One Hell of A Ride -- New Willie Nelson Box Set

After over 40 years in the business, a variety of labels and tons of bootlegs, Sony Legacy's new Willie Nelson box set, "One Hell of A Ride" covers it all with 100 songs spread over four cds. The album was released yesterday, April 1, no foolin'.

From the very first recording he ever made at KBOP, Pleasanton TX in 1954 through the Nashville frustration of RCA, to Atlantic and the glory years of Columbia Records. Recent forays into reggae, blues and his recent Cindy Walker tribute; it's all here.

There is also a great set of liner notes written by respected Willie biographer Joe Nick Patowski. While the album only contains one unreleased song, it's a new version of that first recording from KBOP, the prescient "When I've Sung My Last Hillbilly Song." I find it poignant, you should too:


Broke the heart of my darling who loved me
Broke her heart and I know I've done wrong
But I hope that someday she'll forgive me and remember
When I've sung my last hillbilly song

When I've sung my last hillbilly song
I hope that someday she'll forgive me and remember

When I've played my last hillbilly bar
I hope that someday she'll forgive me and remember

When I've sung my last Hank Williams song
I hope that someday she'll forgive me and remember

When I've sung my last hillbilly song
I hope that someday she'll forgive me and remember

-- Willie Nelson

There is a great radio special on its way to the stations. Part 1, is Willie's own perspective on his career and songwriting. Part 2 is "Willie Nelson's True Outlaw Stories," as told by him and longtime collaborators Sister Bobbie Nelson, Paul English, Mickey Raphael, Poodie Locke, Jody Payne and friends Nels Cline of Wilco and Ray Wylie Hubbard. If you want to know about Willie and how he got to be the Godfather of Outlaw Country (and a few other sects), you've got to check it out!