Willie Nelson - Stardust

Willie Nelson has never been one to do the safe or expected, and this Booker T. Jones-produced album of pop standards from the '30s and '40s certainly fits the profile. It's also one of the better albums of Nelson's career, allowing Willie to dip his fragile, quivering tenor all around the beat in songs like "All of Me" and "Unchained Melody." Jones's organ, piano, and string arrangements are low-key and swinging (except on the almost wooden "On the Sunny Side of the Street"), and Nelson's vocals on "Georgia on My Mind" and "Moonlight in Vermont" are filled with a dignified and slightly jazzy country soul. The 1999 reissue adds a pair of bonus cuts to the mix, including the lullaby-like "Scarlet Ribbons" and the somewhat out-of-place "I Can See Clearly Now." --David Cantwell Amazon.com essential recording

 Great
This cd is just as fresh, and better than when it came out. The old standards will never lose their appeal. Willie really pulls it off!
John April 25, 2008

 Not A Big Willie Fan...
I will preface my review by declaring that, for the most part, I am not a big Willie Nelson fan. And Willie singing standards? Seemed totally nonsensical when I first learned of the album's existence. However, in my opinion, this is clearly the best album he has ever produced (or will ever produce for that matter). Every single cut on the original album is superb. I agree with other reviewers regarding the bonus tracks on the re released CD --- they really are out of place with the balance of the tunes.

Bottom line: I'll give Willie credit where credit is due. This is a must-have CD for virtually any music lover. It (surprisingly) is one of those rare articles that bridges all kinds of gaps, e.g., generational, race, genre, etc... In a manner not unlike Brubeck's Take Five album did circa 1959-60. Enjoy this timeless masterpiece. April 25, 2008

 The melody haunts my reverie.
This was Willie Nelson's first album of pop standards. It features Willie's touring band, plus organist/producer Booker T. Jones. The songs are performed in an appealing country-jazz style. Willie proves to be a fine interpreter of this type of material. This is a really terrific album. This CD adds two bonus tracks, "Scarlet Ribbons" and "I Can See Clearly Now". Both songs are great, but they were left off of the album because they aren't really pop standards. February 5, 2008

 Stardust
Willie is the best!! This CD has some of his best to listen too recordings. This collection is a must if you are a Willie Nelson fan. January 27, 2008

 my favorite willie nelson album.
last month i was down at the DMV waiting & waiting & waiting for my number to be called so that i could get my license plate tabs & get the heck out of there, when two well dressed gentlemen started arguing about what the best willie nelson album is. well, the dozens of people waiting & waiting & waiting were already in bad moods, so when the debate started by the two well dressed gentlemen spread to others, things soon turned ugly. pretty soon everybody was heatedly arguing the willie nelson album subject. i heard red headed stranger, spirit, crazy: the demo sessions, yesterday's wine, and even phases and stages being championed as spittle flew from angry lips. an old lady next to me started shouting teatro! teatro! teatro! and although i agree that teatro is a great album, there was something about her attitude that i didn't like, so i popped her one in the mouth. now it was game on. fists started flying everywhere, and ultimatley, through the repeated use of my lightning fast left jab/straight right/left-hook combo, i was able to win the day and convince everyone there that "stardust" is indeed willie nelson's greatest album. it really is. July 29, 2007

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