Willie Nelson--Heroes (Sony/Legacy): Back to Columbia after scores of albums on Lost Highway, Island and other labels, Heroes is far from Willie's best work, but spirited and worth a listen. The duets with his son, Lukas, are inspired, especially "Every Time He Drinks He Thinks of Her." One of Willie's instant classic near-novelty tunes, "Roll Me Up" (with Snoop Dogg, Kris Kristofferson and Jamey Johnson) demands airplay, although I doubt mainstream stations will bother--too bad. Maybe that phrase, "Roll me up and smoke me when I'm gone" will serve as my cremation anthem when the time comes--I probably won't outlast Keith Richards and I'm sure he'll do the honors. Heroes ends with a cover of Coldplay's "The Scientist"; Johnny Cash always listened to music beyond his "category" and so does Nelson. Why are so many country artists narrow-minded by comparison?
Bonnie Raitt--Slipstream (Redwing): Rather amazing that Bonnie Raitt had not released a new album in seven years and I was starting to forget what a wonderful artist she is--I have been a fan since her second album some 40 years ago (of course, had to get the debut once I'd heard Give It Up). Slipstream is packed with Bonnie's beautiful, world-weary singing--there are few vocalists in her league, to this day--and strong guitar work and probably rates among the upper half of what she's done. Among the more interesting tracks are "Marriage Made In Hollywood," (commentary on modern sensationalism, co-written by Raitt's ex-husband, Michael O'Keefe), and a pair of Time Out of Mind Bob Dylan songs, "Million Miles" and "Standing In the Doorway." I'm neither moved nor repelled by her reggae-ized cover of Gerry Rafferty's "Right Down the Line"--just grateful that she doesn't sing the "woo-man" (woman) part in the chorus the way Rafferty did.
Andre Williams & the Sadies--Night and Day (Yep Roc): Williams, now in his 70s, has been making records since the 1950s, at Fortune in Detroit and with OKeh when he moved to Chicago. Although his voice has frayed and doesn't always gel with the spine-tingling playing of the fabulous Toronto band the Sadies, Night and Day is another treat from the R&B/rock/country bad boy-cum-senior citizen. Williams will make you laugh with what seems like a new phrase (the "bad mothersucker" in "One-Eyed Jack") while provoking serious thought in "America (You Say 'A Change Is Gonna Come')." Bo Diddley for the modern age.
Alejandro Escovedo--Big Station (Fantasy): Has Escovedo ever made a bad album? Big Station is another remarkable addition to his resume, with strong lyrics ("Sally Was a Cop") and straight-ahead rock'n'roll that combines Escovedo's vision and life experience with some of the wondrous stuff that came before him (Thee Midniters, Mott the Hoople, the Stooges, as well as the '80s band he was in, Rank & File). It's poetic and it's visceral; don't miss this (Big Station will be released June 5th).
Carole King--The Legendary Demos (Hear Music): Demos dating from the early '60s to the '70s, where King was poised to affect everything around her with her second solo album Tapestry (she was in a band called the City, which released one record before King went solo--by that time, she wasn't writing for others as much as she had previously). Her melodic gifts and arrangement ideas are among the best in rock history, as evidenced by the demo of "Take Good Care of My Baby"--Bobby Vee's crew pretty much used all of King's choices, including the key change at the end, on his 1961 hit version. The demo of "Pleasant Valley Sunday" is rough indeed--it's evident the Monkees and/or producer Chip Douglas polished up the chord structure to make it better--and yet King's singing on her own version is full of depth. Combining both satire and empathy, the song is a preview of her sometimes superb, sometimes erratic, solo career to come. The Legendary Demos is a fine companion piece to Dimension Dolls (various girl groups and solo artists who recorded for Dimension Records), where King is represented by what also sounds like demos. But they're outstanding demos.
Bruce Springsteen--Wrecking Ball (Columbia): There was something aurally "rounded" about Brendan O'Brien's production on Springsteen's The Rising (2002) and Magic (2007), and many have bitched about it. For whatever reason, Bruce went with producer Ron Aniello for Wrecking Ball and sonically, it's more immediate and often great. It's not for lack of material that more recent concert staples "Land of Hope and Dreams" and the title piece were recorded in the studio for Wrecking Ball--the former sounds incredible in this setting (with the late Clarence Clemons' saxophone tacked on via old live recordings). The songs where Bruce weds folk and Irish elements ("Death to My Hometown," "We Are Alive") to booming rock'n'roll are among the highlights of the album. "You've Got It" is one of the dullest items in his song catalog, and "Jack of All Trades" was more exciting when Bruce and the E Street Band performed it on the Jimmy Fallon show last March than this version, yet Wrecking Ball makes the grade and then some. Tell the naysayers that you can mix new tunes with classic material successfully in a live show--Springsteen still can, still does.