Willie Nelson | ||
| Allmusic Biography : As a songwriter and performer, Willie Nelson played a vital role in post-rock & roll country music. Although he didnt become a star until the mid-70s, Nelson spent the 60s writing songs that became hits for stars like Ray Price ("Night Life"), Patsy Cline ("Crazy"), Faron Young ("Hello Walls"), and Billy Walker ("Funny How Time Slips Away"), as well as releasing a series of records on Liberty and RCA that earned him a small but devoted cult following. During the early 70s, Willie aligned himself with Waylon Jennings and the burgeoning outlaw country movement that finally made him a star by 1975. Following the crossover success of that years Red Headed Stranger and "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," Nelson became a genuine success, as recognizable in pop circles as he was to the country audience; in addition to recording, he also launched an acting career in the early 80s. Even when he was a star, Nelson never played it safe musically. Instead, he borrowed from a wide variety of styles, including traditional pop, Western swing, jazz, traditional country, cowboy songs, honky tonk, rock & roll, folk, and the blues, creating a distinctive, elastic hybrid. Nelson remained at the top of the country charts until the mid-80s, when his lifestyle -- which had always been close to the outlaw clichés with which his music flirted -- began to spiral out of control, culminating in an infamous battle with the IRS in the late 80s. During the 90s and into the 2000s, Nelsons sales never reached the heights that he had experienced earlier, but he remained a vital figure in country music, having greatly influenced the new country, new traditionalist, and alternative country movements of the 80s and 90s that continued to thrive in the 21st century. Beyond his music, Nelson was an icon in pop culture, an outlaw beloved by fans who otherwise had little time for country music. Nelson began performing music as a child growing up in Abbott, Texas. After his father died and his mother ran away, Nelson and his sister Bobbie were raised by their grandparents, who encouraged both children to play instruments. Willie picked up the guitar, and by the time he was seven, he was already writing songs. Bobbie learned to play piano, eventually meeting -- and later marrying -- fiddler Bud Fletcher, who invited both of the siblings to join his band. Nelson had already played with Raychecks Polka Band, but with Fletcher, he acted as the groups frontman. Willie stayed with Fletcher throughout high school. Upon his graduation, he joined the Air Force but had to leave shortly afterward when he became plagued by back problems. Following his disenrollment from the service, he began looking for full-time work. After working several part-time jobs, he landed one as a country DJ at Fort Worths KCNC in 1954. Nelson continued to sing in honky tonks as he worked as a DJ, deciding to make a stab at recording career by 1956. That year, he headed to Vancouver, Washington, where he recorded Leon Paynes "Lumberjack." At that time, Payne was a DJ and he plugged "Lumberjack" on the air, which eventually resulted in sales of 3,000 -- a respectable figure for an independent single, but not enough to gain much attention. For the next few years, Nelson continued to DJ and sing in clubs. During this time, he sold "Family Bible" to a guitar instructor for 50 dollars, and when the song became a hit for Claude Gray in 1960, Nelson decided to move to Nashville the following year to try his luck. Though his nasal voice and jazzy, off-center phrasing didnt win him many friends -- several demos were made and then rejected by various labels -- his songwriting ability didnt go unnoticed, and soon Hank Cochran helped Willie land a publishing contract at Pamper Music. Ray Price, who co-owned Pamper, recorded Nelsons "Night Life" and invited him to join his touring band, the Cherokee Cowboys, as a bassist. Arriving at the beginning of 1961, Prices invitation began a watershed year for Nelson. Not only did he play with Price -- eventually taking members of the Cherokee Cowboys to form his own touring band -- but his songs also provided major hits for several other artists. Faron Young took "Hello Walls" to number one for nine weeks, Billy Walker made "Funny How Time Slips Away" into a Top 40 country smash, and Patsy Cline made "Crazy" into a Top Ten pop crossover hit. Earlier in the year, he signed a contract with Liberty Records and began releasing a series of singles that were usually drenched in strings. "Willingly," a duet with his then-wife Shirley Collie, became a Top Ten hit for Nelson early in 1962, and it was followed by another Top Ten single, "Touch Me," later that year. Both singles made it seem like Nelson was primed to become a star, but his career stalled just as quickly as it had taken off, and he was soon charting in the lower regions of the Top 40. Liberty closed its country division in 1964, the same year Roy Orbison had a hit with "Pretty Paper." When the Monument recordings failed to become hits, Nelson moved to RCA Records in 1965, the same year he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Over the next seven years, he had a steady stream of minor hits, highlighted by the number 13 hit "Bring Me Sunshine" in 1969. Toward the end of his stint with RCA, he had grown frustrated with the label, which had continually tried to shoehorn him into the heavily produced Nashville sound. By 1972, he wasnt even able to reach the country Top 40. Discouraged by his lack of success, Nelson decided to retire from country music, moving back to Austin, Texas after a brief and disastrous sojourn into pig farming. Once he arrived in Austin, Nelson realized that many young rock fans were listening to country music along with the traditional honky tonk audience. Spotting an opportunity, Nelson began performing again, scrapping his pop-oriented Nashville sound and image for a rock- and folk-influenced redneck outlaw image. Soon, he earned a contract with Atlantic. Shotgun Willie (1973), Nelsons first album for Atlantic, was evidence of the shift of his musical style, and although it initially didnt sell well, it earned good reviews and cultivated a dedicated cult following. By the fall of 1973, his version of Bob Wills "Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)" had cracked the country Top 40. The following year, he delivered the concept album Phases and Stages, which increased his following even more with the hit singles "Bloody Mary Morning" and "After the Fire Is Gone." But the real commercial breakthrough didnt arrive until 1975, when he severed ties with Atlantic and signed to Columbia Records, which gave him complete creative control of his records. Nelsons first effort for Columbia, The Red Headed Stranger, was a spare concept album about a preacher, featuring only his guitar and his sisters piano. The label was reluctant to release it with such stark arrangements, but they relented and it became a huge hit, thanks to Nelsons understated cover of Roy Acuffs "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain." Following the breakthrough success of The Red Headed Stranger, as well as Waylon Jennings simultaneous success, outlaw country -- so named because it worked outside of the confines of the Nashville industry -- became a sensation, and RCA compiled the various-artists album Wanted: The Outlaws!, using material Nelson, Jennings, Tompall Glaser, and Jessi Colter had previously recorded for the label. The compilation boasted a number one single in the form of the newly recorded Jennings and Nelson duet "Good Hearted Woman," which was also named the Country Music Associations single of the year. For the next five years, Nelson consistently charted on both the country and pop charts, with "Remember Me," "If Youve Got the Money Ive Got the Time," and "Uncloudy Day" becoming Top Ten country singles in 1976; "I Love You a Thousand Ways" and the Mary Kay Place duet "Something to Brag About" were Top Ten country singles the following year. Nelson enjoyed his most successful year to date in 1978, as he charted with two very dissimilar albums. Waylon and Willie, his first duet album with Jennings, was a major success early in the year, spawning the signature song "Mammas Dont Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys." Later in the year, he released Stardust, a string-augmented collection of pop standards produced by Booker T. Jones. Most observers believed that the unconventional album would derail Nelsons career, but it unexpectedly became one of the most successful records in his catalog, spending almost ten years