Harry Dean Stanton is an American icon and, in Sophie Huber’s film Partly Fiction, the subject of a critically acclaimed documentary. This soundtrack album features the legendary actor—who was so fascinating a character that he spent the first hour of Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas not speaking a word—sitting in his living room at age 88, singing the songs he loves with The Kingbees’ Jamie James on acoustic guitar. Stanton had imagined himself as a country singer, but he decided that acting would let him do both. Now he finally has an album under his name. The music that pours forth has a touching intimacy that’s hard to deny. He runs through Fred Neil’s “Everybody’s Talkin’” (a hit when recorded by Harry Nilsson for Midnight Cowboy), George Jones’ “She Still Thinks I Care,” Jim Reeves’ “He’ll Have to Go," and Willie Nelson’s “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain." All have a heartbroken simplicity where you can imagine yourself sitting next to history being made—or your grandfather. Stanton picks it up for an excited version of Chuck Berry’s “Promised Land” and sings “Danny Boy” as if his life depended on it.
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