Customer Reviews

Willie and the Wheel [Vinyl]

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Willie Nelson has once again found his forte. Willie has combined with the best Western swing band, Asleep At The Wheel, for a joyous romp through 12 tracks of classic American swing. You will find yourself smiling', stompin' your feet, clappin' your hands and singing along with the group.

Willie and his friends sound like they are having such a good time that we can't help but enjoy ourselves. This is one of the best CD's of the year. It is said that Jerry Wexler the rock n roll impresario tried to bring Willie and the Wheel together many years ago and finally realized his dream just before Wexler's death last year.

Willie and the Wheel start out with 'Hesitation Blies' and right away we know this is sumthin' great. The fiddling is the best there is, along with Willie's voice.

'Right or Wrong' Willie sings along with Ray Benson of the Wheel- this is the old time western dance hall songs from the 1940's.

'You gotta 'Fan It', cool it, fan it till the cows come home'- how often do hear this kind of lyrics that give you the picture of life down home.

'Bring It On Down To My House' is one of those tunes that lighten our steps and brings joy to the old bones.

'Corrine, Corrina' the old time song we all know is one of the better renditions around.

'Im Sitting On Top Of The World' sung with the Wheel's Elizabeth McQueen is a honky tonk send up that could be my favorite.

Vince Gill and Paul Schaffer introduce 'South' but it is Eddie Rivers that brings the song on home.

'Won't You Ride In My Little Red Wagon' brings us the sense of joy and fun to be had on this CD- a mix of jazz, blues and swing, it has it all.

Asleep At The Wheel has helped Willie connect with his inner Bob Wills, and the best of Willie's sounds. The fiddles, piano, and steel guitar bring this CD to life. Willie has never sounded better, and the Wheel has added the vibrance that brings this CD the feisty, swing sounds. Can't you see the couples whirling around the dance floor? Willie and the Wheel have brought us all down to the heart of Americana. My best friend found this CD-he was correct as always, this CD rocks!

Highly Recommended. prisrob 02-10-09

One Hell Of a Ride (4-CD Box Set)

Reinventing the Wheel

Good things come to those who wait. This album has been decades in the making, and if you're a fan of western swing, Willie, and/or Asleep At The Wheel, you're gonna love this one. Western swing is just one of the genres Willie Nelson's explored over the years, and he's darned good at it. Asleep At The Wheel has remained true to their western swing roots since the early seventies...both Willie and the Wheel are legends in and out of Austin. Willie sounds like he's channeling Tommy Duncan on the Bob Wills standards "Bring It On Down To My House", "Right Or Wrong", and "Corrine Corrine". I also especially like "Oh, You Pretty Woman", "I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None 'O This Jelly Roll", and "Won't You Ride In My Little Red Wagon". On the whole, the whole album brings back some very fond memories for me of some well-spent nights listening to the likes of Bob Wills, Ernest Tubb, Hank Thompson, and other western swingers. If this is roots music, it's obvious that Willie and the Wheel didn't get far from the roots of their raisin'!

This is one of the best country recordings in years. Congratulations to everyone who worked on the recording for doing an outstanding job.

Asleep at the Wheel are masters of the Western Swing repertoire, but they can also play standard Big-Band songs, rockabilly, honky-tonk country, blues, hot fiddle tunes, and more. And of course Willie Nelson is similarly versatile. This is a great matchup of talent.

There is a lot of energy here with expressive, joyful singing, dynamite arrangements, great songs, and red-hot musicianship throughout.

When I studied guitar with Eldon Shamblin many years ago, he told me that it is not possible to play Western Swing without knowing music theory. I think that's true, because of the arranging factor. Western Swing music features a good mix of arranging and improvising.

Most of the songs here are classics-and are good evidence that contemporary music often sounds thin and forced compared to the great songs of yesteryear.

If you like Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Hank Penny, Adolph Hofner, and similar musicians, you'll love this recording. And if you like good music but are new to Western Swing, please give this CD a try. There aren't many musicians who can play hillbilly jazz, and it is a real treat to hear it played right. Great stuff and every song is a gem.

Willie and the Wheel is the type of music country fans used to listen to. I can hear Bob Wills and Ernest Tubb's influence throughout the CD.
Willie is at his best on every track.

Particular favorites for me are "I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None O' This Jellyroll", Oh! You Pretty Woman", "Corrine Corrina", and "Won't You Ride in My Little Red Wagon", though to be honest, there's not a bad track on the CD.

I'm fairly new to Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel but I'm rapidly becoming a huge fan. I'm hoping the tour comes anywhere near Asheville, NC. I'll be there.

If you're a country swing fan, then Willie and the Wheel is music you'll treasure.

I fully recommend.

Willie And The Wheel is a great new CD release from ten time Grammy Award winning Willie Nelson and Asleep At The Wheel. Asleep At The Wheel has won nine (count `em, nine) of their own Grammy Awards; and they all deserved every last trophy. The quality of the sound is excellent and that artwork is awesome! This is terrific music with catchy melodies and lyrics that are well written and performed. It's a BUY!

