Willie Nelson – Band of Brothers (2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

SONY/Legacy Recordings is proud to announce the release of Band of Brothers, the new Willie Nelson studio album premiering 14 performances including nine brand-new songs composed by America’s quintessential pop/country songwriter.

The much-anticipated successor To All The Girls… (which became Willie’s first Top 10 album in more than three decades when it was released in October 2013) Band of Brothers is the artist’s first album of predominately new original material in nearly two decades, debuting the master tunesmith’s first major batch of newly-penned songs since his Spirit album in 1996. ”I got on kind of a writing kick,” Willie Nelson said recently, ”it’s good to be writing again.”

The influential songwriter–whose early successes brought pop and country together with unforgettable standards like “Crazy” (Patsy Cline), “Hello Walls” (Faron Young), “Funny How Time Slips Away” (Billy Walker), “Night Life” (Ray Price) and many others–has added nine new essential songs to his classic catalog. One of Willie’s most personal albums to-date, the songs on Band of Brothers range from the introspective (“The Wall” and “Send Me a Picture”) to the rollicking (“Wives and Girlfriends” and “Used To Her”).

Rounding out the album are five songs, penned by others, which compliment and unite the album’s sonic textures and lyric themes. Included are Willie’s interpretations of Vince Gill’s Whenever You Come Around”, Billy Joe Shaver’s ”The Git Go” (a duet with Jamey Johnson) and the appropriately-titled “Songwriter,” written by Gordie Sampson and Bill Anderson.

All 14 tracks on Band of Brothers are new recordings and none of the songs have been previously recorded by Willie Nelson.

Working again with producer Buddy Cannon, who helmed Willie’s first three Legacy releases, and a band featuring Jim “Moose” Brown (keyboards), Eddie Bayers (drums), Kevin “Swine” Grantt (bass), Bobby Terry (guitar), Tommy White (steel guitar), Mickey Raphael (harmonica) and Trigger (Willie’s guitar), Willie Nelson recorded the bulk of Band of Brothers during sessions at Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville with additional recording at Pedernales Studio, Austin, Texas and The Hit Factory Criteria, Miami, Florida. Recording sessions took place between October 2013 and March 2014.

“When all the songs have been written/When all of the music has played/When the curtain comes down we’ll still be around/To make sure the musicians are paid, cause,” Willie sings on the album’s title track, an anthemic salute to the universal camaraderie of music and the uncompromising vision of a great American songwriter:

“We’re a band of brothers and sisters and whatever
On a mission to break all the rules
And I know you love me ’cause I love you too
But you can’t tell me what to do”

Tracklist:

01. Willie Nelson – Bring It On (02:54)
02. Willie Nelson – Guitar in the Corner (03:56)
03. Willie Nelson – The Wall (03:29)
04. Willie Nelson – Whenever You Come Around (04:13)
05. Willie Nelson – Wives and Girlfriends (03:02)
06. Willie Nelson – I Thought I Left You (03:02)
07. Willie Nelson – Send Me a Picture (03:59)
08. Willie Nelson – Used to Her (02:47)
09. Willie Nelson – The Git Go (04:08)
10. Willie Nelson – Band of Brothers (02:51)
11. Willie Nelson – Hard to Be an Outlaw (03:09)
12. Willie Nelson – Crazy Like Me (03:17)
13. Willie Nelson – The Songwriters (03:16)
14. Willie Nelson – I’ve Got a Lot of Traveling to Do (03:18)