Track Listing

1. Nothing - Lee Hazlewood, Lula Hazlewood, Lula
2. Baghdad Knights
3. Please Come to Boston - Lee Hazlewood, , Ann-Kristin Hedmark
4. She's Gonna Break Some Heart Tonight - Tommy Parsons
5. Sacrifice
6. Fred Freud
7. First Song of the Day - Bela B., Lee Hazlewood
8. It's Nothing to Me
9. Anthem
10. White People Thing
11. Boots [Original Melody Only Edit]
12. Some Velvet Morning - Lee Hazlewood, Phaedra, Phaedra
13. T.O.M. (The Old Man)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21538 in Music
• Released on: 2007-01-23
• Number of discs: 1

Album Description
CAKE OR DEATH is LEE HAZLEWOOD's swan song, his last album, following his rediscovery by an extraordinary range of contemporary artists such as Beck, Pulp, Sonic Youth and Nick Cave. Full of HAZLEWOOD's trademark drama, sentiment, lyrical trickery, subtle politics, dry wit and unforgettable melody CAKE OR DEATH a fabulous curtain call that finds HAZLEWOOD displaying all of the charm and talent that has made him one of the most name-checked and influential artists in rock and roll history. It's one hell of a swansong.

Customer Reviews

So This Is The End....
For those who don't already know, Cake or Death is Lee Hazlewood's long-promised and long-awaited career finale. On first listen, I had mixed feelings about it but subsequent listens brought me around to embracing it whole-heartedly as an album worthy of a singer/songwriter of Hazlewood's stature. It has all the elements of an enduring Hazlewood classic that nods to his past and looks to his future while remaining rooted in the present.
I like the whole CD with the exception of the snippet of Some Velvet Morning performed by his granddaughter which is cute, but out of place. But I suppose Lee's fans can forgive him a little self-indulgence after the years of listening pleasure he has given us.
Among my favorites are Nothing, with its touch of wry Hazlewood humor; the accordion-driven Sacrifice; the ominous sounding surf-rock of The First Song of the Day; the patriotic Anthem; the humorous White People Thing; and Lee's bittersweet acceptance of his looming mortality in T.O.M.
However, the best cut on the CD is a splendid rearrangement of the famous Boots. That is so well done with its jazzy horns and Duane Eddy's guitar that its hard to keep from hitting the replay button over and over. As much as I like Lee's original recording of Boots and the subsequent rendition by Nancy Sinatra, it is this arrangement that is the best. Thanks, Lee!
As all good things must come to an end, it is with sadness that Hazlewood's fans must accept that Cake or Death is likely the last we will hear musically from him. I bought this at a favorite West Coast CD shop where it was flying off the shelves and I urge all who read this to get one for themselves. Not because its Hazlewood's last, but because its one of his best.

It's worth buying, but...


I really like a lot of the tracks on this record but a handful won't survive the journey from my computer to my IPod. When I first heard about his granddaughter (Phaedra) singing "Some Velvet Morning" I loved the idea... I was dead wrong. It's the stuff hidden bonus tracks are made of; but on an album that's only 13 tracks as it is I'm really disappointed to hear it on the record. It sounds like she sang it through the phone and he recorded it at the other end on a boombox. The song, "White People Thing" feels a little too much like a Jeff Foxworthy joke to me. My other omitted track would be "She's Gonna Break Some Heart Tonight" sung by Tommy Parsons... it's not that bad of a track but I paid to here Lee Hazlewood sing not Tommy Parsons. Now that I got all that off my chest I should say that everything else on this record is really strong and well worth the money even if you're only listening to 10 of the 13 tracks like I will.

I thought that was really cool.
This is the last album by the late Lee Hazlewood. It is a very eclectic album, with lots of different types of songs. Lee's voice was not at full strength at this point, but it doesn't matter; his weathered voice is totally appropriate for this album. There are five guest vocalists helping out on the album, including Lee's very young granddaughter. The songs highlight Lee brilliant production skills, as well as his eccentricities. Lee's own records were never as commercial as the ones he produced for Nancy Sinatra, but they are very charming in their own way. This is the perfect final album for an often under appreciated artist.