Time of the Preacher, by Willie Nelson.
This song is the third in this project from the Red Headed Stranger album, in honor of the new Sturgill Simpson concept album (I mean, it’s only like 27 minutes long) that I listened to 10 times today, maybe? The Sturgill record pays so much homage to Willie that Mr. Nelson shows up to take a solo on the first single, but the storytelling (man, woman, bandit, horse, dog, epilogue) is straight out of the Willie book, which itself is an old Western.
On the Road Again, by Willie Nelson.
First night on the road in 2021, so this is a little on the nose. 😉 When I started this project and the question of what I would do when I started traveling again for work came up, I did not anticipate that I would be traveling for youth soccer first. But here we are, in Rock Hill, South Carolina, just outside Charlotte, after a long day on the road.
This song might’ve been the very first Willie song I ever heard, even before the Red Headed Stranger cassette took its turn on repeat around my Dad. Feels like it’s been watered down by a thousand commercial uses (full credit to Willie for being a player, though), but what few lyrics there are hit a little harder now. I changed the “gypsies” reference the second time through, and should’ve skipped it the first time, too. C’mon, Willie.
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Uh, if the video quality is better on my iPhone 11 than on my 2017 MBP camera, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. The audio is comically acceptable, though. I supposed millions of influencers talking into their ringlights can’t be wrong.
Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain, by Willie Nelson.
Looking this song up recently, I learned that Hank Williams sang it, and Willie didn’t write it, which was a surprise, given its slot on Red Headed Stranger, and RHS being a real live concept album, but OK, country music, keep on surprising me.
I talked about this album and what I associate with it wayyyy back on day 26.
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Kept it simple tonight, but still took three takes to get the little chunka-chunka-chunk runs… well, still not quite right, but it’s good enough for tonight.
Red Headed Stranger by Willie Nelson.
There are certain albums that call to mind an extremely specific setting, no matter how many times and formats and states and conditions I listen to them in. This is one of them! There are others.
I am no more than eight years old, and this is the tape my dad listens to while putting up the carpet and other bits of the first retail storefront studio my mom called her place of business for a decent chunk of my youth. No need to close my eyes either, I could probably draw the gray carpet on the walls (a short pile, good for lots of velcro-backed frame corners to choose from) and smell the wood and paint and beginnings of the place, while Willie sang words I barely noticed.
A concept album from 1975, who would’ve expected that… 😉