Willie Nelson

This CD commemorates Willie Nelson's 70th Birthday (April 30, 2003).

The catalog of Willie Nelson is so vast and rich that assembling an "essential" collection of only one or two discs seems nearly impossible. RCA's single-disc 1995 attempt was admirable and worthy, but doomed by space limitations. With a bit more room to move, Legacy's roomier two-disc collection is about close as anyone could hope to come. We get the full view of the great singer/songwriter's artistic journey.

"Hello Walls" and the evergreen "Crazy" hail from the days when Nelson was tooling around Nashville as a songwriter for hire but mystifyingly unable to connect as a solo artist. His transformation into a counterculture icon via the '70s "outlaw country" movement is marked by the likes of "Me and Paul" and "Bloody Mary Morning." His tremendous skill as in interpreter can be heard in such standards as "Blue Skies" and "Georgia on Mind," which helped make him a crossover success in the STARDUST era. Latter-day collaborations with everyone from Aerosmith ("One Time Too Many") to U2 ("Slow Dancing") show Willie's mercurial, eclectic nature. Add it all up and a portrait comes together of a man whose artistic vision has carried him across decades and stylistic shifts aplenty and seen him through in style.

Recorded between 1961 & 2002.

This budget-priced, five-piece box set from country great Willie Nelson includes the albums The Troublemaker (1976), To Lefty from Willie (1977), Stardust (1978), Sings Kris Kristofferson (1979), and Tougher Than Leather (1983) in their entireties.

Willie Nelson's career as a legendary country musician, political activist and humanitarian has made him an American icon. In 2002, a variety of musical acts paid tribute to Willie during the Willie Nelson & Friends: Stars & Guitars concert, recorded in the capital of country music, Nashville, Tennessee.Last year, a star-studded lineup came out to New York City to celebrate Willie's 70th birthday during the Willie Nelson & Friends: Live and Kickin' concert.Now, for the third consecutive year in May 2004, the stars came out again.

The Willie Nelson Family finds Willie joined in his Pedernales Studios by a host of his family members and extended family of long-time band members, performing songs that they have performed for much of their lives. Sister Bobbie, sons Lukas and Micah, and daughters Amy and Paula all contribute plus band members Mickey Raphael, Kevin Smith and Billy and Paul English. Produced by Willie and Steve Chadie and shaped around a setlist of 12 favourite spirit-driven songs from the Nelson Family repertoire which took on special significance during the lockdown when the album was finished.