A Country Music concept album about an outlaw on the run after murdering his wife and her lover? Yes, this is an album that covers that topic. Willie Nelson had already made quite a name for himself on Atlantic Records earlier in his career, but after signing with Columbia Records, this was the first of a mega series of albums that skyrocketed his popularity at large. This album was recorded very quickly in January 1975 and was released in May 1975 to universal critical acclaim and strong sales. Willie Nelson even later appeared as an actor in the 1986 film of the same name. The album was self-produced and recorded at Autumn Sound in Garland, Texas, which saw a stripped-back and more concise sound compared to earlier recordings. The album featured: Willie Nelson (vocals and guitar); Paul English (drums); Jody Payne (guitars and mandolin); Bee Spears (bass guitar); Bobbie Nelson (piano); Mickey Raphael (harmonica); Buckey Meadows (guitar); and Billy English (drums). Let’s take a listen to this 33-minute release, and we’ll hear if it is any good.

1. Time Of The Preacher begins with some dual mandolin and piano. Soon enough, Willie Nelson sings a gorgeous song at hand, which sounds deep and emotional. This details the concept at hand, and it has some sweet acoustic guitar to match it. This sounds absolutely fantastic to this day, with some neat percussion and harmonica to match it all. A very gorgeous listen throughout, which has the tale told of the concept album. It finishes off with a gorgeous instrumental section. A neat and pretty song, this begins the album on a high note. It sounds like a million dollars. Excellent to hear.

2. I Couldn’t Believe It Was True is a short piece with some neat guitar playing, continuing the concept of the album. Another brilliant song to listen to, this sounds energetic and fantastic. It is about rocking up to home and finding your lady gone. Some sweet guitar playing is matched by equally nice mandolin work. An absolutely awesome tune to listen to. Very dynamic listening at hand is here.

3. Time Of The Preacher Theme continues on from the previous track. This has a sweet and unique take on the story, and it has our main character crying and screaming by himself upon discovering the bad news at hand. This song is just over a minute long, but it is incredibly beautiful to hear.

4. Medley: Blue Rock Montana / Red Headed Stranger begins with more clean and clear acoustic guitar playing, leading into another mournful yet sweet listening experience, continuing the concept of this album. A sweet listen, that is, until it dramatically changes into a story full of bloodthirsty revenge. A great listen throughout, for such a short tune to hear.

5. Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain sounds a little more upbeat, but is clearly the story of our main character at his lowest. Nonetheless, this tune is a winner, and continues on the album very, very well. Some sweet singing and instrumentation are present throughout this album, and this track is no different in that respect. The guitars and guitar solos on this tune are very fresh and unique to listen to. A really sweet and lovely listen throughout that sounds phenomenally good. This is a lovely tune, all the same. Very, very beautiful and nicely structured music at hand. Fantastic.

6. Red Headed Stranger is a gorgeous-sounding piece of music from the start. Willie Nelson sings sweetly about the character in the centre of the story, and he delivers yet another fantastic tune for us to hear. An absolutely iconic and awesome Country Music tune that has perfect sounds, intelligent lyric writing and music to enjoy on repeat. Willie Nelson delivers a strong and pretty music statement that really showcases this album as a solid gold listen, complete with a blonde-haired lady who tries to comfort our character. There is a nice second half with a pretty piano section that sounds really cool. All in all, this has a drastic change to the plot, which is really quite surprising. The outro is fantastic, and it sounds pleasant and lovely throughout. A great continuation of this awesome concept album. This is a solid centrepiece of the album at hand.

7. Time Of The Preacher Theme – Studio Version is less than 30 seconds long, but glues the album together nicely with gorgeous singing and acoustic guitar. A very sweet and lovely tune to hear, it leads straight into the next track.

8. Just As I Am is another short tune that sounds incredibly pretty, with acoustic guitar and piano being played away in a bittersweet way. This is an instrumental that, again, sounds amazingly good. A lovely and gentle piece of music, it is clear by this point of the album that Willie Nelson has made a fantastic piece of conceptual art. Awesome to hear from start to finish. It has a harmonica playing away, too, and finishes off very gently.

