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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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

lame covers

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)

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.

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

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

This album’s brilliance lies on three levels. First is the utterly silky smooth production of Booker T, who arranges these songs beautifully and with incredible attention to detail. The second is Willie Nelson’s voice, which while not the strongest all the time, just has enough sickly sweet qualities to make these songs his own. The third is highlighting just how impressive the songs of the Great American Song Book are. Together, Nelson and Booker T do a phenomenal job emphasising how incredible this songwriting is.

I’m in love with this album. I appreciated red headed stranger, but this album really welcomed me in. There’s something so inviting about the quiet, toned down covers that Willie does here and it feels effortless and almost ethereal sometimes. I wish the snow hadn’t melted a few days ago cause this song is perfect for cuddling while looking out at the snowy city.

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

Georgia on my Mind and Unchained Melody are especially good!

great! and I usually don't listen to country

One of the easiest records to listen to.

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

Unchained melody is the song I know and probably my favourite. A good easy listening vibe; plus I love Willie Nelson’s voice

This album gives a country and rock blend with a side of coffee house music. Literally a lullaby

Was not expecting to love this as much as I did. I knew Willie Nelson as the country music star, but his voice fits these standards SO well.

Pleasant listen!

A magical feeling!

I'm shocked how much I enjoyed his covers of the songs on this album!

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this album at all. This is a fantastic album. Absolutely loved it.

Soothing.

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

This is beautiful. Like a hug from a wise old relative it wraps you up in its warmth and gentleness and makes you feel better. Willie knows his voice isnt Ray Charles but is confident to let it be, the playing is clear and sweet and matches the vocal and the song choices are all classics. Sure an album of covers isnt going to get 5 stars but you cant help to be nourished by this

Just lovely and quiet and perfect for a Sunday morning. I love the artwork for this album, especially where you can see the tooth of the paper.

yee

What a shocker! I didn't think I would care for this album at all, but it was really good. I listened to the whole thing and enjoyed it all.

It's a classic for a reason.

Soothing

I love it

Oh yes, just the mood for a lazy sunday

Beautiful album, a lot better than I expected.

A classic

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.

Fav song: unchained melody

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.

Amazing!!! Had no idea they were all covers but Willie definitely made them all his own with the help of Booker T. Jones. Has just the right amount of restraint and color where it needs it.

Loved this one. Was not expecting to like it! Never listened to Willie Nelson before. Felt soothing to the brain. Great Sunday morning album

Courtney: really nice covers. Good work music Craig: lovely!

Willie doing country jazz versions of standards with his lilting vibrato and trigger whining out some lovely gypsy jazz?!? I mean come on, so good, what a brilliant move from Willie

Pretty great cover album from Willie Nelson

Lots of low key bangers on this one. Light up a doobie and chill to this

So pleasant

One song in and I can tell this is going ti be a five star. I suspected as much because I love Willie but oh my god. Five stars, a thousand stars this is going to be my new go to album

Beautiful.

Sweet sweet tunes <3

Finally, an album I was already familiar with! I went through a brief phase last year where I mainlined “Stardust”, so it was nice to listen to the album in its entirety. Unsure if this is common knowledge but I was a diehard Michael Bublé fan as a teen (and still have quite a fondness for him to this day!) so that was my baseline for a lot of these songs. I think this is such a beautiful album, excellently curated. Willie Nelson just so perfectly encapsulates the yearning and longing that often comes with being in love (requited or otherwise). “Georgia on my mind” is a forever fave and he knocks it out of the park. This album well and truly had me in my feels and that’s how you know it’s a goodie.

Initially apprehensive but I totally get the hype now. I am now a Willie Nelson fan Georgia on my mind, blue skies, September song, don’t get around much anymore are all phenomenal The best album I’ve heard so far. Love his playfulness, story telling ability and the depth/vibrato of his voice.

i aint never heard willie nelson before, tho i have heard of the man willie nelson before, and i wish I had heard this wonderful music sooner. probably 4.5/5 if im being honest to myself, tho i find it hard to give it the bump to 5 i must.

Honestly the first song made me stop everything and just listen. I haven’t been pulled into music like that in a long time!

Another album I have not listened to in a long time. Boy, have I missed out. Nothing sounds smoother, sweeter, or more real.

so beautiful what an honest man he lived a good life what great country blues, i really hate melancholic albums but you know what he gets a pass

10/10 all of me 12/24/25

Produced by Booker T, Willie Nelson’s American songbook covers stand with the greats.

I normally don’t listen to country artists at all but I actually really liked his voice. Very nice covers!

Love this album! My parents had this on heavy rotation when I was a teenager. One of my favorites and not a bad song in the lot.

A fantastic album blending delicate jazz and country in an immensely enjoyable way. Excellent blend of slow songs and enough soft energy to make this album very well rounded. Great performances as well

Que album tan precioso, me lo iba a saltar y me alegro un monton de haberle dado una chance. Es una especie de soft jazz meets country, muy relajante al escuchar la combinación de la voz de Willie con el instrumental tan hermoso. La portada me gusta mucho también, si o si voy a volver a este. Favs: Stardust, Georgia On My Mind, All of Me, Moonlight in Vermont

My all time favorite Willie Album. I love the jazz elements in his music. I think this is his best song writing.

Outstanding. Top 10 country album of all time for sure - and it's not even country.

Great covers album

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.