Run That By Me One More Time
In September of 1961, Ray Price was a superstar and Willie Nelson was his bass player. As part of Price's Cherokee Cowboys, Willie played on Price's pioneeringBob Willstribute LPSan Antonio Rose. Twenty years later, after Willie had become superstar in his own right, the two re-teamed for a secondSan Antonio Rose, this one a set of honky-tonk and Western swing duets that yielded two Top 10 singles. Twenty-two years after that release, they're back for yet another exquisite, relaxed romp through the same Texas-Southwestern axis. The tunes are familiar: classics byFloyd Tillman("I'll Keep on Loving You") and Bob Wills ("Deep Water"), a Price original ("Soft Rain"), an obscure Willie original ("I'm So Ashamed"), and a couple of Willie tunes that Price rendered hits ("I Just Destroyed the World," "I'm Still Not Over You"). Their understated approach isn't the only strength. Willie, at 70, and Price, at 77, retain nearly all of their vocal power, a result of near-nonstop touring that keeps their voices limber, supremely expressive, and, most importantly, as capable of moving a listener as they were decades ago.--Rich Kienzle