Willie Nelson,
Countryman



Label: Lost Highway Records

(2 out of 5)

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. But what about a CD? The leafy cover art makes it apparent that Countryman is Willie Nelson's tribute to marijuana. And in case you miss the visual clues, the liner notes provide reinforcement: the production team asks for forgiveness if anyone was left off the credits, citing it was "blunted" and "lost in the smoke clouds."

So if Countryman succeeds as Willie's ode to ganja—at least in its packaging—does it also succeed as a reggae album? Sadly, no. Willie's voice is solid as ever, but the musical accompaniment is bland and unemotional.

Just a couple tracks manage to break through the lackluster haze. "I'm a Worried Man," penned by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, features the impassioned vocals of Toots Hibbert. Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Fall" dispenses with the stiff reggae dubs in favor of harmonica and dobro.

Surely Countryman was an interesting concept album when conceived a decade ago. Island Records head Chris Blackwell and prolific producer Don Was began assembling tracks in the mid-90s, but then Island was absorbed by Universal, and Countryman fell off the label's radar. Universal imprint Lost Highway recently gave the album new life and allowed Willie, Was, and company to finish production.

But an interesting concept does not always translate into interesting music. Reggae has so much more to offer than the highly repetitive, unimaginative tracks laid down here. If anyone should know that, it's Blackwell. Island Records rose to prominence largely on the popularity of Bob Marley and other reggae artists.

If Willie had to do this all over again, I would have one recommendation: puff, puff, …pass.

July 12, 2005