Willie Nelson &
Friends – Outlaws & Angels
(DVD-Video)
Picture: B-
Sound: B Extras: C- Concert: B
Originally broadcast on the USA Network as a live event, Willie
Nelson & Friends – Angels & Outlaws (2004) has slowly transformed
into the event all the participants had hoped for. It is one thing to get a bunch of big names together. That has been done often with unmemorable or
lasting results. In the case of this
show, most everything works. The
performances are as follows, all with Nelson except track 12, 15 and 22:
1) Georgia
On A Fast Track (Toby Keith, Joe Walsh)
2) Ramblin’
Fever (Keith, Walsh & Merle Haggard)
3) You Win
Again (Bob Dylan)
4) Shotgun
Willie/Shotgun Bobby (Al Green)
5) Funny
How Time Slips Away (Al Green)
6) Rainin’
In My Heart (Al Green)
7) One With
The Sun (Shelby Lynne)
8) Stormy
Weather (Shelby Lynne)
9) Will You
Still Love Me Tomorrow? (Carole King)
10) Still Is Still Moving To Me (Toots
Hibbert)
11) Midnight Rider (Ben
Harper)
12) Pressure Drop (Toots
Hibbert & Ben Harper)
13) I’ll Never Be Free (Lee
Ann Womack)
14) Opportunity To Cry (The
Holmes Brothers)
15) Mama Tried (Toby Keith & Merle
Haggard)
16) Pancho & Lefty
(Nelson, Toby Keith & Merle Haggard)
17) Overtime (Lucinda Williams)
18) Cisco Kid (Los Lonely Boys)
19) Comes Love (Rickie Lee Jones)
20) We Had It All (Keith Richards)
21) Trouble In Mind
(Richards, Haggard & Jerry Lee Lewis)
22) Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On (Lewis
and Kid Rock)
23) I’ll Fly Away (all)
24) On The Road Again (all)
Like Ray Charles’ duets album Genius Loves Company
(reviewed on Super Audio Compact Disc elsewhere on this site) of which Nelson
contributed, this is an all-star event that matches its star power with
substance. This is not to say that
every track is a winner, but there is more good than bad throughout. The timing of this concert is amazing, as
the Country genre suffered the loss of Johnny Cash not that long ago and the
commercially-driven Pop/Rock type of Country that has dominated seems to even
be getting tired for those who have been listening to it. It was often tired on arrival for this critic
and even megastar Garth Brooks did an album where he changed his identity. Country is about being yourself and the
genre has been suffocating under the weight of its being sold down the river
for years. Angels & Outlaws
is a return to basics, richly so, and may just turn out to be more important to
Country than anyone realizes at the moment.
The 1.33 X 1 full frame analog NTSC taping is very recent
and looks good, but I occasionally wished this was an HD 16 X 9 taping. With that said, it will do just fine. The sound, on the other hand, is more
impressive. Eagle Eye has included
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with Pro Logic surrounds and Dolby 5.1 mixes, but both
cannot match the fullness and depth of the DTS 5.1, which is now some of the
best sound of any Country music on DVD to date. From host James Caan’s introductions, to the vocals and great
musicianship, the DTS delivers the goods where it counts. A standard CD will not be able to match
this. All in all, another strong music
release from Eagle.
- Nicholas Sheffo
