While that subject could describe my schedule for the last several weeks (and certainly next week when I'll be working in the city every day), I'm referring to a new CD that I picked up on Tuesday. I haven't given you kids any musical ramblings for a while so strap in...

You all know that I'm a sucker for Elvis Costello. I have an absurd EC collection that goes so far as to include any sort of tribute album or soundtrack that he graces. Well, on Tuesday I picked up "Willie Nelson and Friends: Live and Kickin'." It's the soundtrack from the recent USA special celebrating Willie's birthday and features an, um, star-studded cast. I felt bad for missing the special and felt even worse for not trying to get into the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan where it was taped. I think loyal reader Jesse attended, though. Is that correct?

At any rate, the disc is a mess from the start. Willie, to my ears, is best with minimal support. The house band for this night, as you probably would expect, is loud and bombastic. All the arrangements are like listening to the Tonight Show Band Featuring Willie Nelson. It's not a fun listen. Most of the contributions are complete throw-aways. I won't waste your time by discussing, for instance, Shania Twain or Wyclef Jean. There are, however, three tracks worthy of some exploration.

Willie has a very unique style of delivery that most artists couldn't get away with. You know what I mean. It's that hurky-jerky, staccato style where he often is pretty much just speaking. I'd almost call it a lazy style. Shelby Lynne, on the other hand, pretty much tries to sing the hell out of everything. Why, then, she decides to tackle "Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground" is baffling. She just can't work with a song that requires Willie's delivery to pull off. Her voice cracks all over the place and the subtle tear jerker becomes almost unrecognizable. Oh, and the fact that she's obviously f*cked up (shocking, I know!) doesn't help.

Norah Jones clearly has a once-in-a-lifetime voice. It really is a beautiful instrument. However, I hope that she develops some style. "Come Away With Me" is a beautiful record for background listening. It isn't, however, very interesting. The same is true of her take on Waylon's classic "Wurlitzer Prize (I Don't Want To Get Over You)." It sounds great, but she just doesn't get it. She tries to deliver the eternally brilliant lines...

They oughta give me the Wurlitzer Prize
For all the silver I let slide down the slot
Playin' those songs sung blue
I don't wanna get over you

in the same exact manner as anything else in her catalog. It doesn't work (and it also doesn't work when she tries to do the same on a recent Waylon tribute which I'll try to review later).

That brings us to the reason we're here, Elvis and Diana Krall chipping in to help with "Crazy." Many people don't seem to know that a young Willie Nelson wrote this Patsy Cline classic. This particular take starts with Diana singing a verse and a chorus. It sounds fabulous and you really just want to hear her take the whole thing on. But, alas, not on this night. Willie then takes the next verse and chorus which, again, sounds great. I've always thought that this song played well into his style. But, just when he starts to soar, in comes Elvis. EC takes the last chorus and alsosounds great. In the end, though, you're left wanting to hear any one of the three sing the whole track. As is, it's like a jigsaw puzzle that sort of fits together and almost looks right but required you to really hammer the pieces in. Not a very satisfying track on a fairly unpalatable disc.