Willie Nelson

Remember Me, Vol. 1 (R&J)

Mar. 15, 2012

midnight

Releasing a cover tunes album can be a way for a performer to tread water or an opportunity to reflect on the influences that shaped him. Willie Nelson's Remember Me is the later. A collection of familiar country songs from the 1940s through the 1970s, Remember Me represents many moods, including devotion (”Remember Me”), breaking free (“I'm Movin' On”), depression (“Sunday Morning Coming Down”) and just foolin' around (“This Old House”). Nelson's lived-in, well-creased voice is at ease in every setting; some of the arrangements, especially the subtle blues inflections of “Sixteen Tons,” are among the best ever.