| Product Summary | | Label: Uni/island | | UPC: 00731454251723 | | Release Date: 9/19/2000 | | Buy.com Sku: 60437901 | | Item#: MXKLJD | | Buy.com Sales Rank: 25140 | Format:  CD |
|
|
|
|
| Song Listing |  |
(P) 2000 UMG Recordings, Inc.
(C) 2000 The Island Def Jam Music Group
| | In his long and eclectic career, Willie Nelson has recorded country music, standards, gospel, and much more. Milk Cow Blues combines the talents of Nelson, an array of special guests, and the cream of the Austin, Texas blues community. Guest stars on the album include B.B. King, Dr. John, young singer-guitarist Susan Tedeschi, Keb’ Mo’, Francine Reed (who usually duets with Nelson’s fellow Texan, Lyle Lovett), and blues prodigies Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Additionally, Willie surrounds himself with a who’s-who of Austin blues players, many of whom are charter members of the house band at Antone¹s nightclub, the city’s world famous “home of the blues.” These players--including guitarists Jimmie Vaughan and Derek O’Brien, keyboarist Riley Osbourn, drummer George Rains, bassist Jon Blondell--have played with everyone from the Three Kings (you know, B.B., Albert and Freddie) to Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins, and an entire galaxy of Chicago and Louisiana blues stars who have come through Antone’s doors.
| | Album Notes and Credits |
Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Willie Nelson (vocals, guitar); B.B. King (vocals, guitar); Dr. John (vocals, piano); Johnny Lang, Susan Tedeschi, Francine Reed (vocals); Derek O'Brien, Jimmie Vaughn, Kenny Wayne Shepherd (guitar); Riley Osbourn (piano, Hammond B-3 organ); John Blondell (bass); George Rains (drums). | | Engineers: Stuart Sullivan, Larry Greenhill. | | Recorded at Pedernales Studio and Arlyn Studios, Austin, Texas; Cello Studios and The Village StudiosLos Angeles, California; Orefin Studios, Minneapolis, Minnesota. | | MILK COW BLUES was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. | | Personnel: Willie Nelson (vocals, guitar); Francine Reed, Susan Tedeschi, B.B. King (vocals); Derek O'Brien, Jimmie Vaughan (guitar); Mickey Raphael (harmonica); Riley Osbourne (piano); Jon Blondell (bass guitar, drums). | | Audio Mixer: Dave McNair. | | Recording information: Arlyn Studios, Austin TX; Orefin Studios, Minneapolis, MN; Pedernales Studio, Austin, TX; The Village Studio, Los Angeles, CA. | | Willie Nelson's idiosyncratic vocal style has always been heavily influenced by the blues, just as much as it has been by country, pop, and folk, but he'd never recorded a straight blues album until 2000's Milk Cow Blues. Any longtime Nelson fan will undoubtedly be quietly thrilled with the idea of a straight blues album, and the very first notes make it seem like the record will deliver on its promise. Then Francine Reed starts singing. Yes, Milk Cow Blues is designed as a star-studded duets album, which is apparently the only way major labels think a new album from a veteran superstar will attract press attention and fan curiosity. Sometimes, the concept works, at least commercially, as proved by the stunning success of Santana's Supernatural. Here, the idea doesn't work quite as well, with the exception of the appearance of Dr. John. Nelson is in great voice here, and his three solo tracks are outstanding. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine | | Willie Nelson's idiosyncratic vocal style has always been heavily influenced by the blues, just as much as it has been by country, pop, and folk, but he's never recorded a straight blues album until 2000's Milk Cow Blues. Any longtime Nelson fan will undoubtedly by quietly thrilled with the idea of a straight blues album, and the very first notes of the album make it seem like the record will deliver on its promise. Then Francine Reed starts singing. Yes, Milk Cow Blues is designed as a star-studded duets album, which is apparently the only way major labels think a new album from a veteran superstar can seem like an "event," since it will attract press attention and curiosity from fans. Sometimes, the concept works, at least commercially, as proved by the stunning surprise success of Santana's Supernatural. Here, the idea just guts the album of any power it may have had, since Nelson immediately finds an appealingly unusual groove in each song and you want to hear him follow it through to the end. The duets always seem like an intrusion to his musical vision, especially since everybody except Dr. John oversells these songs, singing like a clich? instead of finding their own sound. It's all the more frustrating because Nelson really does find his voice on each song here, a fact that's apparent on the three songs he has to himself: his original "Wake Me When It's Over," "Sittin' on Top of the World," and "Lonely Street." These are great recordings and they can't help but put the rest of the album into sharp relief, since even though they have the same great performances from Nelson and his stellar band, they feel cluttered with guests. Ultimately, those cameos, which are intended to broaden the audience, wind up short-circuiting a record that could have been a modest highlight of Nelson's latter-day catalog. As it stands now, Milk Cow Blues is largely a wasted opportunity. