Willie Nelson - Teatro

The first words from Willie Nelson's lips, "The sun is filled with ice and gives no warmth at all / the sky was never blue," warn the listener something is happening here. In a converted Mexican movie theater, producer Daniel Lanois surrounds the 65-year-old Nelson with the most startling and assured musical vision of his career: lush, rippling guitars, and swelling, splashing drum tracks, doubled and tripled over, sometimes in a Latin mood. Lanois allows Nelson freedom to solo in and around his sonic dreamwork, and with the presence of longtime fellow travelers Mickey Raphael, Emmylou Harris, and sister Bobbie, the record clearly smacks of Nelson's style and lyrical vision. The original material is decades old, but little known, and generally as haunting as Lanois's arrangements. (Only one song should have remained in the vaults: the emotionally-curdled "I Just Can't Let You Say Good-Bye.") So much could have gone wrong on this pairing. It's a thrill to hear how much truly goes right. --Roy Francis Kasten Amazon.com

Desert Island CD - I'd take it anywhere

I'll begin by saying I'm over 50, and I've been exposed and heard lots of music over the years. I've collected various artists as I was financially able, including Elton John, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, and Billy Joe Shaver. I remember my Dad watching Willie when I was a child. I associate this with the Porter Wagoner Show, The Wilburn Brothers Show, and Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs Show. They were all in black and white, as I recall. As I grew up in the 60s and came of age in the 70s, Willie had many hits. I didn't pay much attention at the time to their import and quality. I missed a few great artists, discovering them only in retrospect. Willie is one of them. It was only in the last five years that I began to collect his CDs. He has some classics, including the Red Headed Stranger, Phases and Stages, and Willie and Family Live among others. My personal favorite song sung by Willie is "Till I Gain Control Again". Teatro is one of those albums that grows and grows on one. I used to say that if I had to be marooned on a desert isle, I'd take Bob Dylan with me; later, I said Elton John. These artists are both great, but I know now who I'd take: Willie Nelson. This is highly recommended. April 26, 2008

willie nelson, teatro

willie nelson continues to create wonderful music and teatro is an example of this. emmie lou harris is a fantastic harmonist with him on this albumm they sound great together. i greatly suggest anybody listen and enjoy this album March 26, 2008

A MUST!

This album is simply stunning. It is some of the most beautiful and compelling music I have ever heard. It is a MUST for any music fan. February 16, 2007

Can you spell OVERPRODUCED?

I have been a hard-core Willie fan since the first time I heard him - live, just his incredible voice and his guitar. I still believe that is the best way to hear him. Sparse arrangements or rip-roaring Good Hearted Woman romps with his friends showcase his considerable talents best. Although I love the latin flavor, which suits him, you can hardly hear his voice over the DRUMS and other INCREDIBLY OVERDONE INSTRUMENTATION. His beautifully nuanced performances are lost. I am a sound engineer, and I actually find this album painful to listen to. I give it 3 stars because nothing Willie does could have less. September 15, 2006

A little different

In many ways, this is a typical Willie Nelson album but the music here is a little different. For this album, Willie acquired the services of Daniel Lanois as producer. He had revitalized Emmylou's career by producing her 1995 album, Wrecking ball. Emmylou, who has recorded several duets down the years with Willie, provides backing vocals on several tracks here, most prominently on Everywhere I go. The credits show that many of the tracks feature Bobbie Nelson on Wurlitzer - this is one of the differences in the sound. There are other unusual instruments on some tracks such as congas, vibraphone and omnichord.

The album begins with an instrumental cover of a French song and closes with another instrumental. Between them are twelve excellent songs, some from Willie's own back-catalog and some new, plus a couple of songs written by others - one of them (The maker) by the producer.

If you wish to compare the difference in sound compared to earlier Willie Nelson albums, listen to My own peculiar way. Willie wrote this song in the sixties and has recorded it a few times since. Several other oldies are included, both of which Willie also wrote or co-wrote in the sixties, these being I never cared for you, Darkness on the face of the earth Home Motel, I just can't let you say goodbye, I've just destroyed the world and Three days.

Overall, this is a very relaxing album on which Willie's voice is great despite his age (he was in his sixties when he recorded this album). When I first played it, I wasn't sure about it but I have since come to recognize its brilliance. May 26, 2005

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