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The Smooth Late Show with Martin Collins 10pm - 1am
15 March 2024, 15:25
Willie's 'On The Road Again'.
The country music legend is showing no signs of slowing down, at least when making music in the studio is concerned.
At the ripe age of 90 years old, Willie Nelson has announced news of his 75th album as a solo artist, titled The Borders.
Only last year Willie released Bluegrass, his 151st album overall including collaborative records - it's hard to keep up.
But the legend of outlaw country has been grinding away in the studio once again, and is set to release his latest album a month after he turns 91 on 29th April.
Willie's weathered voice sounds superb on the album's title track, which you can hear below:
Willie Nelson - The Border (Official Audio)
Willie recorded The Border with longtime collaborator and producer Buddy Cannon, who co-wrote four of the album's songs with Nelson.
There are also a handful of songs written by a batch of artists that Willie admires, including Rodney Crowell, Shawn Camp, Mike Reid, and Bobby Tomberlin.
The album's title track isn't in fact new material - it's a song that Texan veteran Crowell first released years ago.
Alongside Allen Shamblin, Crowell wrote 'The Border' from the perspective of a border worker who witnesses humanitarian horrors and comes home every night in a bulletproof vest.
"From the shacks and the shanties come the hungry and poor / Some to drown at the crossing / Some to suffer no more," Willie sings on his version, with his weighty and world-weary delivery.
The Border is just the beginning of another bumper year for Nelson, who will co-headline another edition of his touring Outlaw Music Festival alongside Bob Dylan, with Robert Plant and Allison Krauss joining them.
See the full tracklist for The Border below, which is set for release on 31st May 2024 via Legacy Recordings.
1. 'The Border'
2. 'Once Upon A Yesterday'
3. 'What If I’m Out Of My Mind'
4. 'I Wrote This Song For You'
5. 'Kiss Me When You’re Through'
6. 'Many A Long And Lonesome Highway'
7. 'Hank’s Guitar'
8. 'Made In Texas'
9. 'Nobody Knows Me Like You'
10. 'How Much Does It Cost'