Stardust

I'm a sucker for a good cover album and this is a very good cover album. I also love the story behind this. Record label was like, "You can't cover these songs! You're the king of outlaw country!" And then Willie is like, "Screw you, I'm Willie Nelson. Here's a bunch of covers. Deal." Album goes quintuple platinum. Moral of the story? Willie does what Willie wants.

Big music done charmingly small, which suits Nelson's down-to-earth vocals. It's just as easy to not hear the delicate strings, bells, harmonica and various other percussion. Not because they're not strong or good enough, but because like most natural things you take them for granted first before becoming fully conscious of their beauty and complexity.

I'm coming back from a night of drinking, I'm completely hungover. There was no better time to listen to a Willie Nelson album! I mean, I feel like I'm in heaven, shit, I threw up during September Song, it was just beautiful!

didnt care for his take version of most of these songs. probably not terrible to fall asleep to.

Ron Swansons favourite artist, automatic 5 stars. Seriously though, couple songs in and really liking the vibe. Could imagine listening to this on a long late night drive and just chilling. How relaxing is this album man. Not too long either, a nice in and out experience. I can really see myself listening again to fit a calm mood.

Outlaw Country and American Pop Standards would seem to be opposite ends of the musical universe. An unlikely musical wormhole, STARDUST masterfully unites these genres resulting in a truly beautiful and transformative album. I have heard all of the songs on this album before. But my experience of them has largely been as musical artifacts. I don’t think I ever felt particular connection to most of them nor would I have sought them out. Yet on STARDUST these songs resonated with me in an emotional way that they never have before. The album opens plaintively with a quiet guitar and Willie’s voice on “Stardust”. A quiet organ and drum instantly made me stop what I was doing and just sit back and enjoy. This is my favorite version of this song. The one song that I did feel previously emotionally connected to was “Georgia On My Mind.” Ray Charles’ version is perfect, definitive and always gives me chills. It’s one of those songs that I would have thought no one else should record. Willie’s incredible vocals over a beautifully subtle arrangement proves that wrong. The country harmonica solo feels like it should always have been there and the finale provides an exciting, perfect conclusion. When was the last time I ever considered “Moonlight In Vermont?” Yet this version is so beautiful that now I cannot get it off my mind. It could be that only an outlaw would have the audacity to record such an album at the height of his career. Willie has created a truly unique American classic. STARDUST is one of the most pleasurable albums I have ever experienced.

lame covers

Very chilled and covers of old songs. Perfect for a rainy or snowy evening.

Willie Nelson is great and I've never appreciated him enough

Love this. Perfect Album, sitting in the yard in the summer evening, sunset music. Blue Skies <3

Ça fait plaisir de voir Willy Denzey un peu lâcher le Rnb pour sortir des albums de reprises pop country comme ça.

I know he’s a legend, but I’m not a fan of his voice

Georgia on my Mind and Unchained Melody are especially good!

great! and I usually don't listen to country

All the great ‘ol standards from the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. A country singer doing all these great jazz & pop covers is so impressive and he put his special spin on each song. Gotta love this man. There is no other voice like Willie.

When Willie covers a song, he makes it his. Best track: Moonlight in Vermont

I said on my last review how I wasn’t a huge fan of WN and was I happy to get through that album, clicked submit, and then immediately got another boring Willie Nelson album.

It's Willie Nelson singing standards. That's it. Maybe you had to be there at the time.

I'm not old enough/gainfully employed managing a wine bar enough to appreciate albums of American standards. Nice voice Willie, save it for your own material. Having lived in Atlanta, the last thing I want on my mind is Georgia (tied with a brain tumor)

Soothing.

Lovely chill album. Wilma the dog sat, listened intently, and swayed with Willie. This will bring more Willie into our lives.

wow im surprised wasnt expecting it to be so beautiful pleasant melodies and harmonies nice chill solos nice length

Really liked this album, such a good representation of Willie Nelson. Didn't know he covered a bunch of the songs on it, which was cool to hear his rendition. Got me listening more to him and other country artists! Highlights: -Stardust -Georgia on my Mind -Blue Skies -Moonlight in Vermont

Loving the guitar aspect of Blue Skies and All of Me. Loved Stardust, the first song on the album. Strong start. His voice is slow yet so beautiful. This is my first time listening to the whole album, and I'm loving it.

As this plays on, I realize this is a cover album. Willie albums are so pleasing to the ears, and I like the cover choices here. Solid album that gets a 4 from me. Love me some Willie!

