Revolutions Of Time: The Journey 1975-1993
More so than most country artists, Willie Nelson is difficult to thoroughly investigate without delving into his individual releases, which often revolve around either musical or lyrical concepts. So give Columbia credit for assembling such a cohesive, provocative collection, one that covers every aspect of his glorious career and that amply showcases his distinctive singing, songwriting, and gut-string work. Disc 1 (entitledPilgrimage), worth the price of admission alone, focuses on his remarkable 1970s and early-1980s work: theRed Headed Strangercuts, the Lefty Frizzell tributes, theStarduststandards, searing live cuts, theElectric Horsemancowboy odes andHoneysuckle Rosegems, and the best ofAlways on My Mind. Disc 2 (Sojourns) pairs Nelson with an impressive array of partners: Haggard, Price, Miller, Pierce, Charles, Young (both Neil and Faron), Santana, Possum, Dylan, Cash, Snow, Jennings, Julio, Dolly, Kristofferson. Disc 3 (Exodus) collects the mid-1980s and early-1990s stuff, and while it contains moments of brilliance, it doesn't match up to the first two discs. All in all, a marvelous 60-song collection filled with an astonishing number of spine-chilling moments.--Marc Greilsamer