Last Leaf on the Tree explained

Last Leaf on the Tree is the 76th solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Willie Nelson. It was released on November 1, 2024, through Legacy Recordings.^[1] Produced and curated by Micah Nelson, the album contains songs from songwriters such as Beck, Tom Waits, Neil Young and Nina Simone, a new version of Nelson's 1962 song "The Ghost" and an original song ("The Color of Sound") cowritten by Willie and Micah Nelson.^[2] Micah Nelson identified the through-line of the album as "facing death with grace".^[3]

The album's lead single and title track, a cover of Tom Waits's song "Last Leaf" from the 2011 album Bad as Me, was released on August 15, 2024. The album's second single, a cover of The Flaming Lips' song "Do You Realize??", from their 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, was released on September 19, 2024. The third single, a cover of Beck's "Lost Cause" from his 2002 album Sea Change, was released on October 25, 2024.

Background

Nelson's manager Mark Rothbaum first suggested that Micah Nelson should produce an album for his father.^[4] Micah Nelson took the minimalist production of Spirit as the starting point for the sound of the album, which was initially conceived as a Tom Waits tribute album before expanding in scope. Texas Monthly described the album as "the closest thing to a true Trigger record since 2013’s Let’s Face the Music and Dance"; Micah Nelson aimed for the iconic guitar "to be the lead character".^[5] Last Leaf on the Tree ends with a hidden track, "Looking for Trouble", described by Micah Nelson as "a very unserious moment."

Critical reception

Last Leaf on the Tree received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 84 out of 100 based on four reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

Tim Cumming at The Arts Desk found Last Leaf on the Tree to be "on a higher level" than Nelson's "excellent" previous album The Border, praising Nelson's voice and guitar work, the production and choice of material. No Depression concluded that "On Last Leaf on the Tree, Willie Nelson is still doing what he’s always done best: interpreting the songs of others and writing his own memorable melodies."^[6]

Track listing

Notes

Personnel

Musicians

• Aroyn Davis – bass (track 11)
• John Densmore – percussion (tracks 1, 2, 6, 9)
• Sam Gendel – alto saxophone (tracks 4, 10, 11), recorder (12)
• Daniel Lanois – pedal steel guitar (track 13)
• Micah Nelson – acoustic guitar (tracks 1–9, 11–13), piano (1–3, 7, 11), surdo (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11), percussion (1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 11), cello (1, 3, 7, 9, 11), steel guitar (1, 6), background vocals (2, 3, 5–11, 13); bass, drums (2, 3, 5–9, 13); electric guitar (3, 4–7, 9, 11, 13), clapping (4, 8, 10), dulcimer (5), synthesizer (6, 10), slide guitar (8), Mellotron (13)
• Willie Nelson – lead vocals, Trigger
• Mickey Raphael – harmonica (tracks 1–9, 13), jaw harp (8)
• Kevin Smith – double bass (track 1)
• Nikita Sorokin – violin (tracks 2, 5, 9), fiddle (8)
• Magatte Sow – drums (track 4)
• Harlan Steinberger – clapping (track 4)
• Jeremy Steinberger – clapping (track 4)

Technical

• Steve Chadie – recording
• Emily Lazar – mastering
• Brando Marius – engineering
• Micah Nelson – production, mixing, recording, album art
• Mickey Raphael – engineering
• Harlan Steinberger – mixing, recording
• Randi Steinberger – photos

Notes and References

1. Web site: DeVille, Chris. Willie Nelson Announces 152nd Album Last Leaf on the Tree. August 15, 2024. Stereogum. August 15, 2024.
2. Kaufman, Gil. Willie Nelson Releasing 'Last Leaf on the Tree' Covers LP With Tracks Written By Beck, Tom Waits, Flaming Lips, Neil Young & More. August 15, 2024. Billboard. August 15, 2024.
3. Grow, Kory. Hear Willie Nelson's Tom Waits Cover Ahead of Album That Finds Him 'Facing Death With Grace'. August 15, 2024. Rolling Stone. August 15, 2024.
4. Web site: Blackstock, Peter. WILLIE NELSON THE LAST LEAF ON THE TREE. September 10, 2024. Medium. October 29, 2024.
5. Web site: Spong, John. Love, Death, and a Bleating Goat: Inside Willie’s Strange and Beautiful New Album. October 30, 2024. Texas Monthly. October 30, 2024.
6. Web site: Carrigan . Henry . ALBUM REVIEW: On ‘Last Leaf on the Tree’ Willie Nelson Contemplates Still Standing. . October 31, 2024 . en.