One In A Row: The Willie Nelson Songbook.
Label: Ace.
Format: CD.
Willie Nelson is, without doubt, a giant of country music, and a leading light in the outlaw country subgenre. Nelson is also a prolific songwriter whose songwriting career began in the early fifties. He's written countless classics, and many of his songs have been covered hundreds of times. This includes 'Crazy' and 'Funny How Time Slips Away.' Both feature on 'One In A Row: The Willie Nelson Songbook,' a new twenty-four track compilation recently released by Ace.
Nelson was born in Abbott, Texas, on April 29th, 1933. He wrote his first song aged seven, and three years later, aged ten, Nelson joined his first band. This was the start of his musical career.
In high school, Nelson was the guitarist and lead singer with The Bohemian Polka. When he graduated from high school in 1950, Nelson joined the US Air Force.
Unfortunately, problems with his back resulted in Nelson being discharged from the US Air Force. On his return home, he enrolled at Baylor University. However, after two years Nelson dropped out as he was already enjoying a successful musical career.
By the late-fifties, he was working as a DJ in various radio stations in his native Texas. He was also working at various radio stations in the Pacific Northwest. That was just part of the story.
Nelson was also working as a singer-songwriter. He struck gold early in his career writing classics like 'Crazy' and 'Funny How Time Slips Away," plus 'Hello Walls' and 'Pretty Paper.' This was just the start.
Then in 1960, Nelson moved to Nashville, and later, signed publishing deal with Pamper Music. Then he joined Ray Price's band as bassist. However, two years later Nelson embarked upon a solo career.
His debut album 'And Then I Wrote' was released in 1962. It was so successful that Nelson signed to RCA Victor in 1964. The following year, 1965, he joined the Grand Ole Opry. Nelson's star was in the ascendancy.
In 1966, his fourth album 'Country Favorites–Willie Nelson Style,' reached number nine in the US Country charts. The followup, 'Make Way for Willie Nelson,' released in 1967 reached number seven in the US Country charts. Nelson was enjoying the most successful period of his career. This continued with the release of 'The Party's Over and Other Great Willie Nelson Songs' in 1968. It reached number nine in the US Country charts. Little did Nelson realise that the party was over for a while.
Between 1968 and 1972 Nelson released nine album which failed to replicate his earlier success. This resulted in a change of style for Nelson.
'Shotgun Willie,' Nelson's sixteenth album, and was his debut for Atlantic. It was released on June 11th, 1973 to critical acclaim. However, 'Shotgun Willie' stalled at forty-three in the US Country charts. Despite this. it was introduced Nelson's music to a younger audience and nowadays, is regarded as a landmark album. It was one of the first albums of outlaw country. This subgenre of country music was seen as an alternative to the much more conservative Nashville sound. Nelson's new sound transformed his career.
On February 25, 1974, 'Phases and Stages' was released. It fared slightly better than 'Shotgun Willie' reaching thirty-four in the US Country charts. However, Nelson's next album was the start of a remarkable run of commercially successful albums.
'Red Headed Stranger' was released to plaudits and praise on May 26th, 1975. It topped the US Country charts, reached twenty-eight in the US Billboard 200 and was certified double platinum. Nelson wasn't just one of the pioneers of outlaw country he would prove to be one of its finest exponents.
Between the release of 'Sound In Your Mind' on May 26th, 1975, and 'City Of New Orleans' on July 16, 1984 Nelson released thirteen solo albums and collaborate on eight albums. These albums sold in excess of 20.5 million copies in the US alone, and sixteen were either certified gold, platinum or in some cases double, quadruple or five times platinum. During this period, Nelson was, without doubt, one of the biggest names in country music.
Much of his success was down to his talent as a songwriter. This was something he had been doing for quarter a century, and continued to do throughout his long and illustrious career. Many of his songs were covered by the great and good of music, as well as some lesser known names. However, there's many familiar faces on 'One In A Row: The Willie Nelson Songbook.'
The compilation opens with Little Esther's version of 'Hello Walls.' It was released as the B-Side of the single 'Double Crossing Blues' on Atlantic, in 1964. Both sides were arranged and conducted by Garry Sherman, with Bert Berns taking charge of production. He gives the track an uptown groove makeover and Little Esther's reading is heartfelt and emotive. Later, Esther Phillips would release some of her finest albums on Kudu/CTI and Atlantic. The albums she released on Kudu/CTI are the perfect introduction to Phillips' music
'Angel Flying To Close To The Ground' is a track from The Bootleg Series Vol. 16: Springtime in New York 1980–1985 which Bob Dylan released in 2021. This track is one of the hidden gems from the box set and features a soul-baring vocal from Dylan who sounds as if he's lived the lyrics.
