WILLIE NELSON > Moment of Forever

Label: Lost Highway
[Rating: 3 STARS]

“Don’t wanna hear no preacher preachin’/No more politicians bitchin’,” Willie Nelson sings on Guy Clark’s “Worry B Gone.” “All those songs about love gone wrong/Got me wonderin’ where my baby’s gone/Give me just one more hit of that worry be gone.” It could be a spot-on forecast for our nation’s mood by summertime. In fact, if increased escapism is a top goal for this election season, Moment of Forever is a speedy vehicle toward that end. Still overdue for a front-to-back success, this is Nelson’s tightest album since the Daniel Lanois-produced Teatro a decade ago. Kenny Chesney oversees this time, and the song selection is impeccable. Clark and Kris Kristofferson are sure fits for Nelson, but covers of Randy Newman (“Louisiana”), Dave Matthews (“Gravedigger”) and Big & Rich (“The Bob Song”) prove equally inspired. Biggest treat: Nelson’s eight-minute take on Bob Dylan’s “Gotta Serve Somebody” somehow leaves listeners wanting.