Willie Nelson
Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle
Sony Music
SONY-198029605112
- Willie Nelson's 78th solo studio album and 155th album overall
- Features Willie's new interpretations of classic songs written by Merle Haggard
- Produced by Willie Nelson with longtime collaborator Mickey Raphael
Description
Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle is Willie Nelson’s 78th solo studio album and 155th album overall. It features Willie's new interpretations of classic songs written by Merle Haggard, the latest in Nelson’s storied history of focusing entire albums on a single songwriter’s or artist’s work. Nelson and Haggard were longtime friends and collaborators who released three collaborative albums together: 1983’s Pancho and Lefty, 2007’s Last of The Breed (alongside Ray Price) and 2015’s Django and Jimmie. Eleven of Willie’s favorite Merle compositions were handpicked for the album. Nelson’s new performances include songs from various parts of the legend’s career, from tracks off of Merle’s first #1 Country album, 1966’s Swinging Doors (“Swinging Doors,” “Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down”) and late 60s career defining hits (“Mama Tried,” “Okie From Muskogee”) to 70s classics (the heart-breaking holiday track “If We Make It Through December,” the southern-rock tinged “Ramblin’ Fever”) and Merle’s #1 honky-tonk classic from 1980 “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here And Drink.” Produced by the artist with longtime collaborator Mickey Raphael, the album was recorded at Nelson’s Pedernales Studios in Austin and features the final recordings he did alongside longtime Family band members “Sister Bobbie” Nelson and Paul English. Constants in Nelson’s personal and professional world longer than anyone, Sister Bobbie on piano and English on drums are joined by Raphael on harmonica, Kevin Smith on bass and Paul’s brother Billy English on drums and percussion.
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Artist Bio
Along with the likes of Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Townes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson rose to prominence at the end of the 1960s as an important contributor to the subgenre deemed “outlaw country”, which challenged the conservatism of Nashville. He earned fifty dollars when his first song, “Family Bible”, was published, and shortly thereafter songwriter Hank Cochran landed him a publishing contract. Nelson also wrote for other musicians, penning some of the most famous country songs of all-time, such as “Night Life” for Rusty Draper, “Funny How Time Slips Away” for Jimmy Elledge and Johnny Tillotson, “Crazy” for Patsy Cline, “Hello Walls” for Faron Young, “Wake Me When It’s Over” for Andy Williams, and “Pretty Paper” for Roy Orbison. Eventually, he had a recording contract of his own, but his weathered tenor and his taste for sparse backup were considered uncommercial at first. 1973 saw the release of Shotgun Willie , considered to be one of his greatest albums of all time, and showcased his abilities as a singer, storyteller, and performer. Still rocking a headband and braided pigtails, The Red Headed Stranger continues to tour and captivate audiences to this day.
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