Retro Reviews: Willie Nelson: Red Headed Stranger

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums.

Willie Nelson – Red Headed Stranger 1975

****

Producer: Willie Nelson

Musicians: Willie Nelson, Paul English, Jody Payne, Bee Spears, Bobbie Nelson, Mickey Raphael, Bucky Meadows, Billy English

Songs and music: Time Of The Preacher, I Couldn’t Believe It Was True, Time Of The Preacher Theme, (Medley) Blue Rock Montana / Red Stranger, Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain, Red Header Stranger, Time of The Preacher Theme, Just As I Am, Denver, O’er The Waves,  Down Yonder, Can I Sleep In Your Arms, Remember Me (When The Candle Lights Are Gleaming), Hands On The Wheel, Bandera

Reviews By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Willie Nelson's new album feels like a marked change and evolution from his prior couple of albums, Phases and Stages and Shotgun Willie, it’s already been receiving a lot of platitudes from other critics, and for good reason, so I am not certain what I can add other than this might appeal to the circle of country rock fans who have followed The Byrds or Graham Parsons. There’s a recurring theme to the first half that makes this appear to be a loose concept record, in essence, it is about a killing and loosely explores the ramifications of that event, but it does so in a deceptive fashion, it’s a slow burn of an album. It willfully strips things down with the arrangements, it doesn’t depend on ornamentation like strings, or heavy amounts of honky-tonk piano, electric dobro, or fiddle, when instruments come in they are judicious and tactical, artistic, it is more about setting a tone and evoking an emotion. The tone is good at evoking a sense of place and time.

    Allegedly the opening track Nelson had performed live previously, “Time Of The Preacher” acts as  a thematic glue to ties the first half together. The stripped-down approach acts as a mission statement, the support creeps in and out. Wellie Nalson’s vocals are good throughout the album, his range may be limited but adaptable, but je’s better than Dylan as a singer.  “I Couldn’t Believe It Was True” is brief but some good guitar. “The Preacher” theme is brought back as a counter rection to the prior track. The medley of “Blue Rock Montana” and the first variation of “Red Headed Stranger” demonstrates the storyteller aspect of Nelson. 

    The cover of Fred Rose's “Blue Eyes In The Rain” is tasteful and simple and acts as another reaction to the prior piece. The proper track of “Red Headed Stranger” is laid back with an effective read from Nelson as the tale unfolds. The “Preacher” theme is briefly brought back as a link that the Preacher and Stranger as likely the same person. The instrumental closer “Just As I Am” acts as a reflective closer, in some ways, the level of reflection from Nelson is astonishing, but it shows someone who thinks like an artist. 

    The second half of the album may have a less focused theme, the brief “Denver” and “O’er The Waves” link together, with ‘Waves’ quoting from Juventino Rosas, with the instrumental ”Down Yonder” giving a reprieve. But the weariness of these characters comes through with “Can I Sleep In Your Arms” with some tasteful harmonica and pensive guitar. The next number has a slight shift in tempo and reprieve with “Remember Me (When The Candel Lights Are Gleaming)”, a number with the best guitar lead work and piano. “Hands On The Wheel” is another reflective ballad, that may be playing with the lores of the past while connecting with contemporary times. The instrumental “Bandera” acts as a palate cleanser while reflecting on the meaning of the tale.

    Willie Nelson has managed to evoke the mythos of the west without falling into cliches – this is refreshing. There are traces of harmonic sophistication throughout the album, and Nelson sounds like he has an adaptability to his talent and approach, I suspect this outlaw country figure has a depth that reminds me of Johnny Cash – there certainly is an introspection with how the material is presented that is rather impressive. I think the second half of this decade should be an interesting one for Mr. Nelson. He is transcending the field of country into something more. 

