Customer Reviews

Willie Nelson & Friends, Stars & Guitars

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sure, I've been a Willie fan for over 20 years, but I don't own every CD he's made...in fact this was the first I've bought in several years. I CAN'T QUIT PLAYING IT! I'm absolutely addicted! Willie's unique voice and guitar music somehow blends so great with other musician's very different styles. Most of the stars Willie sings with on this CD, I either didn't know or didn't like, so it's safe to say I didn't buy it for the star lineup. But the music is SUPERB and the other artists do Willie's song justice! "Maria" is definitely not a chic singing song but I can't get it out of my head. Willie's guitar with Nora Jones' piano is wonderful on "Lonestar". I never imagined Willie and Keith Richards on the same song but I can't get enough of "Dead Flowers", crazy lyrics and all. If you've ever liked Willie and like the "duets" blend with other music styles, you have to get this CD. This CD will reach out across the age groups. I love it and so does my 14 yr old country music fan daughter. The only one I don't like is "Stardust" where Aaron Neville went overboard with his "warbaling" voice. My next quest is "Kicking and Alive", Willie's CD from his 70th Birthday TV show. That duet with Steven Tyler is KICKIN!

I have come to truly enjoy Wille - his style, his voice, his way of making a song his. This Cd is packed full of fun performances with all sorts of co-stars - many good, but, it is not classic Willie. Heck, half the time you can barely make out Willie's voice. It gets lost in crowd noise, too much band and is often mixed too low under the other singer's. It is good Willie. It is not great Willie. The Great Divide is far better. This is a fun special to watch on CMT.

This cd has a nice variety of special musical guests from different genres of music performing some nice new versions of classic tunes. Dead Flowers, Whiskey River, Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground and Till I Gain Control Again are worth purchasing this cd alone.

I love Willie and this has become one of my favorite live "Wille Albums"! All of the songs on this recording are wonderful and distinctly reveal Willie's ability as guitarist, songwriter, and performer. The many people who he invited to perform with him have been influenced by him and are proud to be a part of this album. There is no gimmick-madness trying to make some last minute money with an old country legend here!

Additionally, I have to say that those who did not like Aaron Neville's 'Stardust' need to listen to it again (and again!). It is the subtlety of Willie's vocals with Neville's unique singing ability that makes the song perhaps one of the best covers I have heard of 'Stardust'. Long live Willie! This is Willie revealing his genius. Buy this CD!

i loved this cd, all these are recorded live AND VERY GOOD QUALITY

Don't be fooled. This album is more than just a collection of big names. The folks on this album are all very talented, and every piece is really a wonderful rendition, with vocalists who bring the right texture, the right sound to the music. This album has continued to grow and grow on me. Track 12 is exceptional, with Sheryl Crow's powerful vocal style complimenting Willie wonderfully. Lee Ann Womack's performance in Mendicino County Line is also something not to be missed. If those were the only two tracks on the album, it'd be worth every penny, but even Matchbox 20 (who I thought I was entirely sick of hearing) shows off a different side on track 13, and nails it.

I'll admit there are a few tracks that don't do all that much for me, but even those, I don't feel the need to hit FF on. Bon Jovi's voice sounds almost slurred among the rest of the very crisp, articulate vocalists on the album. I will say that Bon Jovi put together an creative video for "Misunderstood", and is a fine artist in his own right.

Willie is one of the truly great songwriters of the last century (that's hard to deny even if you don't like his voice), and the lineup on this album is an awe inspiring collection of his works being performed by some of the most capable and well suited artists alive today.

