341. Red Headed Stranger - Willie Nelson

There were many things I was expecting from a country album; Harmonica, check. Acoustic guitar, check. Honky-tonk piano, check. Mentioning of a horse, check. However, I was not anticipating a concept album, which shows that judging a book by its cover only accounts for most of your expectations. It's a very sparsely recorded album, with Columbia Records initially believing that it was a demo, but they were unable to add any instrumentation to it as Willie Nelson had secured full creative control in his contract. 

Willie Nelson is one of the biggest names in Country and Western music. I know this because I've heard of him, so he must be a big deal. Whilst still hugely popular in the US, this is a genre that has struggled to cross the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. Or Mexican or Canadian borders for that matter. This album is an example of the Outlaw Country scene, the internet informs me, with artists asserting more authority over what and how the music is recorded, and moving against lush, fuller orchestration.

The opener, Time of the Preacher, works as the recurring theme, appearing several times as a leitmotif (thanks Chloe) throughout the album. It works as an effective backdrop over which the story can be played out, and certainly shows the heritage of this style of music. I couldn't Believe it was True starts the narrative of a man who has lost his woman, and is struggling to comes to term with this. Indeed, he struggles so much to be at peace with this loss that he ends up murdering her and her new man, which is recounted in Blue Rock Montana in a fairly nonchalant manner. Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain is a cover of a Fred Rose song, and was the breakthrough track off this collection, remaining a live staple for Nelson for decades. The title track tells the story of the man killing another woman, this time one who is trying to steal his horse, the bay pony that his former wife used to ride. Hands on the Wheel is a mournful song that paints a picture of a broken man, and works well as the effective album closer.

There was a fairly low bar for this album, but I can certainly say that it has surpassed this. The stripped back nature of the recording and the strength of Nelson's voice are two positives, but it is the quality of the delivery of the narrative that really sets this album apart. It is definitely greater than the sum of its parts, with no song particularly rising above the others, but when listened to together, it paints a compelling picture of a simpler, more complicated time.

Chloe's rating: 6

Chloe's favourite track: 6. Red Headed Stranger

Olly's rating: 7

Olly's favourite track: 14. Hands on the Wheel

Next week's album is the most recent we've had yet - 979. Elbow with Seldom Seen Kid, an album I sort of know, but I'm looking forward to getting my ears into more.