The ever-prolific Willie Nelson has announced his 152nd (!) album, The Border, out May 31st via Legacy Recordings. Still going strong at 90 years old, he has also shared the title track, a cover of Rodney Crowell’s 2019 song of the same name. Stream it below.
Produced by Nelson’s longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon, The Border features 10 new tracks, including four co-written by Nelson with Cannon. In addition, it contains an additional Crowell cover (“Many a Long and Lonesome Highway”) and recordings of songs penned by Larry Cordle and Erin Enderlin, Shawn Camp and Monty Holmes, and Mike Reid.
The Border will be available on digital, CD, and black vinyl formats; pre-orders are ongoing. Check out the artwork capturing the Big Bend border area between Texas and Mexico below, followed by the full tracklist.
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On “The Border,” the Red-Headed Stranger gives his interpretation of Crowell’s Texas cut, channeling the perspective of a guard working on the Texas-Mexico border. “I come home to Maria/ In a bulletproof vest,” he sighs. “With the weight of the whole wide world/ Bearing down on my chest.”
Nelson’s most recent solo album was last year’s Bluegrass, released before his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November.
This coming June through September, Nelson will co-headline the “Outlaw Music Festival Tour” with Bob Dylan; get tickets here. He will also appear at Stagecoach Music Festival next month and join Chris Stapleton for a summer date on his “All-American Road Show.”
The Border Artwork:
The Border Tracklist:
01. The Border
02. Once Upon a Yesterday
03. What If I’m Out of My Mind
04. When I Wrote This Song for You
05. Kiss Me When You’re Through
06. Many a Long and Lonesome Highway
07. Hank’s Guitar
08. Made in Texas
09. Nobody Knows Me Like You
10. How Much Does It Cost