Dionne Warwick released 'I Didn't Mean To Love You' as a single in October 1976 - not 1977 as the liner notes state. The single stalled at ninety-one on the US R&B chart. However, hidden away on the B-side is an impassioned, uber soulful uptempo cover that's an oft-overlooked track in Warwick's back-catalogue, and one of the highlights of the compilation.
Vicki Carr covered 'Healing Hands Of Time' on her 1971 album 'The Ways To Love A Man.' It was the second of two country albums she released for Liberty/United Artists. Her vocal veers between hurt-filled to hopeful on this beautiful cover version.
One of Nelson's most-covered songs is 'Crazy.' Patsy Cline released the song as a single in October 1961, and it reached number nine in the US Billboard 100 and number two in the US Country chart. The song featured on her sophomore album 'Showcase,' which was released in November 1961, and reached seventy-three in the US Billboard 200 chart. Cline made the song her own using a mixture of ascending and descending intervals plus broken chords on this heartbreakingly beautiful confessional. It's the definitive version of the song, and a country music standard.
When Tom Jones released his album 'Long Lost Suitcase' in 2015, he included a cover of Nelson's 'Opportunity To Cry.' He lets the song breath on this understated cover that's bristling with emotion, sadness and hurt.
The Spinners' related a rueful and deeply soulful cover of the ballad 'Funny How Time Slips Away' as a single on Atlantic, in 1982. Lead singer John Edwards' stays true to Houston-born soul singer Joe Hinton's 1964 version. This later version was arranged by Gene Page, and features on their 1982 album 'Grand Slam.' It reached just 167 in the US Billboard 200 and forty-three in the US R&B charts. This was a far cry from when Thom Bell produced six albums between 1973 and 1976. Four were certified gold and 1974s 'Mighty Love' platinum. However, 'Funny How Time Slips Away' is a hidden gem in The Spinners' back-catalogue. It's also a reminder of one of the greatest and most sucessful soul groups of the seventies.
In 2004, The Beautiful South's covered 'Valentine' on their ninth album Golddiggas, Headodders and Pholk Songs.' The album was the first to feature vocalist Alison Wheeler. It featured twelve tracks, including eleven cover versions. Paul Heaton delivers a tender, heartfelt vocal on 'Valentine' accompanied by strings on an understated arrangement.
When Trisha Yearwood released her album 'This Song Remembers When' in 1993, it featured a cover of 'One In A Row.' The lyrics sound deeply personal and akin to a confessional. Yearwood breathes life, meaning and emotion into what's one of the highlights of the compilation.
Sometimes an artist or band try to reinvent a well known song. It's the musical equivalent of reinventing the wheel. KD Lang and The Reclines don't do that when they covered 'These Days' on their 1989 album 'Absolute Torch and Twang.' Lang stays true to Faron Young's 1962 original. It's a catchy, country shuffle that's stood the test of time.
When Ray Price released 'Danny Boy' as a single in 1967, it reached number sixty on the US Billboard 100 and number nine in the US Country chart. On the B-Side was 'I Let My Mind Wander,' a sagacious and thoughtful song written by Nelson. Sadly, for too long Price's cover has been an oft-overlooked, and deserves to be heard by a wider audience.
Closing 'One In A Row: The Willie Nelson Songbook' is Perry Como's cover of 'My Own Peculiar Way.' It was released on RCA Victor in 1965, and this country-tinged track features a heartfelt vocal that's full of emotion.
'One In A Row: The Willie Nelson Songbook' which was recently released by Ace, is a reminder of one of a truly great songwriter whose career has spanned seven decades. During that period, Nelson has released seventy-five solo albums. He's also collaborated on a further twenty-six studio albums. Then there's a small matter of two soundtracks, fourteen live albums and fifty-one compilations. These albums have sold over forty million in the US alone. Nelson wasn't just a pioneer of outlaw country, this truly talented singer and songwriter became one of its leading lights and finest exponents.
Nelson's songs are oft-covered and some have become country standards. This includes 'Crazy' and 'Funny How Time Slips Away." These tracks feature on 'One In A Row: The Willie Nelson Songbook' which features twenty-tracks penned by a man who wasn't just one of country music's greatest singers, but one of the genre's greatest songwriters.
One In A Row: The Willie Nelson Songbook.
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