NashvilleHype!

I received Willie’s new cd several weeks ago before it’s release and just never had time to even open the package.   What I hate is, now that I have, I should have stuck with the dream about how good the album was going to be.  Sometimes it’s better to leave the package closed and live with the dream than to open the package and realize the reality.

I just spent a few minutes looking around at other blogs, hoping that maybe, just maybe, my mind is still cluttered - maybe my ears aren’t too good this morning.  Unfortunately, that’s not the case.  I probably couldn’t review it any better than the fine folks over at the9513, they seem to hit every point pretty well — even from the opening track, which as they even say, reminded me of a musical U2 outtake. (For a different take on the album, look here.)

To me, the biggest problem with this album is, Willie seems detached in his vocal.  Not stoned as the joke would go, just detached.  It’s the production and I understand that, but I was really hoping for great emotion in the vocal, but each song sounded more and more like a guy standing in the recording booth looking at a piece of paper and someone yelling, “do it again Willie!, that one wasn’t on”… the album just seems robbed of what could be great material.  And some of the material is really great.  Wait, I do remember once while listening Willie started confident and strong… “Louisiana”, which was written in 1974 by the great Randy Newman.  Maybe that song lived up to it potential during the first few lines, but like everything on this album, the tempo takes over and it sounds rushed.  Slowed down and depressed, like the song was written, that song would’ve been a stand-out track.  Instead it almost starts to sound like the big, balladry pop song no-one really likes.

I had made the comment on the old NashvilleHype! that I was in Herky William’s office over at ASCAP when he said he needed to play a track real fast (Herky used to be in A&R and he was checking the mix) which was “Gravedigger”by Willie from this album.  It spoke volumes to me that this was the lead track off this album, but after giving it a good listen, I realize why now - there’s almost nothing left to interest people - other than a name.

And of course, I, like all America, love Willie. 

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