last man standing

You don't call someone a legend for no reason. It's a title earned over decades, not just a few years. It's an instant comparison to everyone that's followed in your footsteps, and it usually means that your footsteps are bigger than their feet will ever be. If you're a legend, people will continue to talk about you long after you've passed. Thankfully this week's legend isn't dead - yet.

Amy and I had the opportunity to see this week's legend at Celebrate Brooklyn a few years ago. I both recommend this artist and Celebrate to everyone. Every year they have a few concerts that require advance tickets, and this was one of those shows. To be perfectly honest, seeing this week's artist was a bucket list item. To be able to say that I've seen him play live is something that feels very cool (if not all that novel).

The concert was just fine. I certainly wasn't expecting to be blown away by an octogenarian, but I was thinking that after 60+ years in the business that it would be worth talking about. In a way, it was.

By now you've seen the graphic above and you know I'm talking about Willie Nelson. He's more than a legend, I just don't have the word for it. He's written and performed iconic songs that we all know and love (and this is going to be a very abridged list): "Crazy," "Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys," "Always On My Mind," "On The Road Again," "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain." I bet you were like me and started singing them as you read those titles. Complete. Classics.

The show covered all the hits. It was a tour de force. I don't remember all of them, but basically if there was a song we'd hoped he would play, he played it. There was little to no banter - after all these years Willie was all business on stage. He drove his band through hit after hit, with only one problem - they weren't together. I still to this day have no idea if they just couldn't hear each other, or if they let the old guy just play as he wished, but he was ahead of the beat the entire night.

The issue with Willie's live show does not appear on his newest studio release, Last Man Standing. First things first, it's his SIXTY SEVENTH STUDIO ALBUM. That alone is an insane fact. Seriously though, this album is the most morbidly hilarious thing I've heard. The brilliance in this record is that Willie is not trying to hide the fact that he's ancient (actually 85) and has made it further than lots of other people. Instead, he's using that as the comedic touchstone of these short little ditties. The music is stock country, but the wit is stock Willie. It's funny and heartwarming but at the same time it's your cool grandpa that's high as hell singing about all his dead friends wondering who'll be next. It's a blast. 

It won't win any awards, and after he's no longer the last man it probably won't be marked as a great, but it's a perfect album for Willie at this stage of his career. I think he's even shocked he's still in the game.

Recommended tracks: "Last Man Standing," "She Made My Day," "Bad Breath," "Heaven Is Closed," "I Ain't Got Nothing"