Search - Willie Nelson :: The Early Years

"I Really Thought You Had To Die To Get Here"

08/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The caption is part of a quote by Willie upon being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993 - the remainder is "so I went ahead and dressed up, just in case." The rest of what he said at his acceptance speech is there too and it's classic Willie. Truer words have never been spoken when it comes to the Hall of Fame and its "overly careful" approach to inductions.



All that appears on the inside cover of the 5.5" x 10" cardboard folder that houses the two CDs in this box set. A sleeve contains an 18-page booklet which presents historical liner notes by Joseph F. Laredo, numerous photographs of Willie in his pre-teen and teen years, including one with his mother in 1950, another with sister Bobbie Lee and a band that included Ira "Pop" Nelson, one with Joe Massey and The Frontiersmen while in his early 20s, and several LP cover reproductions.



The full title of the set is "Willie Nelson - The Early Years - The Complete Liberty Recordings plus more." With the notes there is a complete discography of his Liberty singles and LPs plus complete details on the 61 selections.



Hear and thrill to the versions of Crazy and Hello Walls as they were heard by Patsy Cline and Faron Young before each recorded the biggest hits of their careers, marvel at his easy, almost narrative renditions of Funny How Time Slips Away and The Part Where I Cry, the duets with Shirley Collie on tracks 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30, including several takes on Columbus Stockade Blues.



On disc 2 my particular favourites are You Took My Happy Away, Roly Poly, Half A Man, Blue Must Be The Color Of The Blues, the old standard Am I Blue, and the Hank Williams tune There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight.



This came out in 1994 [about when I got mine], not from Capitol as shown above but, rather, from Liberty through BMG. It's one I play over and over as you will too if you are a Willie Nelson fan. At this writing only used copies are available, but it is hoped that the powers-that-be will arrange for a re-release as soon as possible.



Ignore that other 2-star review. This is history and it would get ten stars from me if they went that high."