T Bone Fixes Willie's Guitar (and Voice)

Country Music-Willie Nelson-Is it me, or is Willie Nelson's trademark guitar sound grating? And his voice--man, I don't ever again want to hear him sing "To All the Girls I've Loved Before," or "Always on My Mind." Enough with "On the Road Again." And that "Baby It's Cold Outside" duet with Norah Jones is, to me, offensive. Stop it, I say. You've gone karaoke! You're an outlaw, for goodness sake.

That said, Mr. Nelson's new one, aptly titled Country Music, produced by roots tastemaker T Bone Burnett, is about perfect. The songs are country classics, so that helps. Gotta like "A Satisfied Mind" no matter who records it. But T Bone mixes Willie's distinctive singing and guitar in a way that complements the other instruments, instead of dominating them. Narrows alum Jim Lauderdale does a lot of harmonizing, which perhaps takes away the boring karaoke edge I've noticed in some of Willie's stuff.

In short: Country Music is the Willie Nelson album for non-Willie Nelson fans, few we may be.