Red Headed Stranger [Remaster]

Performer: Willie Nelson
Engineer: Phil York
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Also available in a CD 3-pack with TO LEFTY FROM WILLIE and ALWAYS ON MY MIND. Also available with THE SOUND IN YOUR MIND on 1 cassette. Although the artwork ties in with the 1987 movie of the same name, this is the original classic Willie Nelson album from 1975. Personnel: Willie Nelson (vocals, guitar); Jody Payne (guitar, mandolin); Bucky Meadows (guitar); Mickey Raphael (harmonica); Bobbie Nelson (piano); Bee Spears (bass); Paul English, Billy English (drums). Producer: Willie Nelson. Reissue producer: Al Quaglieri. Recorded at Autumn Sound Studios, Garland, Texas. Includes liner notes by Chet Flippo. Digitally remastered by Joseph M. Palmaccio (Sony Music Studios, New York, New York). This is part of Legacy's American Milestones series. Willie Nelson stopped shaving, grew his hair, ditched his suits and found acceptance with the hippies who bought the country rock of the Flying Burrito Brothers. Like TOMMY, RED HEADED STRANGER was a concept album, this time about a murderous preacher. His laid-back voice-and-guitar revival of "Blue Eyes Cryin' In The Rain" was a surprise US hit single, and Richard Thompson says, "I like the fact that he plays these terrible solos and leaves them alone, which takes a lot of guts these days."

Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.136) - Ranked #184 in Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" Rolling Stone (7/20/00, p.142) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...Equal parts redneck and hippie...[it] established Nelson's outlaw persona and put some guts back into country music..." Uncut (p.145) - "[A] pivotal album in the history of country music." Magnet (pp.114-115) - "[S]pare, contemplative....'Outlaw country' went on to become one of the most influential genres of the '70s..." No Depression (7-8/00, pp.90-2) - "...A masterstroke....confirming his status as a major icon of American music."

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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