Willie Nelson - Willie and Family Live [Expanded] (CD)

All Music Guide

Recorded live at ~Harrah's in Lake Tahoe at the height of Willie madness in 1978, the double-CD remaster of Willie and Family Live makes an already long set even longer by the addition of two bonus tracks. Fortunately, those cuts added to the end of disc two are from the same show and include a soul-bearing alternate version of Rodney Corwell's "Til I Gain Control Again" and a tender and moving read of the Hoagy Carmichael classic "Georgia on My Mind." As for the rest, the newly warmed-up sound makes all the difference in the world. While the LP version was fantastic, this set's previous CD incarnation was shrill and lacked bottom. That's all remedied here, and what made that evening so exciting for the folks at ~Harrah's is plenty evident here: Nelson's band of family (sister Bobbie on piano) and friends -- including guest appearances by Johnny Paycheck and Emmylou Harris -- kicks ass. The material is classic Nelson, from his own songs such as "Good Hearted Woman" and "I Can Get Off o...n You," written with Waylon Jennings, to "Crazy" and "Funny How Time Slips Away," as well as a long suite from Red Headed Stranger. These of course are on disc one. Disc two is where the gig really heats up and the band stretches out and loosens up, playing largely segueing tunes ranging from Nelson standards and nuggets such as "Bloody Mary Morning" and "Hello Walls," a beautiful combination of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" and "Amazing Grace," before inviting Paycheck up for "Take This Job and Shove It." But Nelson goes right back to gospel on "Uncloudy Day" before he moves secular again. In a long suite that starts with "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" and continues through Leon Russell's "A Song for You," the original of "Georgia on My Mind," "I Gotta Get Drunk," and back to the show opener, "Whiskey River," Nelson Moebius-strips back to "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" one more time before the bonus versions kick in. In all, it's a solid, rollicking ride with one of the best bands in the business at the time and one of Nelson's more inspired performances. - Thom Jurek, All Music Guide Read more Less