{"id":17004,"date":"2023-10-18T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/?p=17004"},"modified":"2023-09-27T09:05:25","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T08:05:25","slug":"riding-back-to-bluegrass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/2023\/10\/18\/riding-back-to-bluegrass\/","title":{"rendered":"RIDING BACK TO  BLUEGRASS<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Norman Warwick reads about Willie Nelson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RIDING BACK TO  BLUEGRASS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b4When talking about any kind of grass\u2014green, blue, whatever\u2014it\u2019s always great to have country star Willie Nelson involved. The \u201coutlaw\u201d icon released his latest record, Bluegrass<\/em>, on Friday (September 15) and the record, in a word, is a romp\u00b4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those above are the words of Jacob Iotti, one of several excellent writers at American Songwriter. If you are looking for a magazine that fully understand and cherishes the importance of lyric to song and of lyric and song to us a species, then American Songwriter is one of leaders of that pack.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They constantly have me saying to myself, yes I get that, as I\u00b4m reading when the truth is probably that I have only just that moment actuallyu \u00b4got it\u00b4, and \u00b4it\u00b4 being explained to me so effectively that I immediately feel I have known that all my life !<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a couple of recent articles they very easily placed a Willie Nelson up on Songwriting Summit, simply by reminding us that some of his best songs are over fifty years and still seem as fresh as the moment when the pod went pop. In so positively reviewing his most recent album, Bluegrass, They also reaffirmed his longevity and relevance as a performing artist.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

For the 90-year-old Nelson, the new LP (left)<\/em><\/strong> is also an achievement. It\u2019s his sixth album since 2020\u2014something many artists in their 20s can\u2019t boast. Nelson offers a softer, thoughtful voice on the new LP, which is rich with slide acoustic guitars, mandolins, fiddles, and more. Like a Southern gentleman sitting on the porch, he offers wisdom as much as entertainment. The whole town gathered \u2019round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Texas-born Nelson has done just about everything in music. So, why not a buoyant bluegrass album in 2023? Bluegrass<\/em> marks Nelson\u2019s 74th release. It\u2019s also the first in recent memory that Nelson didn\u2019t play his signature guitar, Trigger<\/a>, on the recordings, he told AARP<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 12-track album sounds like it\u2019s a record of standards. But Nelson either wrote or co-wrote every song of the dozen. It feels like a deep breath by a genius, a lifer. It\u2019s almost as if he dreams in song and this is a window into his journeyman mind. The album also feels special because of its stripped-down acoustic nature. It\u2019s as if it\u2019s a Willie Nelson Unplugged<\/em> release. But that\u2019s also the beauty of bluegrass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, the LP is something you can put on at a party to get the feet flying and the shirt-tails waving. It\u2019s also perfect for a Saturday drive down the highway, sunshine on your sunglassed face. Or it\u2019s an album to put on with your morning coffee to equally parse and appreciate openly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most tracks are familiar to Nelson fans, including \u201cOn the Road Again.\u201d But no matter if you know them or not, all are lovable like a warm roll from the oven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s a good-hearted woman in love with a good timin\u2019 man<\/em>
<\/em>She loves me in spite of my wicked ways that she don\u2019t understand<\/em>
<\/em>Through teardrops and laughter<\/em>
They\u2019ll pass through this world hand in hand
A good-hearted woman lovin\u2019 a good timin\u2019 man<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Willie. What a legend. In the end, fans can only say \u201cthank you\u201d for all the artist\u2019s music. And here\u2019s to record No. 75, whenever it\u2019s set to come out and whatever it may be. In the meantime, we can jam to the tunes on Bluegrass<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the expansive landscape of American music, and especially country music, Willie Nelson stands as a towering figure. Known the world over for hits like \u201cOn the Road Again,\u201d he\u2019s deservedly celebrated as a captivating performer and committed activist, as well. Yet, his artistry in songwriting is a less-explored facet, despite its crucial role in shaping American music. Hence, we\u2019re examining six pivotal compositions that capture Shotgun Willie\u2019s unparalleled storytelling abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

These songs are much more than hits (right)<\/em><\/strong> . They\u2019re landmarks in the vast terrain of American art and culture. Each piece serves as a unique window into a world filled with love, loss, and complex human emotions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next time you find yourself humming along to a Willie Nelson tune, remember: you\u2019re experiencing a living, breathing piece of Americana crafted by one of the country\u2019s most gifted songsmiths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps one of the most compelling narratives around Nelson\u2019s song-writing prowess starts with \u201cCrazy.\u201d Originally penned for country star Billy Walker, it found its way into the hands (and voice) of Patsy Cline, subsequently becoming a staple in the annals of American music. \u201cCrazy\u201d wasn\u2019t merely a song; it was an encapsulation of emotional complexity, weaving vulnerability and longing into a swooning country ballad that would transcend generations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNight Life\u201d takes us through the dark, neon-lit corridors of existential despair. Originally part of Nelson\u2019s debut album \u2026And Then I Wrote<\/em>, this song is a significant departure from country\u2019s predominant themes at the time. It bears the fingerprints of Nelson\u2019s sophisticated musical language: jazzy chords, introspective lyrics, and a haunting ambiance. A study in contrast, the song laces the frenetic energy of nocturnal escapades with the inherent loneliness such experiences often mask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funny How Time Slips Away is an early Willie Nelson tune embodies the bittersweet sentiment of nostalgia and the passage of time. Released as part of his debut album \u2026And Then I Wrote<\/em>, the song is a study in the depth of human emotions that Nelson can evoke through his lyrics and melody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A standout from the soundtrack to Honeysuckle Rose<\/em> (a 1980 film in which Nelson starred), \u201cAngel Flying Too Close to the Ground\u201d is a complex tapestry of emotion, capturing romance, loss, and redemption in a way only Nelson can. This song exhibits the singer\u2019s range not only as a performer but as a thoughtful and nuanced songwriter. With its poetic lyrics and delicate balance of optimism and melancholy, the song is a master class in story-telling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If our previous Sidetracks And Detours signposts failed to lead you to American Songwriter, you can find their details on line. Happy reading. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Willie. Nelson is a legend. In the end, fans can only say \u201cthank you\u201d for all the artist\u2019s music. And here\u2019s to record No. 75, whenever it\u2019s set to come out and whatever it may be. In the meantime, we can jam to the tunes on\u00a0Bluegrass.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17007,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71,45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture-and-tradition","category-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17004"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17004\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17008,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17004\/revisions\/17008"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}