Tag: Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson – Shotgun Willie (1973/2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 37:04 minutes | 1,45 GB | Genre: Country
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: HDTracks | Front Cover | © Rhino Atlantic

The legendary career of Texas-born music icon Willie Nelson has spanned six decades and stands as one of contemporary music’s greatest legacies. Nelson first rose to fame as a Nashville-based songwriter, penning many now timeless standards including “Crazy,” a top hit for Patsy Cline. Feeling constrained by the Nashville music establishment, Willie relocated to Austin in the early ‘70s, where the melding of rock and country audiences made a huge impression on him. He began fusing folk and roots rock with a rebellious “outlaw” country flavor, inventing an authentic, stripped-down sound that remains vastly influential to this day. At this pivotal point in his artistic evolution, Nelson signed to Atlantic Records, delivering two signature albums revered as all-time masterpieces of his extensive repertoire, Shotgun Willie and Phases And Stages.

Various Artists – Willie Nelson – American Outlaw: All-Star Concert (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:32:30 minutes | 1,11 GB | Genre: Country
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Blackbird Production Partners, LLC

This once-in-a-lifetime concert event took place Saturday, January 12, 2019 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. This historic event honored living legend Willie Nelson and featured his greatest hits performed by today’s biggest superstars. Willie: Life & Songs Of An American Outlaw featured star-studded performances by Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, The Avett Brothers, Bobby Bare, Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris, Eric Church, George Strait, Jack Johnson, Jamey Johnson, Jason Isbell, Jimmy Buffett, John Mellencamp, Kris Kristofferson, Lee Ann Womack, Lukas Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Margo Price, Micah Nelson, Nathaniel Rateliff, Norah Jones and The Little Willies, Ray Benson, Rodney Crowell, Sheryl Crow, Steve Earle, Sturgill Simpson, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks, and Vince Gill. This major event was filmed and recorded for a major broadcast special slated to air on A&E Network in 2019.

Willie Nelson – Ride Me Back Home (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/96 kHz | Time – 43:20 minutes | 866 MB | Genre: Country
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Legacy Recordings

Remarkably, this is Willie Nelson’s 69th album release! The Third album in the Trilogy about mortality, that began with “Gods Problem Child” (2017) & was followed by “Last Man Standing” (2018). The final release in this Trilogy, “Ride Me Back Home” see’s Willie Nelson on a more empathic, reflective & upbeat journey. An 11 song album, co-written & produced by Buddy Cannon.

Willie Nelson – Country Music (2010)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 54:53 minutes | 1,15 GB | Genre: Country
Official Digital Download – Source: HDTracks.com | Digital booklet | © Rounder Records

Willie Nelson goes back to his roots with a songbook of classic Americana. Country Music was recorded in Nashville, TN and produced by T Bone Burnett. Nelson wrote one track on the album, “Man With The Blues” and, with T Bone Burnett, co-arranged three traditional songs, “Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down,” “I Am A Pilgrim,” and “Nobody’s Fault But Mine.” The album also features many popular old-time/bluegrass/folk songs including Ernest Tubb’s “Seaman’s Blues, Merle Travis’ “Dark As A Dungeon,” and The Delmore Brothers “Freight Train Boogie”. Willie Nelson collaborated with many musicians on Country Music including old-time banjo master Riley Baugus, double bassist Dennis Crouch, and T Bone himself, all musicians featured on Raising Sand, the 2009 Grammy award-winning Album of the Year by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.

Willie Nelson – Yesterdays Wine (1971/2008)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 30:11 minutes | 601 MB | Genre: Country
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: HDTracks | Front Cover | © RLG/BMG Heritage

Originally released in 1971, „Yesterday’s Wine“ was Willie Nelson’s final album at RCA Records, for whom he recorded between 1965 and 1971. The album also marked Willie’s farewell from Nashville–after a frustrating decade in Music City, Nelson packed up and moved back to Texas before „Yesterday’s Wine“ was released. Adding to its historical significance, „Yesterday’s Wine“ is also the first Willie Nelson ‘concept’ album and thus paved the way for „Phases And Stages“, „Red Headed Stranger“, and other Nelson classics.