Just from the opener, I thought, "I'm going to need to own this album." Such a harken back to a yesteryear that never was, immediately nostalgic but unique. The remaining covers didn't change my mind. I never thought any version of "Unchained Melody" could rival the original, but here we are, equally painstakingly beautiful. There's a quality in Willie's voice that is aged, deliberate, and at ease, so every song he sings seems to impart a sense of learned wisdom. The arrangements here perfectly complement Willie's voice and create a timelessly classic and round sound. I can hear the analog here, despite me listening to this off of YouTube. I'll be picking this one up.

I don’t know why I’ve never properly listened to Willie Nelson before; he’s got good vibrations and good sounds. Quite good stripped down covers of some classics. I think I’ll cover his covers

Nelson's style matched Booker T. Jones' production perfectly and the result is a fairly simple album, but one that is beautiful from its cover until the last track. Can't really say I love all the songs, but Nelson personal choice of covers makes sense and made his vocal performances more passionate. "Georgia on My Mind" is the obvious classic here - creating another definitive version of a song that already had a definitive version with Ray Charles - but "Stardust" and "Moonlight in Vermont" are also worth noting.

Willie's voice is smooth and relaxing. Though not necessarily my kind of music, it is easy listening and straightforward. The standouts on this album for me are Blue Skies and Georgia on my mind.

Very mellow and relaxing. I liked The Red Headed Stranger better, though.

I've tried listening to this album twice, and even though the songs are quite nice and calm, performed sparsely with good vocals, it's too dull for an entire album. I lose focus and have a hard time seperating the tracks from one another.

I think I liked it?

cozy covers

This was fine

mellow versions of older pop standards. I enjoyed Willie's stylings but wasn't blown away (nor did I think I was intended to be).

Cover albums do very little for me unless there is something particularly interesting about either the voice or the arrangements. I was rather bored by this.

I'm honestly not sure of the significance of this album for it to be included in this list, all of the songs are covers of much older songs written mostly pre-1950, which I guess is why the album feels much older than 1978. I don't know much about Willie Nelson (although I have heard of him) so maybe he is the reason it's on this list more than the album itself? I do find that this kind of music can be quite a comfort to me though. There's something about the predictability of the chord progressions in these older songs that makes me feel safe, and it's nice to just have on in the background. It's nice enough but I don't think it's essential listening.

I've never really felt that I understood Willie Nelson or his appeal all that much. This album feels like background music to me. The parts I like the most ("Georgia On My Mind"; "On the Sunny Side of the Street") sound like riffs on artists I prefer (Sunny Side sounds like a Randy Newman composition, but with none of Neman's charisma). All in all, the album just feels a bit dull to me, although I'm sure there is something in it that I am just not connecting with.

Willie sings a few pop standards. His distinct vocals and guitar playing, created his take on some songs. Unfortunately, this isn't very original.

Songs only your grandmother (if she were from the Midwest) could like. I mean, seriously, why is this on the list? I genuinely think this is the most tedious album I’ve ever been forced to listen to. The fact it’s all covers makes it even less interesting. There are zero positive points to reflect on. Wow that was bad.

Willie goes all Sinatra n shit. Shit being the operative word.

Why is this even on here?

The tempo of the album is too slow for me. Not the greatest fan of country either even though i don't mind it. There's really nothing to grasp on in this album for me. The singer sounds great and that's about it. Every song (that i managed to listen to) were just plain boring with nothing special in them, which is just made worse that they're covers.

I really enjoyed this album. Of course, by enjoyed, I mean tolerated it. By tolerated I mean I'd rather be waxed from head to toe by an angry Glaswegian smack head, then dipped into a bath of lemon juice, all the while Clive Tyldesley screams Gael Clichy's name down my ear and the sound of the England football band limply plays the theme tune from The Great Escape, than ever listen to it again.

This is the second of Willie's albums that I've listened to fully, and it goes even fuller to cement my opinion that he is completely original and incredible. This album is fairly mellow (same as the last one I listened to) but less lamenting than Shotgun Willie. It's poetic and beautiful, the right amount of gruff and sense and beauty. I will definitely be coming back to this as soon as I can.

I sit here writing this, trying to gauge whether it's a strong 4 stars or worthy of the full 5/5. I'm going for the full five stars. Such an easy, relaxing, calm album. Classic covers from the Great American Songbook performed perfectly. Fits a rainy day or a snowy night. Fits a Sunday morning drive or a 5pm commute. Truly a great album. Nelson's almost conversational singing brings ease and familiarity. Doesn't try to outshine or impress, but settles into the song with warmth. The instrumentation, everything from the guitar to the orchestra, is really tasteful. A great country album, and rightly regarded as one of the best.