The CD begins with a wonderful tune called "Hesitation Blues." "Hesitation Blues" sounds terrific and I've never heard Willie Nelson singing better. Asleep At The Wheel also makes good and the music that goes with the vocals fits in perfectly for this opening tune. There's a great piano arrangement on "Hesitation Blues," too. "Sweet Jennie Lee" is a cute little number that has lots of pep and they deliver this with much enthusiasm. "Sweet Jennie Lee" has that country swing flavor to it that is infectiously catchy and "Sweet Jennie Lee" is a number I won't regret hearing over and over again! There's also "I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None...;" this is a fun tune and they perform this with panache! "I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None..." has some great guitar which works so well for this ballad. Willie Nelson and Asleep At The Wheel complement each other's vocals to perfection--and beyond!

"Oh! You Pretty Woman" has a fast tempo but these pros never miss a beat--they handle the complicated tempo and key changes without a flaw. "Oh! You Pretty Woman" puts these artists squarely front and center--right where they belong. "Oh! You Pretty Woman" is easily a major highlight of this CD.

"Right or Wrong" even highlights Ray Benson from Asleep At The Wheel; and what a number this is! Country swing never sounded so good. You can tell these guys really know what they're doing; and I really like "Corrine Corrina." I believe I've heard "Corrine Corrina" before but I just can't place where I heard it--but it's no matter, they put their stamp on this ballad with their excellent diction and their wonderful sense of timing. "I'm Sittin' on Top of the World" features Willie singing with the magnificent Elizabeth McQueen of Asleep At The Wheel; Elizabeth has a voice as clear as a bell and that's grand. I also like the guitar arrangement for "I'm Sitting On Top Of The World."

"South" also features Vince Gill and Paul Shaffer for a rousing melody; and the album ends very well with Willie Nelson and Asleep At The Wheel performing "Won't You Ride in My Little Red Wagon." "Won't You Ride in My Little Red Wagon" swings with a country flavor that makes it quite pretty and I love it!

Overall, Willie Nelson joins forces with other artists on this CD including Asleep At The Wheel to make this one of their best releases yet. It's exciting that Willie and Asleep At The Wheel all sound so strong despite the passage of time; and I sincerely believe that they will be around for a long time to come, sharing their talents with us!

Thank you for these incredible songs, everyone!

I love Willie's sound and when you put it with Asleep At The Wheel's jazzy music it really livens things up !!

If you are fan of Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel this one is a keeper. Great Classic swing music. This is some great two steppin music.

I bought this album in the midst of a grief driven depression. The first time I played it, the album's joyfullness pulled me out of that sadness and everytime I listen to it, it is fuel for life. This is a great, great collection of songs.

I've seen both of these...Nelson, when he had Shiny Auburn Hair and tailored Western Suits! Handsome to a fault! This, in Bakersfield! Benson and Company in Grants Pass, Oregon...where the audience danced in the aisles! Keep that Texas Swing Alive, Folks! How much do either of these cost? "Jolly" Jim McCall, 330 126th St., Orofino, Idaho 83544!

Asleep at the Wheel has long been the most successful in a large number of bands concerned with keeping Western Swing music alive and fresh. Willie Nelson's connection to Western Swing is a little more elusive, and many people would be surprised to learn that his second Liberty album, "Here's Willie Nelson" (1963) was produced by Tommy Allsup, a veteran of the late Bob Wills Texas Playboys. That album not only contained covers of two Bob Wills classics, Right or Wrong and Roly Poly, it also boasted liner notes by Bob Wills himself. Thus the idea of pairing Nelson with the Asleep at the Wheel sound is one that is long overdue. Better late than never, as they say, and I dare posture that these wonderful tracks come closer to emulating the sound of early classic Western Swing than anything that either Willie Nelson or Ray Benson and his band have yet managed on their own. From the opening of the first track, right up to the end, Willie and the Wheel capture the magic sound that has kept fans of this music swinging for over 75 years.

In particular, Won't You Ride in My Little Red Wagon, which Willie Nelson recorded years ago on his Over the Rainbow album (which in turn was a follow-up to his mega-selling Stardust record) is a Western Swing jam-session that, like the name Western Swing implies, blurs the lines between country and Jazz. This track may easily confuse the uninitiated listener to the point where they will be scratching their heads trying to classify it, even as they try to keep their toes from tapping. The blend of jazz and country western (emphasis on western) is an aspect of this particular brand of music that has satisfied my craving for good music for a very long time.

These 12 tracks represent the dream and brainchild of the legendary producer Jerry Wexler, who wanted to record an album of Willie Nelson doing classic Western Swing for Atlantic records, but Willie left the label for Columbia before the idea came to fruition. In the past (I don't want to admit how many years) I have acquired a lot of records of both Willie and, later, Asleep at the Wheel, but I suspect this one will stay on the top of my play list for both artists for a long time to come. Pure magic - scoop it up!