Willie Nelson - "Stardust" (1978) - Columbia
Hello Friends,
Tonight we're celebrating the 80th Birthday of one of America's greatest singer/songwriters, Mr. Willie Nelson.
With a career that has spanned over 50 years (and still going strong), Nelson is the elder statesman of American music. In addition to being a legendary songwriter, slick Willie is also an underrated fingerpicker, marijuana enthusiast, author, actor & activist. Basically, an American icon up there with the likes of Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash & Elvis!
Known primarily as a country artist, Nelson has helped bridge the gap between Country Western music, jazz, folk, gospel and rock. Along with Cash, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and others he helped define the subgenre of Outlaw Country in order to counteract the more polished "Nashville sound" that permeated mainstream Country music in the late 60's and 70's.
In 1978-- in full outlaw mode-- he released an album of American Standards entitled, Stardust. Produced by his friend (and neighbor), Booker T. Jones (Booker T. and the MG's), the LP consists of 10 songs done in Nelson's inimitable style. With his trademark laid back, slightly-behind-the-beat vocals and arrangements that ooze country-soul, Nelson brings his "A" game to classics like "Stardust", "Blue Skies", "All of Me", "Unchained Melody", "September Song" and "Someone to Watch Over Me".
"Georgia On My Mind" peaked at #1 on the Country Charts and won Nelson a Grammy. It doesn't quite surpass Ray Charles's rendition, but it comes close!
With Nelson's quivering vocals, delicately picked acoustic guitar with Booker T.'s quiet rumbling organ, "Moonlight in Vermont" is pretty stunning.
With a career that has spanned over 50 years (and still going strong), Nelson is the elder statesman of American music. In addition to being a legendary songwriter, slick Willie is also an underrated fingerpicker, marijuana enthusiast, author, actor & activist. Basically, an American icon up there with the likes of Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash & Elvis!
Known primarily as a country artist, Nelson has helped bridge the gap between Country Western music, jazz, folk, gospel and rock. Along with Cash, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and others he helped define the subgenre of Outlaw Country in order to counteract the more polished "Nashville sound" that permeated mainstream Country music in the late 60's and 70's.
In 1978-- in full outlaw mode-- he released an album of American Standards entitled, Stardust. Produced by his friend (and neighbor), Booker T. Jones (Booker T. and the MG's), the LP consists of 10 songs done in Nelson's inimitable style. With his trademark laid back, slightly-behind-the-beat vocals and arrangements that ooze country-soul, Nelson brings his "A" game to classics like "Stardust", "Blue Skies", "All of Me", "Unchained Melody", "September Song" and "Someone to Watch Over Me".
"Georgia On My Mind" peaked at #1 on the Country Charts and won Nelson a Grammy. It doesn't quite surpass Ray Charles's rendition, but it comes close!
With Nelson's quivering vocals, delicately picked acoustic guitar with Booker T.'s quiet rumbling organ, "Moonlight in Vermont" is pretty stunning.
As Tiki T. says about Nelson's calming and reassuring voice, "They should play this album before people go into surgery to calm them down!" No doubt with a bourbon-chaser, Tiki!
Happy Birthday Willie!
RATING: 5 Red Headed Strangers out of 5
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