Countryman (Lost Highway, 2005)

To those of you who heard Toots Hibbert's 2004 album True Love, Willie Nelson's reggae debut Countryman won't come as too big a surprise.  To those of you have yet to hear Nelson croon a reggae tune, this album may be quite an eye-opener.  The country legend's creaky, off-beat vocals are certainly an acquired taste, but they actually bear some resemblance to Gregory Isaacs' well-worn, post-'80s singing style.  And though country and reggae seem like an odd mix, it's not unprecedented, as the Reggae Cowboys (and even Josey Wales' out-of-the-box tune "Bush Whacked," featured on Strictly the Best Volume 19) have shown.  Recorded between 1995 and 1997 under the guiding hand of wacky producer Don Was (Not Was), this album is finally seeing the light of day -- in one form or, for Wal-Mart customers (who won't be subjected to the traumatic ganja leaf on the cover), another.  There's an old-fashioned country folksiness to Nelson's singing and home-spun lyrics (as with "Do You Mind Too Much If I Don't Understand"), which should come as no surprise even to those who aren't fans of his. Initially, it might take a few listens to acclimate yourself to the way the talky vocals fall not quite on the beat, but the charm of it all -- lyrics, vocals, music -- shines through.  Both country and reggae fans may buy this album for the quirky camp appeal of the genre mix, but they may be pleasantly surprised to find a straightforward, serious, enjoyable album.  The music is low-key but fun -- mostly light roots with a bit of ska and, yes, country.  Fear not, reggae lovers, though; the only straight country tune is an acoustic guitar version of Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come," so it's all kept within the reggae family.  As with the Reggae Cowboys' releases, the country flavor here often comes from the steely guitar sound that conjures up images of both the tropical -- in a Hawaiian sort of way -- and the dusty, cow-poking Old West.  The standout track is "I'm a Worried Man," a wonderful duet between Nelson and Hibbert that was penned by Johnny (and June) Cash. (I had hoped for a cover of the Donny and Marie theme song: "I'm a little bit country. / I'm a little bit reggae 'n roll"...or not.)  Other highlights include "How Long Is Forever," "One in a Row," a nice cover of Cliff's "Sitting in Limbo," and "You Left a Long, Long Time Ago."  I don't know if there's a lot of crossover between fans of reggae and fans of country, and I won't pretend that Countryman will convert one camp to the other en masse, but it should help provide a little bit of love 'n understanding between the two.  For the average reggae fan at least -- who probably knows little more than "On the Road Again" and "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" -- it may earn Nelson a new level of respect.