in the country charts and eventually selling over four million copies. After the success of Stardust, Willie branched out into film, appearing in the Robert Redford movie The Electric Horseman in 1979 and starring in Honeysuckle Rose the following year. The latter spawned the hit "On the Road Again," which became another one of Nelsons signature songs. Nelson continued to have hits throughout the early 80s, when he had a major crossover success in 1982 with a cover of Elvis Presleys hit "Always on My Mind." The single spent two weeks at number one and crossed over to number five on the pop charts, sending the album of the same name to number two on the pop charts as well as quadruple-platinum status. Over the next two years, he had hit duet albums with Merle Haggard (1983s Poncho & Lefty) and Jennings (1982s WWII and 1983s Take It to the Limit), while "To All the Girls Ive Loved Before," a duet with Latin pop star Julio Iglesias, became another major crossover success in 1984, peaking at number five on the pop charts and number one on the country singles chart. Following a string of number one singles in early 1985, including "Highwayman," the first single from the Highwaymen, a supergroup he formed with Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson, Nelsons popularity gradually began to erode. A new generation of artists had captured the attention of the country audience, which began to drastically cut into his own audience. For the remainder of the decade, he recorded less frequently and remained on the road; he also continued to do charity work, most notably Farm Aid, an annual concert that he founded in 1985 designed to provide aid to ailing farmers. While his career was declining, an old demon began to creep up on him: the IRS. In November 1990, he was given a bill for $16.7 million in back taxes. During the following year, almost all of his assets -- including several houses, studios, farms, and various properties -- were taken away, and to help pay his bill, he released the double album The IRS Tapes: Wholl Buy My Memories? Originally released as two separate albums, the records were marketed through television commercials, and all the profits were directed to the IRS. By 1993 -- the year he turned 60 -- his debts had been paid off, and he relaunched his recording career with Across the Borderline, an ambitious album produced by Don Was and featuring cameos by Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, Sinéad OConnor, David Crosby, and Kris Kristofferson. The record received strong reviews and became his first solo album to appear in the pop charts since 1985. After the release of Across the Borderline, Nelson continued to work steadily, releasing at least one album a year and touring constantly. In 1993, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, but by that time, he had already become a living legend for all country music fans across the world. Signing to Island for 1996s Spirit, he resurfaced two years later with the critically acclaimed Teatro, produced by Daniel Lanois. Nelson followed up that success with the instrumental-oriented Night and Day a year later; Me and the Drummer and Milk Cow Blues followed in 2000. The Rainbow Connection, which featured an eclectic selection of old-time country favorites, appeared in spring 2001. Amazingly prolific as a recording artist, Nelson released The Great Divide on Universal in 2002. A collection of his early-60s publishing demos for Pamper Music called Crazy: The Demo Sessions came out on Sugar Hill in 2003. Later in 2003, Nelson released Run That by Me One More Time, which reunited him with Ray Price and kicked off a relationship with Lost Highway Records. It Always Will Be and Outlaws and Angels both appeared on Lost Highway in 2004, followed by the release of Nelsons long-delayed attempt at a country-reggae fusion, Countryman, also on Lost Highway, in 2005. You Dont Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker arrived the following year, along with Songbird, Nelsons collaboration with alt-country singer/songwriter Ryan Adams and his band the Cardinals. The double-disc Last of the Breed, an ambitious project that paired Nelson with Merle Haggard, Ray Price, and Asleep at the Wheel, was released by Lost Highway in 2007, followed by the Kenny Chesney/Buddy Cannon-produced Moment of Forever a year later in 2008. Also in 2008, Nelson paired with jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis for the live album Two Men with the Blues, and with harmonica player and producer Mickey Raphael for some serious-repair remixes of vintage Nelson releases from RCA originally recorded between 1966 and 1970 called Naked Willie. Lost Highway, an album of duets with country and pop singers ranging from Shania Twain to Elvis Costello, appeared in 2009. Also appearing in 2009 was the jazz-inflected American Classic from Blue Note. Country Music followed next from Rounder in 2010. Nelson reunited with Marsalis again for 2011’s Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles, which was recorded live on February 9 and 10, 2009 at the Rose Theater with Norah Jones also on board. A CD drawn from the shows appeared on Blue Note in the spring of 2011 and in the fall, Willie released a covers collection called Remember Me, Vol. 1. He then signed with Sony Legacy and released Heroes in the summer of 2012, following it in the spring of the next year with a collection of standards called Lets Face the Music and Dance. That fall, he released To All the Girls..., a collection of new duets with female singers. Nelson kept to a rigorous touring schedule despite the fact that he turned 80 in 2013. Though hed been recording mostly covers for well over a decade, Nelson re-engaged as a songwriter while traveling. Band of Brothers, issued in June of 2014, featured nine originals (co-written with producer Buddy Cannon) among its 14 new songs. Six months later, Nelson launched a projected series of albums (given the collective name Willies Stash, devoted to music especially close to his heart) with December Day, a low-key collaboration with his sister Bobbie Nelson, in which they performed a set of old standards and lesser-known tunes from Nelsons songbook. In 2015, Nelson teamed up with his old friend Merle Haggard for Django and Jimmie, their first collaboration in 20 years. Preceded by the single "Its All Going to Pot," the album debuted at number one on the Billboard country chart upon its June 2015 release. Early in 2016, Nelson released Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin, and later that year he saluted his early inspiration, Ray Price, with For the Good Times: A Tribute to Ray Price. Nelson returned to original songs in April 2017 with the album Gods Problem Child, which was once again co-produced by Buddy Cannon. Later that October, Nelson released the second volume in the Willies Stash series: Willie Nelson and the Boys, a collection of classic country covers recorded with his sons Lukas and Micah. That same month, Light in the Attic issued two catalog projects by Nelson. Teatro: The Complete Sessions, produced by Daniel Lanois, included seven previously unreleased tracks and a DVD of director Wim Wenders documentary of the live sessions for the album, which took place in a picturesque vintage movie theater. The latter volume was a Record Store Day reissue of the more somber 1996 Island Records release of Spirit on gold vinyl. Undercelebrated at the time of its release, it has become among the most treasured outings of his late career, featuring the legendary fiddler Johnny Gimble among its personnel. In April 2018, Nelson and Cannon were back with another studio album, Last Man Standing, which included the single "Me and You." The album debuted at number three on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Five months later, Nelson released My Way, a tribute to Frank Sinatra; it took home the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album in 2019. Nelson released his next studio album, Ride Me Back Home, in June 2019. Its tracks were a mix of new material, co-written by Nelson and Cannon, and covers of songs from Mac Davis, Billy Joel, and others. The title track was co-written by Sonny Throckmorton and was the first single issued from the album. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 41 Title: …and Then I Wrote Released: 1962 Tracks: 12 Duration: 31:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Touch Me (02:13) 2 Wake Me When It’s Over (02:49) 3 Hello Walls (02:24) 4 Funny How Time Slips Away (03:03) 5 Crazy (02:51) 6 The Part Where I Cry (02:19) 7 Mr. Record Man (02:46) 8 Three Days (02:59) 9 One Step Beyond (02:26) 10 Undo the Right (02:34) 11 Darkness on the Face of the Earth (02:32) 12 Where My House Lives (02:19) |