9. Denver is yet another short song that continues the travels of the Red Headed Stranger, as he travels to the major city of Denver in Colorado, USA. A short and lovely listen about finding a lovely woman in a bar to talk to.

10. O’er The Waves segues in from the previous song, and has some gorgeous acoustic guitars, harmonica, piano, bass guitar and brushed percussion. Again, this sounds like an absolute winner to listen to. Short and sweet indeed.

11. Down Yonder is another instrumental, but far more upbeat and Hillbilly sounding in general. It has some sweet and upbeat instrumentation to listen to, and runs for less than two minutes in length. This album continues the top-notch consistency of music on it. An absolutely awesome listen throughout that sounds killer. The whole band plays with effort and a lighthearted nature on this song. A really brilliant-sounding tune to listen to.

12. Can I Sleep In Your Arms is a song this time, and Willie Nelson delivers a fantastic vocal on this song. He flutters above the music with his singing and sounds really majestic to listen to. A slow and lovely love song about moving on from the train wreck scenario earlier on in the album. This is some of the best Country Music romanticism that one can hear, and Willie Nelson delivers a strong musical statement to listen to. All in all, another superb tune that is mindblowingly powerful and romantic. This is a five-minute-long piece with a gorgeous piano solo in the midsection of it all, just sounding divine. This is a great song to spend with your lover, slow dancing to in a romantic way. This is a heartfelt and emotional piece of music that really counts. A fantastic and youthful-sounding, lovely song at hand. This finishes up with the band playing a sweet and emotional instrumental section with some pretty acoustic guitar, mandolin, piano, bass guitar and drums. Fantastic music to hear. This is followed by a harmonica solo that sounds spot on and effortless. Worth it from start to finish. A fantastic song.

13. Remember Me (When The Candle Lights Are Gleaming) is a shorter piece that has some pretty instrumentation that sounds mint. This is a tune about moving on and finding new love in life. It sounds joyous and hopeful, rather than down and out. An absolutely awesome tune to listen to, this is Willie Nelson at his absolute peak musically. There is very little in Country Music, before or since, that has come close to this album release. The second half of this song has an upbeat piano playing away nicely. This tune is a joyous and upbeat take on a tragic set of events that unfolded earlier on in the album. The chorus in particular is fantastic to listen to. An awesome tune to hear, time after time. Gorgeous Country Music.

14. Hands On The Wheel begins with some neat acoustic guitar, and continues the story of the outlaw at large. Willie Nelson sings a beautiful song at hand, and he beautifully articulates the songs on this album. His singing and guitar playing are definitely unique listening, and Willie Nelson sings about moving on from heartbreak at hand earlier on in the album. An absolutely awesome listen, and this music breaks down the traditional mainstream music notion that Country Music is for those who don’t have ears. On the contrary, this is a unique and sublime listen about love and being made anew. A gorgeous sounding set of backing music matches this song, and it is a calm and poetic sort of listening experience. The music and lyrics match each other perfectly. Towards the end, there is a sweet and interesting acoustic guitar solo section that sounds beautifully poetic. This is a very lovely listen, from start to finish. The harmonica is particularly prominent at the end. Majestic.

15. Bandera is the final track on this album, and is an instrumental. It begins with some downtempo acoustic guitar and piano to finish off this monumental album. It sounds just as great as what came before it all. Some melodic bass guitar plays, before some harmonica enters. This adds icing to the cake of a beautiful and interesting album for many out there to listen to and appreciate. The piano becomes prominent in the second half, and this sounds beautifully iconic. Great job overall. This begins to wind up with melodic acoustic guitar, intricate piano and harmonica to conclude with. Sweet.

This is a monumental concept album masterpiece of outlaw-based Country Music. Willie Nelson obviously matched together fantastic music, which was self-produced and played by himself and his bandmates. It helped revive the popularity that Country Music was seemingly lagging behind at the time, compared with the likes of Progressive Rock acts, and this is a Country masterpiece. In fact, not only is it highly recommended listening, but one of the top five greatest Country Music albums ever. Definitely give this album a try, even if you tend to roll your eyes upon hearing this genre.

Fantastic and brilliant.

9/10

Best tracks: Red Headed Stranger, Can I Sleep In Your Arms, Hands On The Wheel.