Across the Borderline (1993)

The liner notes on this cd are not helpful at all. Don Was, who I believe helped jumpstart Peter Gabriel’s career (hence the cover of “Don’t Give Up”), produces this album. He does a nice job of keeping the vocals prominent and the instruments in the background. In so many previous albums, the song selection and lyrics were excellent, but the production was flawed. In this case, though, the production is excellent, but the song selection is questionable. They are all great songs, but they just don’t seem to fit Willie. I don’t believe him when he sings them. No one should sing Paul Simon songs. No one can do them better. No one can do them justice. I do like the Dylan duet. “My American dream, comin’ apart at the seams, tell me what it means.” Bonnie Raitt steals the show on “Getting Over You.” “Valentine” works. Very pretty. Marc O’Connor plays fiddle on parts of this album, but I still prefer Johnny Gimble. “Most Unoriginal Sin” ranks up there with the cleverest of Willie’s lyrics (though John Hiatt wrote them). I love the rhyme of “apple” and “Sistine Chapel.” “If I Were the Man You Wanted, I Wouldn’t Be the Man I Am” fits Willie and his life. Lyle Lovett wrote it, but it could have come straight from Willie’s epic life by Joe Nick Patoski. “She’s Not For You” seemed out of place. Not sure why it’s here. I didn’t like the music to “Still is Still Moving to Me,” though I like the paradoxical lyrics. Willie’s always behind the beat yet always off to the next town. His voice is so slow it almost stops, and yet the wheels on the tour bus barely slow down from town to town.

Hmmm. After a second full listen, this time on my IPOD, I’m reconsidering. The duet with Dylan, “Heartland,” which the two also co-wrote, will age well with further listening. My son Jack (13) insists Willie should not do that “la, la, la, la” thing on “Still is Still Moving to Me.” I tend to agree. I still don’t think the Paul Simon songs are a good fit with Willie, but it is impressive the variety of folks he is working with on this album: Raitt, Dylan, Simon. Some call him a duet whore; I call him fearless. Unafraid of risking sentimentality, unafraid of failure. A courageous if, at times, flawed album. I predict it will grow on me.