Though he wrote some of country music’s biggest hits in the ’60’s, “Crazy” (Patsy Cline), “Hello Walls” (Faron Young) and “Night Life” (Ray Price), Willie Nelson has never been one to tow the line. His nasally voice and off-center jazzy phrasing weren’t quite as appreciated in Nashville as his songwriting and that frustration resulted in a brief retirement and relocation to Austin. There Nelson found an audience that was just as eclectic as he, achieved breakthrough success (The Red Headed Stranger) and had no trouble living his cultivated outlaw image. While Nelson’s discography is encyclopedic, Me and the Drummer rates among the best from Austin’s patron saint.
Surrounded by an all-star cast of Lone Stars including Johnny Bush, drums; Floyd Domino, piano; Jimmy Day, steel guitar; and special guest Johnny Gimble, fiddle; Nelson creates an ambience that comes close to a harmonic convergence. The drifty, laid-back tempos of the first several tracks allows Nelson’s low-key singing to resonate clearly, his single-note, nylon string guitar playing to cascade effortlessly while the virtuoso Day maintains breathtaking control on steel. By the eighth track, “A Moment Isn’t Very Long,” things have elevated to a shuffle and the following cut, the swing boogie of “Rainy Day Blues,” builds momentum with a series of key changes. Throughout the course of these 13 excellently produced tracks, it’s all a very South Texas vibe, timeless country stylings hovering at its zenith.
Yet as much as the weather-beaten country icon delivers a bumper crop in terms of musical satisfaction, this disc also includes multimedia features. With your properly configured WIN 98 PC, you can obtain information about Nelson’s 4th of July picnics, Farm-Aid, early life and many other subjects. There’s even a live video performance of the band. Like Nelson’s predilection for taking chances, this disc represents a bold move against the grain of traditional retail marketing. It is available only through the Internet (several sites besides Luck Records), not through any retail outlet. Hopefully, the public will be able to track it down as it is a tough one to remove from your stereo or your PC. Recommended.
