Willie Nelson:

Shotgun Willie:(1973)

The Troublemaker:(1976)

"hello walls":1978)

Stardust:(1978)

Waylon & Willie:(1978)

Pretty Paper:(1979)

Always On My Mind:(1982)

Few people will ever be famous, and fewer still will attain the "Icon" status that Willie Nelson has. Has the man written great songs? Yes. Has the man recorded some great covers? Yes. Has the man made a few cringe-worthy recordings? Yes, but come on, he's also got over a hundred albums to his credit in a career that's lasted over sixty years. Hell, included in these seven bits of vinyl that I posses, is even a Christmas album. And, I don't care for Christmas music. But, It's Willie Nelson. There's something so comforting about his voice. It instantly makes me feel at home. And as a guitar player, I have to drop massive amounts of praise on Willie for being such a distinctive player. Unmistakable, really. I recently heard one of Willie newest songs, It Gets Easier, and all I could think was, "Well, damn. That's why he's the master."

The Highwaymen:

Highwayman:(1985)

The four faces of the Mt. Rushmore of American music peer out from the cover of this record like old friends. It's that camaraderie that comes through in the tunes. It feels like a glimpse into a private weekend gathering at one of their houses, or at least how an outsider might imagine it.  Jimmy Webb may have written the words of Highwayman, but they never sounded so believable as they do from these four iconic voices. I have a few issues with the 80's production values, but I can overlook that to enjoy this classic album.