Django and Jimmie [LP]

by Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson

Overview

Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard first teamed up on record for Pancho & Lefty in 1983, a record released some 20 years after both singers began their careers. Back then, they were both hovering around 50, already considered old guys, but Django and Jimmie arrives 32 years after that record, when there's no question that the pair are old-timers. Appropriately enough, mortality is on their minds throughout Django and Jimmie, a record whose very title is taken from Willie and Merle's childhood idols. It's a song that seems like a confession, as does the casual admission that they didn't think they'd "Live This Long," but neither Nelson nor Haggard wrote this, nor the title track or the album's first single, the near-novelty "It's All Going to Pot." These are made-to-order originals by some of the best in the business -- Buddy Cannon, Jamey Johnson, and Larry Shell wrote "It's All Going to Pot," Jimmy Melton and Jeff Prince the title track -- and it shows how producer Cannon has a sharp ear for material, along with a way with a relaxed groove. That comfortable, familial atmosphere is one of the best things about Django and Jimmie and extends far beyond the marquee names; the studio pros, friends, family, and fellow travelers who support Willie and Merle help give this a warm, worn-in feel that's appealing on its own terms. As comforting as the vibe is, it's the singers and their songs that linger. Neither Nelson nor Haggard make any attempt to hide their age -- Willie is a bit thinner than he used to be, Merle a bit growlier -- and their age is affecting when they revisit songs from the past, whether they wrote them or not (Hag's "Swinging Doors" is revived, as is the country standard "Family Bible" and Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"). This nod to the passage of time isn't as explicit as "Live This Long" or "Missing Ol' Johnny Cash," where they bring in fellow survivor Bobby Bare to reminisce about their old pal. Often, country memories can get maudlin, but Willie and Merle are filled with good humor here and the pair often strike a delicate balance of fun and sweet melancholy which gives Django and Jimmie a soulful lift. Both singers are aware they're approaching the twilight, but they're not cursing the dark, they're enjoying the sunset. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	07/24/2015
Label:	Smg / Sony Legacy / Sony Music
UPC:	0888751009912
Rank:	41644

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Django and Jimmie
2. It's All Going to Pot
3. Unfair Weather Friend
4. Missing Ol' Johnny Cash
5. Live This Long
6. Alice In Hulaland
7. Don't Think Twice, It's Alright

Disc 2

8. Family Bible
9. It's Only Money
10. Swinging Doors
11. Where Dreams Come to Die
12. Somewhere Between
13. Driving the Herd
14. The Only Man Wilder Than Me

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Willie Nelson   Primary Artist,Guitar
Merle Haggard   Primary Artist
Shawn Camp   Guitar (Acoustic)
Bobby Bare   Guest Artist
Kevin Grantt   Bass,Bass (Upright)
Bobby Terry   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Larry Beaird   Guitar (Acoustic)
Mickey Raphael   Harmonica
Jim "Moose" Brown   Piano
Melonie Cannon   Vocals (Background)
Lonnie Wilson   Drums
Renato Caranto   Saxophone
Jamey Johnson   Bugle,Flugelhorn,Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Catherine Styron Marx   Piano
Tony Creasman   Drums
Dan Dugmore   Guitar (Steel)
Tony Harrell   Keyboards
Alison Krauss   Vocals (Background)
Wyatt Beard   Vocals (Background)
Eddie Bayers   Drums
Liana Manis   Vocals (Background)
Eli Beaird   Bass
Mike Johnson   Dobro,Guitar (Steel)
Ben Haggard   Guitar (Electric)

Technical Credits

Shawn Camp   Composer
Paul Buskirk   Composer
Steve Chadie   Engineer
Bob Dylan   Composer
John Guess   Engineer
Walt Breeland   Composer
Marla Cannon-Goodman   Composer
Danny Clinch   Photography
Merle Haggard   Composer
Buddy Cannon   Composer,Producer
Willie Nelson   Composer
Jamey Johnson   Composer
Andrew Mendelson   Mastering
Tony Castle   Mixing,Engineer
Larry Shell   Composer
Claude Gray   Composer
Marv Green   Composer
Jacob Sciba   Assistant Engineer
Jimmy Melton   Composer
Frank Harkins   Creative Director
Natthaphol Abhigantaphand   Assistant
Jim De Blanc   Engineer
Andrew Darby   Assistant
Federico Ruiz   Design,Art Direction
Shannon Finnegan   Production Coordination
Jake Burns   Assistant Engineer
Joe Corey   Assistant Engineer
Ward Davis   Composer
Mike Stankiewicz   Assistant Engineer
Joseph Holguin   Assistant Engineer
Ernesto Olvera   Assistant Engineer
Greg Eliason   Assistant Engineer
Jeff Prince   Composer
Ace Otten   Engineer
Jeremy Simoneaux   Assistant Engineer