REISSUES : Willie Nelson boxed set is One Hell of a Ride
Posted on Thursday, May 8, 2008
If it hadn’t been for Willie Nelson’s smiling face peeking through a cutout in the flimsy brown package embossed to resemble his guitar, I might easily have passed over his amazing new boxed set, One Hell of a Ride (Columbia / Legacy, four CDs, $ 49. 98 ).
And that would certainly have been a shame, for this 100-song set, released to celebrate his 75 th birthday (April 30 ), is a jewel.
Nelson is a daunting subject for compilation; his muse is restless and his output prolific. There are many amazing albums and few weak ones. Many of Nelson’s phases and stages (to evoke the title of one of his great ones ) have been compiled and reissued several times.
But until this exceptionally well-organized set, nothing has offered such an insightful overview of Nelson’s long career. One Hell of a Ride is bookended with “When I’ve Sang My Last Hillbilly Song.” We hear it first at the beginning in a modest-sounding recording done at a radio station in 1954 that reflects his vocal admiration of Lefty Frizzell. At the end of the fourth disc, it is reprised in a 2007 recording with his band, including the crying harmonica of Mickey Raphael and the gospel-fired piano playing of sister Bobbie Nelson and delivered with a confident, personal vocal.
One of the real joys of this boxed-set is how well it mixes hits, concert favorites, obscurities and cover tunes. No doubt the scope of the set will bring the enormity and quality of Nelson’s career into focus for even the most dedicated fan.
Goodness knows, if he had quit writing songs after “Crazy,” “ Hello Walls, ” “Funny How Time Slips Away” and “Nite Life,” he would already have earned his place in the hearts of country fans and history.
But Nelson’s restless musical wanderings led him to the music of Bob Wills, classic country, rock ’n’ roll, reggae, folk and American pop standards. There’s the Waylon Jennings / Willie Nelson Outlaws period, the great Red-headed Stranger, one of the finest albums ever, and his lushly romantic and appealing Stardust. It is a tribute to Nelson’s gifts that these and a number of other albums are so essential that this compilation does not render those albums moot in anyone’s musical library.
Nowhere through the many stops on the way did Nelson’s musical explorations feel anything but natural. Not all of them worked, but they never felt forced.
When many artists achieve superstardom, they get a little conservative. Not Nelson. He continues to be open to change and exploration, whether in his music or that of others.
And while this set is loaded with many of Nelson’s poetic songs, he is fearless in choosing cover tunes. Paul Simon’s “Graceland” has an undeniable grace; a duet with Ray Charles (“ Seven Spanish Angels” ) reveals how Nelson’s natural style fit everywhere. He sang Hank Snow’s classic “I’m Moving On” with Snow to remind us what a treasure this nearly forgotten pioneer is.
Whether singing his hits (“ Good Hearted Woman, ” “Whiskey River,” “ Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, ” “Always on My Mind,” et al. ) or the songs of others, Nelson infuses each with heart.
Best of all, Nelson is still with us, still creating new music. His appeal, like that of Tony Bennett, is timeless and crosses every imaginable cultural boundary.
One Hell of a Ride gives us a renewed appreciation for this singular artist. Yes, the boxedset’s design is nondescript. But there is a superb 100-page booklet inside with new essays, including one by Raphael, and some wonderful photos.
One Hell of a Ride lives up to its name and stands as one of the most savvy, clearheaded compilations ever.
QUICK HITS Otis Redding, Otis Blue / Otis Sings Soul, Rhino, $ 24. 99. The power, intensity and depth of the great Otis Redding’s singing continues to thrill, nearly 20 years after his death. This special edition of the 1965 album is a two-CD package. One CD has the original mono album with six alternate takes and singles, and six tunes recorded live at the Whiskey a Go Go in 1966. Disc 2 has the album’s stereo mix plus an alternate take on “Respect” and five tunes recorded live in Europe in 1977. Considered one of the greatest soul music albums ever, the stunning Otis Blue / Otis Sings Soul is a powerhouse with the hits “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and “Respect” and his incredible versions of Sam Cooke’s “Change Gonna Come” and The Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction.” There wasn’t a wasted track on the original album and while this edition may be overkill for a casual fan, it is Redding at his rawest and most emotional. The live tracks are especially satisfying. Frank Sinatra, At the Movies, Capitol, $ 18. 98. This compilation, as the title suggests, focuses on Sinatra’s film music. As one would expect, it is filled with great songs and performances, such as “How Deep Is the Ocean,” “ Young at Heart, ” “All of Me,” “ From Here to Eternity, ” “Just One of Those Things” and “High Hopes.” Drawn from the Capitol archives, it doesn’t provide the complete overview of Sinatra’s film music that would have been even more welcome. Twenty tunes in all.
Still struttin’. Two 1980 s recordings by the rockabilly band Stray Cats — Rock Therapy (1986 ) and Blast Off (1989 ) have been remastered and reissued by Hepcat Records ($ 12. 98 each ). Therapy didn’t generate a lot of buzz when it was first released. While it doesn’t measure up to the band’s earlier works, it is hardly a throwaway. Blast Off reunited the band with producer Dave Edmunds. The music defined a variation of rockabilly that was dubbed psychobilly. On both, bassist Lee Rocker adds interesting liner notes.
Love, Forever Changes, Rhino, $ 24. 99. Though it didn’t make much of an impression commercially when it was issued in 1967, this unsettling, haunting recording was an artistic triumph. Today, it sounds a bit dated in its ’ 60 s summer of love themes, but the music still is involving with its mix of acoustic guitars, strings, horns and orchestral arrangements. This album was a striking contrast to the high energy of Love’s earlier work. It is interesting how, in some of the songs, one can hear a foreshadowing of the social unrest that was to come. “The Red Telephone” and “Live and Let Live” are among the memorable tunes. On the two CDs, the original album is presented, an alternate mix (without documentation ) and 10 bonus tunes, four of which have not been previously released. Excellent liner notes enhance this package, but in truthfulness, if you have the 2001 reissue of Forever Changes, you probably don’t need this. E-mail ewidner@arkansasonline. com
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