Beyond the accurate (if somewhat pretentious) title of this two-CD set is a fetching homage to Texas music by three icons — two Texans and one Bakersfielder whose music is so steeped in Texas he might as well be a native.
The concept’s certainly not new. Haggard and Price each have previously recorded albums with Willie — Haggard on 1983′s Pancho & Lefty, Price on 1980′s San Antonio Rose. The latter, a collection of Texas-oriented tunes recorded when Willie’s audience and record sales were surging, was in many ways the template for this new album. Now as then, accompanists include pedal steel wizard Buddy Emmons (once one of Price’s Cherokee Cowboys) and fiddler Johnny Gimble. Produced in Nashville by Fred Foster, Last Of The Breed adds the Jordanaires and, on the twin fiddle passages, Austin’s Elana James.
Beyond reprising Price’s 1958 hit “Heartaches By The Number”, everyone wisely avoids their own material in favor of celebrating a wide swath of Lone Star music. Western swing and honky-tonk are the main focus, but gospel, cowboy and contemporary (a new song each by Willie and Merle) all get their due.
Bob Wills affected all three. His dance beat inspired Price’s famous “shuffle” rhythm and left an impression on Willie from boyhood. He remains iconic today largely because of Haggard’s 1970 Wills tribute album. Wisely avoiding the obvious standards, they opt for the lesser-known gems “My Life’s Been A Pleasure”, “Please Don’t Leave Me”, “Goin’ Away Party” and “Still Water Runs The Deepest”.
Four Floyd Tillman compositions honor a major architect of Texas honky-tonk, whose writing and phrasing influenced Willie. Tillman hits (“I Gotta Have My Baby Back” and “I Love You So Much It Hurts”) are balanced with non-hit masterpieces (“Some Other World” and “I’ll Keep On Loving You”).
Lefty Frizzell (“Mom And Dad’s Waltz” and “I Love You A Thousand Ways”) and Price were of the same generation of Texas stars. He heavily influenced Haggard’s vocal style, and two years after Frizzell died, Willie honored him with the 1977 album To Lefty From Willie.
“Lost Highway” and “My Mary” were the creations of Texans Leon Payne and Stuart Hamblen. “Sweet Memories” and “Why Me Lord” come from two others Texans: Mickey Newbury and Kris Kristofferson (singing backup), respectively. Gene Autry’s “Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine” remains a standard. Nashville songsmith Harlan Howard originally wrote “Pick Me Up On Your Way Down” for Kitty Wells, but it became Texan Charlie Walker’s biggest hit when Price and Ernest Tubb gender-adjusted Howard’s lyrics. Jim Reeves previously recorded Cindy Walker’s sacred tune “Night Watch”. Willie’s “Back To Earth” and Haggard’s eloquent sacred tune “Sweet Jesus” are new compositions.
For years, veteran country acts — even onetime legends — headed down a guaranteed path to oblivion: re-recording hits for cheapo labels and doing little else. Americana opened up other options. That these three, all actively recording and performing, can so capably revisit music that for them was mother’s milk is testimony both to their staying power and to their consummate sense of history.
