Shotgun Willie
Frustrated by eight years without creative freedom or commercial success, Willie Nelson left RCA Victor in 1972 only to be signed by Atlantic Records VP Jerry Wexler, a longtime fan. Willie and a group of Texas, Nashville, and Manhattan musicians (Doug SahmandLarry Gatlinamong them) recorded three albums worth of material in New York, including this benchmark collection. A musical crazy quilt reflecting Nelson's own freewheeling repertoire, it mixed Willie compositions old ("Slow Down Old World") and new ("Shotgun Willie") with aBob Willsfavorite ("Bubbles in My Beer"),Johnny Bush's Texas barroom anthem "Whiskey River," and a stately rendition ofLeon Russell's "A Song for You." Literate, sharply focused, and earthy, it proved a turning point, validating Willie's creative quest aesthetically. The triumph was also a commercial one. Acclaimed by the rock music press,Shotgun Willieattracted many younger fans to become Nelson's bestselling album to date, paving the way for his future superstardom at Columbia and beyond.--Rich Kienzle