Wal-Mart Totally Harshing Willie’s High

We grew up listening to Willie Nelson’s voice crawl out from the grooves of our parent’s vinyl. Like the sounds of the Blanco and Guadalupe Rivers meandering through the Texas Hill Country, Willie’s sound is organic and uniquely Texan. And of course, he was one of the forerunners of the country outlaw songwriter – a man equally at home with both hippies and rednecks. And, as we all know, Willie has long been a fan of the ganja. So, while we were somewhat surprised by Willie’s release of a reggae album, we were not completely shocked. The shock (and horror) came today. We never thought we would say the words, but the Kucinich-loving, ganja smoker (reformed, allegedly) has bowed to the corporate power that is Wal-Mart.

In order to get his new album Countryman into the thousands of Wal-Mart stores across the country, Willie agreed to a change in his album cover art. On the CD we own, and the one you are sure to have in your hot little hands soon, you will see a marijuana plant adorning the cover. But, Wal-Mart don’t get down like that. As they have done with many artists in the past, the hated behemoth said change it or it doesn’t go on our racks. So Wal-Mart will be carrying albums with palm trees on them. Universal Music Group Nashville made the decision, about which Willie said, “They’re covering all the bases.” Now, we are not going to sit here and rail against Willie for “selling out;” we are just saddened to see Wal-Mart using their unbelievable leverage to make an artist change his product.