Not bad for 75 years. It would take most artists two lifetimes to catch up to the output of wildly prolific Willie Nelson, and even then it’s inconceivable that anyone would leave a greater legacy. At first glance, the aptly titled box set One Hell of a Ride (Columbia Legacy) seems like something more suited to Hootie and the Blowfish. Only four CDs to represent such a massive body of work? An American icon doesn’t deserve more-deluxe packaging? (See our own tribute.) To be fair, given the state of major labels, lavish collections may be gone forever. And really, there is much to admire about the set. It pulls from every imaginable source and era: a self-financed 1957 single, the Houston sessions that produced “Nite Life,” the groundbreaking Jerry Wexler recordings, schmaltzy Chet Atkins productions from the RCA years, the myriad circuslike Family Band live tapes, the Liberty sessions that produced the “Hello Walls”/“Funny How Time Slips Away”/“Crazy” trifecta, and even a mid-fifties demo sent to Luling’s Sarg records. Buying this is a no-brainer. It may be Willie’s birthday, but true to form, he’s the one giving the gifts. Reviewed by Jeff McCord
He’s dominated the field for so long that it’s easy to forget there was a time in country music before George Strait. He has more number one singles than George Jones, Hank Williams, or Ray Price—in fact, he has more than any artist in any genre. So on album 37, Troubadour (MCA), what could Strait have left to prove? Maybe not much, but he’s a consummate professional who has stayed true to his country roots since his first hit, in 1981, and he’s not about to change now. Though Strait doesn’t write a lick, he has the ability, like all great singers, to make every song seem autobiographical. He favors soaring choruses and plain tales devoid of nuance. On the new album, this approach leads to a couple of way-too-obvious groaners (“House of Cash,” “When You’re in Love”) that remind you of someone overexplaining a joke. But mostly, Troubadour delivers. With warm, relaxed vocals, Strait inhabits the title track, “It Was Me,” “House With No Doors,” and “Make Her Fall in Love With Me Song” and marks them as his own. There’s absolutely no pretense here, which is why millions adore Strait’s music. Sometimes it’s just as simple as that. Reviewed by Jeff McCord
In case you haven’t been paying much attention, psychedelic rock is once again coming on like an acid flashback. Most new bands mining this bygone era do so with a painful degree of transparency and come off sounding silly. Not Austin’s Black Angels. This coed outfit’s 2006 debut album, Passover, was a brooding stunner that used the genre’s devices merely to fortify its menacing drone. The follow-up, Directions to See a Ghost (Light in the Attic), is no less riveting. Now a sextet, the band has musically fleshed out its slow-crawl surges. Low frequencies dominate, chords change infrequently, and guitars and organs swirl around, pounding tribal beats. On top sits vocalist Alex Maas, who on several tunes, including the opener, “You on the Run,” ratchets up the foreboding by channeling a Jim Morrison–type vibe (though thankfully minus Morrison’s numskull poetics). The album’s centerpiece, “Never/Ever,” finds him with a more melodic voice, at least before the band builds the intensity to a glorious and ferocious din. The group repeats these sonic crescendos throughout and, instead of wearing out its welcome, manages to thrill you again and again. Reviewed by Jeff McCord
Ed Jurdi & Gordy Quist
Photograph by Cass Weyandt
Together with Colin Brooks, they make up the triumvirate of songwriters who front Austin’s Band of Heathens. What began as a loose collaboration of jam buddies has led to two live releases, Best New Band honors at the 2007 Austin Music Awards, and finally, a self-titled debut studio album.
How did your partnership start?
GQ: We all had gigs with our own bands at [Austin club] Momo’s on Wednesday nights, one right after another. We got to know each other, hanging and playing in each other’s bands.
You must bring different ideas to the table. How does this work?
GQ: We all toss ideas around and give them a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down. EJ: What’s fun for me is writing a song and seeing what becomes of it, how it morphs in the band. Because a song takes on a completely different form if I’m to perform it on my own.
Well, intentionally or not, with your studio release and the launch of your own record label, you guys are a band now. Any regrets?
GQ: [sarcastically] No, just the fact that I have to hang out with Ed and the band now. It’s kind of draining. EJ: This is a pretty high-stakes industry, but by focusing on writing good songs and giving good performances, everything will take care of itself.
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