I know what you’re thinking. You need a new WILLIE NELSON CD like Mack Brown needs a $400,000 raise. Well …… maybe. Don’t imagine another Red Headed Stranger, but YOU DON’T KNOW ME: THE SONGS OF CINDY WALKER (Lost Highway) does have a sound concept in mind. Though it seems a no-brainer, Willie has recorded little of Walker’s astonishing catalog over the years. The devastating “You Don’t Know Me” might be her pinnacle, but it’s Nelson’s take on “Not That I Care” (“Does she still close her eyes when she dances? / I just wonder, not that I care”) that finds a perfect note of sadness. Two-steps like “Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Age” and “It’s All Your Fault” have the timeless feel of Nelson classics. Surprising that he took so long to tackle a writer Bob Wills revered decades ago? Perhaps not. At one time Nelson aspired to be Walker, who was already a Texas star when his career as a songwriter began. He’s given all that up, though, and unless he’s hiding another “Crazy” under his bandanna, Nelson could hardly find better songs to sing.