 | Album: 2 of 41 Title: Here’s Willie Nelson Released: 1963 Tracks: 12 Duration: 28:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Roly Poly (01:50) 2 Half a Man (02:25) 3 Lonely Little Mansion (02:24) 4 The Last Letter (02:55) 5 Second Fiddle (02:22) 6 Take My Word (01:48) 7 Right From Wrong (02:10) 8 Feed It a Memory (02:33) 9 Let Me Talk to You (02:19) 10 The Way You See Me (02:56) 11 The Things I Might Have Been (02:19) 12 Home Motel (02:24) |
 | Album: 3 of 41 Title: Country Willie: His Own Songs Released: 1965 Tracks: 12 Duration: 28:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 One Day at a Time (02:32) 2 My Own Peculiar Way (02:55) 3 Night Life (02:25) 4 Funny How Time Slips Away (02:40) 5 Healing Hands of Time (02:20) 6 Darkness on the Face of the Earth (02:26) 7 Hello Walls (02:11) 8 Are You Sure (02:10) 9 Mr. Record Man (02:13) 10 It Should Be Easier Now (02:43) 11 So Much to Do (02:10) 12 Within Your Crowd (02:03) |
| Country Willie: His Own Songs : Allmusic album Review : The back of this record says, "Willie writes the songs...You make them into hits" and proceeds to talk about some of the artists who have had hits from the pen of Willie Nelson. While some of these tunes showed up in their original versions on the United Artist album Best of Willie Nelson, this is still worth tracking down. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 41 Title: Country Favorites Willie Nelson Style Released: 1966 Tracks: 12 Duration: 29:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Columbus Stockade Blues (01:58) 2 Seasons of My Heart (02:44) 3 Id Trade All of My Tomorrows (For Just One Yesterday) (02:24) 4 My Window Faces the South (01:42) 5 Go on Home (02:14) 6 Fraulein (02:56) 7 San Antonio Rose (02:07) 8 I Love You Because (02:58) 9 Dont You Ever Get Tired (Of Hunting Me) (03:00) 10 Home in San Antone (01:40) 11 Heartaches by the Number (02:19) 12 Making Believe (02:52) |
| Country Favorites Willie Nelson Style : Allmusic album Review : It may be hard to believe but Willie Nelson wasnt always a national icon. In the mid-60s, he regularly hit the charts, except from behind the scenes as a busy and acclaimed songwriter. His own recordings were less successful until, in 1966, Country Favorites, Willie Nelson Style became his first album to enter Billboards country album charts, staying there 17 weeks and eventually reaching number nine. Perhaps because the album is a collection of familiar songs, Nelsons idiosyncratic vocals went over better -- or maybe his time had just come -- but in any case, its certainly a small treasure. Supporting Nelson was Ernest Tubbs wonderful band the Texas Troubadours, who went uncredited because they were under contract to a different record label. The Troubadours experience and sympathetic ears made a reliable backing for Nelson as they tackled such material as "San Antonio Rose," "My Window Faces the South," "Heartaches by the Number," and "Columbus Stockade Blues." Theres nothing cynical or calculated to their light swing and open-hearted feeling, despite such a potentially unpromising album concept. Nelson had already learned how to handle his unconventional voice effectively, giving these songs the honest freshness and sharp sense of rhythm that would characterize his later work. Like many rebels, Nelson has always shown a deep respect for tradition; here he shares his affection with everyone. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 41 Title: My Own Peculiar Way Released: 1969 Tracks: 12 Duration: 31:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 My Own Peculiar Way (03:04) 2 I Walk Alone (03:06) 3 Any Old Arms Wont Do (02:27) 4 I Just Dont Understand (02:35) 5 I Just Dropped By (03:25) 6 The Local Memory (01:50) 7 Thats All (02:24) 8 I Let My Mind Wander (02:50) 9 Natural To Be Gone (02:00) 10 Love Has A Mind Of Its Own (02:36) 11 The Message (02:39) 12 It Will Come To Pass (03:00) |
| My Own Peculiar Way : Allmusic album Review : When Nelson gets into a song, he has a way of playing with the sounds and rhythm of words to get everything possible from a song. Nearly every song on this record is like that, whether its one he penned or a cover like John Hartfords "Natural to Be Gone." The only song on this record that doesnt work is "Thats All." But, dont let that stop you. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 41 Title: Good Times Released: 1969-09 Tracks: 12 Duration: 30:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Good Times (02:27) 2 December Day (02:41) 3 Sweet Memories (03:12) 4 Little Things (03:17) 5 Pages (02:49) 6 She’s Still Gone (02:24) 7 Ashamed (02:11) 8 A Wonderful Yesterday (02:03) 9 Permanently Lonely (02:29) 10 Down to Our Last Goodbye (02:36) 11 Buddy (02:19) 12 Did I Ever Love You (02:26) |
 | Album: 7 of 41 Title: Laying My Burdens Down Released: 1970 Tracks: 10 Duration: 24:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Laying My Burdens Down (02:35) 2 How Long Have You Been There (02:34) 3 Senses (02:12) 4 I Dont Feel Anything (02:29) 5 Ive Seen That Look on Me (02:27) 6 Where Do You Stand? (02:14) 7 Minstrel Man (02:28) 8 Happiness Lives Next Door (02:35) 9 When We Live Again (02:13) 10 Following Me Around (02:41) |
| Laying My Burdens Down : Allmusic album Review : This is what can best be described as a pleasant album. There are some nice things on here, but too many are buried under the Nashville Sound and dont seem to be able to stand on their own. Not great, but you could do worse. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 41 Title: Both Sides Now Released: 1970-03 Tracks: 11 Duration: 31:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Crazy Arms (02:31) 2 Wabash Cannonball (02:44) 3 Pins and Needles (In My Heart) (03:19) 4 Who Do I Know in Dallas (02:29) 5 I Gotta Get Drunk (02:14) 6 Once More With Feeling (02:38) 7 Both Sides Now (03:02) 8 Bloody Mary Morning (03:16) 9 Everybodys Talkin (03:23) 10 One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart) (02:36) 11 It Could Be Said That Way (03:13) |
| Both Sides Now : Allmusic album Review : The title track aside, this is a pretty good album. While there arent as many originals on this record as some of his albums released around this time, he manages to get something new out of several of his covers. Listening to "Everybodys Talkin," you dont find youself longing for Nilssons version. Similarly, after Jerry Lee ripped up "One Has My Name," Nelson still makes it sound fresh. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 41 Title: Yesterdays Wine Released: 1971 Tracks: 10 Duration: 30:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Intro Medley: Wheres the Show / Let Me Be a Man (03:39) 2 In God’s Eyes (02:21) 3 Family Bible (03:11) 4 Its Not for Me to Understand (03:03) 5 Medley: These Are Difficult Times / Remember the Good Times (03:14) 6 Summer of Roses (02:06) 7 December Day (02:18) 8 Yesterdays Wine (03:13) 9 Me and Paul (03:49) 10 Goin Home (03:04) |
| Yesterday's Wine : Allmusic album Review : Though mid-70s albums like Shotgun Willie and Red Headed Stranger are often held up as the finest examples of Willie Nelsons album craft (showcasing the country legend exploring his chosen theme over the course of records that played like unified song suites), Yesterdays Wine, their 1971 predecessor, should also take its rightful place among his best-loved works. A series of meditations on God, love, and aging, these songs are fragmented reflections on the life of Nelsons "imperfect man" as he approaches death. Though the story isnt as tightly constructed as that of Red Headed Stranger, this fact lends Yesterdays Wine a feeling of malleability that adds to its power. At the albums heart are "Summer of Roses," "December Day," and the title track -- songs that detail a sense of longing and loss with the changing seasons mirroring the narrators own life. Throughout, the outlaw subtext Nelson would become associated with a few years later is replaced by an underlying religious faith. While there may not be any songs here of the same caliber as "Whiskey River" (Shotgun Willie) or "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" (Red Headed Stranger), many of the numbers stand on their own, outside the album context. "Family Bible," "Me and Paul," and the title track are all particularly fine examples of Nelsons songcraft. As a whole, Yesterdays Wine provides further insight into the development of his art during this prolific period. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 41 Title: The Willie Way Released: 1972 Tracks: 10 Duration: 27:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You Left a Long, Long Time Ago (02:41) 2 Wonderful Future (02:39) 3 Help Me Make It Through the Night (03:00) 4 Wake Me When Its Over (03:46) 5 Undo the Right (02:21) 6 Mountain Dew (02:09) 7 Home Is Where Youre Happy (03:03) 8 A Moment Isnt Very Long (03:07) 9 What Do You Want Me to Do? (02:31) 10 Id Rather You Didnt Love Me (02:40) |
