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There are plenty of other Willie Nelson compilations, but this one's different. It taps Nelson's prowess both as a singing songwriter and an interpreter of others' tunes. And while these 20 selections span his entire career–beginning with his smoky demo of "Crazy" that was the blueprint for Patsy Cline's historic performance–the accent's on his contemporary material. Die-hard Nelson fans need not fear. His recent duets with R&B singer Francine Reed ("Funny How Time Slips Away"), B.B. King ("Night Life"), Lee Ann Womack ("Mendocino Country Line"), and even pop star Brian McKnight ("Don't Fade Away") possess the dusty mix of fragility and wisdom that has become his late-career vocal signature. On Nelson's tongue, even the lyrics to the Muppets' "Rainbow Connection" are a wistful contemplation of life, made all the more poignant by his spare acoustic guitar accompaniment. Nelson's earlier touchstones are here, too. There's his first solo hit–1962's "Touch Me"–plus "Whiskey River," "Good Times," "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," his "Pancho and Lefty" duet with Merle Haggard and, of course, "Funny How Time Slips Away." It's all proof that rather than let his own time slip away, the 71-year-old Texan has etched his art all over it. –Ted Drozdowski

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