The four years that elapsed between Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood's initial album of duets released in 1968 and the follow-up, Nancy & Lee Again, which arrived in 1972, saw a lot of change for the duo. Sinatra's star faded and she gradually retreated from the spotlight, while Hazlewood moved to Sweden and cut a series of albums that weren't exactly popular or well received. Both of them were looking for two things: to reconnect with an old friend and to possibly squeeze out another hit. Although the album didn't deliver on the latter, hearing them reconnect and recapture the spirit of their early work is satisfying. The record is made up of a mix of Hazlewood-penned songs and covers, mostly heavily orchestrated and totally out of step with the pop world of the early '70s. The blend of their voices and sensibilities is still magical, though, and for the most part, the album is a success. Hazlewood's songs veer from melodramatic to hilarious with almost no warning; the opening tearjerker "Arkansas Coal (Suite)" leads right into the rip-roaring goof "Big Red Balloon." This kind of tonal shift happens throughout the record, with songs as bleak and brutal as their take on Dolly Parton's "Down from Dover" -- which features Hazlewood pitching his voice down into some scary depths and Sinatra breaking into mock sobs -- balancing precariously next to a rollicking ramble through the silly country novelty track "Did You Ever?" They manage to keep the record from toppling over, but only just. Only the ultra-treacly "Tippy Toes" slips too far over the line, creeping too far past the boundary of sweetness. This misstep is balanced by near-perfect songs like "Paris Summer," which captures the psychedelic swoon of earlier duets, only with a full orchestra providing the swirling backdrop, and "Friendship Train," which serves as the emotional center of the album and could be seen as Hazlewood's touching apology to Sinatra for moving to Sweden without so much as a goodbye. Even if it's about something else, it does give the record a kindly, forgiving undertone that's hard to ignore. The final track even gives listeners a glimpse into the pair's joking, lighthearted reunion. Making light of their ages, famous parents, and guitar playing, "Got It Together" is a fittingly silly end to the album. Overall, Nancy & Lee Again may not be quite the equal of their first album of duets, but it's better than if they had never patched things up at all. ~ Tim Sendra