„Yesterday’s Wine“ tells the story of a man watching his own funeral and reflecting on his life. The album includes a number of Nelson standards, among them the title track, ‘Family Bible,’ ‘December Day,’ and a perfect kiss-off to Nashville, ‘Me and Paul.’ The all-star studio band includes ‘Pig’ Robbins on piano, Charlie McCoy on harmonica and Roy Huskey Jr. on bass, but because Nelson wrote most of the material the weekend prior to recording, both the playing and arrangements are muted. A great album that foreshadows the path Nelson would follow to superstardom.

Willie Nelson – That’s Life (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 34:38 minutes | 378 MB | Genre: Country
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Legacy Recordings

Honoring the enduring inspiration of Frank Sinatra, That’s Life is Willie Nelson s second album of classics made famous by The Chairman Of The Board. Willie’s first ode to Frank, 2018’s My Way, earned Willie the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Solo Album, and That’s Life finds Nelson (who has penned a few standards himself) inhabiting 11 more of the most treasured songs in the Great American Songbook including the title track, “Luck Be A Lady,” “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “You Make Me Feel So Young,” and “I Won’t Dance” (a duet featuring Diana Krall). Produced by Buddy Cannon and Matt Rollings, That’s Life was recorded at Capitol Studios in Hollywood–where Frank Sinatra, created a string of album masterpieces–with additional recording at Pedernales Studios in Austin, Texas. Willie delivers 11 new studio performances, coming alive in a musical landscape animated by lush string and vibrant horn arrangements on an album mixed by recording industry legend Al Schmitt (who’s recorded and mixed more than 150 gold and platinum albums and won more Grammy Awards than any other engineer or mixer). The album cover features a brand new painting of Willie and his iconic guitar, Trigger, standing in the glow of a twilight streetlamp, evoking classic Sinatra album covers of yore.

Willie Nelson – Last Man Standing (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz  | Time – 33:34 minutes | 689 MB | Genre: Country
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: Qobuz | Front Cover | © Legacy Recordings

‘Last Man Standing,’ comprised entirely of songs newly-penned by Willie Nelson (and longtime collaborator and producer Buddy Cannon), is the worthy successor to Willie’s ‘God’s Problem Child,’ which showcased seven Nelson-Cannon compositions and debuted at #1 on the Country charts. Willie and Buddy have been working together since 2008 with Cannon producing more than a dozen of Willie’s albums.

Willie Nelson – First Rose of Spring (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/96 kHz | Time – 41:21 minutes | 858 MB | Genre: Country
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Legacy Recordings

For his 70th album, the unshakeable Willie Nelson (now 87 years of age) shows us his softer side. He may be the King of the outlaws, sitting comfortably atop his marijuana mountain, but the Texan has never hidden the super-sensitive and borderline romantic side of his personality. First Rose of Spring was produced by his old partner Buddy Cannon with whom he co-wrote two of its original songs. It also includes compositions by Chris Stapleton, Toby Keith and Pete Graves, as well as one by another 5-star outlaw, Billy Joe Shaver, with whom he covers We Are the Cow-Boys. This exquisite album primarily made up of love songs is drawn to a close with Yesterday When I Was Young (a cover of Charles Aznavour’s famous Hier Encore), which gives a sense of finality to the album as a whole, but not in a weak, languishing way. The production is understated, never flashy and accentuates the violins – when they’re there – with skill. There are also some beautiful acoustic guitar moments (played on a Martin N-20 Trigger) and vocals that are more fluid than usual. First Rose of Spring truly stands out from the many (perhaps too many) recent releases of Willie Nelson, who seems to be writing a never-ending will but doing so with as much class as ever. – Marc Zisman

Willie Nelson – My Way (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 35:25 minutes | 744 MB | Genre: Country
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download  | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Legacy Recordings

My Way, Willie Nelson’s new studio album, explores his admiration and connection to Frank Sinatra’s art and artistry across 11 fresh, intoxicating takes on songs made famous by the Chairman of the Board. Recorded in the tradition of 1978s legendary Stardust and 2016s Grammy Award-winning Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin, My Way is a warm and personal nod from one icon to another. Included are Willie’s takes on timeless tunes like “Summer Wind,” “It Was A Very Good Year,” “I’ll Be Around,” “Fly Me To The Moon,” “What Is This Thing Called Love” (cast as a duet with fellow Grammy winner Norah Jones) and, of course, the anthemic “My Way.” Add Willie’s stalwart backing band plus lush arrangements for full string and horn sections – all produced by Grammy winners Buddy Cannon and Matt Rollings – and you’ve got an album that’s as cool as it gets.