| The Willie Way : Allmusic album Review : Classic Willie Nelson songwriting fills this album (except for two covers) with performances as only he knows how. "You Left Me a Long, Long Time Ago" is worth the price of this record alone. Also, Willies version of "Undo the Right" is easily as good as Johnny Bushs 1968 hit. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 41 Title: The Words Dont Fit The Picture Released: 1972 Tracks: 10 Duration: 27:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Words Dont Fit The Picture (02:45) 2 Good Hearted Woman (03:00) 3 Stay Away From Lonely Places (02:54) 4 Country Willie (02:35) 5 London (02:52) 6 One Step Beyond (02:00) 7 My Kind Of Girl (02:34) 8 Will You Remember? (03:32) 9 Rainy Day Blues (03:11) 10 If You Really Loved Me (02:11) |
| The Words Don't Fit The Picture : Allmusic album Review : Another fine album of Willie originals, its not quite as strong as some of his other albums released about this time, but still good. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 41 Title: Shotgun Willie Released: 1973 Tracks: 12 Duration: 37:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Shotgun Willie (02:40) 2 Whiskey River (04:05) 3 Sad Songs and Waltzes (03:08) 4 Local Memory (02:19) 5 Slow Down Old World (02:54) 6 Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer) (02:36) 7 Devil in a Sleepin Bag (02:40) 8 Shes Not for You (03:15) 9 Bubbles in My Beer (02:34) 10 You Look Like the Devil (03:26) 11 So Much to Do (03:11) 12 A Song for You (04:19) |
| Shotgun Willie : Allmusic album Review : Transferring his allegiance to Atlantic (where he would record two remarkable albums that would get him kicked off the label), Willie Nelson offered his finest record to date for his debut -- possibly his finest album ever. Shotgun Willie encapsulates Willies world view and music, finding him at a peak as a composer, interpreter, and performer. This is laid-back, deceptively complex music, equal parts country, rock attitude, jazz musicianship, and troubadour storytelling. Nelson blurs the lines between his own tunes and covers to the point that "Whiskey River," this records best-known song, seems thoroughly original, yet it was written by Johnny Bush and Paul Stroud. This, along with two songs apiece by Leon Russell and Bob Wills, provides context for his originals, with Shotgun Willie becoming a musical autobiography, offering not only insights into his musicality (witness how he slows down "Stay All Night [Stay a Little Longer]" to a slow shuffle) but, seemingly, into himself (most notably on the title track and the wonderful, funny travelogue "Devil in a Sleepin Bag"). Nelson wasnt just at a peak of performing here -- he also wrote some of his greatest songs, highlighted not just by the previously mentioned tunes but also by the lovely slow waltz "Slow Down Old World" and "Sad Songs and Waltzes." All of it adds up to possibly the finest record in a career filled with hits and highlights. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 41 Title: Phases and Stages Released: 1974 Tracks: 11 Duration: 34:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Phases and Stages (Theme) / Washing the Dishes (01:42) 2 Phases and Stages (Theme) / Walkin (04:06) 3 Pretend I Never Happened (03:00) 4 Sisters Coming Home / Down at the Corner Beer Joint (03:46) 5 (How Will I Know) Im Falling in Love Again (03:27) 6 Bloody Mary Morning (02:49) 7 Phases and Stages (Theme) / No Love Around (02:24) 8 I Still Cant Believe Youre Gone (04:16) 9 Its Not Supposed to Be That Way (03:29) 10 Heaven and Hell (01:53) 11 Phases and Stages (Theme) / Pick Up the Tempo / Phases and Stages (Theme) (03:26) |
| Phases and Stages : Allmusic album Review : If Shotgun Willie played a bit like a concept album, Phases and Stages was a full-blown one, tracing the dissolution of a marriage and devoting one side to the wifes perspective, the second to the husbands. If anything, Willie overplays his hand a bit, insisting on grafting the "Phases and Stages" theme between crucial songs to the point of genuine irritation. But, pretend that never happened, erase it from your mind, and Phases and Stages is easily the equal of its remarkable predecessor, a wonderful set of music that resonates deeply, as deeply as the words. Make no mistake -- the deceptively relaxed arrangements, including the occasional strings, not only highlight Nelsons clever eclecticism, but they also heighten the emotional impact of the album. And this is a hell of an emotional record, where even each sides celebratory honky tonk numbers (the medley "Sisters Coming Home/Down at the Corner Beer Joint" and "Pick Up the Tempo," respectively) are muted by sadness. Then, there are the centerpieces: "Walkin," where the woman decides its time to move on; "Pretend I Never Happened," perhaps the coldest ending to a relationship ever written; "Bloody Mary Morning," a bleary-eyed morning-after tale that became a standard; "Its Not Supposed to Be That Way," a nearly unbearably melancholy account of a love gone wrong; and "Heaven and Hell," a waltz summary of the relationship. Any two of these would have formed a strong core for an album, but placed together in a narrative context, their impact is even more considerable. As a result, this is not just one of Willie Nelsons best records, but one of the great concept albums overall. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 41 Title: Red Headed Stranger Released: 1975 Tracks: 19 Duration: 42:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Time of the Preacher (02:26) 2 I Couldnt Believe It Was True (01:32) 3 Time of the Preacher Theme (01:13) 4 Medley: Blue Rock Montana / Red Headed Stranger (01:36) 5 Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain (02:21) 6 Red Headed Stranger (04:00) 7 Time of the Preacher Theme (00:26) 8 Just as I Am (01:47) 9 Denver (00:53) 10 OEr the Waves (00:47) 11 Down Yonder (01:56) 12 Can I Sleep in Your Arms? (05:24) 13 Remember Me (02:52) 14 Hands on the Wheel (04:22) 15 Bandera (02:19) 16 Bach Minuet in G (00:40) 17 I Cant Help It If Im Still in Love With You (03:32) 18 A Maidens Prayer (02:16) 19 Bonapartes Retreat (02:26) |
| Red Headed Stranger : Allmusic album Review : Willie Nelsons Red Headed Stranger perhaps is the strangest blockbuster country produced, a concept album about a preacher on the run after murdering his departed wife and her new lover, told entirely with brief song-poems and utterly minimal backing. Its defiantly anticommercial and it demands intense concentration -- all reasons why nobody thought it would be a hit, a story related in Chet Flippos liner notes to the 2000 reissue. It was a phenomenal blockbuster, though, selling millions of copies, establishing Nelson as a superstar recording artist in its own right. For all its success, it still remains a prickly, difficult album, though, making the interspersed concept of Phases and Stages sound shiny in comparison. Its difficult because its old-fashioned, sounding like a tale told around a cowboy campfire. Now, this all reads well on paper, and theres much to admire in Nelsons intimate gamble, but its really elusive, as the themes get a little muddled and the tunes themselves are a bit bare. Its undoubtedly distinctive -- and it sounds more distinctive with each passing year -- but its strictly an intellectual triumph and, after a pair of albums that were musically and intellectually sound, its a bit of a letdown, no matter how successful it was. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 41 Title: The Troublemaker Released: 1976 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:01:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Uncloudy Day (04:39) 2 When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder (02:43) 3 Whispering Hope (05:35) 4 There Is a Fountain (03:13) 5 Will the Circle Be Unbroken (04:36) 6 The Troublemaker (01:53) 7 In the Garden (04:08) 8 Where the Soul Never Dies (04:14) 9 Sweet Bye and Bye (02:39) 10 Shall We Gather (03:07) 11 Precious Memories (07:37) 12 The Troublemaker (live) (02:14) 13 Will the Circle Be Unbroken (live) (03:23) 14 When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder (live) (05:15) 15 Amazing Grace (live) (05:48) |
