by Jana Pendragon
This first disc on the prominent Texas label Justice Records is a thoughtful, more sensitive acoustic version of Billy Joe and Eddy Shaver. With a new lineup that includes California country fiddle phenomenon Brantley Kearns, Highway of Life is a poetic look back on the rough-and-tumble life that has been the fodder for Billy Joe's artistry. A poet as well as a bard and philosopher, Billy Joe is once again at the center of Shaver's performance and style. Starting off with &Yesterday Tomorrow Was Today,& a wordsmith's delight, and ending with a love song, &The First and the Last Time,& written especially for his loving wife, Brenda Joyce Shaver, this release is revealing. The upbeat &West Texas Waltz& is moving in that it transports the listener back in time with its infectious and swaying rhythms, creating a romantic picture about dancing arm in arm with a lover beneath a clear and star-studded west Texas sky. Never at a loss to find humor in even his most introspective moments, &You're Only as Young as the Woman You Feel& is outstanding and makes a clear statement about growing older from a man's perspective. A different side of Billy Joe, Eddy, and their band of merry men, but still a noteworthy project that adds new depth and scope to the legend of Billy Joe Shaver.