I Don't Know A Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard

Willie Nelson

Released on 3/3/23 by Legacy Recordings
Main artists: Willie Nelson
Genre: Country

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Averaging a pair of new albums a year, Willie Nelson, who is on the cusp of turning 90, has become a recording engine. In the past decade alone he has made albums that focused on gospel and the music of the Gershwins, followed in Bob Dylan's footsteps and made a live album at Budokan, assembled a sparkling collection of duets with female singers and cut a pair of tributes to Frank Sinatra. Proving all those who have disparaged his singing wrong, Nelson's voice, which never fails him here, has become such a sage instrument that he's able to "Willie-ize" any song by any writer and make them his own. After reimagining well-known tunes by songwriters like The Beatles, Leonard Cohen, and Billy Joel, he now turns closer to his roots, to the songwriting legacy of his one-time Nashville Music Row rival, Harlan Howard (the man who coined the phrase "Three Chords and the Truth" to describe country music). Howard, who had a string of big hits like "I Fall to Pieces," and "Heartaches by the Number," also had crossover R&B single successes like "The Chokin' Kind" by Joe Simon and "Busted," which was a hit for both Johnny Cash and Ray Charles. Nelson opens with Howard's classic co-write with Buck Owens, "Tiger by The Tail." Like every tune on the album, the bouncy, iconic "Tiger" gets a straight run-through, forgoing any stylistic liberties to lean on the plain charms of Nelson's phrasing. Outside a few plucks by Nelson on his famously ramshackle guitar "Trigger," even instrumental solos have been excised. A version of "Streets Of Baltimore," recorded by the likes of Gram Parsons, John Prine, and Uncle Tupelo, is convincing in that special Willie way with plenty of pedal steel backing. Amazingly, with the help of background vocals from Melonie Cannon, daughter of his longtime producer Buddy Cannon, Nelson even nails ballads like "Beautiful Annabel Lee." Nelson and Buddy Cannon clearly have a genius formula for extending his career: bring in pro session players, overdub vocals, and keep everything short with relaxed tempos and easygoing arrangements. It's a recording groove that's allowed Nelson to be that rare vocalist who can finish on their own terms. © Robert Baird/Qobuz

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I Don't Know A Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard

Willie Nelson

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Tiger By The Tail

00:02:23

Lonnie Wilson, Drums - Bobby Terry, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar - Willie Nelson, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Lead Vocalist - Larry Paxton, Bass - Mickey Raphael, Harmonica - Jim "Moose" Brown, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer - Andrew Mendelson, Mastering Engineer - Buck Owens, Composer, Lyricist - Harlan Howard, Composer, Lyricist - BUDDY CANNON, Producer - Mike Johnson, Steel Guitar - James Mitchell, Electric Guitar - Shannon Finnegan, Coordinator - Melonie Cannon, Background Vocal - Tony Castle, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Wyatt Beard, Background Vocal - Steve Chadie, Engineer - Andrew Darby, Assistant Engineer - Taylor Chadwick, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Freetly, Assistant Engineer - Joe Trentacosti, Assistant Engineer - Skyler Chuckry, Assistant Engineer - Luke Armentrout, Assistant Engineer - Jacob Friga, Assistant Engineer