Customer Reviews

Stardust (W/2 Bonus Tracks)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a collection of classic love songs done by classic artist. The blending of the two makes this CD a must have.

Ok, so we all knew that Willie was the quintenssential songwriter (his songs written for others like Patsy Kline were popular way before he was as a performer). But here, Willie has proven himself as a great musician and musical interpreter. With classics like Georgia on My Mind, Blue Skies, All of Me, September Song, On the Sunny Side of the Street...heck, every song on the CD, it is hard to go wrong, but it's hard to distinguish oneself also. However, Willie has managed to make these old standards new and revitalized with his own style and personality. I don't even like country music in general, but Willie does it for me time and again and this is certainly one of his best studio performances.

On this record, Willie proved that his favorite items from "The Great American Songbook" were good enough to survive his distinctive phrasing and country/blues accompaniment organized by his buddy, Booker T., the producer. Mostly mellow, this album gives you 45 minutes of quiet pleasure. The songs were designed for pop, jazz or Broadway treatments, but Willie proved he could do them justice in his own sweet way. I had a boss who purchased this one when it came out in 1978 or so, and played it for me one day. I was barely conscious of Willie back then, but I knew the material from more traditional renditions. While I did not rush out to buy this at the time, it was because it was a tight budget year, not because I didn't like it. Now I've just acquired it, 25 years on, yet both Willie and the songs survive. If you like Nelson, this CD is one of the essentials. If you like "The Great American Songbook" this version of some of the best from that body of work is also essential. Here, Willie invented a style that melds jazz, pop, country, folk, blues and Broadway. Play "Red-Headed Stranger" and follow it with this one, and you have all the evidence one needs that Mr. Nelson is an immortal in the roster of great American music-makers.

It seems that my crtique of Amazon was taken as a swipe against Willie Nelson's crisp clear & uncompressed stereo sound. (Good heavens) My beef here was about Amazon's lack of info. with regards to stereo/multi & single/double layer. I don't have a 50k sound system but at least I can read carefully.

ok show tunes is a stretch but Look no further if you want to hear willie sing your favorite songs out of tune and out of time. I love willie but come-on this ones crap, my dad who loves show tunes, gave it back! I love country music, grew up listening to tubbs, owens, cash, snow, miller, wills, jennings, haggard, and nelson. This ones been pinned on my wall of shame, right next to john tesh. If you want to listen to country versions of popular songs save your money and buy lyle lovett, at least he's on key. Or better yet get some real willie, buy shotgun willie or red headed stranger...oh so cruel...

I see a lot of negative reviews on this outstanding recording from Willie nelson based on the fact it is a two channel recording. The two channel recordings give the most accurate reproduction of the actual live recordings.(Two channel sacd recordings have far less compressionand give truer sound reproduction than multichannel) The sonic quality of this particular SACD is outstanding. You would have to buy this album in vinyl to sound any better.! This SACD of the ones I use to demonstrate the superority of SACD over cd's.

If an original recording does not have multichannel tracks to begin with, it is not always possible create the multichannel tracks out of thin air unless they do a lot of playing with the natural accoustics. Honestly, people need to realize that SACD essentially does improve the sound compared to redbook cd. This particular SACD is excellent. Willie's lyrics are clearer, cleaner, and more beautiful than they have ever been before.

Mr. Nelson was probably the best man to interpret this song. But please check out Walter Huston's original 30s version (should be on Broadway show tunes compilations), that has never been equaled and probably never will. Huston doesn't just sing the song as an accomplished musician like Willie, he morphs into the tragicomic character of the song & lives his heart and soul. So beautiful it's chilling. But kudos to Willie for bringing contemporary audiences to such classics.

THIS IS A GREAT ALBUM. NO QUESTION - VERY CLEAN IN SACD FORM. BUT! IT IS IN STEREO FORMAT ONLY. THERE IS NO HI-RES MULTICHANNEL FORMAT HERE. I AM NONE TO HAPPY ABOUT THAT. AMAZON WILL NOT LET ME RETURN IT, ALTHOUGH IT WAS IN MY SACD PLAYER FOR LESS THAN A MINUTE. SACD'S SHOULD OFFER 2 CHANNEL STEREO AND MULTICHANNEL HI-RES TRACKS. MY BASIC CD VERSION SOUNDS THIS GOOD AND I CAN DUMP IT INTO DTS NEO;6 ETC FOR A SURROUND ENVIRONMENT. BUT NOT WITH THIS SACD VERSION....

Not the typical Wille Nelson - here he goes for a more general audience and hits right on.