Country Music – 2010 (Rounder)
Willie Nelson
Review: Kristin Berkey
http://liberationtheologylutheran.blogspot.com
I’ve really been enjoying Willie Nelson’s latest CD, Country Music. I’ve never been a huge Willie Nelson fan, but this CD is amazing. I didn’t expect it to be so inspiring.
My favorite aspect of the album is his covers of old, traditional country music and spirituals. “Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down” haunts me. I love “I Am a Pilgrim” and “Gotta Walk Alone.”
It’s not all spiritual. There are songs of drinking and loss, songs of the sea and trains, songs of rejoicing that bad times are gone, at least for a night. To me, it’s a microcosm of the type of culture which birthed some of the more interesting artistic movements of the 20th century, as well as giving rise to some of the more dynamic social movements of the 20th century. It’s also an interesting romp through the wide variety of country music that came to the forefront during the 20th century, although it’s refreshingly clear of the pippy-poppy country music that I find tiresome after awhile.
What am I really saying? It’s authentic. It’s roots music, as roots music should be.