The Music of Willie Nelson [Digipak]

Performer: Willie Nelson
Producer: Chet Atkins; Chips Moman; Don Was; Felton Jarvis; Fred Foster; Leon Russell; Ray Pennington; Sydney Pollack; Waylon Jennings; Willie Nelson; Billy Sherrill; Booker T. Jones; Brian Ahern; Gregg Geller (Compilation)
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Liner Note Author: Robert K. Oermann. Recording information: 1968-1992. Photographers: Don Hunstein; Don Hunstein; Norman Seeff. The Music of Willie Nelson is part of a new Legacy series that essentially package three career-spanning discs into a semi-long box package containing 45 tracks, with a booklet that features a biographical essay and complete track information. This one divides up easily into three categories, with disc each dedicated to "the singer," "the songwriter," and the collaborator"-- let's face it, there is very little that Nelson hasn't done or accomplished during his 50 years in the music business up to this point. Disc one is "the singer" chapter, and includes his charting singles in both the country and pop categories. It includes music from his RCA period -- such as "Sweet Memories" from 1968 through to his final charting single with Columbia in 1986, "Living in the Promiseland." Disc two centers on the "songwriter, and includes tunes he wrote and recorded, including classics such as "On the Road Again," "Yesterday's Wine," and "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground." Finally, there is the "collaborator" disc. In some ways, this CD is the most fun to listen to, as it includes duets with Roger Miller, Merle Haggard, Ray Charles, Leon Russell, his performances with the Highwaymen, Faron Young, Hank Snow, Dolly Parton, George Jones, and more. This is a different kind of compilation; it provides a solid introduction to the enigma that is Willie Nelson, even if it contains no unreleased material and only covers recordings on RCA and Columbia. ~ Thom Jurek

Willie Nelson began working in a conventional Nashville style and had great success as the songwriter of Faron Young's hit "Hello Walls" and others, but he was initially unable to make it as a performer. In the 1970s, he and Waylon Jennings made history with their outlaw country sound and image, growing their hair long and utilizing a raw, rock-influenced sound that endeared them to millions of country fans and rockers alike. Subsequently, Nelson ventured into Sinatra territory with STARDUST, an album of standards that became a huge success and established him as a singer who transcended genre boundaries. Throughout the '80s, '90s, and into the 21st century, he crossed over into pop and back again continually, even releasing an album of reggae covers, working with artists as diverse as Julio Iglesias and Ryan Adams.

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