Full Description
Journey through Willie Nelson's rebellious, prolific, and enduring career with this richly illustrated tour of the beloved singer-songwriter's 100-plus albums.
Few musicians or celebrities are as widely adored as Willie Nelson. The legendary Texas singer-songwriter is still recording and performing music well into his nineties. In this photo-filled coffee-table gift book, noted country/roots/Americana music writer Geoffrey Himes traces Nelson's entire career through the lens of his albums, examining:
Nelson's influences and early career as a songwriter
The circumstances of each album's writing and recording
Studio musicians and personnel
How each album fit into Nelson's career arc and the evolution of his craft
In addition, Himes offers a sidebar for each album that includes:
An image of the album sleeve
Recording and release dates
Single releases
Chart positions for singles and albums
Along the way, read about Nelson's film roles, notable collaborators, famous Fourth of July picnics, iconic Martin guitar "Trigger," and involvement in causes like Farm Aid, biodiesel fuels, and marijuana legalization.
The text, together with more than 250 images of Nelson on- and offstage, make for a unique and visually entertaining celebration of an American treasure who has transcended America's increasing polarization to become a national treasure.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE: AND THEN I WROTE
SIDEMAN AND SONGWRITER, 1933-1963
One Hell of a Ride
Willie Nelson A Classic & Unreleased Collection
Crazy: The Demo Sessions
The Early Years
And Then I Wrote . . .
Here's Willie Nelson
The Early Years: The Complete Liberty Recordings Plus More
CHAPTER TWO: MY OWN PECULIAR WAY
IN PURGATORY WITH RCA, 1965-1972
The Winning Hand (Monument, 1982)
Country Willie—His Own Songs (RCA, 1965)
Country Favorites—Willie Nelson Style (RCA, 1966)
Country Music Concert (RCA, 1966)
Make Way for Willie Nelson (RCA, 1967)
"The Party's Over" and Other Great Willie Nelson Songs (RCA, 1967)
Texas in My Soul (RCA, 1968)
Good Times (RCA, 1968)
My Own Peculiar Way (RCA, 1969)
Both Sides Now (RCA, 1970)
Laying My Burden Down (RCA, 1970)
Willie Nelson and Family (RCA, 1971)
The Words Don't Fit the Pictures (RCA, 1972)
The Willie Way (RCA, 1972)
Naked Willie (RCA/Legacy, 2009/1972)
CHAPTER THREE: RED HEADED STRANGER
CONCEPT ALBUMS AND STARDOM, 1973-1978
Yesterday's Wine (RCA, 1971)
Shotgun Willie (Atlantic, 1973)
Phases and Stages (Atlantic, 1974)
The Complete Atlantic Sessions (Atlantic, 2006/1974)
Red Headed Stranger (Columbia, 1975)
Willie Nelson Live (RCA, 1975)
Wanted! The Outlaws (RCA, 1976)
The Sound in Your Mind (Columbia, 1976)
The Troublemaker (Columbia, 1976)
To Lefty from Willie (Columbia, 1977)
Waylon & Willie (RCA, 1978)
Stardust (Columbia, 1978)
Willie and Family Live (Columbia, 1978)
CHAPTER FOUR: OLD FRIENDS
TRIBUTES, DUETS, AND SOUNDTRACKS, 1979-1982
One for the Road (Columbia, 1979)
Willie Nelson Sings Kristofferson (Columbia, 1979)
Pretty Paper (Columbia, 1979)
Sweet Memories (Columbia, 1979)
The Electric Horseman (Columbia, 1979)
San Antonio Rose (Columbia, 1980)
Honeysuckle Rose (Columbia, 1980)
Family Bible (Songbird, 1980)
Willie Nelson and Dany Davis & the Nashville Brass (RCA, 1980)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Columbia, 1981)
Greatest Hits (& Some That Will Be) (Columbia, 1981)
Always on My Mind (Columbia, 1982)
In the Jailhouse Now (Columbia, 1982)
WWII (RCA, 1982)
Old Friends (Columbia, 1982)
CHAPTER FIVE: TOUGHER THAN LEATHER
A NEW LEASE ON LIFE, 1983-1992
