Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger
Red Headed Stranger is the 18th studio album from Willie Nelson. It was released on Columbia Records in May of 1975. I hear tell that the folks at Texas Monthly had a heated debate as to the best Willie album of all time, and Red Headed Stranger came in 2nd. Second out of 200 (John can correct me on this number) is pretty damn good. And this album is certainly that.
Red Headed Stranger is a concept album made up mostly of cover songs and featuring sparse, deliberate arrangements. It was recorded fairly quickly and under Nelson's complete creative control. For long stretches, its sound is just Willie's vocals and guitar, fleshed out subtly at others by the Family band, notably including harmonica player Mickey Raphael for the first time ever on a Willie record. The result is a plaintive and simple album focusing on the lyrics and the story they tell, a tale of love, betrayal, loss, rambling, more love, death, and redemption.
This LP takes the listener on a thoughtful journey ornamented with beautiful musical passages, lyrical wit, incredible phrasing, and poetic sensibility. Red Headed Stranger is intimate yet inviting. And it feels just as fresh today as it did when it came out some 49 years ago.
Red Headed Stranger is the 18th studio album from Willie Nelson. It was released on Columbia Records in May of 1975. I hear tell that the folks at Texas Monthly had a heated debate as to the best Willie album of all time, and Red Headed Stranger came in 2nd. Second out of 200 (John can correct me on this number) is pretty damn good. And this album is certainly that.
Red Headed Stranger is a concept album made up mostly of cover songs and featuring sparse, deliberate arrangements. It was recorded fairly quickly and under Nelson's complete creative control. For long stretches, its sound is just Willie's vocals and guitar, fleshed out subtly at others by the Family band, notably including harmonica player Mickey Raphael for the first time ever on a Willie record. The result is a plaintive and simple album focusing on the lyrics and the story they tell, a tale of love, betrayal, loss, rambling, more love, death, and redemption.
This LP takes the listener on a thoughtful journey ornamented with beautiful musical passages, lyrical wit, incredible phrasing, and poetic sensibility. Red Headed Stranger is intimate yet inviting. And it feels just as fresh today as it did when it came out some 49 years ago.
Red Headed Stranger is the 18th studio album from Willie Nelson. It was released on Columbia Records in May of 1975. I hear tell that the folks at Texas Monthly had a heated debate as to the best Willie album of all time, and Red Headed Stranger came in 2nd. Second out of 200 (John can correct me on this number) is pretty damn good. And this album is certainly that.
Red Headed Stranger is a concept album made up mostly of cover songs and featuring sparse, deliberate arrangements. It was recorded fairly quickly and under Nelson's complete creative control. For long stretches, its sound is just Willie's vocals and guitar, fleshed out subtly at others by the Family band, notably including harmonica player Mickey Raphael for the first time ever on a Willie record. The result is a plaintive and simple album focusing on the lyrics and the story they tell, a tale of love, betrayal, loss, rambling, more love, death, and redemption.
This LP takes the listener on a thoughtful journey ornamented with beautiful musical passages, lyrical wit, incredible phrasing, and poetic sensibility. Red Headed Stranger is intimate yet inviting. And it feels just as fresh today as it did when it came out some 49 years ago.