Stardust

Willie Nelson | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: October 19, 1999
• Label: Columbia/Legacy
• Copyright: (P) 1978, 1999 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
• Total Length: 45:30
• Genres:
• ASIN: B00138H560
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (93 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,315 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Willie Nelson Shines Bright on STARDUST, February 21, 2000

By 

Bill Matheny (Sherman Oaks, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stardust (Audio CD)

Over the last few years we've been bombarded with one unnecessary CD that remakes American standards after another. Ughh! I can only think of two artists who honor these songs while still making contemporary albums: Steve Tyrell's A NEW STANDARD and, best of all, Willie Nelson's STARDUST. Re-discovering this album, complete with two new tracks, is a joy. Of the many great albums that Willie Nelson has recorded, this one is my favorite. It sounds just as good today as it did twenty years ago, and I suspect it will sound the same in another twenty years. I am living proof that you don't have to listen to standards on a regular basis - if ever - to love this album. STARDUST is an absolute gem that gets better every time you play it. Bravo, Willie!

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super songs by a subtle, super singer..., May 18, 2004

By 

William E. Adams (Midland, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stardust (Audio CD)

On this record, Willie proved that his favorite items from "The Great American Songbook" were good enough to survive his distinctive phrasing and country/blues accompaniment organized by his buddy, Booker T., the producer. Mostly mellow, this album gives you 45 minutes of quiet pleasure. The songs were designed for pop, jazz or Broadway treatments, but Willie proved he could do them justice in his own sweet way. I had a boss who purchased this one when it came out in 1978 or so, and played it for me one day. I was barely conscious of Willie back then, but I knew the material from more traditional renditions. While I did not rush out to buy this at the time, it was because it was a tight budget year, not because I didn't like it. Now I've just acquired it, 25 years on, yet both Willie and the songs survive. If you like Nelson, this CD is one of the essentials. If you like "The Great American Songbook" this version of some of the best from that body of work is also essential. Here, Willie invented a style that melds jazz, pop, country, folk, blues and Broadway. Play "Red-Headed Stranger" and follow it with this one, and you have all the evidence one needs that Mr. Nelson is an immortal in the roster of great American music-makers.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Willie Nelson for People Who Don't Like Country, July 12, 2002

By 

Steven R. Seim "Steve Seim" (Beaver Dam, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stardust (Audio CD)

This is an album of covers of traditional pop songs, but the primary impression it leaves is neither country nor traditional pop. Instead, the key is the tasteful production by Booker T. Jones - swinging but understated percussion, warm bass, and bluesy keyboards. Willie's weary outlaw vocals and sublime guitar picking fit it like a glove. The result is, simply, classic American music, more Muscle Shoals than Nashville. It's just a shame that Willie and Booker T. didn't make another album. This is truly a diamond in the rough.

Surprisingly, the two outtakes on this version are a welcome addition. "Scarlet Ribbons" fits well with the rest of the album, and "I Can See Clearly Now" ends with an extended blues jam that makes for a perfect conclusion.