Lost Highway (2009)

At first I was disappointed to discover this was a compilation and not an album of new material. And then I was doubly disappointed because I couldn’t even tell what kind of compilation it was. It isn’t all duets, it isn’t all new tunes or old tunes. What ties these together? But then it hit me. For Willie, a new compilation, a new arrangement of tunes, can be just as original, just as surprising, just as pleasing as an album of new material. Why? Because Willie’s music is so diverse, so expansive, with genres, band members, instruments, and duet partners, that, to use a wine analogy, the pairings become as important as the songs themselves. Just as the quality of wine changes depending on the food it is paired with, so, too, apt pairings of Willie’s songs can bring out qualities in an entire album that are greater than the individual parts.

“Back To Earth” is new to me, and this is a powerful version.

“The Harder They Come” has a gospel back-up chorus unlike anything I’ve heard accompanying Willie before. I thought I didn’t like the reggae Countryman album, but if there are more songs like this, I’ll need to reassess my earlier judgment.

If Jefferson is the American Sphinx in politics, Willie is a musical sphinx. He rises like Jefferson, like Buddha, like Emerson, like genius, above contradiction. He seems to strike a tolerant pose in “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other,” which would likely upset Toby Keith and the “Beer For My Horses” crew (unless this song is tongue in cheek). And yet, he follows that song immediately with “Ain’t Goin’ Down on Brokeback Mountain,” which seems to strike a more homophobic stance toward queers (unless this song is tongue in cheek). How can you tell? What you can tell for certain, though, is that he Willie is delighting in deliberately baffling us with paradoxes when he boldly places them right next to each other.

The duets with Ray Price showcase Price’s vocals and make clear his influence on Willie’s own vocal style. It seems to be a collection of songs from the last ten years, mostly duets, mostly traditional country. The harmonica (must be Raphael), steel (Jimmy Day?), and fiddle (Johnny Gimble?) feature prominently on most tracks.

“Both Sides of Goodbye” from the Chip Moman Sessions (need to find this album) is one of Willie’s more credible heartbreak songs. “I’ve loved and been loved but not at the same time.” Ha! Gets at that sphinx-like, transcendental, paradoxical being two things simultaneously (on the road and home) that seems to sum up Willie’s shtick. The live version of “Crazy” with Diana Krall and Elvis Costello is not my favorite, but it is interesting and bears further listening.

All in all, this pairing of songs intrigued me and exceeded my expectations. I will return to it often. There are no duds. And though I will appreciate these songs further when I listen to them on their original albums (If I haven’t already), the combinations here release unique sparks that justify the compilation.