| The Troublemaker : Allmusic album Review : Released in late 1976, at the height of Willie mania, The Troublemaker is Willie Nelsons first all-gospel album, but country gospel in his hands doesnt sound like traditional country gospel -- its a Willie album, through and through, performed with the freewheeling Family as support. Consequently, its every bit as wonderfully idiosyncratic as any of his other mid-70s work and, in some ways, even more so, because inspirational songs and religious material are usually not given arrangements as imaginative and free-spirited as this. Although the album can be divided pretty evenly between ballads and rollicking up-tempo numbers, there is the inherent jazz-like unpredictability in the performances of Nelson and his band that makes even familiar numbers like "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" sound spontaneous. Then again, the choice of material also helps, because that song is the most familiar here; while many of the other numbers are also country gospel standards, theyre not recorded nearly as often as "Circle" and these song choices also give The Troublemaker a unique, fresh feel. Another interesting thing about the album is that the music, not the message, is at the forefront, which is why it doesnt sound separate from his other mid-70s peaks. Although it is overshadowed by them both, the sublime subtlety of the performances on The Troublemaker make it sound of a piece with The Red Headed Stranger and Stardust. It may not be nearly as popular as either, but musically, its just as satisfying and is one of the quiet highlights in Willies vast catalog. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 41 Title: The Sound in Your Mind Released: 1976 Tracks: 9 Duration: 35:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day) (02:20) 2 If Youve Got the Money, Ive Got the Time (02:05) 3 A Penny for Your Thoughts (03:22) 4 The Healing Hands of Time (03:57) 5 Thanks Again (02:14) 6 Id Have to Be Crazy (03:27) 7 Amazing Grace (05:41) 8 The Sound in Your Mind (04:21) 9 Medley (08:29) |
| The Sound in Your Mind : Allmusic album Review : Red Headed Stranger propelled Willie Nelson to stardom, finally giving him a smash hit, yet its spare arrangements and hushed intimacy were a bit of an anomaly, both in his prior work and the albums that followed on Columbia. His second LP for the label, 1976s The Sound in Your Mind, opened up the sound of Stranger, retaining some of the low-key vibe, but fleshing out music and even picking up the tempo on occasion. In addition to that, he started delving deep into standards, not just from country artists, but the American popular songbook, pointing the way toward Stardust a few years down the road. So, in many ways, The Sound in Your Mind sets the template for the next few years of albums by Willie. Even if it set a sound in motion, the album wasnt one of his strongest. He would often better it -- and did so immediately, with the tremendous The Troublemaker -- and sometimes he did worse, but The Sound in Your Mind has a little bit of everything that would come on Columbia, both for better and worse. Its a little uneven and unfocused, not because its so split between covers and originals, but because it meanders, sometimes drifting into overly familiar territory which elicits somewhat lazy performances ("Amazing Grace," for instance), but songs equally familiar -- "That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day)," or a medley of his standards: "Funny How Time Slips Away," "Crazy," and "Night Life" -- are given subtle, inspired arrangements. The true highlights are the original "The Healing Hands of Time," revived from his RCA years and given possibly the definitive treatment here, and especially a vigorous version of Lefty Frizzells "If Youve Got the Money Ive Got the Time," so good that it led to a stellar tribute record just a year later. The rest of the album is good but rather standard-issue Willie -- worth hearing and very enjoyable, but not enough to compel regular listens. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 41 Title: To Lefty From Willie Released: 1977 Tracks: 10 Duration: 28:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Mom and Dad’s Waltz (03:02) 2 Look What Thoughts Will Do (02:42) 3 I Love You a Thousand Ways (02:59) 4 Always Late (With Your Kisses) (02:25) 5 I Want to Be With You Always (02:39) 6 She’s Gone, Gone, Gone (02:31) 7 A Little Unfair (03:42) 8 I Never Go Around Mirrors (02:34) 9 That’s the Way Love Goes (03:10) 10 Railroad Lady (02:39) |
| To Lefty From Willie : Allmusic album Review : To Lefty From Willie is an affectionate and thoroughly enjoyable salute to Lefty Frizzell, featuring stellar versions of a number of Leftys best-known songs -- including "Always Late (With Your Kisses)," "Shes Gone, Gone, Gone," "I Never Go Around Mirrors," and "Thats the Way Love Goes" -- plus revealing takes on a number of obscurities from the influential vocalists catalog. Nelson is respectful without being overly reverential, giving his own spin to each song without abandoning their honky tonk roots. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 41 Title: Stardust Released: 1978 Tracks: 26 Duration: 37:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Stardust (03:53) 2 Georgia on My Mind (04:21) 3 Blue Skies (03:37) 4 All of Me (03:55) 5 Unchained Melody (03:51) 6 September Song (04:38) 7 On the Sunny Side of the Street (02:39) 8 Moonlight in Vermont (03:26) 9 Don’t Get Around Much Anymore (02:37) 10 Someone to Watch Over Me (04:02) 1 What a Wonderful World (?) 2 Basin Street Blues (?) 3 Im Confessin (That I Love You) (?) 4 Im Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter (?) 5 The Gypsy (?) 6 Mona Lisa (?) 7 AC-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive (?) 8 Old Buttermilk Sky (?) 9 That Lucky Old Sun (?) 10 Little Things Mean a Lot (?) 11 Cry (?) 12 Youll Never Know (?) 13 Tenderly (?) 14 Stormy Weather (?) 15 One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) (?) 16 Angel Eyes (?) |
| Stardust : Allmusic album Review : At the height of outlaw country, Willie Nelson pulled off perhaps the riskiest move of the entire bunch. He set aside originals, country, and folk and recorded Stardust, a collection of pop standards produced by Booker T. Jones. Well, its not entirely accurate to say that he put away country and folk, since these are highly idiosyncratic interpretations of "Georgia on My Mind," "All of Me," "Moonlight in Vermont," and "Dont Get Around Much Anymore," blending pop, country, jazz, and folk in equal measures. Its not that Willie makes these songs his own, its that he reimagines these songs in a way that nobody else could, and with his trusty touring band, he makes these versions indelible. It may be strange to think that this album, containing no originals from one of Americas greatest songwriters, is what made him a star, and it continues to be one of his most beloved records, but its appropriate, actually. Stardust showcases Nelsons skills as a musician and his entire aesthetic -- where there is nothing separating classic American musical forms, it can all be played together -- perhaps better than any other album, which is why it was a sensation upon its release and grows stronger with each passing year. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 41 Title: Waylon & Willie Released: 1978 Tracks: 11 Duration: 32:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Mammas Dont Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys (02:34) 2 The Year 2003 Minus 25 (03:04) 3 Pick Up the Tempo (02:32) 4 If You Can Touch Her at All (03:04) 5 Lookin for a Feeling (02:38) 6 Its Not Supposed to Be That Way (03:20) 7 I Can Get Off on You (02:24) 8 Dont Cuss the Fiddle (03:04) 9 Gold Dust Woman (04:00) 10 A Couple More Years (04:02) 11 The Wurlitzer Prize (I Dont Want to Get Over You) (02:08) |