Retro Reviews: Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks

     I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 70s and start of the 80s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 

Bob Dylan – Blood On The Tracks (1975)

****

Producers: Phil Ramone, Bob Dylan

Musicians: Bob Dylan, Chris Webber, Kevin Odegard, Eric Weissberg, Charles Brown, Buddy Cage, Peter Ostroushko, Gregg Inhofer, Thomas McFaul, Billy Peterson, Tony Brown, Bill Berg, Richard Crooks

Songs: Tangled Up in Blue, Simple Twist Of Fate, You’re a Big Girl Now, Idiot Wind, You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go, Meet Me In The Morning, Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts, If You See Her, Say Hello, Shelter From The Storm, Buckets Of Rain

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    Over the past couple of years Bruce Springsteen has not only been compared to Dylan, but has been perceived as surpassing him. Yet Dylan’s new record may be nipping at the heels of Springsteen’s acclaim. Dylan’s last album, Planet Waves, brought back members of The Band, while also trying to update his approach, he dabbled with a new record label on Asylum, it was good, it was stripped down, but for some it felt slight. Bob has rejoined Columbia for this album, and has put out a record with a different set of priorities. Let’s start with the title. At first glance, one could look at it as a comment about a death on a rail train track, a murder or accident, but the real meaning is more the purging of one’s soul on this group of songs, these tracks. They appear to be far more personal that he has expressed as of late, and look to be explorations of failed relationship, hence, ‘the blood’. Those personal aspects on Waves felt like prelude, this feels like the next step after several stumbles at the start of the decade. While the album isn't perfect, it does flag at moments, this is a notable album. 

    There’s very little argument to be made about the album opener and single, “Tangled Up In Blue”, a narrative song about the search for an ideal female muse, whether he finds that muse is unanswered, but it’s one of the most gripping songs from the album. Half of the album was re-recorded apparently soon before release. Rumors are that Lester Bangs heard an early pressing and was dismissive. Even the final draft Bangs described this as a “Crying Towel” of breakups, and I can’t really agree with him.  The other thing that raises my hackles is the claim by Bangs that Dylan has betrayed his sixties legacy*, which isn’t true, but the attitude from Lester reminds me of “Judas” accusation in sixty-six at the Manchester Free Trade Hall. Or even the Pete Seeger and Newport incident from that year. There’s a sense of entitlement about Dylan from certain figures I find frustrating. Let’s be clear, no one owns Dylan, no subset, he is his own man and artist. He’s not obligated to anyone. 

    Dylan sounds like a man who is a little older and wiser, and meditating on the troubled waters with connecting with others. He has faced so much adulation that he has been given a permission to indulge for so many years, it sounds like it is taking a toll. The track “Simple Twist Of Fate” has a more developed sense of melody and chord changes that you don’t always hear from him, another more in depth tale of a woman and a missed connection. “You’re A Big Girl Now” is probably one of the most accessible ballads Dylan has written in many years. It has a slight Latin feel and modal sense, an appeal to his muse that he can change, but we aren’t really left for certain.  Nevertheless, the narrator is left pleading. The deeper you go into “Idiot Wind”, the more you realize how scathing it is, the scale of it is similar to “Like A Rolling Stone”, but this probably one of the most dismissive songs he has written about another. The more direct “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome when You Go” is a welcome change, and the voice will remind some of his Nashville Skyline album.

    The blues folk of “Meet Me in the Morning” has some good lead guitar work, but otherwise is just kind of there, as much as it manages to be a slow burn, it’s just interesting. The ambitious “Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts” is a country romp that is musically repetitive, but the emphasis is on the lyrics, it just depends on if you are willing to go along for it’s journey. The other acoustic ballad “If You See Her, Say Hello” has the nice wash of the organ, and the occasional surprise with the changes. The song is the recognition in the relationship with the woman has changed and she’s moved on – there’s a sad resignation to it. “Shelter From The Storm” might have a certain curability as it’s quite accessible and relatable. Very stripped down with just his guitar. The track also seems to sum up the tone of the album. The closer “Buckets Of Rain” is another folk blues that acts as a coda. 

    Years ago, Dylan described himself as a ‘song and dance man’, and this album seems consistent with his philosophy, others read so much into him as a messianic philosopher, it was always out of proportion, and not realistic, and Bob had to move on from that legacy, he’s just another flawed man. Bob has denied that the album is autobiographical, but it’s difficult not to hear an emotional purge unfold, it feels awfully personal, and there is blood, sweat and tears in the grooves of the album. This album does feel more focused and I am pleased by the change. 

* Editor's note: That accusation of betrayal would make more sense in the 80s with albums like Infidels or Empire Burlesque but seems premature here in 75.