Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Willie Nelson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000025KP
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #148,249 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1 of his 2 best, June 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Audio CD)

I am a long standing fan and have many of his albums. If you only get 2, get this one and Stardust. They are both beyond excellent.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Texas jazz, July 25, 1999

By 

guy richardson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Audio CD)

This is the greatest of Willie Nelson albums. It was recorded with the legendary Freddy Powers (and most of Powers' band). Powers is known as "The Country Jazz Singer," and his voice pushes Nelson. Nelson sings ahead and behind the beat, and Powers matches his musical skills. This is an absolutely stunning album, and hardly anyone knows it exists.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Willie's second Great American Songbook album, March 11, 2004

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Audio CD)

Following the success of Stardust, Willie recorded further albums of old standards. This was his second such album, though it was not a direct follow-up. With a different production team - Freddy Powers and his sidemen instead of Booker T Jones - the overall sound is slightly different from Stardust, but equally effective.

It came as a surprise to me when I first discovered that the big hit version of Over the rainbow was not the Judy Garland version - it only peaked at 5 on the American pop chart - but the Glenn Miller version, which stayed at number one for over two months. Willie's version is, of course, very different from either of those, but is brilliant in its own way.

Another surprise for we was to discover that Who's sorry now is more than thirty years older than I originally assumed. Of course, we all think of it as a Connie Francis song, but Isham Jones and Marion Harris both had top five hits with the song in 1923, when three other versions also charted high (eleven or better).

Other classic oldies (with their biggest original hit versions) given the distinctive Willie Nelson treatment include Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole in 1950), Exactly like you (Ruth Etting in 1930), I'm confessing that I love you (Guy Lombardo in 1930), My mother's eyes (George Jessel in 1928) and I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter (Fats Waller in 1935, but a bigger hit for the Boswell sisters a year later).

The origin of the other three songs is unknown to me, but Willie sings both Won't you ride in my little red wagon and It wouldn't be the same superbly. He completes the album with an instrumental version of Twinkle twinkle little star.

If you enjoy Willie's Stardust album, you'll also enjoy this album.