The Notorious Cherry Bombs (2004)

Rodney Crowell indulged in high-minded middle-aged introspection on his last two CDs, and Vince Gill has been known to solemnize a little himself. So it's a surprise to find them imploring an over-stuffed pal to ''loosen up before you're too damn old'' in the opening chorus of their Wilburyesque supergroup's debut The Notorious Cherry Bombs. The cobweb-clearing's a blast, whether they're gently detonating jam-night pop-R&B, straight-up Johnny Cash homages, or the old-school ''It's Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night That Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long.''