Lee Hazelwood -- Cake or Death

Although the title of iconic and near legendary songwriter/producer Lee Hazlewood's new solo album, Cake or Death, is an homage to comedian Eddie Izzard, it would seem as though he has included the word "or" for our benefit, not his own creative caprice. We might have the luxury of choosing dessert over our demise, but sadly he does not. When Hazlewood says this is his last album, he's not announcing some faux Bowie retirement, but conceding his last remaining days to terminal cancer. And what an icing-laden delight he's delivered for his going-away party. Cake or Death offers a pastiche of the career that found Hazlewood working with a couple of Sinatras, Dean Martin and Duane Eddy, among others, and made him the envy of songwriters over the past 40 years. Cake or Death is the sound of Jimmy Webb, Tom Waits, Roger Miller and Henry Mancini enjoying peyote/tequila smoothies and writing the perfect soundtrack for their dreamy desert spirit-quest. Hazlewood treats schmaltz and magnificence with the same reverence, whether it's the tossed-off novelty brilliance of "Fred Freud," the arresting Rock relevance of "Baghdad Knights," the politically wry "'Anthem" or the dusty Blues swagger of "White People Thing." Sure, there are moments of syrupy abandon, like his mournful Jazz-light take on Dave Loggins' '70s hit, "Please Come to Boston," which ultimately hits the heart of poignant irony when Hazlewood sings, "Please come to L.A. to live forever." Lee Hazlewood never adhered to rules when he rose to prominence in the '60s, and he sure as hell didn't feel like he was rewriting rules for other people to follow. He just did what he felt and felt what he did, and Cake and Death is the last, best stop on his sonic cigarettes-and-martini travelogue. (Brian Baker) Grade: B+