| Waylon & Willie : Allmusic album Review : It sat on the top of the country charts for 11 weeks and went double platinum, making it one of the biggest hits in either Waylon Jennings or Willie Nelsons catalog. Years after its initial 1978 release, Waylon & Willie remains one of their biggest-selling albums, but its perennial popularity has more to do with their iconic status -- something this album deliberately played up -- than the quality of the music, which is, overall, merely good. Released in early 1978, a few months after Jennings Ol Waylon spent 13 weeks on the top of the charts in the summer of 1977, thanks in part to the hit single "Luckenbach, Texas" featuring a chorus sung by Nelson, the album was intended as a celebration of the peak of outlaw, but in retrospect, it looks like where the movement was beginning to slide into predictability, even if both singers are more or less in command of their talents here. Though still at the peak of his popularity, Waylon had begun to slip slightly creatively starting with the very good, but not great, Are You Ready for the Country, which suggested that he was having a little harder time getting a full album of consistently great material together. The patchwork nature of this album suggests that he still had the problem, but since it was divided into three solo songs apiece and five duets, this plays to his strengths, because the limited number of new songs doesnt give him room to stumble. Though a moody cover of Fleetwood Macs "Gold Dust Woman" is a little awkward, his original "Lookin for a Feeling" is sturdy, and the album-closing "The Wurlitzer Prize (I Dont Want to Get Over You)" is brilliant, possibly the best song here, even if the heart of the record -- what the album is selling -- is the four duets with Willie. One of these, of course, is the monster hit "Mammas Dont Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," with two others -- "The Year 2003 Minus 25" and "Dont Cuss the Fiddle" -- being laid-back, funny Kris Kristofferson songs that showcase Waylon & Willies roguish humor and charm. The other, "Pick Up the Tempo," is one of Willies classics, but it, like Nelsons three solo tracks, is a previously released Waylon recording stripped of his vocals and overdubbed by Nelson. This isnt a crippling problem -- the songs are good, as are the performances and the singing, so theyre modestly enjoyable -- but they do sound a little distant, and it makes the entire album sound cobbled together: not the deliberate compilation of The Outlaws, but significantly less than a real album from either Waylon or Willie or both of them. Instead, it sounds like a vehicle for them to keep riding their huge popularity. Since it was cut at a time they were making consistently enjoyable music, its fun, but it could have been much, much more than it is. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 41 Title: Pretty Paper Released: 1979 Tracks: 12 Duration: 29:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pretty Paper (02:26) 2 White Christmas (02:44) 3 Winter Wonderland (02:24) 4 Rudolph the Red‐Nosed Reindeer (02:10) 5 Jingle Bells (02:11) 6 Here Comes Santa Claus (01:52) 7 Blue Christmas (02:37) 8 Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (02:11) 9 Frosty the Snowman (02:26) 10 Silent Night, Holy Night (03:46) 11 O Little Town of Bethlehem (01:27) 12 Christmas Blues (03:12) |
| Pretty Paper : Allmusic album Review : Artists almost always release Christmas albums when they have a comfortable level of sales, and when Willie Nelson was at a popular peak during the late 70s, he chose to exploit his popularity by releasing Pretty Paper. Fortunately, the album was hardly a toss-off -- it was one of the finest country holiday records ever released. Its not just because the title track became a classic, or that his choice of material is terrific (all familiar tunes, but all great) -- its because Nelson is a great interpreter, capable of making standards like "White Christmas" and "Silent Night" fresh and unpredictable. Few other artists are willing to put their personal stamp on these standards, and that alone is enough to make Pretty Paper a holiday record to cherish. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 41 Title: Sings Kristofferson Released: 1979 Tracks: 9 Duration: 41:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Me and Bobby McGee (05:43) 2 Help Me Make It Through the Night (04:01) 3 The Pilgrim: Chapter 33 (03:34) 4 Why Me (03:53) 5 For the Good Times (05:23) 6 You Show Me Yours (03:48) 7 Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything Ill Ever Do Again) (05:49) 8 Sunday Mornin Comin Down (07:00) 9 Please Dont Tell Me How the Story Ends (02:48) |
| Sings Kristofferson : Allmusic album Review : A return to country-rock after the smash success of Stardust the year before, this is one of Willie Nelsons best albums. Admittedly, it doesnt withstand comparisons to Shotgun Willie or any of his earlier triumphs, but it holds up as one of his most enjoyable second-stringers. "Me and Bobby McGee" is given an exciting, thunderous performance and "Why Me" is terrific, but perhaps more memorable are Nelsons renditions of lesser-known Kristofferson treasures, such as the loping "The Pilgrim, Chapter 33" and the beautiful "Please Dont Tell Me How the Story Ends." As he demonstrated from the beginning, Nelson had one of the best interpretive gifts of any singer, and this album only strengthened that reputation. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 41 Title: San Antonio Rose Released: 1980 Tracks: 13 Duration: 42:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 San Antonio Rose (03:44) 2 I’ll Be There (If You Ever Want Me) (02:43) 3 I Fall to Pieces (03:17) 4 Crazy Arms (02:44) 5 Release Me (03:07) 6 Don’t You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me) (03:42) 7 This Cold War With You (03:21) 8 Funny How Time Slips Away (03:52) 9 Night Life (04:05) 10 Deep Water (02:47) 11 Faded Love (03:51) 12 Just Call Me Lonesome (03:24) 13 My Life’s Been a Pleasure (02:08) |
| San Antonio Rose : Allmusic album Review : One of the first in a series of duet albums with country legends that Willie Nelson undertook during a period of seemingly uncontrolled output at Columbia, this remains one of the best. Ray Price may be regarded as something of a laid-back smoothie by listeners whose ears are stuffed with wax, but the reality is that Price is one of countrys most expressive vocalists as well as a man interested in kicking country tempos as well as ballads. In fact, a certain type of swing boogie beat favored in Texas is known by musicians as "the Ray Price shuffle." Nelson and Price have a relationship typical of this bearded, bandana-wearing outlaws collaborations with many country stars of Prices era. When Nelson was struggling to survive in Nashville, he penned or co-wrote some hits for Price, including the wonderful "Night Life," which has become something of a standard not only in country music but in jazz and blues as well. The crossover between these music forms is bound to come up in the discussion of this album. It is performances such as these that interested the jazz great Miles Davis in Nelson, and it is easy to see why when one hears the relaxed phrasing and inventive approach to many of these songs. Of course it is the swinging numbers such as the albums title track that really take off, but even "Release Me" sounds fresh here. Thats quite an accomplishment considering that this song was so played to death at one point that jukebox customers began to wish that the songs title had been "Dont Release Me" and that someone at the record label had followed instructions accordingly. "This Cold War With You," a haunting Floyd Tillman tune, gets a superior reading and, on the version of "Funny How Time Slips Away," there is singing that rivals in inspiration any such performance released, although the duet version Nelson recorded with Faron Young for this series comes darn close. Comparing the vocalists as they trade verses is one of the best aspects of this Nelson duet series and, in this case, the styles of the singers are perfectly matched. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 41 Title: Somewhere Over the Rainbow Released: 1981 Tracks: 10 Duration: 29:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Mona Lisa (02:35) 2 Exactly Like You (02:27) 3 Whos Sorry Now? (03:02) 4 Im Confessin’ (That I Love You) (03:36) 5 Won’t You Ride in My Little Red Wagon (02:33) 6 Over the Rainbow (03:37) 7 In My Mother’s Eyes (03:12) 8 I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter (03:02) 9 It Wouldn’t Be the Same (Without You) (02:58) 10 Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (02:06) |
| Somewhere Over the Rainbow : Allmusic album Review : Somewhere Over the Rainbow is a collection of more 40s pop standards, as arranged by Willie Nelson. While it isnt quite a continuation of what he did on Stardust and Always on My Mind, the record is a safe resting spot and something all the grandmas can enjoy. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 41 Title: The Minstrel Man Released: 1981 Tracks: 10 Duration: 24:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Good Times (02:27) 2 Will You Remember? (03:32) 3 Laying My Burdens Down (02:20) 4 Mountain Dew (02:05) 5 It Should Be Easier Now (02:42) 6 Minstrel Man (02:25) 7 Senses (02:12) 8 You Left a Long, Long Time Ago (02:40) 9 Where Do You Stand? (02:11) 10 Blackjack County Chains (02:03) |
