Frogtoon Music

Phases And Stages (Album) by Willie Nelson

Artist Biography For Willie Nelson

Willie Hugh Nelson Born April 29 1933 Is An American Musician Actor And Activist. The Critical Success Of The Album Shotgun Willie 1973 Combined With The Critical And Commercial Success Of Red Headed Stranger 1975 And Stardust 1978 Made Nelson One Of The Most Recognized Artists In Country Music. He Was One Of The Main Figures Of Outlaw Country A Subgenre Of Country Music That Developed In The Late 1960s As A Reaction To The Conservative Restrictions Of The Nashville Sound. Nelson Has Acted In Over 30 Films Co-Authored Several Books And Has Been Involved In Activism For The Use Of Biofuels And The Legalization Of Marijuana. Born During The Great Depression And Raised By His Grandparents Nelson Wrote His First Song At Age Seven And Joined His First Band At Ten. During High School He Toured Locally With The Bohemian Polka As Their Lead Singer And Guitar Player. After Graduating From High School In 1950 He Joined The U.S. Air Force But Was Later Discharged Due To Back Problems. After His Return Nelson Attended Baylor University For Two Years But Dropped Out Because He Was Succeeding In Music. During This Time He Worked As A Disc Jockey In Texas Radio Stations And A Singer In Honky-Tonks. Nelson Moved To Vancouver Washington Where He Wrote "Family Bible" And Recorded The Song "Lumberjack" In 1956. He Also Worked As A Disc Jockey At Various Radio Stations In Vancouver And Nearby Portland Oregon. In 1958 He Moved To Houston Texas After Signing A Contract With D Records. He Sang At The Esquire Ballroom Weekly And He Worked As A Disk Jockey. During That Time He Wrote Songs That Would Become Country Standards Including "Funny How Time Slips Away" "Hello Walls" "Pretty Paper" And "Crazy". In 1960 He Moved To Nashville Tennessee And Later Signed A Publishing Contract With Pamper Music Which Allowed Him To Join Ray Price's Band As A Bassist. In 1962 He Recorded His First Album ...And Then I Wrote. Due To This Success Nelson Signed In 1964 With RCA Victor And Joined The Grand Ole Opry The Following Year. After Mid-Chart Hits In The Late 1960s And The Early 1970s Nelson Retired In 1972 And Moved To Austin Texas. The Ongoing Music Scene Of Austin Motivated Nelson To Return From Retirement Performing Frequently At The Armadillo World Headquarters. In 1973 After Signing With Atlantic Records Nelson Turned To Outlaw Country Including Albums Such As Shotgun Willie And Phases And Stages. In 1975 He Switched To Columbia Records Where He Recorded The Critically Acclaimed Album Red Headed Stranger. The Same Year He Recorded Another Outlaw Country Album Wanted! The Outlaws Along With Waylon Jennings Jessi Colter And Tompall Glaser. During The Mid-1980s While Creating Hit Albums Like Honeysuckle Rose And Recording Hit Songs Like "On The Road Again" "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" And "Pancho And Lefty" He Joined The Country Supergroup The Highwaymen Along With Fellow Singers Johnny Cash Waylon Jennings And Kris Kristofferson. In 1990 Nelson's Assets Were Seized By The Internal Revenue Service Which Claimed That He Owed $32 Million. The Difficulty Of Paying His Outstanding Debt Was Aggravated By Weak Investments He Had Made During The 1980s. In 1992 Nelson Released The IRS Tapes Who'll Buy My Memories? The Profits Of The Double Album—destined To The IRS—and The Auction Of Nelson's Assets Cleared His Debt. During The 1990s And 2000s Nelson Continued Touring Extensively And Released Albums Every Year. Reviews Ranged From Positive To Mixed. He Explored Genres Such As Reggae Blues Jazz And Folk. Nelson Made His First Movie Appearance In The 1979 Film The Electric Horseman Followed By Other Appearances In Movies And On Television. Nelson Is A Major Liberal Activist And The Co-Chair Of The Advisory Board Of The National Organization For The Reform Of Marijuana Laws NORML Which Is In Favor Of Marijuana Legalization. On The Environmental Front Nelson Owns The Bio-Diesel Brand Willie Nelson Biodiesel Which Is Made From Vegetable Oil. Nelson Is Also The Honorary Chairman Of The Advisory Board Of The Texas Music Project The Official Music Charity Of The State Of Texas. Nelson Uses A Variety Of Music Styles To Create His Own Distinctive Blend Of Country Music A Hybrid Of Jazz Pop Blues Rock And Folk. His "unique Sound" Which Uses A "relaxed Behind-The-Beat Singing Style And Gut-String Guitar" And His "nasal Voice And Jazzy Off-Center Phrasing" Has Been Responsible For His Wide Appeal And Has Made Him A "vital Icon In Country Music" Influencing The "new Country New Traditionalist And Alternative Country Movements Of The 1980s And 1990s". In 1969 The Baldwin Company Gave Nelson An Amplifier And Guitar With Their "Prismatone" Pickup. During A Show In Helotes Texas Nelson Left The Guitar On The Floor Of The Stage And It Was Later Stepped On By A Drunk Man. He Sent It To Be Repaired In Nashville By Shot Jackson Who Told Nelson That The Damage Was Too Great. Jackson Offered Him A Martin N-20 Classical Guitar And At Nelson's Request Moved The Pickup To The Martin. Nelson Purchased The Guitar Unseen For $750 And Named It After Roy Rogers' Horse "Trigger". The Next Year Nelson Rescued The Guitar From His Burning Ranch. Constant Strumming With A Guitar Pick Over The Decades Has Worn A Large Sweeping Hole Into The Guitar's Body Near The Sound Hole—the N-20 Has No Pick-Guard Since Classical Guitars Are Meant To Be Played Fingerstyle Instead Of With Picks. Its Soundboard Has Been Signed By Over A Hundred Of Nelson's Friends And Associates Ranging From Fellow Musicians To Lawyers And Football Coaches. The First Signature On The Guitar Was Leon Russell's Who Asked Nelson Initially To Sign His Guitar. When Nelson Was About To Sign It With A Marker Russell Requested Him To Scratch It Instead Explaining That The Guitar Would Be More Valuable In The Future. Interested In The Concept Nelson Requested Russell To Also Sign His Guitar. In 1991 During His Process With The IRS Nelson Was Worried That Trigger Could Be Auctioned Off Stating "When Trigger Goes I'll Quit". He Asked His Daughter Lana To Take The Guitar From The Studio Before Any IRS Agent Arrived There And Then Deliver It To Him In Maui. Nelson Then Concealed The Guitar In His Manager's House Until His Debt Was Paid Off In 1993. Nelson Is Widely Recognized As An American Icon. He Was Inducted Into The Country Music Hall Of Fame In 1993 And He Received The Kennedy Center Honors In 1998. In 2011 Nelson Was Inducted To The National Agricultural Hall Of Fame For His Labor In Farm Aid And Other Fund Raisers To Benefit Farmers. In 2015 Nelson Won The Gershwin Prize The Lifetime Award Of The Library Of Congress. In 2018 The Texas Institute Of Letters Inducted Him Among Its Members For His Songwriting. He Was Included By Rolling Stone On Its 100 Greatest Singers And 100 Greatest Guitarists Lists.

