This boxed set is a repackaging (at a lower price) of an earlier boxed set. Although I have the original set (which opens like a hardback book, with the CD's inside the covers), the track listing and sequencing is identical. As far as the music is concerned, it clearly demonstrates that Willie could sing many different types of song. Nevertheless, most of them fall into two main categories - the country songs and the classic oldies from the Great American Songbook.
The songs from the Great American Songbook were originally released on his albums Stardust, Somewhere over the rainbow, Without a song, What a wonderful world and an album he did with Leon Russell (One for the road) - five albums that Willie recorded which were devoted entirely to these songs. The songs chosen for this collection include Blue skies, Georgia on my mind, Summertime, Mona Lisa, Harbor lights, Without a song and Ole buttermilk sky. Most (if not all) of the original albums from which these tracks are taken are still available. There is also a double-CD, All the songs I've loved before, which is dominated by these songs, only including a few country songs.
On this collection, there are plenty of country songs, including Willie's covers of Blue eyes crying in the rain, If you've got the money I've got the time and City of New Orleans. The middle of the three CD's is devoted to his duets with many different singers. You could fill several CD's with Willie's duets without including any guest twice, but the ones chosen for this selection offer an excellent representation of this aspect of his career.
Some people say that a collection like this does not Willie Nelson justice, because so many of his albums were themed. My answer to that is that this provides a great sampling of his career. After playing this a few times, you can decide which aspect of his music you like best and explore that in greater depth.
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