Having been blown away by a live version of ‘Hold Me til I Gain Control Again’ on Kershaw’s podcast, my shameful ignorance of his canon struck me. I know a handful of tunes but it’s largely blank.
So, can I ask the Massive, not where should I start with Willy, but which single album of his would you save from your burning house?
Cheers.
ATM : Willy Nelson
by 22 Comments
Loads and loads to choose from
If I was you, I’d start off with something like Essential Willie Nelson which is as good a career overview as you will find and, at about £15, won’t cost you an arm and a leg,
There’s also some great Original Album type multi-disc sets.
There’s one for about £14 which includes five albums – Red Headed Stranger and To Lefty From Willie are worth the price alone
Assuming you can find it, The Complete Atlantic Sessions is another nice package
Though I’ve not got it myself, I believe Bear Family devoted one of their wonderfully compiled and presented box sets to Willie, too
The Bear Family sets (there are two!) are surely not meant as introductions to Willie’s work – the first one has everything from his first few years, self-pressed singles and the like, and the second one (his RCA years 1964-72) chronicles the time when his record company tried to turn him into a new Jim Reeves. The accompanying hardcover book spends 100 pages explaining that these are his worst recordings… which isn’t true at all. (Mr. Nelson autographed my book, smiling, »what a surprise, some real treasures in there…«).
The best introduction to Willie Nelson still is »Across the Borderline« which has it all – great singing on the covers (»Graceland«, »Across The Borderline«), celebrity guests (Sinead, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt), some weird jazzy guitar solos from him, and a couple of his own songs (»Still Is Still Moving To Me« is ace).
I go along with Fatima re: Across The Borderline & Spirit were the only Willie Nelson albums I owned for a while. Then I picked up those Original Artist sets, two 5CD sets and one 3CD set although Stardust is duplicated, 12 albums for around £25 including shipping on Discogs. There are some classics in those sets and his 72nd ‘A Beautiful Time’ (146th overall) has just been released to great reviews (I’ve just ordered it).
I would agree about the Essential collection with a couple of caveats.
1. It doesn’t include my favourite WM track which is “Turn Me Loose and Let Me Swing” it’s just a joy from beginning to end.
2. Some of WMs latest stuff is well worth listening so I would encourage listening to the ‘featured tracks’ on some of the albums from the last 5 or 6 years with tracks like ‘Last Man Standing’
As mentioned above, “The Complete Atlantic Sessions” will give you three albums plus loads of outtakes, demos etc.
The Columbia “3 Original Album Classics” flimsybox is good. As is the “One Hell Of A Ride” 4-CD box from Columbia Legacy. There’s also another “Original Album Classics” 5-CD box that I’m not familiar with. That must be the one Jaygee mentioned above.
I don’t normally get this sort of thing AT ALL. But this was rather lovely:
It’s admittedly a cover, but I’m a bit obsessed with this. One of the best examples I can think of of a vocal really nailing down the mood of a song.
Oh God that whole album is just bliss from start to finish.
It’s not really representative in style of most of his career though.
Splendid cover of WN’s Last Thing I Needed (First Thing This Morning) from Phospheresecent’s excellent To Willie album
My late mother in law loved “Red Headed Stranger” which is a fine place to start. Austin country concept album. What’s not to like.
He does great duet too. I love this – Willie so laid back he’s almost in the previous track at some points. Great album, incidentally.
Thanks peeps, that’s great stuff to be getting on with.
Worth noting also that nobody felt the need to point that I couldn’t even spell the great man’s name right!
Very civilised.
Reminds me that I have ‘The Essential’ recommended in post no.1, bought 15 years ago, and never really got stuck into it. I probably should remedy that.
Keep at it Matt. The way you’re going you’ll be Roy Neary in no time.
I actually hate that movie, but if my name had been Roy, Christ forbid, (apologies to all the Roys) it’s possible in a Star Trek ParalleI Universe way that I might enjoy Close Encounters and dislike Jaws.
Across the Borderline and the new one would make a good primer, along with a greatest hits, provided, of course, it has Always On My Mind. Then it depends what you like, as he has embraced so many. His album with the Cardinals (and, thus, Ryan Adams) is surprisingly disappointing, his light vocal touch not suiting full on electric bar band.
I suppose nobody’s surprised I’ve never really got Willie Nelson, same with Johnny Cash. Love Country, even love Western but the voice. Nah.
I’m obviously a Man Without Taste
I absolutely would save The Red Headed Stranger from a burning house. It’s an exceptional album that I first heard on Edge of Darkness. It’s stark and, at first listen, it can sound like an album of ideas rather than fully fledged songs but give it time.
As mentioned above, it’s available in multi-album box sets so on its own or in one of those boxes, it’s the album to get. About as good as country gets.
A trilogy
Red headed stranger
Spirit
Teatro
»Teatro« is great indeed. And make sure you watch the Wim Wenders documentary which features great dancing, the two coolest drummers in the world, and Emmylou Harris.
Another vote for T here.
Not seen the doc so thanks for the heads up, FX
Shoutout for Shotgun Willie 2 years prior to RHS.
To hoover up some outliers, I am fond of Willie and the Wheel, Western swing with Asleep at the Wheel. Plus the Highwaymen rekkids with Waylon, Johnny and Kris.
Then again, from Waylon and Willie: