On The Road Again...The Willie Nelson Thread
- Thread starter Ojai Sam
- Start date
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Tell Willie that the Good Witch of the East wants her hat back.#134 Willie Nelson - Partners (1986)
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An entire album of dreary ballads produced by the man who made Fat Elvis possible. What could go wrong?
On The Sam-O-Meter.
Covering "Heart of Gold" was unnecessary. Covering "Something" was unforgiveable.
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
I'll say! She put her hex on the whole album.
Ojai Sam
Staff member
Time to bring Willie back from the Dead. By the way, with so much in common pharmacologically speaking, I wonder why they never recorded together? 
#139 Willie Nelson - Greatest Hits: Live In Concert (1996)
This is one of the oddest live albums I've encountered. Supposedly it's taken from a DVD collection of performances from the Austin Opera House. They sound like poorly edited audience recordings, with wildly variable level and sound quality. On the plus side, we get Julio Iglesias on "To All The Girls I've Loved Before". But the version of "Luckenbach, Texas" has only Waylon Jennings, who is largely drowned out by the snide comments of two audience members who seemed to be sitting right next to the mic.
Worthless.
#139 Willie Nelson - Greatest Hits: Live In Concert (1996)
This is one of the oddest live albums I've encountered. Supposedly it's taken from a DVD collection of performances from the Austin Opera House. They sound like poorly edited audience recordings, with wildly variable level and sound quality. On the plus side, we get Julio Iglesias on "To All The Girls I've Loved Before". But the version of "Luckenbach, Texas" has only Waylon Jennings, who is largely drowned out by the snide comments of two audience members who seemed to be sitting right next to the mic.
Worthless.
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Ojai Sam
Staff member
#138 Willie Nelson - Moment Of Forever (2008)
For some reason, the critics didn't like this record at all.
Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Randy Newman, Paul Craft, Dave Loggins, Guy Clark, Bob Dylan. Pretty impressive list of songwriters, no? Willie is in good voice, the deeply textured arrangements tend toward the Don Was spacy side of the nineties and noughties. I'm not sure what the haters were looking for but this is a fully satisfying if not groundbreaking outing to my ears.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
For some reason, the critics didn't like this record at all.
Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Randy Newman, Paul Craft, Dave Loggins, Guy Clark, Bob Dylan. Pretty impressive list of songwriters, no? Willie is in good voice, the deeply textured arrangements tend toward the Don Was spacy side of the nineties and noughties. I'm not sure what the haters were looking for but this is a fully satisfying if not groundbreaking outing to my ears.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
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Ojai Sam
Staff member
#136A Larry Butler & Willie Nelson - Memories of Hank Williams, Sr. (2000)
No, I'm not gaslighting you. The ranking numbers above have been changed to reflect an update in the Texas Monthly article adding two later releases. It may be just as well that poor Danny Davis of Nashville Brass fame is deceased. His entry has dropped two spots to the 146th worst album of Willie's career.
This duet project with Larry Butler represents another opportunity for Willie to repay some old debts. Larry Butler (not the Nashville producer) ran the Sunset Playboys band in Houston. A very young Willie Nelson wanted him to buy some songs but Larry gave him a job in the band instead. Likewise, this album was produced by David Zettner, who also plays steel, lead and bass. Zettner played bass in The Offenders, precursor to Willie's Family band, until he was drafted.
There are lots of Hank Williams tribute albums, but this is one of the best I've heard. The simple hard country sound matches the honest, direct vocals that Nelson and Butler deliver on a set of classic songs that they have obviously absorbed into their very being.
on the Sam-O-Meter. Stay tuned for volume 2.
No, I'm not gaslighting you. The ranking numbers above have been changed to reflect an update in the Texas Monthly article adding two later releases. It may be just as well that poor Danny Davis of Nashville Brass fame is deceased. His entry has dropped two spots to the 146th worst album of Willie's career.
This duet project with Larry Butler represents another opportunity for Willie to repay some old debts. Larry Butler (not the Nashville producer) ran the Sunset Playboys band in Houston. A very young Willie Nelson wanted him to buy some songs but Larry gave him a job in the band instead. Likewise, this album was produced by David Zettner, who also plays steel, lead and bass. Zettner played bass in The Offenders, precursor to Willie's Family band, until he was drafted.
There are lots of Hank Williams tribute albums, but this is one of the best I've heard. The simple hard country sound matches the honest, direct vocals that Nelson and Butler deliver on a set of classic songs that they have obviously absorbed into their very being.
on the Sam-O-Meter. Stay tuned for volume 2.
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Ojai Sam
Staff member
#136B Larry Butler & Willie Nelson - Memories of Hank Williams Sr. - Vol. 2 (2001)
SS/DD - same session, different disc. Another ten stone classics made famous by the guy known in his day as "The Hillbilly Shakespeare".
on the Sam-O-Meter. Alas, poor Hank! I knew him, Willie.
SS/DD - same session, different disc. Another ten stone classics made famous by the guy known in his day as "The Hillbilly Shakespeare".
on the Sam-O-Meter. Alas, poor Hank! I knew him, Willie.
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Ojai Sam
Staff member
#135 Willie Nelson & Hank Snow - Brand On My Heart (1985)
Another of the innumerable duet projects Willie made matched him with the veteran Canadian singer, Clarence "Hank" Snow. Four years earlier, Hank had been summarily booted from RCA, his label since 1936. Of course with embarrassing albums like this one, who could blame them?