I love this album. I was familiar with most of his covers on it already but had just never listened to this album in its entirety. This turned into such a cohesive , simple, beautifully arranged work of pared down standards that it's just great music. Different vein, but similar to one of my other favorites, the When Harry Met Sally soundtrack. Very strong 5.

Great album. Mellow and laid back, but full of bangers and interesting songs.

Willie makes another left turn and makes an album of American Songbook Standards. Moving from a brilliant songwriter and performer to an impeccable and unique interpreter of song. Also, Trigger sounds amazing.

Awesome

Willie is one of the greats, in my opinion. Great singer songwriter. Melodies are lovely. Perfect for the time.

Willie is a national treasure. This album showcases him as the vocal talent he is, not just an outlaw country artist. Blue Skies and Georgia are particularly excellent. Re-listened on the last leg of a lengthy drive on a rainy night. Perfect.

Willie Nelson, other than George Jones, has the most expressive voice in all of country music and one of the most expressive in any genre. With what would seem like little effort at all, movies voice oozes soul. All of these classic songs get the Willie Nelson treatment and they become better for it.

I love this project for bringing me albums like this -- unlikely gems that I had no idea existed. Willie Nelson singing old Broadway and jazz standards? It works, and in fact, it's magical. Every one of these is a tall cool drink on a warm breezy day, gentle and soothing. If the old standard songs aren't your thing, this album probably won't convert you. But it's unique, and gorgeous.

Epic album

EDIT: not at any point did I realize this is a cover album. brother I don't know any of these songs *Stardust: so I've never actually heard Willie Nelson and about thirty seconds in I have to admit that I was not familiar with his game. dude has a beautiful voice. this song is stunning *Georgia On My Mind: the actual sound of this album is insane, it's so warm and so lush even though the arrangements are relatively sparse. it feels like he's not even trying, just effortless *Blue Skies: can't believe this album is nearly fifty years old, it holds up amazingly well. if some indie country artist dropped this record today I wouldn't blink twice. cute song *All Of Me: love this one, charming lyrics and I dig the chord progression Unchained Melody: it's fine but it doesn't hook me immediately. sounds great though *September Song: those drums are cuntttt, so delicate but they hit crazy. the mix in general is insane, I love the tone of the piano a lot. the instrumentation feels fuller here even though it's a slower song On the Sunny Side of the Street: bass is thick. the rhythm switch-up in the chorus is sweet *Moonlight in Vermont: good song, but has the tough luck of being the third track on the album that sounds exactly like this Don't Get Around Much Anymore: it's fine *Someone To Watch Over Me: really like this one. not much to comment on that hasn't been said already, but his voice sounds especially nice here this album is like what Lou Reed thought he was doing on Transformer. it's effortless but still soulful, it has solid songwriting throughout, and it sounds absolutely incredible (probably the best *sounding* record so far). my only real criticism is that it's relatively one-note, but...it's a great note, so fair enough. I kept hoping to be surprised in some way and even though that never really happened, that's not the end of the world for an album that's this consistent straight through. __ SCORE: 8.5/10 ADDED TO PLAYLIST: Stardust, Georgia On My Mind, Blue Skies, All Of Me, September Song, Moonlight in Vermont, Someone To Watch Over Me

Lovely voice - so soothing

Willie Nelson - Stardust (1978) A soft and profound voice that makes me drift into a relaxing mood. The sound of the harmonica feels very familiar to my ears. I get a nostalgic feeling every time I hear country music. Maybe I was a cowboy in another life. This is easy listening, so I enjoy it every time I choose to dive into a country mood. Willie Nelson is undoubtedly a master of the genre. My picks: "Georgia on My Mind," track number 2, although not an original song by Willie, is a beautiful version with a very soulful and heartfelt interpretation. It is not as famous as Ray Charles's rendition from the 1960s, but it stands out in its own way. Track number 8, "Moonlight in Vermont," is a classic song from the 1940s, and Willie Nelson’s rendition brought the classic to new audiences within the country genre. The harmonica is so cool.

Willie Nelson's voice is one of my favorites, I hang on each of his words, especially the ending of Blue Skies... so good. His guitar playing is kinda like David Gilmour in that less is more and that it's just as much about the space between the notes as it is what he's playing. I think each of these covers are made distinctly his and I would recommend this to any friends who may still feel that an album of cover songs shouldn't be a 5/5. Strong 5/5

Don’t realise how much I actually like Willie until every time I hear him. His bare presentation with these songs in my mind shouldn’t work but it’s shear brilliance, it’s deceptively basic but it’s hardcore. 5 Star

Classics by a classic !

beautiful songs, love it

Classic easy listening

Delightful and relaxing album.

