The Essential Willie Nelson

iTunes Review

Willie Nelson's signature tunes are well known (“Always on My Mind,” “Funny How Time Slips Away,” “On the Road Again,” “Crazy”), his vocal phrasings unmistakable (“Georgia On My Mind,” “The Party’s Over”), and even in his most earnest longings, he finds sad truths and moments of humor (“Hello Walls”). Though he didn’t become a huge star until the 1970s, as part of the Outlaw Country movement, Nelson was a songwriting and performing veteran whose unorthodox lifestyle and approach to the music business left conservative Nashville uncertain how to accept him, even as he racked up a notable catalog of brilliant material. Time and continued success has rectified these oversights and now Nelson has enjoyed seeing his long, twisted career unraveled in a number of worthy collections that span the different labels he wrote and recorded for. This 2003 collection is a solid entry, featuring every aspect of the man’s influence and career, allowing for his excellent taste in covers (Lefty Frizzell’s “If You’ve Got the Money, I’ve Got the Time),” Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” Townes Van Zandt’s “Pancho and Lefty”), his own exemplary tunes, and even an unusual collaboration with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler (“One Time Too Many”).