Friday, February 28, 2014

In a World of Willie

          I was listening to a lot of Willie Nelson last summer - in particular, discovering his more
obscure 70s stuff.   Additionally, I've  been digging Phosphorescent's dandy Willie tribute album To Willie for several years now.  Hence, a collection of Willie Nelson covers seemed apropos. In doing so, I found out, much to my surprise, that Willie Nelson didn't write Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain (it's a Fred Rose tune, btw).  Still, it's such a "Willie song" (and the guy did write a ton of other great ones), I had to include Elliott Smith's version stay in the mix. Revoke my purist card, if you must (especially since Elliott screws up a verse in his live version), but it really fit nicely.

(Late update 12/4/14: Kevinpat, a friend of the blog, has graciously agreed to share a dandy 3rd compilation.  See below for track listing.)

Disc One

Reasons to Quit Phosphorescent
You Look Like The Devil Deadstring Brothers
On The Road Again Pickin' On Series
I'm a Memory Sara Watkins
The Most Unoriginal Sin John Hiatt
She's Not For You Mark Lanegan
Who Do I Know in Dallas Merle Haggard
Make Way for a Better Man Deke Dickerson
Three Days k.d. lang
Are You Sure Ray Price
Crazy Mandy Barnett
Tragedy Charlie Rich
Somebody Pick Up My Pieces Bettye Lavette
Blue Eyes Cryin' In the Rain Elliott Smith
Sad Songs And Waltzes Cake

Disc Two

I Still Can't Believe You're Gone Kelly Hogan & The Pine Valley Cosmonauts
Funny How Time Slips Away Al Green
Permanently Lonely The Little Willies
I'm Building Heartaches Thomas Marriott
Undo The Wrong Justin Trevino
Hello Walls Jason & The Scorchers
A Good Hearted Woman George Jones
Man With The Blues Del McCoury
Sister's Coming Home Emmylou Harris
One Day at a Time The Flatlanders
It's Not Supposed To Be That Way Waylon Jennings
Touch Me Buck Owens
Hands on the Wheel The Geraldine Fibbers
Opportunity To Cry Holmes Brothers
Night Life [Live] Aretha Franklin
Disc Three
Valentine The Beautiful South
Heartaches of a Fool Charlie A'Court
A Moment Isn't Very Long Johnny Bush
I Never Cared for You Deke Dickerson
Still is Still Moving to Me Acapulco Radio
Bloody Mary Morning Supersuckers
Roll Me Up and Smoke Me Bitz 'n' Pieces Band
Face of a Fighter Texas Tea
Hands on the Wheel Norah Jones
You Left Me a Long Time Ago Miss Leslie
Don't Say Love (Or Nothing) Bobby Flores
The End of Understanding Jim and Eve Selection
I Gotta Get Drunk The Little Willies
Kneel at the Feet of Jesus George Jones
Family Bible Ricky Skaggs
Healing Hands of Time Jessi Colter
I Never Cared for You Paula Nelson
Good Hearted Woman The Everly Brothers
It's Not Supposed to be That Way Jackson Taylor and the Sinners
Slow Down Old World Richard Buckner
I Didn't Sleep a Wink Last Night Colin Cooper Project
Yesterday's Wine George Jones w/Merle Haggard
My Own Peculiar Way Joe Dolan
Lonely Little Mansion Patti Jerome
The Party's Over Phosphorescent

12 comments:

zephyr said...

Thank you very much Ishkabibliophile
a very fine collection

J. Loslo said...

Thanks for these. Fun stuff.

LakerCrazy said...

Thanks Ish...hope your not completely frozen. When I lived in LA (summer of 1975)...I had a friend in the music industry call me and say..."I'm coming by in 10 minutes and take you with me to a special show".Well it certainly was a "special show" all right. Willie Nelson performing for about 100 record industry people at the old Palomino Club. Willie came out on stage and proceeded to play his new release "Red Headed Stranger"...in exactly the order of songs on the album...side A to side b! It was simply amazing and a night I will never forget.
Thanks Again for reminding us of the greatness of Mr. Willie Nelson.

Ishkabibliophile said...

@Zephyr and J.Loslo,

Quite welcome!

Ishkabibliophile said...

@Lakercrazy,


I am officially jealous now - that sounds like a really great show. Great to see a legend in their prime!

LakerCrazy said...

Ish...my buddy once told me there was a SBD copy of that show floating around the net somewhere...but I never could locate it. But if I do come across it...I'll pass it your way. Funny I was reading what you wrote about "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain"...and I remember him doing that one because some of those jaded industry people had to rub a little moisture from their eyes.Another great Willie song I love is ""Healing Hands Of Time"...which is a very simple but incredibly moving.

They're working while I'm missing you those healing hands of time
And soon they'll be dismissing you from this heart of mine
They'll lead me safely through the night and I'll follow as though blind
My future tightly clutched within those healing hands of time

They let me close my eyes just then those healing hands of time
And soon they'll let me sleep again those healing hands of time
So already, I've reached mountain peaks and I've just begun to climb
I'll get over you by clinging to those healing hands of time


Thanks Again...really enjoyed this one.

Ishkabibliophile said...

@lakercrazy,

That's from one of his first albums - 1965's Country Willie His Own Songs. It'd be nice if some artist did a Willie tribute, but (like Phosphorescent) focuses on his lesser known material.

Anonymous said...

This is great!! Love a great tribute album and although I never was a big Willie fan, guess I am now! Thanks for that. Sometimes it takes someone else's affection to get some attention. (hmmm...sounds like a Willie lyric, perhaps.) LOVE this and THANK YOU!!

kevinpat

Ishkabibliophile said...

@kevinpat,

It took me a fairly long time to get Willie as well. But once you get him, there's no going back (and you can spend an even longer time going through his back catalog.)

Ish

Anonymous said...

Ish!! I spent the last few days digging through the Willie catalogue and searched for other great versions of his songs and made a third collection! See what you started....Hahaha! Thank you. Am enjoying the Harlan Howard collections as well! Great stuff. Your hard work and time shines through.

kevinpat

Ishkabibliophile said...

@kevinpat,

Always like turning others into obsessives like myself. :) I'll be happy to post disc three here if you want.

Ish

Anonymous said...

Sure! But I now have 2 more volumes, for a total of 3. Ha! Great stuff. Can I send you them on disk? I still can't figure out how to zip file this stuff. Ugh! Got some others too....??? I'm happy to share. :))

kevinpat