Customer Reviews

Naked Willie

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Nelson's longtime harmonica player Mickey Raphael "unproduced" these seventeen tracks from the original RCA multitrack masters, drawing material from 1967's The Party's Over and Other Great Willie Nelson Songs, 1969's My Own Peculiar Way, 1970's Laying My Burdens Down, 1971's Willie Nelson & Family, and a few rarities, including the 1968 single "Bring Me Sunshine," and the archive tracks "Jimmy's Road" from 1968 and "If You Could See What's Going Through My Mind" from 1970. The new mixes are stripped of strings and backing vocals, leaving Nelson's voice up front of rudimentary arrangements of guitar, bass, piano and drums, and occasional flourishes of vibraphone, steel and organ.

Unfortunately, the notion that these de-sweetened versions get to the roots of the songwriter's original vision is only half true, as Nelson and Raphael could only work with what was on the tapes, which includes unswinging Nashville-styled performances from studio A-listers. The basic tracks were purposely arranged as scaffolding upon which decoration was to be layered, distracting decoration perhaps, but decoration that was part of the original architecture. What's left sounds unfinished, rather than the original root of something that was embellished. Even without the orchestration and backing chorus, Nelson's vocals remain at odds with the backing players, confined by Nashville's straight time, and unable to launch his idiosyncratic stylings.

This would be less evident had Nelson not bucked Nashville's constrictions and satisfied his muse across dozens of celebrated albums for Atlantic and Columbia. These de-produced versions are neither the intricately assembled, finished products of Nelson's producers, nor the fleshed out visions of a singer-songwriter chafing against Nashville's conventions. The Nashville studio players only hint at the emotional work that would back Nelson's breakthrough efforts. Fans will enjoy hearing Nelson's voice out front of these terrific songs, but there isn't true gold lurking beneath the orchestrations and backing vocalists, only a clearer picture of just how desperately Nelson needed to break free of Nashville's way of doing things. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

I have been a fan of Willie Nelson for many years, but I have never been a fan of the "Nashville sound" of the 1960s. This compilation takes away the distracting string sections and vocal choruses, and leaves Willie and his band - pure, simple, and to the point. These uncomplicated tracks sound clean, with a good balance on the mix. You can hear nuances that were buried in the original mixes.

I found it interesting that five of the songs on this compilation were originally released on "Laying My Burdens Down." It would be great to hear the rest of that classic RCA album produced in this same style, along with "My Own Peculiar Way," "Willie Nelson & Family" and other early RCA titles. Please give us MORE!!!

Willie Nelson remains one of the most overcompilationified recording artists around. We've all seen his "Greatest" and his "Essential," never mind the 4,942 budget "Best of" compilations. It's enough to make any fan skeptical about any collection bearing his name.

But Naked Willie rises above most, if not all, of them. It's as essential as Red Headed Stranger, and that's seriously high praise.

Like Red Headed Stranger, Naked Willie is built on a theme. However, the theme here is related to how the material literally sounds versus its subject matter.

In this case, the theme is simply what would his songs would've sounded like were he the producer back in the 1960s and early 1970s. Back then, country stars small and big alike were given the high-gloss "Nashville sound" treatment made famous (never mind insanely popular) by Chet Atkins.

Don't get me wrong; the Nashville sound is almost always recognizable and quite often fantastic. But for every artist who was helped by all the extra strings, horns and vocals, there were those whose efforts were diminished by them. Willie Nelson clearly falls into the latter, and this CD is all about the magic that happens once those layers are stripped away. Leaving the music "naked," and yes, inspiring the CD's title.

The results are nothing short of glorious. Here, the songs are what is brought to the fore, plain and simple -- Willie and the hired hand musicians playing their brains out....Willie's vocal skills perhaps at their absolute peak....playful tunes...sad tunes...even some subjects that some could call "controversial."

Kudos to the producer and audio engineer who handled all the "unproduction" needed to make this such a treat.

I am only a "medium" Willie Nelson fan; this was a gift to me. It completely caught me off guard -- in a good way -- and i think this would be an outstanding gift for just about anyone, Willie zealot or not.

Of course, for all you hardcore Willie zealots (pun intended), the CD booklet has two -- count 'em, two -- pictures of Mr. Nelson himself in the bathtub...also naked. But don't worry: There are no John&Yoko moments here. Just an absolute legend having some fun in a bubbly tub, pleased that some of his greatest music will finally be heard the way he'd always intended for it to be. Naked.

