Country : United States Label : Legacy Genres and styles : Americana / Country / Folk Year : 2020

First Rose of Spring

· by Luc Marchessault

As we know, living legends aren’t in abundance. But Willie Nelson – whose name is part of the toponymy of Austin, Texas – transcends this category to become one of the living gods. A very select club, really, since its only other member is Tenzin Gyatso, alias the Dalai Lama.

The still spry Nelson, as if miraculously unaffected by the weight of years (he blew out 87 candles just two months ago), is releasing his 70th studio album these days. That is, for instance, 67 albums more than My Bloody Valentine. Not to mention his 25 collaborative albums, including five with his late outlaw sidekick Merle Haggard.

What’s striking when listening to First Rose of Spring is Willie’s grace – no, damn it, his youth. His phrasing remains unmistakable, while his larynx still vibrates at the perfect frequency. Little nostalgia, no regrets, no laments about his arthritic pains, no ruminations or reflections on the imminent passage of the Grim Reaper.

Willie is on fire, so… softly, as the tempo remains quite slow throughout the pieces. On the program are songs of timeless quality, even though they were written recently, such as the title track and “Don’t Let the Old Man In”, which Toby Keith had composed for the soundtrack of Clint Eastwood’s The Mule. Then there are covers of standards such as “Just Bummin’ Around” and “I’m the Only Hell My Mama Raised”, of which Johnny Paycheck’s interpretation is the best known.

“We Are the Cowboys” is a fraternal anthem from in 1981, by Billy Joe Shaver – “We are the cowboys, the true sons of freedom… Cowboys are average American people, Texicans, Mexicans, black men and Jews.” Willie also crafted two songs with Buddy Cannon, who produced the album, the sentimental “Blue Star” and the gravelly “Love Just Laughed”. “Yesterday When I Was Young”, a moving adaptation of Charles Aznavour’s “Hier encore ”, closes an album as divine as it is spirited.

Latest 360 Content

The Centre des Musiciens du Monde’s music Tree that brings people together

The Centre des Musiciens du Monde’s music Tree that brings people together

Festival des Saveurs | Carminda Mac Lorin, The Woman of Many Hats

Festival des Saveurs | Carminda Mac Lorin, The Woman of Many Hats

SAT X EAF | Amselysen and The Ideal Perfume of A Serial Killer

SAT X EAF | Amselysen and The Ideal Perfume of A Serial Killer

Festival Classica 2025 | Women’s Cellos

Festival Classica 2025 | Women’s Cellos

Nuits d’Afrique 2025: ALL About The Program

Nuits d’Afrique 2025: ALL About The Program

Festival Classica: An Ode to Hope with Elvira Misbakhova

Festival Classica: An Ode to Hope with Elvira Misbakhova

Festival des Saveurs | Aldo Guizmo Goes “Str8 Forward”

Festival des Saveurs | Aldo Guizmo Goes “Str8 Forward”

Deafhaven – Lonely People with Power

Deafhaven – Lonely People with Power

Transforming Hiroshima mon amour into contemporary opera: Christian Lapointe and Rosa Lind tell the story

Transforming Hiroshima mon amour into contemporary opera: Christian Lapointe and Rosa Lind tell the story

Sparks – MAD!

Sparks – MAD!

“Hiroshima, mon amour”: An Evening to Remember

“Hiroshima, mon amour”: An Evening to Remember

Peter Murphy – Silver Shade

Peter Murphy – Silver Shade

Ken Pomeroy – Cruel World

Ken Pomeroy – Cruel World

Art of the Line: Klangkarussell’s Euro Vision at SAT

Art of the Line: Klangkarussell’s Euro Vision at SAT

Festival des Saveurs | Closing With Reggae

Festival des Saveurs | Closing With Reggae

Centroamérica – a powerful docu-play about truth and connection in an age of distance and denial

Centroamérica – a powerful docu-play about truth and connection in an age of distance and denial

Lido Pimienta – La Belleza

Lido Pimienta – La Belleza

Tamir Barzilay – Phosphene Journal

Tamir Barzilay – Phosphene Journal

The best ‘’Candlelight concert‘’ ever.

The best ‘’Candlelight concert‘’ ever.

Men I Trust – Equus Caballus

Men I Trust – Equus Caballus

The Halluci Nation – Path of the Baby Face

The Halluci Nation – Path of the Baby Face

A lap steel guitar choir and an angel to end the Innovations en concert 24-25 season

A lap steel guitar choir and an angel to end the Innovations en concert 24-25 season

The OSM and Abel Selaocoe: Evenings When You’d Like to Stop Time

The OSM and Abel Selaocoe: Evenings When You’d Like to Stop Time

Subscribe to our newsletter