This is such a lovely and sweet album! It’s a collection of covers I was vaguely familiar with, but all of them are so gentle and soft. It kind of reminded me of a grandparent in a way? Like a nice little old man who sat you down in his house and is showing you pictures of him and his wife traveling in their youth. I’m going to have to revisit this one again here soon.

A covers collection that Willie makes his own.

so perfect so charming so quaint

Caught me at a perfect time - work stress is nothing against Willie

Tykkäsin tästä! Sopi erinomaisesti aamuun - ihanan rauhallinen tunnelma.

I hate that I've never listened to this album. The lyrics are poignant, his voice is beautiful, the backing instruments are soulful or jazzy or smooth depending on the song. Love, love, love.

This one was a winner. Front to back heartfelt country takes on jazz standards from ol willie. Tess mentioned how his voice makes anything feel nostalgic, and I will echo that sentiment. Will be relistening and buying the vinyl if I see it around.

an album of jazz standards from a country artist?? no idea this could exist. It was a lovely collection. I enjoyed the addition of harmonic throughout the album. The whole thing is very nostalgic to me.

The most perfect country and western album

тепло, уютно, спокойно, красиво. идеально подошло осенним пасмурным пейзажам за окном электрички

Willie ran into Booker T. Jones on the beach in Malibu one day and the rest is, literally, history. The link between Tin Pan Alley and the rest of American music has rarely come through this clear - I hate to be the guy who tells you to focus on the notes that *aren't* there but, you know, *do that*. And I love the Eagles as much as the next guy but this album represents the real Road Not Taken for El Lay country - respectful, serene, centered, edibles rather than powder. "Blue Skies" sounds like a prayer. They all do, actually.

I said I would give this five stars and I'm sticking to it. BUT...this is kind of awful. In a great way? I imagine that while he was high with his buddies, someone suggested kind of jokingly that he should go into the studio and record his take on a bunch of sometimes-forgettable standards, and he was like..."why not?" And so this totally harmless album was recorded and yes, it's totally fine. And terrible. And great. I don't know why this needs to exist. Anyway, it was just what I needed at just the right time. Willie is a good guy.

Best album so far!!!!

So pretty.

Reminds me of my childhood

This was amazing! I love how Willie sounds like he’s having so much fun. I’ll be listening to this one again

Great!

Absolutely beautiful-best cover album ever.

Amazing record. Let's get an outlaw country Texan weed smoking lifer to cover classic urbane and cosmopolitan American songbook standards. The arrangements are gorgeous, Willie is a brilliant interpreter of these songs, and it's beautiful. Reminds me in a way of Ray Charles' R&B soul covers of country songs. These kinds of crossovers make me miss America, or at least, the one that these great records exemplify.

Liked it.

Oh, so Willie Nelson is the good parts of country distilled down to it's barest essence. More of this please.

Already know and love this album. Have it on LP. So fabulous.

I was caught of guard by how beautiful this was. It is cozy and sweet. Each song choice is great and this versions all feel unique and comfortable at the same time

Fire on ice

I have heard songs off the album especially Georgia on my mind, but I have never listened start to back. I didn’t realize these were all covers. Super cool. Great covers.

Great album! His voice supports these standards as well as anybody ever.

Willie's voice works perfectly with this set of old standards. Such a mellow album, with a short runtime, a consistent vibe, and a cover which captures that vibe exactly. 4.5/5.0: Excellent

Really amazing album, I always forget how many good tracks Willie Nelson Nelson has. A beautiful voice, I forget that he sings a lot of the classic standards, every song is fantastic. Five out of five.

Lovely and relaxing even if you dont like folk/country I believe you can enjoy this one. Awesome covers, no skips. loved it

Yes, absolutely. Play this shit at my funeral.

Day581 - how much courage did it take to make an album of standards at the peak of your career? willie is an icon and these songs will be with us forever

a nice album with Willie's interpretations of classic songs

Tenía muchas ganas de escuchar un disco entero de Willie Nelson. Por Dios, qué clase y qué calidad.

I think Ill give it a five just because it has a feel to it. Very easy to listen to and really probably is only country for the fact Willie is singing. Also feels like album that belongs in a collection.

This was a superb cover album. It is not any easy thing to do a cover album this well but Willie killed it. Normally I’m kinda lukewarm about Willie but this was really, really well done. Would very much like to listen to this again on a cool fall day out on the front porch.

I should listen to Willie Nelson more. Perfect slow rainy Friday music while sitting in a hotel room getting ready for a wedding.