 | Album: 25 of 41 Title: Always on My Mind Released: 1982 Tracks: 12 Duration: 39:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Do Right Woman, Do Right Man (02:58) 2 Always on My Mind (03:32) 3 A Whiter Shade of Pale (04:01) 4 Let It Be Me (03:31) 5 Staring Each Other Down (02:18) 6 Bridge Over Troubled Water (04:39) 7 Old Fords and a Natural Stone (02:31) 8 Permanently Lonely (02:41) 9 Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning (04:21) 10 The Partys Over (02:52) 11 The Man Who Owes Everyone (03:15) 12 Im a Memory (02:40) |
| Always on My Mind : Allmusic album Review : Whether intentionally or not, the first album after a greatest-hits collection always raises the curtain on a new era, and in Willie Nelsons case, the difference between the era recapped on 1981s Greatest Hits (& Some That Will Be) and the one started with 1982s Always on My Mind is startling. Throughout the late 70s, Nelsons freewheeling, organically eclectic music was not just the biggest thing in country, it was also some of its best, most adventurous music. Sometimes, it could fall a little flat, particularly when he kept replicating Stardust, but that was part of the charm of Nelsons unpredictability. With Always on My Mind, he teams with producer Chips Moman and embarks on a period of pernicious predictability, giving himself completely over to Moman, who moves him toward rock covers and adult contemporary pop with this record. At the time, it was a huge, huge hit -- his biggest ever, actually, spending 22 weeks at the top of the country charts, selling over four million copies, launching a platinum single with the title track (which reached number five on the pop charts), and winning the CMAs Album of the Year award. Listening to it now, all that success seems undeserved since the album not only plays as the country-pop record Willie avoided making all these years, but by consisting primarily of familiar rock covers, it also plays as pandering to the mass audience hes achieved. This is uniformly pleasant, but its also rather straight-jacketed, hemmed in by Momans sterile, synth-heavy productions. With "Always on My Mind" and, to a lesser extent, "Let It Be Me," it works because his production style suits the songs and Nelson sings well, but "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man," "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (complete with vocals from Waylon Jennings), and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" are all flat readings, never showing the spark in either delivery or arrangement that marks Nelson as one of popular musics great interpretive singers. Here, he sounds as hes sleepwalking and turning out product for the first time in his career (at least the early Liberty recordings were a hungry attempt at hits). It may have been a hit, but years later, it clearly sounds like one of his worst records. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 41 Title: Pancho & Lefty Released: 1982 Tracks: 10 Duration: 35:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pancho and Lefty (04:48) 2 Its My Lazy Day (02:52) 3 My Mary (03:14) 4 Half a Man (04:16) 5 Reasons to Quit (03:31) 6 No Reason to Quit (03:15) 7 Still Water Runs the Deepest (02:45) 8 My Lifes Been a Pleasure (I Still Love You as I Did in Yesterday) (03:24) 9 All the Soft Places to Fall (03:33) 10 Opportunity to Cry (03:59) |
| Pancho & Lefty : Allmusic album Review : On Pancho & Lefty, their first album together, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson managed a rare feat: an album by two legends that lives up to, and at one point exceeds, expectations. In 1982, both artists were at the top of their game, Haggard just having released a great comeback album in Big City, and Nelson in the midst of a creative and commercial peak. The centerpiece of the album is the title track. Penned by Texas songwriter Townes Van Zandt, the ballad of two renegades and the respect they earned from the law is the perfect vehicle for Haggard and Nelson, both of whom managed to achieve legendary status in spite of being outsiders to the Nashville establishment. The songs production enhances its power; it is polished without becoming slick (note Nelsons double-tracked guitar solo), and theres power in reserve -- in the wrong hands, this could easily have become a bombastic, over the top performance. Nothing else on the album comes close to the majesty of "Pancho and Lefty." Thats not to say that the rest is not good, though. The other songs are all relaxed ruminations on life, from the joys of taking it easy on the throwaway "Its My Lazy Day" to the pain of love lost on Nelsons chestnut "Half a Man." Throughout, Haggard and Nelson duet in equal measure; one gets the sense that this is a collaboration in every sense. The sequence of "Reasons to Quit" and "No Reason to Quit" is an inspired bit of programming, both honky tonk songs of the first rank. Pancho & Lefty was followed in 1987 by Seashores of Old Mexico, a far less successful collaboration. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 41 Title: In the Jailhouse Now Released: 1982 Tracks: 10 Duration: 25:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 There Stands the Glass (02:20) 2 Wondering (03:33) 3 In the Jailhouse Now (02:09) 4 You’re Not Mine Anymore (02:17) 5 Heebie Jeebie Blues No. 2 (02:49) 6 Slowly (02:25) 7 I Dont Care (02:14) 8 Back Street Affair (02:45) 9 Let Me Be the First to Know (02:39) 10 More and More (02:09) |
 | Album: 28 of 41 Title: Together Again Released: 1982-02-25 Tracks: 12 Duration: 35:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Together Again (02:19) 2 Whiskey River (02:30) 3 Still Crazy (04:00) 4 Glory Train (02:00) 5 I Let My Mind Wander (04:10) 6 Ive Just Destroyed the World (02:28) 7 Drivin Nails in My Coffin (02:18) 8 The Partys Over (03:00) 9 My Own Peculiar Way (03:15) 10 You Sure Tell It Like It Is, George Jones (03:15) 11 Sound of a Heartache (03:46) 12 Opportunity to Cry (02:51) |
 | Album: 29 of 41 Title: The Winning Hand Released: 1982-12 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 You’re Gonna Love Yourself in the Morning (02:54) 2 Ping Pong (02:18) 3 You’ll Always Have Someone (02:56) 4 Here Comes That Rainbow Again (02:51) 5 The Bigger the Fool, the Harder the Fall (03:40) 6 Help Me Make It Through the Night (03:46) 7 Happy Birthday Baby (02:28) 8 You Left Me a Long, Long Time Ago (02:46) 9 To Make a Long Story Short, She’s Gone (03:04) 10 Someone Loves You Honey (02:54) 1 Everything’s Beautiful (In It’s Own Way) (03:13) 2 Bring on the Sunshine (02:58) 3 Put It Off Until Tomorrow (02:26) 4 I Never Cared for You (02:21) 5 Casey’s Last Ride (04:06) 6 King of a Lonely Castle (03:17) 7 The Little Things (02:32) 8 The Bandits of Beverly Hills (02:33) 9 What Do You Think About Lovin’ (02:38) 10 Born to Love Me (04:19) |
| The Winning Hand : Allmusic album Review : Recorded for Monument in 1983 thanks to the leniency of the artists respective labels, Brenda, Dolly, Kris & Willie brought together Brenda Lee, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson for a double album of duets featuring every possible combination of the four, as well as a handful of solo numbers. Certainly a delight for fans of the individual performers, this album is nonetheless too redolent of a various-artists anthology to truly succeed as a piece. Much of the music is highly enjoyable, however, particularly the Dolly and Kris novelty, "Ping Pong," and Brenda and Dollys duet on What Do You Think About Lovin." As a bizarre bonus, Johnny Cash provided the half-poetry, half-prose liner notes. | ||
 | Album: 30 of 41 Title: Angel Eyes Released: 1984 Tracks: 8 Duration: 33:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Angel Eyes (04:50) 2 Tumbling Tumbleweed (03:50) 3 I Fall in Love Too Easily (03:54) 4 Thank You (04:22) 5 My Window Faces the South (04:25) 6 The Gypsy (04:20) 7 There Will Never Be Another You (02:46) 8 Samba for Charlie (04:52) |
 | Album: 31 of 41 Title: City of New Orleans Released: 1984 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 City of New Orleans (04:52) 2 Just Out of Reach (03:36) 3 Good Time Charlies Got the Blues (02:54) 4 Why Are You Picking on Me? (02:30) 5 Shes Out of My Life (03:30) 6 Cry (03:45) 7 Please Come to Boston (04:21) 8 It Turns Me Inside Out (03:30) 9 Wind Beneath My Wings (03:51) 10 Until Its Time for You to Go (04:11) |
| City of New Orleans : Allmusic album Review : The Steve Goodman-penned title cut of City of New Orleans was Nelsons umpteenth number one hit; other highlights include his renditions of "Please Come to Boston" and "Wind Beneath My Wings." | ||