They work through ten songs mostly associated with Snow. Both are superb guitar players and Hank's long time steel player, Kayton Roberts even joins in, but there is not much energy here.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
Another of the innumerable duet projects Willie made matched him with the veteran Canadian singer, Clarence "Hank" Snow. Four years earlier, Hank had been summarily booted from RCA, his label since 1936. Of course with embarrassing albums like this one, who could blame them?
They work through ten songs mostly associated with Snow. Both are superb guitar players and Hank's long time steel player, Kayton Roberts even joins in, but there is not much energy here.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
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Ojai Sam
Staff member
In later years, yes. But Hank showed more sartorial variation in his earlier days, not to mention much better taste in duet partners.
Ojai Sam
Staff member
#134 Don Cherry & Willie Nelson - Augusta (1995)
Texas Monthly once again has updated their rankings to add Willie's latest album, thereby throwing my post numbers off again.
We've already encountered his golfing buddy, crooner Don Cherry. This is another lackluster collection of sappy ballad standards. The title track is a bland paean to golf, name checking most of the players (including Player) of the last century.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
Texas Monthly once again has updated their rankings to add Willie's latest album, thereby throwing my post numbers off again.
We've already encountered his golfing buddy, crooner Don Cherry. This is another lackluster collection of sappy ballad standards. The title track is a bland paean to golf, name checking most of the players (including Player) of the last century.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
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Ojai Sam
Staff member
#143 Willie Nelson - Christmas With Willie Nelson (1994)
The editors of Texas Monthly have been surprisingly diligent in keeping this article up to date. Two years ago, it began with 144 albums but Willie's prolific output has brought about at least four updates, raising the total to 150 at present. That's all well and good, but the latest version rearranged the ratings, sneaking this one in below Countryman. To avoid confusion for future generations, I updated the ranking numbers all the way back to 150. Sadly, Danny Davis continues to hold down the bottom spot.
It's over 90 degrees today, so Mrs. Ojai is looking at me rather strangely as I sit here decking halls and wrapping pretty paper with Willie. The editors don't care much for Christmas With Willie Nelson either, but it's actually not bad. Regency Records is an odd label in Nashville that has released a potpourri of new age, generic classical and public domain pop. My suspicion is that they paid Willie a few bucks in cash to go into his home studio with the road band for a one off project. This was his second try at a holiday album and it sounds relaxed and informal, like having him drop by for a few tunes on Christmas Eve. Personally, I would have rated it higher.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
Not on Spotify.
The editors of Texas Monthly have been surprisingly diligent in keeping this article up to date. Two years ago, it began with 144 albums but Willie's prolific output has brought about at least four updates, raising the total to 150 at present. That's all well and good, but the latest version rearranged the ratings, sneaking this one in below Countryman. To avoid confusion for future generations, I updated the ranking numbers all the way back to 150. Sadly, Danny Davis continues to hold down the bottom spot.
It's over 90 degrees today, so Mrs. Ojai is looking at me rather strangely as I sit here decking halls and wrapping pretty paper with Willie. The editors don't care much for Christmas With Willie Nelson either, but it's actually not bad. Regency Records is an odd label in Nashville that has released a potpourri of new age, generic classical and public domain pop. My suspicion is that they paid Willie a few bucks in cash to go into his home studio with the road band for a one off project. This was his second try at a holiday album and it sounds relaxed and informal, like having him drop by for a few tunes on Christmas Eve. Personally, I would have rated it higher.
on the Sam-O-Meter.Not on Spotify.
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axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Ojai Sam
Staff member
#133 Highwaymen - The Road Goes On Forever (1995)
The third and last album from the country equivalent of The Traveling Wilburys. Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson were all still viable artists at the time but something about this combination made them more pretentious. Maybe they all wanted to be as intellectual as Kris. Having the metaphysical Don Was produce didn't lighten the tone any either. Willie's hard country "The End of Understanding" is the best song on the album.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
Buying Tip: Look for the 10th Anniversary Edition. The six acoustic bonus tracks show what a little spontaneity could have added to the proceedings.
The third and last album from the country equivalent of The Traveling Wilburys. Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson were all still viable artists at the time but something about this combination made them more pretentious. Maybe they all wanted to be as intellectual as Kris. Having the metaphysical Don Was produce didn't lighten the tone any either. Willie's hard country "The End of Understanding" is the best song on the album.
on the Sam-O-Meter.Buying Tip: Look for the 10th Anniversary Edition. The six acoustic bonus tracks show what a little spontaneity could have added to the proceedings.
Ojai Sam
Staff member
#132 Willie Nelson - Songbird (2006)
For this album, Willie selected Ryan Adams as producer, who in turn employed his own band (plus Willie stalwart Mickey Raphael on harmonica). The AMG review aptly points out the artistic parallels with Daniel Lanois' production of Teatro. Both producers share an instinctive empathy for Nelson's quirky artistic vision, although Adams used more steel guitar to nudge the tone countryward. The song selection is impeccable, with Christine McVie's title cut far more successful than I expected. Like Ryan, Willie in his heyday was a maverick who clashed frequently with the establishment. This project demonstrates that had he been born thirty years later, Nelson would have found his niche among the top alt country innovators.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
For this album, Willie selected Ryan Adams as producer, who in turn employed his own band (plus Willie stalwart Mickey Raphael on harmonica). The AMG review aptly points out the artistic parallels with Daniel Lanois' production of Teatro. Both producers share an instinctive empathy for Nelson's quirky artistic vision, although Adams used more steel guitar to nudge the tone countryward. The song selection is impeccable, with Christine McVie's title cut far more successful than I expected. Like Ryan, Willie in his heyday was a maverick who clashed frequently with the establishment. This project demonstrates that had he been born thirty years later, Nelson would have found his niche among the top alt country innovators.
on the Sam-O-Meter.