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Austinist Album Review: Willie Nelson: The Complete Atlantic Sessions
Some stories are the stuff of boxsets. The tale of how Willie Nelson transitioned from Nashville songwriter to Texas music legend, now preserved by Rhino on Willie Nelson: The Complete Atlantic Sessions, is one such story.
When Atlantic decided to open its Nashville division, the label shipped Jerry Wexler out to scout talent. While in Tennessee, Wexler went to a guitar-pickers’ party where a few old hands were taking turns playing and singing. At some point in the night, however, the guitar stopped in the hands of Willie Nelson. Nelson played through a cycle of songs, a meditation on divorce that later became Phases and Stages, likely the first concept album in country.
Although Nelson had recorded previously, nothing much had come of the releases. Wexler signed Nelson as fast as he could, and the contract with Atlantic produced Nelson’s first substantial albums: Shotgun Willie (1973) and Phases and Stages (1974).
The Atlantic Sessions includes both those albums and Live at the Texas Opry House, all three extended with outtakes and alternate versions of tracks, many of them previously unreleased. As with many boxsets focused on previously-released material, the true test is not whether the albums that form the core of the set are good — of course they are, that’s why they’re in a boxset — but whether the supporting materials are of any value.
The outtakes and alternate tracks provide a few gems. The added materials on Phases and Stages in particular, tend to be a hint sweeter, with lush strings and often plaintiff piano riffs. A few of the tracks, like the alternate versions of the album’s two theme songs, are heartbreaking. Others, like the alternate version of “Bloody Mary Morning,” sound flat bloated, leaving no question as to why they didn’t make it into the final cut of the album. The additions to Live at the Texas Opry House aren’t much different from the original tracks on the album. They’re good, but there are no real surprises, just more material.
The strongest set of outtakes is that included on Shotgun Willie, which provides some downright rockers. “I Gotta Have Something I Ain’t Got” in particular is an example of a bunch of skilled musicians letting loose in the studio. The effect is only faintly country, with blasts of brass interrupting the honky-tonk-inspired piano line.
Although in this digital age liner notes may be going the way of Crystal Pepsi, the ones that accompany The Complete Atlantic Recording Sessions prove exceptional. Photographs of Nelson on stage and in the studio pepper a lengthy essay by Bill Bentley detailing the early days of Nelson’s performances in Austin. The notes also include a short essay by Wexler, who produced all the recordings included in the boxset, and a detailed track listing, which notes the musicians involved in each track laid down. Overall, Rhino provides an elegantly-assembled collection for true audiophiles and anyone interested in country music history generally or Willie Nelson specifically.
*Picture from www.willienelson.com/album/1/album1.html.*
