YOU'D be a hard-hearted crittur to complain about not receiving value for money at a Willie Nelson show. Saturday night's doozie clocked in at an overly-generous two hours and 26 minutes. Additionally, Willie rewarded his followers with extra bangs-per-buck by expertly, with just one finger, frisbee'ing pre-knotted samples of his trademark red bandanas into the stalls every so often.

Of course, what Willie provided that mattered the most on Saturday were all the timeless singalong classics he's written: Crazy, Funny How Time Slips Away, Good-Hearted Woman, Night Life.

He knows a winning song when it's been written by someone else, too, as was demonstrated by his version of Always On My Mind.

Willie's halting delivery of this wistful, apologetic declaration of love underlined his status as the King of the Understated Vocal. Just as Willie's masterly drummer, Paul English, proved adept throughout at coaxing a range of subtle rhythms from a kit consisting of one bare snare drum - often employing only one hand, too - so Willie's voice on Always On My Mind was living testimony to the old adage that less is more.

For whatever song Willie sang, he did so with a dry and plaintive plain-ness which paradoxically always served to enhance a tune's emotional import. At the same time, he was always willing to chart fresh paths for each song by vamping off on new melodic byways.

Up whisky rivers Willie led us, past outlaw run-ins in Laredo, and doomed Wild West vistas where women are forever a-reachin' down to pluck smokin' guns from their men-folks' hands. Quietly epic, Mr Nelson, and much appreciated.