Very Best Of Willie Nelson CD

Personnel includes: Willie Nelson, Leon Russell, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Tracy Nelson, Merle Haggard, Julio Iglesias.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Photographers: Ross Marino; Robert Alford; Chuck Pulin; John Reggero; Jon Sievert.
Arranger: Willie Nelson.
Spanning two discs and 30 songs, The Very Best of Willie Nelson isn't as sublime as Greatest Hits (& Some That Will Be), which came close to capturing the essence of Willie Nelson's Columbia recordings in 20 tracks. The Very Best covers more ground and, technically, it has more charting hits, but it isn't as far-reaching and diverse as Greatest Hits, which gave equal ground to country, western swing, folk, and pop. This collection tends toward obvious choices, emphasizing covers of pop songs instead of his more obscure choices or original material. Consequentially, it isn't the most representative collection possible, but it will satisfy many casual fans who want Nelson's late-'70s and '80s hits and songs that sound like them. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Willie Nelson is the man who, along with Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, virtually defines the term of "Outlaw" in country music. An outlaw, in the country music sense of the word, is a maverick determine to go his own way, and in doing so, helps redefine country music itself. VERY BEST OF compiles many of the best and most well known of Nelson's recordings for Columbia in the 1970s and '80s. His craggy yet sweet, world-weary vocals have made hits (and standards) of "On The Road Again" and "Whiskey River," while his covers of "Georgia On My Mind" and "All Of Me" introduced contemporary listeners to the glory days of America's Tin Pan Alley.
Nelson's style of country has always had more to do with the dusty, earthy sounds of Texas as opposed to the polish of Nashville. He's also always had a willingness to sing duets with singers, like Julio Iglesias, Tracy Nelson (no relation) and Leon Russell, not usually related to the country genre. This is not only THE VERY BEST of Willie Nelson--it's some of the best American music, period.