 | Album: 32 of 41 Title: Love And Pain Released: 1984 Tracks: 9 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Let My Mind Wander (?) 2 December Day (?) 3 I Cant Find the Time (?) 4 I Didnt Sleep a Wink (?) 5 You Wouldnt Cross the Street to Say Goodbye (?) 6 Suffering in Silence (?) 7 I Feel Sorry for Him (?) 8 Youll Always Have Someone (?) 9 I Just Dont Understand (?) |
 | Album: 33 of 41 Title: Me & Paul Released: 1985 Tracks: 12 Duration: 34:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Been to Georgia on a Fast Train (03:08) 2 Forgiving You Was Easy (02:46) 3 I Let My Mind Wander (03:58) 4 Im a Memory (02:07) 5 Shes Gone (03:05) 6 Old Five & Dimers Like Me (03:04) 7 I Never Cared for You (02:02) 8 You Wouldnt Cross the Street (02:56) 9 Me and Paul (02:50) 10 One Day at a Time (02:07) 11 Pretend I Never Happened (03:33) 12 Black Rose (02:34) |
 | Album: 34 of 41 Title: Half Nelson Released: 1985 Tracks: 10 Duration: 36:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Pancho and Lefty (04:48) 2 Slow Movin Outlaw (03:38) 3 Are There Any More Real Cowboys (03:07) 4 I Told a Lie to My Heart (02:56) 5 Texas on a Saturday Night (02:43) 6 Seven Spanish Angels (03:51) 7 To All the Girls Ive Loved Before (03:37) 8 They All Went to Mexico (04:51) 9 Honky Tonk Women (03:40) 10 Half a Man (03:05) |
| Half Nelson : Allmusic album Review : This is an appropriate collection, since Nelson has recorded more duets with more fellow performers than any other country singer in history. This runs the gamut, from traditional country singers Merle Haggard and George Jones, to soulman Ray Charles, to Latin-lover Julio Iglesias, and the rock band Santana. It even has a duet with the late Hank Williams, arranged through modern studio recording technology. | ||
 | Album: 35 of 41 Title: The Promiseland Released: 1986 Tracks: 11 Duration: 34:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Living in the Promiseland (03:24) 2 Im Not Trying to Forget You (03:22) 3 Here in My Heart (03:55) 4 Ive Got the Craziest Feeling (02:59) 5 No Place but Texas (03:28) 6 Youre Only in My Arms (To Cry on My Shoulder) (03:21) 7 Pass It On (03:17) 8 Do You Ever Think of Me (02:23) 9 Old Fashioned Love (02:52) 10 Basin Street Blues (04:14) 11 Bach Minuet in G (01:37) |
| The Promiseland : Allmusic album Review : The chart-topping "Living in the Promiseland" and "Im Trying Not to Forget You" are two of the selections featured on The Promiseland. | ||
 | Album: 36 of 41 Title: Walking the Line Released: 1987 Tracks: 10 Duration: 31:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Gotta Get Drunk (02:11) 2 No Show Jones (02:28) 3 Pancho & Lefty (04:47) 4 Yesterdays Wine (03:15) 5 Half a Man (04:12) 6 Big Butter and Egg Man (02:26) 7 Heaven or Hell (02:15) 8 Midnight Rider (02:50) 9 Are the Good Times Really Over (04:14) 10 A Drunk Cant Be a Man (02:43) |
 | Album: 37 of 41 Title: Island in the Sea Released: 1987 Tracks: 10 Duration: 38:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Island in the Sea (02:21) 2 Wake Me When Its Over (03:21) 3 Little Things (04:26) 4 Last Thing on My Mind (05:23) 5 There Is No Easy Way (But There Is a Way) (02:34) 6 Nobody There but Me (02:50) 7 Cold November Wind (04:20) 8 Women Who Love Too Much (04:46) 9 All in the Name of Love (05:12) 10 Sky Train (03:09) |
| Island in the Sea : Allmusic album Review : Island in the Seas title cut proved to be a Top 30 hit. | ||
 | Album: 38 of 41 Title: Seashores of Old Mexico Released: 1987 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Seashores of Old Mexico (03:37) 2 Without You on My Side (03:07) 3 When Times Were Good (06:40) 4 Jimmy the Broom (03:33) 5 Yesterday (03:27) 6 If I Could Only Fly (05:13) 7 Shotgun and a Pistol (03:05) 8 Love Makes a Fool of Us All (03:31) 9 Why Do I Have to Choose (03:54) 10 Silver Wings (03:41) |
| Seashores of Old Mexico : Allmusic album Review : Five years after the triumph of Pancho & Lefty, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson recorded the follow-up, Seashores of Old Mexico. Alas, little of what made the earlier album so great is in evidence. At times the album sounds like a Merle Haggard record with Willie Nelson on hand as support. "Without You on My Side" reveals no evidence of Nelson and his guitar at all; it sounds like a castoff from Haggards 1987 Chill Factor album. More importantly, the song selection is a mixed bag, with a few top-notch songs mixed with many second-rate ones. The title track and "Jimmy the Broom," both by Haggard, dont match his best writing of the period, and sound stilted and forced. A cover of the Beatles "Yesterday" doesnt really work either, although they give it a good try. The best tracks on the album are the last two: Nelsons "Why Do I Have to Choose" and Haggards "Silver Wings," both from the artists back catalogs. These mark the only times on the album when it sounds like they are really working together. Having achieved a masterpiece on their first outing together, Haggard and Nelson may have set a standard impossible to match; Seashores of Old Mexico certainly doesnt come close. | ||
 | Album: 39 of 41 Title: One for the Road Released: 1989 Tracks: 20 Duration: 57:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Detour (02:26) 2 I Saw the Light (03:06) 3 Heartbreak Hotel (03:04) 4 Let the Rest of the World Go By (03:50) 5 Trouble in Mind (02:42) 6 Dont Fence Me In (02:28) 7 The Wild Side of Life (03:24) 8 Ridin Down the Canyon (02:22) 9 Sioux City Sue (03:16) 10 You Are My Sunshine (02:52) 11 Danny Boy (03:59) 12 Always (02:19) 13 Summertime (02:29) 14 Because of You (02:07) 15 Am I Blue (02:18) 16 Tenderly (04:01) 17 Far Away Places (03:10) 18 That Lucky Old Sun (02:40) 19 Stormy Weather (02:26) 20 One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) (02:32) |
| One for the Road : Allmusic album Review : One for the Road, Willie Nelsons duet record with fellow American music maverick Leon Russell, followed months after his freewheeling, jam-heavy double album Willie and Family Live. This record (once a double LP, now a single CD) wasnt recorded live and the songs run a little shorter, but it shares the same sort of loose spirit and easy-rolling eclecticism as the two, essentially backed by the Family, run through a mess of country and pop standards. The latter makes up for the second half and its appropriately a little more subdued feel, but its earthier than Stardust and it makes a good companion for the irresistible first half, which is often cheerfully rowdy (particularly on the dynamite opening triptych of "Detour," "I Saw the Light," and "Heartbreak Hotel") and convincingly bluesy on the ballads and mid-tempo groovers like the excellent "Trouble in Mind." Both Nelson and Russell are known as sharp interpreters of other peoples material, and teamed together, they might not reinvent these songs (though they come close on "Heartbreak Hotel"), but they infuse a lot of sound and spirit into these songs. Its a little bit too laid-back and easy to qualify as a no-holds-barred classic (particularly on the second half), but that mellow charm is precisely why its a small, priceless gem for any serious fan of either singer. | ||
 | Album: 40 of 41 Title: Born for Trouble Released: 1990 Tracks: 10 Duration: 32:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Aint Necessarily So (03:05) 2 (I Dont Have a Reason) To Go to California Anymore (03:10) 3 Ten With a Two (02:38) 4 The Piper Came Today (03:26) 5 You Decide (03:49) 6 Pieces of My Life (03:34) 7 Itll Come to Me (02:59) 8 This Is How Without You Goes (03:05) 9 Born for Trouble (03:17) 10 Little Things Mean a Lot (03:32) |
 | Album: 41 of 41 Title: Wholl Buy My Memories? The IRS Tapes Released: 1992-03-01 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:02:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Wholl Buy My Memories? (03:15) 2 Jimmys Road (02:40) 3 It Should Be Easier Now (02:18) 4 Will You Remember Mine? (02:32) 5 I Still Cant Believe Youre Gone (02:48) 6 Yesterdays Wine (02:27) 7 Its Not Supposed to Be That Way (02:18) 8 Country Willie (03:45) 9 The Sound in Your Mind (03:09) 10 Permanently Lonely (02:19) 11 So Much to Do (02:07) 12 Lonely Little Mansion (02:07) 1 Summer of Roses / December Day (03:53) 2 Pretend I Never Happened (03:04) 3 Slow Down Old World (01:53) 4 Opportunity to Cry (02:23) 5 Im Falling in Love Again (03:27) 6 If You Could Only See (02:35) 7 Id Rather You Didnt Love Me (02:30) 8 What Can You Do to Me Now? (02:49) 9 Buddy (01:54) 10 Remember the Good Times (01:34) 11 Wake Me When Its Over (01:55) 12 Home Hotel (02:34) |