Willie Nelson : Heroes
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Willie Nelson : Heroes

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Willie Nelson has released or collaborated on over 100 studio albums which have sold over 40 million copies in the USA alone. His 66th solo effort Heroes, makes it painfully clear just how good he really is.

The downside of Nelson’s prolific career is that at first glance Heroes seems a little formulaic. There are the slower country numbers like A Horse Called Music and No Place To Fly and the faster-paced tracks like Roll Me Up about – you guessed it – getting stoned, man. He covers the American South in My Window Faces South and perhaps leaves a few fans a little perplexed with a cover of Coldplay’s The Scientist. Formulaic it may be, Nelson executes it with style and precision.

Son of Willie, Lukas Nelson appears on many of the album’s songs, though his voice is a little higher and thinner than that of his famous fathers. However his presence along with long time collaborator Kris Kristofferson helps to cement the impression that Willie Nelson is doing exactly what he wants to be doing – playing music surrounded by family and friends and having one hell of a time!   

Not every track is a winner but taken as a whole, Heroes is a thoroughly enjoyable album. The mournful A Horse Called Magic (featuring fellow country superstar Merle Haggard), upbeat Roll Me Up (featuring Snoop Dogg), and the excellent cover of The Scientist are among the best cuts, alongside the lead single Hero

BY JOSH FERGEUS

 

Best Track: The Scientist

If You Like These, You’ll Like This: MERLE HAGGARD, THE HIGHWAYMEN

In A World: Soulful