★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
I've heard the title track a thousand times, of course, but never got around to the rest of this fine debut by the country supergroup to end all supergroups. Fun fact: The group wasn't named "The Highwaymen" on this album. On their this and their second album, they are credited as "Nelson, Jennings, Cash, Kristofferson." The official name which came to be widely recognized began to be used only in later years, and their last collaborative effort, The Road Goes on Forever, was already credited to "The Highwaymen." But I'm going with the now-common name. Also, I always assumed that the cosmic-reincarnation saga of the title track was some Willie Nelson weed-inspired dream, but it turns out it's a Jimmy Webb cover from 1977! Anyhoo, the rest of these songs — all but one covers — are excellent as well. Favorite tracks: "Highwayman," "Big River," "Against the Wind," and the bleak but jaunty-sounding account of a mental hospital, "Committed to Parkview."