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine | | Though he's best known as a country artist, Willie Nelson has always been bigger than that. He's recorded albums of everything from popular standards to guitar instrumentals with equal aplomb. So this blues album should come as no surprise to longtime fans, especially given the fact that the kind of sophisticated, urbane, Charles Brown-style blues he tackles on much of MILK COW BLUES was a key component of some of Nelson's early work. | | Willie's joined here by a bevy of guest artists; blues stars both new and old, including B.B. King and Susan Tedeschi. The lion's share of the cuts here are duets, where the seemingly egoless Nelson is happy to share the spotlight with his talented friends. For all the sparks those duets generate, however, its a tribute to the man's unique gifts that the most effective tracks turn out to be Willie's solo turns. |
Producer: Freddy Fletcher; Willie Nelson |
Musical Guests | | B.B. King | | Dr. John | | Susan Tedeschi | | Francine Reed | | Jonny Lang | | Kenny Wayne Shepherd | | Keb' Mo' |
| | Compilation Appearances |
| | Associated Artists and Works | | Twisted Willie ~ Artists, Various | | Asleep At The Wheel | | Willie Nelson & Asleep At The Wheel [Digipak] ~ Asleep At The Wheel | | Willie Nelson & Asleep At The Wheel (Deluxe Editio ~ Asleep At The Wheel | | Butler, Larry | | Butler, Larry | | Butler, Larry | | Cash, Johnny | | Cash, Johnny | | Cash, Johnny | | Cash, Johnny | | Cash, Johnny | | Cash, Johnny | | Live from Austin TX ~ Cash, Johnny | | Highwaymen ~ Cash, Johnny | | Live from Austin TX ~ Cash, Johnny | | Live From Austin.Tx: Johnny Cash [Digipak] ~ Cash, Johnny | | Cash, Johnny | | Cherry, Don (Jazz) | | Cline, Patsy | | Haggard, Merle | | Haggard, Merle | | Haggard, Merle | | Haggard, Merle | | Haggard, Merle | | Haggard, Merle | | Haggard, Merle | | LAST OF THE BREED LIVE IN CONCERT ~ Haggard, Merle | | Highwaymen (Country) (The) | | Highwaymen (Country) (The) | | Country Legends ~ Highwaymen (Country) (The) | | Highwaymen (Country) (The) | | Highwaymen (Country) (The) | | Highwaymen (Country) (The) | | Highwaymen (Country) (The) | | Highwaymen (Country) (The) | | Jennings, Waylon | | Wanted! The Outlaws ~ Jennings, Waylon | | Jennings, Waylon | | Jennings, Waylon | | Jennings, Waylon | | Jennings, Waylon | | Jennings, Waylon | | Jennings, Waylon | | Legendary Outlaws ~ Jennings, Waylon | | Jennings, Waylon | | 16 Biggest Hits (Legacy) ~ Jennings, Waylon | | Heroes (BMG) ~ Jennings, Waylon | | Jennings, Waylon | | Jennings, Waylon | | Jennings, Waylon | | King, Jackie | | Pickin' On Willie Nelson: A Bluegrass Tribute ~ On, Pickin' | | Original Soundtrack | | Honeysuckle Rose [Remaster] ~ Original Soundtrack | | Original Soundtrack | | Pickin' On Willie Nelson: A Bluegrass Tribute ~ Pickin' On | | Rogers, Kenny | | Twisted Willie ~ Various Artists | | Various Artists | | Various Artists | | Various Artists | | Georgia On My Mind ~ Various Artists |
| | Technical Info | | Release Date : 09/19/2000 | | Original Release Date : 2000 | | Catalog ID : 542517 | | Label : Island | | Number of Discs : 1 | | Studio/Live : Studio | | Mono/Stereo : Stereo | | SPAR Code : n/a | | UPC : 00731454251723 |
|
| | Professional Reviews | | Rolling Stone (9/28/00, p.58)
- 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...Unforced and natural...emotionally rich, musically savory and languidly blue....a sagebrush poet's autumnal meditation on faded love and the wages of the sporting life..."Spin (11/00, p.208)
- 7 out of 10 - "...The first blues record of his career....he lays in the cut like he's been singing this music for years....he burns the melody down to ashes, never letting a howl do what a moan can do better." Q (1/01, p.113)
- 3 out of 5 stars - "...A sterling showcase for Nelson's bluesier side..." CMJ (10/2/00, p.25)
- "...The warmth of his laid-back personality is injected into every moment of MILK COW....a mellow, rainy-day record..." No Depression (11-12/00, pp.110-3)
- "...A tribute to his Zen Mastery of the music....Willie sounds very much at home..." Mojo (Publisher)
(11/00, p.101)
- "...He's in fine voice, as are some of the gang of celebrity guests..." |
|
| |
|
|
__USERID__
http://www.buy.com/prod/milk-cow-blues/q/loc/109/60437901.html
|
