Acoustic Bass - Fred Eltringham, Drums, Percussion - Mark Rothbaum, Executive Producer - Sean Badum, Assistant Engineer - Taylor Chadwick, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Freetly, Assistant Engineer - Luke Armentrout, Assistant Engineer - Joey Salit, Assistant Engineer - Adam Battershell, Assistant Engineer
(P) 2024 Sony Music Entertainment
Shawn Camp, Composer, Lyricist - Bobby Terry, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Steel Guitar - Willie Nelson, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Lead Vocalist - Mickey Raphael, Harmonica - Jim "Moose" Brown, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer - Andrew Mendelson, Mastering Engineer - BUDDY CANNON, Producer, Background Vocal - James Mitchell, Electric Guitar - Melonie Cannon, Background Vocal - Tony Castle, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Barry Bales, Acoustic Bass - Fred Eltringham, Drums, Percussion - Mark Rothbaum, Executive Producer - Monty Holmes, Composer, Lyricist - Sean Badum, Assistant Engineer - Taylor Chadwick, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Freetly, Assistant Engineer - Luke Armentrout, Assistant Engineer - Joey Salit, Assistant Engineer - Adam Battershell, Assistant Engineer
(P) 2024 Sony Music Entertainment
Mike Reid, Composer, Lyricist - Bobby Terry, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Steel Guitar - Willie Nelson, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Lead Vocalist - Mickey Raphael, Harmonica - Jim "Moose" Brown, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer - Andrew Mendelson, Mastering Engineer - BUDDY CANNON, Producer, Background Vocal - James Mitchell, Electric Guitar - Melonie Cannon, Background Vocal - Tony Castle, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Barry Bales, Acoustic Bass - Fred Eltringham, Drums, Percussion - Mark Rothbaum, Executive Producer - Sean Badum, Assistant Engineer - Taylor Chadwick, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Freetly, Assistant Engineer - Luke Armentrout, Assistant Engineer - Joey Salit, Assistant Engineer - Adam Battershell, Assistant Engineer
(P) 2024 Sony Music Entertainment
Bobby Terry, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Steel Guitar - Willie Nelson, Composer, Lyricist, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Lead Vocalist - Mickey Raphael, Harmonica - Jim "Moose" Brown, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer - Andrew Mendelson, Mastering Engineer - BUDDY CANNON, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Background Vocal - James Mitchell, Electric Guitar - Melonie Cannon, Background Vocal - Tony Castle, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Barry Bales, Acoustic Bass - Fred Eltringham, Drums, Percussion - Mark Rothbaum, Executive Producer - Sean Badum, Assistant Engineer - Taylor Chadwick, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Freetly, Assistant Engineer - Luke Armentrout, Assistant Engineer - Joey Salit, Assistant Engineer - Adam Battershell, Assistant Engineer
(P) 2024 Sony Music Entertainment
Album review
Technically, The Border is the sequel to A Beautiful Time, the 2022 album that found Willie Nelson once again ruminating upon a road long traveled. Nelson's latter-day albums with producer Buddy Cannon often concerned mortality, a quality that lends a natural gravity. That trait isn't quite absent on The Border -- Willie's 75th album, appearing after a pair of winning covers records released in the wake of A Beautiful Time -- yet it is subdued. When Nelson ponders "Once Upon a Yesterday," he's thinking of old songs and departed friends, more grateful that it happened than sad that those days are gone. Similarly, when he's wondering "How Much Does It Cost" to be free, he sounds bemused, not rueful. That levity extends through the jazzily jaunty "What If I'm Out of My Mind," joining the aforementioned tunes among the handful of Nelson/Cannon originals on the record ("Kiss Me When You're Through" is the other). Nelson cedes the weightier material to Rodney Crowell, whose "The Border" and "Many a Long and Lonesome Highway" open the respective sides of The Border, creating the impression that this album is a bit contemplative. That's not the case. Thanks to the fanciful "Hank's Guitar" and the sly shuffle "Made in Texas" -- an amiable slice of Western swing with nods to Bob Wills, Lone Star beer, and the immortal joke "You can always tell a Texan/But you can't tell him much" -- the album carries a lightness that's emphasized by its brisk running time. That might mean The Border, unlike A Beautiful Time, doesn't quite feel like a final chapter but rather a welcome coda restating Nelson's strengths with casual ease.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:35:08
- Main artists: Willie Nelson
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Legacy Recordings
- Genre: Blues/Country/Folk Country
(P) 2024 Sony Music Entertainment
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