Willie Nelson "Heroes" CD Review [VIDEO]

There seems to be a sense of urgency with Willie Nelson these days. With the release of his new CD, “Heroes”, this marks the 3rd Willie album in 2 years, and his 14th since 2000. But if you think Willie is sacrificing quality for quantity, think again. This CD is an exceptional work of country music, and some of the young talent in the industry might want to take a listen.

“Heroes” features a lot of the what die-hard fans of Willie Nelson of the 60′s, 70′s and early 80′s came to love about him: simplicity. This CD, like so many of Willie’s previous works, is an easy listen. With the usual clever lyrics, a great balance of tempo from song to song, and great players who don’t try to jam their talent into your ears. Willie has always had more of a minimalist approach to making a record, and “Heroes” is true to that form. It’s not all straight country. You’ll catch a good amount of jazz, swing, and gospel being worked into “Heroes”, but it all fits perfectly.

Willie’s son, Lukas, had a big part in making “Heroes”. He’s featured on 10 of the 14 tracks, including “Every Time He Drinks He Thinks Of Her”, “No Place To Fly”, and “The Sound Of Your Memory”.

Other guest appearances on “Heroes” include legendary friends of Willie’s, like Merle Haggard (A Horse Called Music), Ray Price (Cold War With You) and Billy Joe Shaver (Hero). Kris Kristofferson, who sings on “Roll Me Up” is also joined on the cut by country singer Jamey Johnson and rapper Snoop Dogg. Sheryl Crow also lends her talents to this CD on “Come On Up To The House”:

As far as Willie Nelson CD’s are concerned, I would rank “Heroes” as a “must have” for any fan of his, or any fan of country music history. Willie is in great vocal form for his age. The songs tell great stories of trials, heartache, faith, and Willie’s recreational activities that we all know about.

Simply put, this is a country music masterpiece. If you’re not a Willie Nelson fan, the least you can do is give this CD credit for the world-class playing and songwriting it features. If you like Willie Nelson, you’ll love this CD. If you love Willie Nelson, you’ll rank “Heroes” among the all time greatest country music albums.