Red Headed Stranger

Thanks for the pic, Molly!

You know that album that you can listen to time and time again day after day and never get sick of? The one that you find some new small detail you love every time you listen? That’s sort of how this is for me. Few albums have truly grasped me as much as Willie Nelson’s 1975 masterpiece Red Headed Stranger. It’s the clear-cut template for so many country records to follow (although Willie is just as folk- and blues-influenced as he is country). Cheating, drinking, killing, leaving, and returning have never sounded so amazing. Each song is an intricate part of the tale (this is a concept album from before concept albums were really cool), each acting as a catalyst to the next track. I encourage you to look for a copy on vinyl on ebay, as this record was truly meant to be listened to from beginning to end. In that spirit I have included the entire first side of the LP in its proper order. If you are using iTunes, make sure to turn the gapless playback option on!

The picture above was taken at this weekend’s Stagecoach Festival in Indio, CA (the same location and organizers as Coachella), and Willie is on the road hitting most of the U.S. and Canada through August (he’s pretty old for a 4 month tour). I strongly suggest you try to attend. Find those dates here.

[mp3] Willie Nelson – Time of the Preacher
[mp3] Willie Nelson – I Couldn’t Believe it was True
[mp3] Willie Nelson – Time of the Preacher Theme
[mp3] Willie Nelson – Medley : Blue Rock Montana/Red Headed Stranger
[mp3] Willie Nelson – Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain

Buy Red Headed Stranger on vinyl
Buy Red Headed Stranger on CD

Listen to the band, they’re playing just for me

There aren’t alot of records that I praise as much as Randy Newman’s ‘72 classic Sail Away. I have probably listened to this record well over 100 times start to finish. I bought two vinyl copies, one with the best condition sleeve and one with the best condition vinyl I could find. It’s a bit of an obsession. Newman writes the way that every satirist dreams of, but what people seem to forget is he is one of the best narrative folk writers ever, he just does it with showtune-esque piano numbers rather than sensitive guy acoustic songs.

[mp3] Randy Newman – Lonely at the Top
[mp3] Randy Newman – Sail Away
[mp3] Randy Newman – Political Science

Buy Sail Away on cd.
Buy Sail Away on Vinyl

If you don’t own this record, it could be hard for us to get along