Day 0346 - Red Headed Stranger

Willie Nelson "Red Headed Stranger" (1975)

Willie had done fairly well writing songs for other country artists, but it was with Red Headed Stranger that he decisively made his own mark.

Many popular country albums of the day were laden with strings and vocal harmonies, but Willie went for a more stripped-down sound. His slightly gravelly, fragile, yet clear voice suited the simpler arrangements. His record company were less sure though, and they were also unsure about his idea of making the lyrics a sort of a concept album about a lovesick murderer's journey.

I enjoyed this, it was a simple yet beautiful album.  A bit of a palate-cleanser after the prog double-header of Floyd and Queen!