It's a pleasant affair, even stimulating at points, this third album from Willie, Waylon, Johnny and Kris in their collective incarnation as the Highwaymen. In the end, though, The Road Goes On Forever begs the question, Why? Nelson, Jennings and especially Cash are coming off strong solo efforts and might have been better advised to ditch the quartet thing and keep their individual careers in high profile. Only Kristofferson seems to need the exposure he gets in the Highwaymen, since it has been about, oh, 20 years since he wrote a memorable song. (At this point, his early, brilliant burst of artistry seems an aberration in an otherwise unremarkable canon.)

But back they are, with producer Don Was supplying a crisp small-ensemble sound. The Road Goes On Forever has a stark, big-sky Great Plains feel, an ideal backdrop for the weathered voices and blasted sound at work here.

The album works best when harsh confessional material is coupled with vocals abundant in gritty experience, a combination most effectively displayed on the original songs. Nelson's "The End of Understanding" is a gentle, Westernswing heartbreaker given weight by his unadorned, wizened voice. Through sheer presence, Cash weaves the overwrought imagery of "Death and Hell" (co-written with his son John R. Cash) into an abstruse but compelling parable of sin and redemption, continuing the theme of last year's American Recordings. With "I Do Believe," Jennings contributes a piercing declaration of spiritual affirmation and individual accountability that is the best sort of response to religious extremists of any faith.

The problem is Kristofferson. He's required to sing once in a while. He stumbles in barely on key, and he doesn't project much vocal character. The latter is a curious failing for a guy who has lived a lot of life. Everything on The Road flattens out until his turn ends.

Are the Highwaymen better together than apart? Well, their totemic allure as country outsiders is a forceful statement, considering the mainstream scene ruled by chuckleheads like Tim McGraw. When Jennings, Cash and Nelson lean into their new songs, you sort of want the road to go on forever. But truthfully, wouldn't another Cash solo album have been perfect about now? (RS 712/713)

DAVID MCGEE