I was blown away by Willie Nelson's gospel album The Troublemaker. I knew Willie liked to venture a bit into the unknown music-wise (as did Johnny Cash), but the end result of his foray into gospel left me near-on awestruck. After listening to The Troublemaker, I decided that someday I would have a crack at one his most regarded recordings - Stardust from 1978. Well, that time has come. And I'm not surprised as to how good it is - in fact, the best word I can think of to describe it is simply beautiful. More jazz/pop in style instead of Nelson's usual country forte, there's some poignant, dulcet numbers, a couple of upbeat, countryesque offerings, and a couple of great versions of older popular songs to boot. His version of "Unchained Melody" is fantastic, his rendition of "Blue Skies" well done to say the least. The opening title track, "Stardust", is a masterpiece, complemented by the poignant closing song "Someone to Watch Over Me." I'm not a patient listener of music - songs with faster tempos tend to hold my attention better - but this album has me all ears, even as it takes its time. Make no mistake, this album is a masterpiece, and if you don't like what I'm saying - you, me, caretaker's shed, three o'clock Friday. Damn it, I'm gonna have to get this album! Absolutely epic. A
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