The Highwaymen Album: “Road Goes on Forever”

Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson came together as the Highwaymen in the mid-eighties to record an album and tour together. It proved so successful that they eventually recorded two more, this being the last of the trilogy. It is similar in style to the first two.

Most of the songs here are covers, often of songs that one or other of the members had written recorded as a solo artist. The set opens with a Steve Earle song, The devil's right hand, which gets the album off to a great start. I do believe (written by Waylon), End of understanding (written by Willie), Death and Hell (written by Johnny and June) and Here comes that rainbow again (written by Kris) ensure that all the members of the Highwaymen get a share of the songwriting royalties as well as the recording royalties.

Elvis once recorded True love travels on a gravel ro0ad (a Dallas Frazier song), but it's not one of his famous recordings. I like his version but I also like the Highwaymen's version. Billie Joe Shaver, who provided Waylon with most of the songs for one of his classic albums (Honky tonk heroes), wrote Live forever. Kevin Welch, who established himself as a songwriter long before making it as a singer, wrote Everyone gets crazy. Stephen Bruton wrote one song (Waiting for a long time) and co-wrote another (It is what it is). Robert Earl Keen, who eventually got the chance to record his own music, contributed the title track.

There are no real surprises here - you know who Johnny, Willie, Waylon and Kris are, you know the kind of music they record and you'll find it here. All four singers have recorded many more important albums than this but if you've already got their important music and still want more, you'll enjoy this album.

Waylon, Willie, Cash and Kristofferson met for this third and final collaboration in 1995, and given their proven chemistry, the presence of producer Don Was, and an outstanding selection of material, this should have been the supergroup's ultimate statement. Unfortunately, Was mired the quartet in modern arrangements that were at odds with the their aging, world-weary vocals, and have aged poorly in the intervening decade. The material often outshines the performances, with contemporary Texas classics from Earle, Shaver and Keene failing to find compelling new ground here. The artists connect most fully on their own compositions, including Jennings' gruff balance of faith, responsibility and self-determination, "I Do Believe," Cash's florid story of a visit with a New Orleans' prostitute, "Death and Hell," and Kristofferson's crufty "Here Comes That Rainbow Again."

This tenth-anniversary reissue's must-buy value is derived from the five acoustic demo bonus tracks. Listening to the legends audition songs for their compadres gives one an inkling of the album that could've been. "Live Forever" finds Cash tapping his foot as Nelson picks along to find his part, and Jennings' "I Ain't Song" is interrupted by Kristofferson's gut-busting laugh as the former sing-speaks "I ain't old and I ain't bitter, and I ain't mad at anyone." Kristofferson bangs out "Closer to the Bone" on his guitar as Cash's baritone resonates underneath, and Nelson turns "Pick up the Tempo" into a singalong. There's magic in these interpersonal relationships, it just didn't turn up on all the studio tracks. 3 stars for the original album, but an extra half-star for the bonus tracks. [©2006 hyperbolium dot com]

The old dogs of country band together again for this 3rd album, calling themself The Highwaymen. The album is in my opinion full of highlights. The album is full of great country-anthems. From the title track over the beautiful I Do Believe and over Cash' dark and brooding Death and Hell. I really think that the old guys are supplementing each other well, and they sound great when they are together. It is like they take the best from each of them and add it.

There's no disputing that Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson are four of the most influential singer/songwriters in any musical genre. That they all happen to inhabit country music is a minor miracle in and of itself. That you can put the four men into one studio without their egos colliding is another.

"The Road Goes On Forever" is a great album, as you might expect. I would've given it five stars, had more of the guys' own material been present. As is, Waylon sings his moving "I Do Believe," Willie romps through "The End of Understanding," Cash braves his haunting "Death and Hell", and Kristofferson sings of redemption and human kindness in "Here Comes That Rainbow Again."

The other songs, too, are of top notch quality--don't get me wrong about that. "It Is What It Is" had to've been written especially for these guys to sing; Steve Earle's superb "The Devil's Right Hand" is given a new--but respectful--arrangement; "Live Forever" and "Everyone Gets Crazy" have a reminiscent quality that is as moving as it is listenable.

"The Road Goes On Forever" combines four of music's best--the Big Four, we shall call them--and features some of their best performances. Though Cash and Waylon have passed on, this and other Highwaymen albums, shows that although they were great on their own, they were something special when they got together with their two good friends, Willie and Kristofferson. The Highwaymen will never be again, sadly (at least not in this original lineup; I don't care who gets together to take their place), but this album is a testament to their creativity and lasting influence on both each other and the music industry in general.

Dynamite CD by the Highwaymen. Purchased two copies of this great CD. Great gift for anybody who is a fan on Waylon, Willie, Johnnie & Kris.