Rock Bands & Pop Stars
Willie Nelson Pictures
Artist:
Willie Nelson
Origin:
United States, Abbott - TexasUnited States
Born date:
April 30, 1933
Willie Nelson Album: «The Essential Willie Nelson»
Willie Nelson Album: «The Essential Willie Nelson» (Front side)
    Album information
  • Customers rating: (5.0 of 5)
  • Title:The Essential Willie Nelson
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  • Type:Audio CD
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Customers rating
Track listing
Review - Product Description
The Essential Willie Nelson by Willie Nelson

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Review - Amazon.com
Willie Nelson recorded 11 albums for RCA between 1964 and 1971, but he has always discounted those recordings as victims of a Nashville industry that didn't understand what he was trying to do. Colin Escott, who put together this 1995 anthology, argues in the CD booklet that Nelson has oversimplified this period of his career. Sure, there were miscalculations as producer Chet Atkins tried to make Nelson's quirky vocal phrasing palatable to the country radio of the day, but there were also a fair number of artistic triumphs. After all, Escott points out, Nelson first recorded such classic compositions as "Bloody Mary Morning," "Me and Paul," "Funny How Time Slips Away," "The Party's Over," and "Phases, Stages, Circles, Cycles and Scenes" for RCA. Those five songs plus 15 others make up The Essential Willie Nelson, which skims the cream from that part of his career. Escott for the most part shies away from Atkins's most overproduced debacles and emphasizes the more understated sessions where Nelson did things "My Own Peculiar Way," as one song put it. --Geoffrey Himes
Customer review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
- Early Essential Nelson..

This is one of Willie Nelson's essentials,here is twenty songs from Willie's early days in Nashville, notably the R.C.A. recordings,back in the day when Nelson was known more as a songwriter than an established singer. These songs lean more on the country sound with reliable Jimmy Day on steel - featuring songs,"I Gotta Get Drunk","Yesterday's Wine","Sweet Memories","Bloody Mary Morning", and Willie covers E.T.'s,"Waltz Across Texas", there's the timeless,"Night Life","Funny How Time Slips Away". Willie is in good form on these recordings, his singing style has changed through the years , some people may not realize that Nelson is also a fine guitar player extraordinaire,he oughta be ,he's been playing the same guitar for fifty years, the one with the worn out pickguard, the worn out autographs,(the only signature I could ever read was,Lefty Frizzell.) The legend has it that Nelson's house burnt down in Texas,two things were saved ,that same ol' classic worn guitar and an ounce of weed...love that guitar. "I Gotta Get Drunk" is worth the price of admission alone on this out of print disc,and you'll hear the songs of a poet who has tasted both the bitter and the sweet in the ever-changing events of life,Willie Nelson.

Customer review
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
- A sampling of core Willie Nelson music.

This album is a keeper! I took it out of the library and have renewed it and now it's overdue so I'm ordering one. There's not a dud cut on the disk. Highly recommended.

Customer review
- The Essential Willie Nelson

This is exactly what I was looking for. Willie is one of my favourite American artists and his earlier work is my prefered listening choice.

Customer review
- Willie's best for the RCA label

Willie Nelson's RCA years are probably my favorite of his lengthy career. I LOVE Willie's music. This one 'The Essential Willie Nelson' (not to be confused with the 2-disc Columbia release), is a nice 20-song sampler of his best RCA recordings from 1964 to 1971.

If you want a cheap, nice retrospective of Willie on RCA, than check out 'Platinum & Gold Collection.' I recommend that one if you're on a budget as well. But, this set is for those who want to explore Willie's RCA sides more.

You get his finest early sides. 'Hello Walls,' 'The Night Life,' 'Funny How Time Slips Away,' and one of my personal favorites, 'The Party's Over.'

It's also interesting to hear the original 'Bloody Mary Morning.' The version I know and love appears on the 'Phases and Stages' record. I may actually like the original better than the classic album version.

You also get another one of my personal favorites on this set, 'Me And Paul.' This is a classic country song, and it fits perfectly on any Willie collection.

If your new to Willie Nelson's RCA sides, either this or 'Platinum And Gold Collection' will fit perfectly. However, if you want to get his very best RCA sides and you want them in one piece, look no further.

This is highly recommended for any Willie Nelson fan. These classic early recordings just can't be beat! And the sound quality is excellent as well. ENJOY!!!

Customer review
1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
- I know this album to be one of the "greats"

I only wish you could advise me if this CD can be obtained in CDG for Karaoke singing.