Phases Stages Willie

It's easy to argue that Willie Nelson's two albums for Atlantic, 1973's Shotgun Willie and 1974's Phases and Stages, are his two best albums. Recorded between his 1972 departure from his longtime home RCA and before his star-making stint at Columbia, these two albums are the roots of Nelson's brand of outlaw country, where he casually fueled Nashville songwriting with Texan Western swing, pop melodies, folk storytelling, hard country, lazy blues, and a renegade sensibility borrowed from rock & roll, all spiked with a little bit of jazz. Add to this his increasing fascination with themes that played out over the course of a full album – Shotgun Willie was an outlaw's record through and through, Phases and Stages was an explicit divorce album, with a strong narrative pull – and it made for two near-perfect records that worked as a whole, but could stand as collections of perfect songs: these albums contained such Nelson standards as "Shotgun Willie," "Whiskey River," "Sad Songs and Waltzes," "Slow Down Old World," "Pretend I Never Happened," "Bloody Mary Morning," "It's Not Supposed to Be That Way," and "Pick Up the Tempo," after all.

It's easy to argue that Willie Nelson's two albums for Atlantic, 1973's Shotgun Willie and 1974's Phases and Stages, are his two best albums. Recorded between his 1972 departure from his longtime home RCA and before his star-making stint at Columbia, these two albums are the roots of Nelson's brand of outlaw country, where he casually fueled Nashville songwriting with Texan Western swing, pop melodies, folk storytelling, hard country, lazy blues, and a renegade sensibility borrowed from rock & roll, all spiked with a little bit of jazz. Add to this his increasing fascination with themes that played out over the course of a full album – Shotgun Willie was an outlaw's record through and through, Phases and Stages was an explicit divorce album, with a strong narrative pull – and it made for two near-perfect records that worked as a whole, but could stand as collections of perfect songs: these albums contained such Nelson standards as "Shotgun Willie," "Whiskey River," "Sad Songs and Waltzes," "Slow Down Old World," "Pretend I Never Happened," "Bloody Mary Morning," "It's Not Supposed to Be That Way," and "Pick Up the Tempo," after all.

Such is the depth of his repertoire that Willie Nelson had no trouble filling up two hours and 15 minutes on this July 1, 1976, broadcast from Dallas radio station KAFM-FM. With a little help from occasional guest vocalists Jody Payne and Bee Spears (both part of his band), as well as fellow outlaw David Allan Coe, he ran through material spanning the beginning of his career as a songwriter through his 1975 hit album Red Headed Stranger. In addition to the hits Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain and Good Hearted Woman, this includes his own interpretations of songs he wrote that were hits for others, such as Crazy and Funny How Time Slips Away, as well as covers of classics like Jambalaya, Truck Drivin' Man, and Goodnight, Irene. The broadcast is presented here in it's entirety, with digitally remastered sound and background notes.

As a songwriter and performer, Willie Nelson has played a vital role in post-rock & roll country music. Although he didn't become a star until the mid-'70s, he spent the 1960s writing songs that became hits for stars like Ray Price ("Night Life"), Patsy Cline ("Crazy"), Faron Young ("Hello Walls"), and Billy Walker ("Funny How Time Slips Away"), as well as releasing a series of records on Liberty and RCA that earned him a small but devoted cult following. During the early '70s, Willie abandoned Nashville for his native Texas, setting up shop with the redneck hippies in Austin and taking control of his music on the landmark Shotgun Willie (1973) and Phases & Stages (1974). Nelson found a kindred spirit in Waylon Jennings and, together, they spearheaded the outlaw country movement that finally made him a star by 1975. Following the crossover success of that year's Red Headed Stranger and "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," Nelson became a genuine success, as recognizable in pop circles as he was to country audiences; in addition to recording, he also launched an acting career in the early '80s.

This double-disc set is cross-licensed to include key tracks from 40 years of recording! Includes Night Life; Hello Walls; Me and Paul; Bloody Mary Morning; Funny How Time Slips Away; Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain; On the Road Again; If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time; Georgia on My Mind; My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys; Always on My Mind; Pancho and Lefty; Highwayman, and more. 41 tracks!

"Red Headed Stranger" was a blockbuster among both country music and mainstream audiences, going multi-platinum and making Nelson one of the biggest stars in country. The album’s title would become a lasting nickname for Nelson. The album was ranked #184 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It was ranked #1 on CMT’s 40 Greatest Albums in Country Music in 2006.

"Red Headed Stranger" was a blockbuster among both country music and mainstream audiences, going multi-platinum and making Nelson one of the biggest stars in country. The album’s title would become a lasting nickname for Nelson. The album was ranked #184 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It was ranked #1 on CMT’s 40 Greatest Albums in Country Music in 2006.

"Red Headed Stranger" was a blockbuster among both country music and mainstream audiences, going multi-platinum and making Nelson one of the biggest stars in country. The album’s title would become a lasting nickname for Nelson. The album was ranked #184 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It was ranked #1 on CMT’s 40 Greatest Albums in Country Music in 2006.

20 Of The Best is a 1982 compilation by American country singer Willie Nelson. It consists of material when he was signed to RCA Records in the late 1960's and early 1970's. This was released on CD in 1990 by RCA.