Ever democratic, Willie shares the stage with a bunch of modern stars, drawn from the worlds of pop, country & R&B. Among the cast of thousands are Lee Ann Womack, Jon Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow and Matchbox 20. For the most part this strikes me as a rather bloated glamour project -- not on Willie's part, mind you, he's perfectly calm and collected throughout, but rather, on the part of his many guests. Most of their cameos are taken as opportunities to ham it up, or indulge in the florid, often-unbearable vocalese that prevails in contemporary pop and country -- in fact, Willie seems to get a kick out of messing with his partners, notably while singing rings around hat act musclehead Toby Keith, whose bellowing introduction to "Good Hearted Woman" is countered by classic Willie-style off-kilter jazz noodlings. The album's clear highlight comes in his duet with modern jazz chanteuse Norah Jones, who is the only person on here that seems as relaxed and swinging as Willie himself... She actually *gets* what he's doing, with the jazzy, elastic phrasing and love of a good tune. I wouldn't mind hearing them do an entire album together! In the meantime, this record just doesn't hold up.

I am not much of a Willie Nelson fan. Classic country isn't my thing - I stick to the new stuff. However, I loved the song Maria Shut Up and Kiss Me and decided to buy the CD. I am so glad I did. The guests sound fantastic and lend a new voice to some of the old songs. There are a huge variety of sounds, voices and music on this disk and even though I'm not into classic country, I can't seem to remove the CD from my car stereo!
I'm so glad I took a chance - it's a great compellation!

The Dixie Chicks were in this special, too...they sang "Bloody Mary Morning" with Willie Nelson.

Is there a reason why they are not on the CD??

I love this CD, but I am definitely missing the Dixie Chicks' "Bloody Mary Morning" with Willie!!

This CD is the live recording from a teriffic performance by Willie and his Friends at the Ryman Auditoriun ,the original home of The Grand Ole Opry ,in the spring of 2002.A show like this is a rare occurrence and only a small number of people were fortunate enough to be there;but at least it was recorded and now you han listen to it anytime you wish.
Any Willie Nelson fan will want to own this CD ,will treasure it,and be impressed with all the stars and songs it includes.
The information on the description for this CD in no way gives one any idea of what a treat is in store for you.The 17 songs are listed by title,but what isn't shown is what other friends ,musicians and artists sing along with Willie.There is no better way to tell you what amazing renditions of these songs you're going to hear than to tell you who wrote them and who accompanies Willie on them.You'll be familiar with most,though not all songs,but these versions are all together different.

1. "Whiskey River" with SHERYL CROW,written by John Bush and Paul Stroud.
2. "Good Hearted Woman",with TOBY KEITH,written by Willie Nelson and Waylon
Jennings.
3. "Maria "(Shut Up And Kiss Me),with ROB THOMAS and BILL EVANS,written by Rob
Thomas.
4. "Mendocino County Line",with LEE ANN WOYMACK,written by Bernie Taupin and
Matt Serletic.
5. "Always On My Mind",with JON BON JOVI and RICHIE SAMBORA,written by John
Christopher,Wayne Tnhompson and Mark James.
6. "Night Life",with RAY PRICE,written by Willie Nelson,Paul Buskirk and Walter
Breeland.
7. "Dead Flowers",with RYAN ADAMS,HANK WILLIAMS III and KEITH RICHARDS,written
by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
8. "Lonestar",with NORAH JONES,written by Lee Alexander.
9. "Stardust",with AARON NEVILLE,written by Hoagy Carmichael and Mitchell Parish.
10. "Don't Fade Away",with BRIAN MCKNIGHT and BILL EVANS,written by Matt Serletic
and Kevin Kadish.
11. "Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground",with PATTY GRIFFIN,written by Willie
Nelson.
12. "For What It's Worth",with SHERYL CROW and BILL EVANS,written by Stephen
Stills.
13. "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys",with MATCHBOX TWENTY,
written by Ed Bruce and Patsy Bruce.
14. "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain",with VINCE GILL,written by BY FRED ROSE.
15. "Till I Gain Control Again",with EMMYLOU HARRIS,written by Rodney Crowell.
16. "The Harder They Come",with RYAN ADAMS,written by Jimmy Cliff.
17. "On The Road Again",WILLIE NELSON and FAMILY,written by Willie Nelson.
18 "Move It On Over",WILLIE NELSON and FAMILY,written by HANK WILLIAMS.

And that's not all,you'll also hear all the "talk" and introduction of songs
that goes along with a live recording of a show.
This is one CD you'll want to listen to and enjoy over and over.