Lee Hazlewood

Cake or Death (Ever)

By Joel Cusumano
Published: February 25th, 2007 | 3:33pm

Chances are you're familiar with Lee Hazlewood whether or not you know it. His early work as a rockabilly producer and songwriter endeared him to musicians (including protégé Phil Spector), but his '60s collaborations with Nancy Sinatra gave him the admiration of millions worldwide. "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" and "So Long, Babe" are quintessential documents of go-go era '60s pop and ("Boots" especially) a whole new era of tough girl hip. Hazlewood and Sinatra’s epic duet "Some Velvet Morning" has been covered by bands ranging from Primal Scream to Lydia Lunch.

Hazlewood’s own country-tinged solo records received lesser fanfare (perhaps his maverick nature kept him from wider recognition), but he's always been a little too pop for country, a little too country for pop, and a little too odd for any genre. Ironically, this nonconformist approach that makes Hazlewood's music so great frequently makes his albums a frustrating listen.

His latest, and purportedly last, album, Cake or Death, is no exception. The album was recorded by a defiant Hazlewood, recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, but determined to record his swan song. Age has whittled his typically dry, deep voice down to a creaky whisper, which may make the listen difficult for newcomers. For the most part, Cake is a graceful exit, and Hazlewood’s skillful storytelling is still intact on songs such as the duet with Ann Hedmark, “Please Come to Boston,” which is reminiscent of classic, slick Nashville country, and “It’s Nothing to Me,” a dark, wry observation on life and love.

Unfortunately, the pleasant surprises only slightly outweigh the numerous missteps and jarring stylistic shifts. “Baghdad Knights,” a half-baked protest song, gives us the tired observation that war is “just like playing football with a gun,” which is almost as awful as the pseudo bad-boy anthem, er, “Anthem,” where Hazlewood declares “I always did what my mama told me / But I never did vote Republican,” which sounds about as rebellious as remembering to recycle. “She’s Gonna Break Some Heart Tonight,” a frighteningly unclever country-pop tune about a barroom heartbreaker, feels musically and lyrically more fit for a Jimmy Buffet record.

The end of the album contains a fine, if not revelatory, revisit of “Boots,” as well as a bizarre remake of “Some Velvet Morning” by Hazlewood’s granddaughter Phaedra. To his credit, Cake acknowledges that though the singer’s greatest years are behind him, he’s still got a bit of rebel’s kick left in his boots.