I thought it was interesting to listen to the original recordings of these songs and then the new versions back-to-back. (If you don't own the original albums - as I don't - several of the originals can be found on the recent box set "One Hell of a Ride.") As others have noted, these remixes really allow the backing instruments to emerge, and even shift the melody's feeling and mood of the song. On "The Party's Over," for example, the removal of choruses and strings allows the pedal steel more room to breathe, and the new mix more properly fits the song's downcast spirit. The revised version of "I'm a Memory" now sounds more like a Glen Campbell country-pop tune, where the 1970 original sounded more schmaltzy and Bacharach-esque. The remixes have been "cleaned up" and really sound great, although I wonder if they could have taken out that last bit of reverb on the vocals that still haunts a few numbers such as "Bring Me Sunshine." (maybe??) Speaking of the vocals, I'm amazed that these vocals recorded four decades ago sound so similar to the way Willie sings today. There are a few subtle differences, but still incredibly similar!!

Besides all the comparisons between then and now, I appreciate how the songs on Naked Willie stand alone as simply good songs, ageless and enjoyable. If he had released this CD as an album of new songs, it would be one of his best in years. Several of them are true "near-forgotten gems," such as the beautiful "I Just Dropped By." The CD also has a nice mix of up-tempo and slower tunes.

Born and bred in the Lone Star State, my affection for Willie Nelson is genetic. But while I'm a long-time Willie fan, I'm not an aficionado. And I'm also a fan of the old-time Nashville sound, the kind Willie wanted to get away from, but the kind that reminds me of the music I heard at my grandparents' home where they also watched Lawrence Welk and Hee-Haw.

It took me a couple of listens to Naked Willie to really appreciate this CD. What was startling to me was how different his phrasing and intonation were when he cut the records featured.

So it took me those first set of listens to get over how different the Willie I know is from the Willie he used to be. It was kind of like hearing a familiar voice that you just can't place right off. I wish I knew if the changes in his singing voice came as he aged or was his singing style directed by the label or custom of the times? Voice-wise, how did Naked Willie get to be the Red Haired Stranger I grew up with?

It's good stuff and makes me want to hear the material as it was originally presented, partly because I miss my grandparents.

Willie Nelson
"Naked Willie"
(Sony-BMG Legacy, 2009)
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Decades ago, Willie Nelson left Nashville in a huff, unhappy with the lack of control he had in the Music City sound booths, and how his music kept getting produced in ways that he wasn't happy with. Declaring his independence, Willie went back to Texas where he helped create "outlaw" country and, by extension, the modern-day alt-country scene. He left behind a catalog of several albums on RCA Victor, material that's largely lay dormant the last forty years, outside of a few modest and respectful reissues; mostly it's the domain of compleatist country collectors and has been forgotten or rejected by the alties. But here's the thing: what can be overproduced can be "un-produced" as well, and Willie and his longtime sidekick Mickey Raphael have gone back to the original master tapes, stripped out the syrupy string sections and distracting vocal choruses and got back down to the essential, original songs, more or less sounding the way they did when Nelson first wrote them, 'way back in the 1960s. It's a fascinating idea, and also a pleasant record. The only thing that's a missed opportunity is that they didn't also include the original Nashville Sound versions, for us to compare and contrast, although I suppose it's easy enough to track that stuff down in this modern digital era. Anyway, fans will be tickled pink to hear this "new" Willie Nelson material... forty years after the fact! God bless you, Willie Nelson. (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue Guide To Hick Music)

It's no wonder these recordings sound so good ,there's Jerry Reed,Grady Martin,playing guitar,Jimmy Day on steel,and other well known studio musicians on board with Willie , with his fourteen written songs,and his flat baritone voice. One thing I never liked about Willie's early recordings were the background singers and the orchestration,and now we get to hear the clean product,"without" or"naked",remastered and remixed. Most of the songs were seldom heard on here,recorded 1966 to 1970, and one song that really stands out,"Jimmy's Road" describes a kid growing up in a hometown ,eventually goes off to war, and learns to kill, until the soldier reaches his own fatal end,an unsung hero,a remarkably written song from Nelson,"The Ghost" is another song written about a haunting love from the past coming back,only to disappear again through the darkness of the night. One of the few covers on here,the Kristofferson standard,"Sunday Morning Coming Down" is the best version of this tune I've ever heard,if not the most original. The song starts with the bridge or chorus,rather than the verse,not that it's never been done before,listen for the Marshall Tucker intro,and the tight arrangements,as Willie Nelson does Kristofferson real proud, like one of his own...I always knew Willie had a touch of Jazz,if you listen real close you'll hear it within these seventeen classic songs,a great Willie Nelson compilation,now it's high time for Willie unplugged. A brand new 2009 R.C.A. release straight from the archives,these recordings are "real" good.

These are songs we aren't overly familiar with, and Willie's strong voice is a joy to hear. The songs are from the early 1960's and show his early giftedness.

Best Willie CD I've heard in a long time. Worth the price and then some.

This cd is composed of songs Willie recorded long ago with Nashville
putting in their idea of the instrumentals he needed. Not a good idea.
He never fit into the Nashville mode. Here, the songs have had the
Nashville influence taken out, leaving Willie doing what he does best.
It's music that we really like. And with each playing, we like it more.