Pitchfork

While he might loathe balladeer Bryan Adams, one-B-shy rocker Ryan Adams loves him some Willie Nelson, at least enough to handle production duties on the man's forthcoming album, Songbird. According to Billboard.com, Adams and Nelson have transcended the generational divide to collaborate on the disc, sure to scare up some respectable sales when Lost Highway releases it on Halloween (that's October 31 to the grownups out there).

In this candybag: eleven sugar-coated tracks, with Adams' Cardinals band backing, including a number of choice and not-so-choice covers: Gram Parsons' "$1000 Wedding", the Grateful Dead's "Stella Blue", Christine McVie's "Songbird", and, oh boy, Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"--this despite Pitchfork's recent strict moratorium on "Hallelujah" covers. They'll rot yr teeth, man.

Boooo:

01 Rainy Day Blues
02 Songbird
03 Blue Hotel
04 Back to Earth
05 Stella Blue
06 Hallelujah
07 $1000 Wedding
08 We Don't Run
09 Yours Love
10 Sad Songs & Waltzes
11 Amazing Grace

Meanwhile, Adams and his trusty Cardinals are taking a short reprieve, having toured much of the summer away; they're at it again next month, with shows spanning from Cali to the mighty EU.

Everything Ryan does (he does it for you):

09-08 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
09-09 San Diego, CA - House of Blues
09-10 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
09-21 Newcastle, England - Newcastle Academy
09-22 Glasgow, Scotland - Glasgow Academy
09-24 Nottingham, England - Rock City
09-25 Birmingham, England - Birmingham Academy
09-27 Cambridge, England - Corn Exchange
09-28 Manchester, England - Manchester Academy 1
09-30 London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire
10-03 Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Paradiso
10-06 Cologne, Germany - Kantine
10-07 Assen, The Netherlands - Take Root Festival
10-09 Hamburg, Germany - Ubel & Gefaehrlich
10-10 Berlin, Germany - Postbahnhof
10-12 Munich, Germany - Muffathalle

And let's not forget the man himself, our second-favorite Willie Nelson (first being the hapless monster from "Aqua Teen Hunger Force"), who's presently showing up men half his age on his own tour. Here's Willie:

08-16 Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center *
08-17 Interlochen, MI - Kresge Auditorium
08-18 Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre *
08-19 Noblesville, IN - Verizon Wireless Music Center *
08-20 Chicago, IL - Charter One Pavilion *
08-22 Maryland Heights, MO - UMB Bank Pavilion *
08-23 Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre *
08-26 Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion *
08-27 Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Pavilion *
08-30 Lemoore, CA - Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino *
08-31 Saratoga, CA - Mountain Winery
09-01 Kelseyville, CA - Konocti Harbor
09-03 Morrison, CO - Red Rock Amphitheater
09-04 Park City, UT - Deer Valley
09-07 Laughlin, NV - Flamingo Hilton
09-08 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
09-09 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
09-10 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
09-30 Camden, NJ - Farm Aid 2006

* with John Fogerty