WILLIE NELSON > One Hell of a Ride

Over his 50 plus years turning out songs, Willie Nelson blossomed into a master of styles whether rendering recordings country and western, jazz or pop, blues, rock, cajun or beyond. One Hell of a Ride chronicles this icon’s prolific career. The box set, which also includes a booklet and photos, is a treasure trove for fans who, rightly, hold the original Outlaw in deference.Label: SONY/LEGACY
[RATING: 4]

Over his 50 plus years turning out songs, Willie Nelson blossomed into a master of styles whether rendering recordings country and western, jazz or pop, blues, rock, cajun or beyond. One Hell of a Ride chronicles this icon’s prolific career. The box set, which also includes a booklet and photos, is a treasure trove for fans who, rightly, hold the original Outlaw in deference. One-hundred recordings, culled from Nelson’s dirt poor beginnings to present day celebrity, demonstrate why Willie is such a revered name the world over. The songs, many penned by Nelson’s own hand and deeply personal in nature, are drawn from a deep well of wry, lyrical wit and melodic sensibilities. Classics like “Me and Paul,” for example, provide historical snapshots-as much as any literary memoir or photographic display celebrating the man-that illustrate Nelson’s rise from the whiskey-soaked nights in Nashville to shared stages with comrades like Kitty Wells. With over four hours worth of material, One Hell of a Ride welcomes listeners to experience Nelson as intimately as possible, short of sitting down with him for a cup of coffee. Besides his stellar song craft, evident from this box set is Nelson’s world-class, inspired guitar playing and languid, nuanced vocal style. One Hell of A Ride tells the story of this Texas legend: fiercely original and perennially good.