Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0696998674028
Label: Sony
Manufacturer: Sony
Number Of Discs: 2
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: 2003-04-01
Studio: Sony

With 41 tracks drawn from nine record labels, the two-disc Essential Willie Nelson is impressive in its breadth. Disc one is simply superb; it begins with 1961's "Night Life," recorded for the obscure Bellaire label, and moves on to several of Nelson's early 1960s Liberty recordings, an overlooked gem recorded for Monument in 1964 ("I Never Cared for You"), a cherry-picked selection of his RCA and Atlantic sides, and finally his mid-1970s hits for Columbia (where he found his greatest chart success, beginning, in 1975, with the No. 1 single "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain"). Disc two, however, is hit-or-miss. Classics like "On the Road Again," "Pancho & Lefty," and "Nothing I Can Do About It Now" are offset by such lesser material as "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" (recorded with Latin pop star Julio Iglesias), the phoned-in "City of New Orleans," and the sounds-better-on-paper "Highwayman" collaboration with Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings. (Just because they all made it to No. 1 doesn't make them "essential.") Nelson's two best albums of the 1990s, Across the Borderline and Teatro, are represented by a paltry two songs. The disc ends with collaborations with U2, Lee Ann Womack, and Steven Tyler and Aerosmith (the previously unreleased "One Time Too Many"). None is particularly worthy of a best-of collection. Still, while it doesn't quite live up to its billing, the Essential Willie Nelson offers an excellent career overview of one of country music's true legends. --David Hill

Customer Rating:
Summary: The Essential Willie Nelson
Comment: I'm an old yankee, 61, actually Irish, from Massachusetts. I've just started to develop an appreciation for classic country music. I've added Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash Essential two CD sets to my collection. They are both excellent in content and sound quality. I brought both on Amazon and as usual with Amazon I'm 100% satisified with price and delivery. Will be buying more classic country on Amazon in the near futrue.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great CD!!!
Comment: This is a great CD with lots of different music! Willie is always good but the combination with other artists and older and newer songs makes this CD special. There was stuff we hadn't heard before!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Good
Comment: This was a gift for my wife, and since I live with her and occasionally drive in the van with her, I have heard this CD several times. I would not call myself a big Willie Nelson fan, but I have come to appreciate his music, thanks to my wife. There are 2 CD's loaded with songs, and at the current price it is a steal. if you buy this CD you will not be disappointed....unless you hate country music.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Gotta Love Willy!
Comment: Loved this set. The second cd in this set is a compilation of Willie's duets. It's excellent! This one cd is worth the price of the set!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great, complete collection of Willie
Comment: Not only does this include every song he recorded that I had been looking for, the paper insert details so much background info. The voice is unique, the man is unique, and I couldn't be more pleased with the choices of songs put into this one collection. Highly recommended.

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