Last Man Standing

Last Man Standing

by Willie Nelson
Last Man Standing

Last Man Standing

by Willie Nelson

CD(Digi-Pak)

$14.99 
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Overview

Willie Nelson started singing about the end of the line a while back but now that he's in his mid-eighties, he's so accustomed to having death lurking around the corner that he can kid about it. That's precisely what he does throughout Last Man Standing, an album that serves as a jocular counterpart to its predecessor, God's Problem Child. Nelson didn't avoid humor on that record, but the vibe seemed haunted by a looming sense that the clock is ticking away. Willie shakes off this spookiness on Last Man Standing, whose title track finds him singing that "it's getting hard to watch my pals check out" to a jaunty rhythm. Ultimately, he decides he wants to be the last man standing, a sentiment that's reiterated a few tracks later, when Willie looks into the mirror and determines it's "better to have bad breath than no breath at all." Nelson isn't seizing the day so much as shrugging off worries, and decides just to have a good time. Despite being riddled with songs about death and aging, Last Man Standing is ridiculously fun, thanks not just to Nelson's jocularity -- it's not just gallows humor, either; the swinging honky tonk of "She Made My Day" is filled with sly one-liners -- but to the nimbleness of his band. It's no secret that his bandmembers are pros, but it's still a pleasure to hear them play -- they're as compelling sliding into the shimmering jazz overtones of "Something You Get Through" as they are kicking out the blues of "I Ain't Got Nothin'" -- and they give Nelson plenty of cover for working with his weathered voice. No longer able to croon as he once did, Nelson opts for playing around with the rhythms of his delivery, a move that makes him seem limber, adding a sense of vitality to Last Man Standing. Willie realizes he's not going to be here forever but he's made up his mind to make the most of his time here, and that's why Last Man Standing feels richer than so many self-conscious meditations on mortality. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date: 04/27/2018
Label: Legacy / Sony Cmg / Sony Music
UPC: 0190758272528
Rank: 170518

Tracks

  1. Last Man Standing
  2. Don't Tell Noah
  3. Bad Breath
  4. Me and You
  5. Something You Get Through
  6. Ready to Roar
  7. Heaven Is Closed
  8. I Ain't Got Nothin'
  9. She Made My Day
  10. I'll Try to Do Better Next Time
  11. Very Far to Crawl

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Willie Nelson   Primary Artist,Guitar (Nylon String)
Alison Krauss   Fiddle,Vocals (Background)
John Wesley Ryles   Vocals (Background)
Fred Eltringham   Drums,Percussion
Eddie Bayers   Drums
James Mitchell   Guitar (Electric)
Mike Johnson   Guitar (Steel)
Kevin Grantt   Bass (Upright)
Bobby Terry   Guitar (Steel),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Mickey Raphael   Harmonica
Jim "Moose" Brown   Piano,Wurlitzer
Tommy White   Guitar (Steel)
Lonnie Wilson   Drums
Buddy Cannon   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Andrew Mendelson   Mastering
Tony Castle   Mixing,Engineer
Neal Cappellino   Engineer
Jason Mott   Assistant Engineer
Jacob Sciba   Assistant Engineer
Frank Harkins   Design,Art Direction
David McClister   Photography
Gordon Hammond   Engineer
Andrew Darby   Assistant
Shannon Finnegan   Production Coordination
Charlie Kramsky   Assistant Engineer
Curtis Millard   Photography
Mike Stankiewicz   Assistant Engineer
Derek Parnell   Assistant Engineer
Ernesto Olvera   Assistant Engineer
Zack Pancoast   Assistant Engineer
Bobbi Giel   Assistant
Taylor Chadwick   Assistant
Steve Chadie   Engineer
Buddy Cannon   Composer,Producer
Willie Nelson   Composer
Butch Carr   Engineer
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