Pancho & Lefty (Epic, 1983)
Tougher than Leather (Columbia, 1983)
Take It to the Limit (Columbia, 1983)
Without a Song (Columbia, 1983)
Angel Eyes (Columbia, 1984)
City of New Orleans (Columbia, 1984)
Music from Songwriter (Columbia, 1984)
Me and Paul (Columbia, 1985)
Funny How Time Slips Away (Columbia, 1985)
Brand on My Heart (Columbia, 1985)
Highwayman (Columbia, 1985)
Half Nelson (Columbia, 1985)
The Promiseland (Columbia, 1986)
Partners (Columbia, 1986)
Walking the Line (Epic, 1987)
Island in the Sea (Columbia, 1987)
Seashores of Old Mexico (Epic, 1987)
What a Wonderful World (Columbia, 1988)
A Horse Called Music (Columbia, 1989)
Highwayman 2 (Columbia, 1990)
Live from Austin TX (New West, 2006/1990)
Born for Trouble (Columbia, 1990)
Clean Shirt (Epic, 1991)
Revolutions of Time . . . the Journey: 1975-1993 (Columbia, 1995/1992)
CHAPTER SIX: SPIRIT
FOLLOWING HIS MUSE, 1993-2000
Across the Borderline (Columbia, 1993)
Nacogdoches Waltz (Justice, 1993)
Super Hits (Legacy, 1994)
Six Hours at Pedernales (Step One, 1994)
The Road Goes on Forever (Liberty, 1995)
Spirit (Island, 1995)
Just One Love (Justice, 1995)
Augusta (Sundown, 1995)
How Great Thou Art (Finer Arts, 1996)
VH1 Storytellers: Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson (American, 1998)
Teatro (Island, 1998)
Night and Day (Free Falls, 1999)
Me and the Drummer (Luck, 2000)
Milk Cow Blues (Island, 2000)
CHAPTER SEVEN: YOU DON'T KNOW ME
IN THE WILDERNESS, 2001-2012
Rainbow Connection (Island, 2001)
Joy (Free Falls, 2001)
The Gypsy (Indigo Moon, 2001)
The Great Divide (Lost Highway, 2002)
All of Me—Live in Concert (BCI, 2002)
Willie Nelson & Friends--Stars & Guitars (Lost Highway, 2002)
The Essential Willie Nelson (Legacy, 2003)
Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90—Live at the Hollywood Bowl (Legacy, 2023)
Live and Kickin' (Lost Highway, 2003)
Run That by Me One More Time (Lost Highway, 2003)
Live at Billy Bob's (Smith Music 2004)
Outlaws and Angels (Lost Highway, 2004)
It Will Always Be (Lost Highway, 2004)
Songs for Tsunami Relief: Austin to South Asia (Lost Highway, 2005)
Countryman (Lost Highway, 2005)
You Don't Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker (Lost Highway, 2006)
Songbird (Lost Highway, 2006)
Last of the Breed (Lost Highway, 2007)
It's Magic (Diamonddisc, 2007)
Moment of Forever (Lost Highway, 2008)
Two Men with the Blues (Blue Note, 2008)
Willie and the Wheel (Bismeaux, 2009)
Lost Highway (Lost Highway, 2009)
American Classic (Blue Note, 2009)
Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles (Blue Note, 2011)
Remember Me, Vol. 1 (R&J, 2011)
Heroes (Legacy, 2012)
CHAPTER EIGHT: BAND OF BROTHERS
THE COMEBACK, 2013-2024
Let's Face the Music and Dance (Legacy, 2013)
To All the Girls . . . (Legacy, 2013)
Band of Brothers (Legacy, 2014)
December Day . . . Willie's Stash, Vol. 1 (Legacy, 2014)
Django & Jimmie (Legacy, 2015)
Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin (Legacy, 2016)
For the Good Times: A Tribute to Ray Price (Legacy, 2016)
God's Problem Child (Legacy, 2017)
Willie and the Boys: Willie's Stash, Vol. 1 (Legacy, 2017)
Last Man Standing (Legacy, 2018)
My Way (Legacy, 2018)
Ride Me Back Home (Legacy, 2019)
First Rose of Spring (Legacy, 2020)
American Outlaw (Blackbird, 2020)
That's Life (Legacy, 2021)
Willie Nelson Family (Legacy, 2021)
A Beautiful Time (Legacy, 2022)
Live at Budokan (Legacy, 2022)
Bluegrass (Legacy, 2024)
The Border (Legacy, 2024)
Last Leaf on the Tree (Legacy, 2024)
EPILOGUE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
PHOTO CREDITS
INDEX
