Heroes Columbia Legacy****

The numbers tell a story. He is 79 with more than 60 albums to his name. His colourful career spans almost 60 years, and he is still being busted for dope. Indeed, Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die is a jaunty swinging statement of his last wishes for which he is joined by Snoop Dogg, Kris Kristofferson and Jamey Johnson.

This is a fine return to country basics marshalled by producer Buddy Cannon. But one of the stand-out tracks is a cover of Come On Up to the House by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan. Nelson also has a spirited gospel reading with Sheryl Crow and his son Lukas Nelson, with whom this LP is something of a passing of the torch. My favourite track harks back to 1949 when Floyd Tillman used the wider world's anxieties to reflect his own with Cold War With You, and which Nelson renders beautifully with no hint of self-consciousness. willienelson.com

Download tracks:Come On Up to the House, Cold War With You