Friday, January 22, 2010

Somewhere Over the Rainbow (1985)

This one surprised me. The most purely acoustic album of the twenty I have surveyed so far (except maybe for The IRS Tapes). Not having drums allows the listener to focus exclusively on the strings and the vocal cords. This album may showcase Willie’s vocals better than almost any other. I won’t comment at all about the lyrics, and that may be because the vocals and strings steal the show. I don’t care about the lyrics on any of these songs. The production has such warmth and brightness that I just want to bask in its sonic landscape. I get my Johnny Gimble fix on fiddle, pure and undiluted (especially on track #4). I’ll need to see if Willie ever gathers this same band again. If not, he should have. This type of setting fits Willie’s music better than so many others he has tried.
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 17, 2011 at 9:24 PM

    Yes it's a comment a year later. This is one of my favorite of my dozens of Willie Nelson albums. Very underrated. Incredible playing, Freddy Powers, and Mr. Johnny Gimble!

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  2. jggJanuary 17, 2011 at 11:14 PM

    Yes, Willie needs to gather this band together again and do another album with them!

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  3. AnonymousJanuary 18, 2011 at 11:29 PM

    I think Paul Buskirk has left this earth.

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