Prolific would be one way to describe Willie Nelson for few artists exhibit such an incredibly vast back catalogue of music. I often wonder, with such output, if it’s possible to proclaim a single album as a definitive release that is not only exceptional in its own right but is telling of an artist’s greater body of work. Yes, Stardust saw Nelson deliver music in a somewhat different style than he was renowned for, by that stage in his career, but the cross-genre approach was done remarkably well and is, in my opinion, Nelson’s greatest musical achievement.
Released in 1978, Stardust was Nelson’s twenty-second studio album and was comprised of ten standards, encompassing music from folk, jazz, and pop genres, that made the album instantly marketable to audiences outside of his usual country music genre. Remarkably, Nelson’s vocal prowess showcased that he could be considered in the same light as Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, and Bing Crosby. However, when comparing Nelson’s recordings to the greats of yesteryear, an interesting dichotomy presents itself for Nelson arguably performs many of these songs to a superior standard than those who came before. If nothing else, he matches their brilliance and while it isn’t unheard of, it’s exceptionally rare that an album of music can be so perfect as to know no peer. Well, Stardust is one such album.
It wasn’t only the music, however, that was striking for the cover art is gorgeous and works incredibly well with the music itself. Painted by Susanna Clark, the Pleiades constellation has never looked better. While the (Hi-Res) Lossless Apple Music stream, an Apple Digital Master, is sonically exquisite, I’ve got to get myself a copy on vinyl one day for I simply want to hold and display the artwork on a larger canvas.
Stardust sets the tone for the album and the subtleness of the organ within the mix, with all other musical elements placed on top, is the epitome of good mixing for every musician is featured clearly within the mix while Nelson is front and centre. The adage that they don’t make music like this anymore certainly applies when listening to not only this song, but the entire album.
Georgia On My Mind is so incredibly good that there’s no doubt in my mind as to why Nelson won the Grammy in 1979 for the Best Male Country Vocal Performance of this classic song. That said, one can’t forget how incredible the entire band is on the song. Mickey Raphael’s harmonica is certainly a highlight. Yet, interestingly, I can’t help but wonder if other songs from Stardust were more worthy of a Grammy award. Of course, if I had my way, Nelson would have taken out a Grammy for the entire record.
Blue Skies is one of my favourite tunes and is one of the best from the album. I’d even go as far as suggesting that it’s one of the greatest songs Nelson ever recorded, in his entire career. Sit back, relax, and toe-tap to this master recording.
All Of Me has an old swing to it, and it should for the era from which it came, and while I’d suggest that as a song on its own, it isn’t that strong, I couldn’t imagine Stardust without it.
Unchained Melody is one of the greatest standards ever written and Nelson and the band have recorded one of the very best renditions I’ve ever heard. Magnificent!
September Song is nothing short of a musical masterpiece. Every aspect of the recording is utterly perfect; a statement that I’ve likely repeated for Stardust is a well-crafted piece of audible art.
On The Sunny Side Of The Street is the ultimate toe-tapping head-bopping tune.
Moonlight In Vermont showcases, as many of the songs do on Stardust just how magnificent Nelson is as a vocalist. While many fans will already acknowledge this fact, there’s something very special about his vocal performance on this album that I don’t feel necessarily works as well with his more traditional style. It’s as if he was always meant to record these songs.
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore is a fun little tune and while there are countless examples of incredible recordings, Nelson’s is one of the best. The mix and mastering are incredible and the soundstage is so spacious that you’d swear you were in the room with the band as the song was being recorded.
Someone To Watch Over Me is a beautiful song to close the album with. While additional releases throughout the years have extended the track listing to include bonus tracks, I’m incredibly grateful to Sony Music Entertainment for not adding those versions to Apple Music as I feel the original 10-track, 37-minute runtime, is perfect as it encourages me to play the album again.
Part of the strength of Stardust is that Nelson wasn’t merely recording an album of covers, done in the same style as the originators, for Stardust may remind you of the classic recordings but make no mistake about it, Nelson, the band, and Booker T. Jones (in the production chair) made these songs their own and in many cases, if not all, I’d go as far as saying these renditions are superior to the originals. Either way, Stardust is a masterful album and one that should be in every music lover’s collection.