Willie Nelson – Country Music
This Grammy-nominated set comes as a single CD & double vinyl LP. It’s an acclaimed 2010 title that finds Mr. Nelson interpreting 15 country classics as produced & recorded by T. Bone Burnett in Nashville.
Burnett aimed for a rustic sound, stripped-down arrangements, traditional instrumentation & probably aimed for the magic that was captured on Willie’s 1978 album “Stardust.” The effort proved to be another success for Nelson when it debuted at #4 (Billboard’s Country Albums chart). Country Music (Drops Feb 27/HighTone/Craft Recordings/54:42) met with critical acclaim & Willie’s reputation, artistry & pedigree have always delivered.
Austin’s Willie Nelson (vocals/gut-string acoustic guitar) manages to issue albums each year with good judgment. Diversified, interesting & Austin’s son never loses the charm of his entertaining personality. He’s not Caruso, not Jim Reeves, but he’s singing carved from character. You won’t get that from singing lessons.
Nelson has always been a country artist who mattered & was capable of widening his oeuvre with not just standard country applications (“My Baby’s Gone”), which he always did with polish, but with darker exponents, adding a touch of country-inflection that were not originally country in spirit. He tackled challenging pieces that were more blues-oriented or even progressive (Merle Travis’ “Dark As a Dungeon,” & the traditional “Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down”).
The instrumentation is often true & with a tinge of traditional precision. Willie never approached his material with a corny C&W indulgence. It was always serious business, he respected. Each tune had a story to tell with rural performative skill. Hence, he never came across as wholly pure-toned with twang. Oh, no. Elvis did the same with “Elvis Country,” where songs like “Tomorrow Never Comes” were coated in a stunning bolero build-up & “Faded Love” had deep baritone saxes low in the mix. But Willie’s voice is more countrified, more traditionally indulgent, & had a grandfatherly authenticity that didn’t intimidate as Elvis’ power would.
There are basic tunes, but Willie’s trademark quirky voice always renders them special…leathery instead of varnished. The superb “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” is quite good. He’s not the late Jim Reeves with a satiny baritone; Willie’s of pastoral warmth with competence & good instinct.
It would’ve been nice to hear Willie sing with the late Boxcar Willie, whose Johnny Cash-smoothed-over voice would’ve been a good contrast. This LP has many savory songs by an astute veteran.
Highlights – “Man With the Blues,” “Dark As a Dungeon,” “Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down,” “My Baby’s Gone,” “Freight Train Boogie,” “Satisfied Mind,” “You Done Me Wrong,” & “Nobody’s Fault But Mine.”
Musicians – Buddy Miller (electric guitar/harmony), Chris Sharp (acoustic guitar/harmony), Dennis Crouch (acoustic bass), Riley Baugus (banjo), Ronnie McCoury & Mike Compton (mandolin), Russell Pahl (pedal steel), Shad Cobb & Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Mickey Raphael (harmonica), & Jim Lauderdale (vocals/harmony).
Color image courtesy of Willie’s Facebook. Includes a stitched 12pp color insert. CD @ Bandcamp & Apple + https://willienelson.com/
Enjoy some of our previous coverage here: REVIEW: Willie Nelson “Bluegrass”