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Frogtoon Music Album Info: Phases And Stages

Phases And Stages Is A 1974 Album By Willie Nelson Which Followed The Moderate Success Of His First Atlantic Records Release Shotgun Willie. Nelson Met Producer Jerry Wexler At A Party Where Nelson Sang Songs From An Unreleased Album He Had Recorded In 1972. The Single "Phases And Stages" Was Originally Recorded The Same Year. Nelson Re-Recorded The Album At Muscle Shoals Sound Studios In Two Days And Wexler Produced It. The Album Narrates The Story Of A Divorce. Side One Tells The Woman's Story And Side Two The Man's. Released On March 1974 The Album Peaked At Number 34 On Billboard's Top Country Albums And The Single "Bloody Mary Morning" Reached Number 17 On Billboard's Country Singles. Despite The Chart Positions Attained By The Album And Its Singles Atlantic Records Closed Their Country Music Division In September 1974. In 1972 Nelson Signed A Recording Contract With The Country Music Division Of Atlantic Records And Jerry Wexler Who Gave Him Greater Creative Control Than His Previous Contract. Nelson Met Wexler At A Party In Harlan Howard's House Where He Sang The Songs He Wrote For An Album. Nelson Recorded His First Album For Atlantic Records Shotgun Willie In 1972. Shotgun Willie Produced By Arif Mardin And Wexler Marked A Change Of Style In Nelson's Music. Nelson Stated That Recording The Album Had "...Cleared His Throat". The Single "Phases And Stages" Was First Released In 1972. Nelson Had Previously Recorded The Album Phases And Stages In Nashville Tennessee. In 1973 Nelson Re-Recorded The Songs In Two Days At Muscle Shoals Sound Studio For Atlantic Records With Musicians David Hood Barry Beckett Jimmy Johnson Pete Carr And Roger Hawkins. Atlantic Records' Executives Criticized Wexler's Decision To Record In Muscle Shoals Instead Of Nashville Tennessee. Wexler Later Stated "They Said Muscle Shoals Was Too R&B For Willie. I Said Willie Was Too R&B For Nashville." True To Nelson's Pioneering Spirit The Album Is One Of The First Concept Albums In Country Music. The Album's Theme Is One Of Divorce Narrated From Both Partner's Viewpoint. That Of The Woman Is Narrated On Side One That Of The Man On Side Two. The Recurrent Song "Phases And Stages" Is Repeated Throughout The Album Introducing Several Other Songs. The Album Begins With "Phases And Stages/Washing The Dishes" With The Woman Tired Of Caring For Her Unfaithful Husband Emphasizing Her Domestic Chores. This Is Followed By "Phases And Stages/Walkin'" Where After Consideration She Leaves Her Husband At Night Saying "Walkin' Is Better Than Runnin' Away And Crawlin' Ain't No Good At All". In "Pretend I Never Happened" She Advises Him To Forget Her And Continue With His Life. In "Sister's Coming Home/Down At The Corner Beer Joint" Her Younger Sister Describes The Woman Moving Back Home And Sleeping Late. Eventually She Overcomes Her Grief And Begins A Social Life At The Corner Beer Joint Representing Her Liberation With The Lyrics " She's Dancin' On A Hardwood Floor Her Jeans Fit A Little Bit Tighter Than They Did Before". The Final Song Of Side One Depicts The Woman Falling In Love Again But Reluctant To Admit It Because She Fears That Her Story Will Be Repeated. The Second Side Of The Album Begins With "Bloody Mary Morning" With The Male Narrator Ordering Drinks On A Flight From Los Angeles California To Houston Texas After His Wife Unexpectedly Left Him With "the Smog And Haze Reminding Me Of How I Feel". In "Phases And Stages/No Love Around" He Recalls Dragging In At Sunrise After Another Night Of Carousing "I Come Home Last Saturday Morning I Come Home And Found You Gone." In The Sad "I Still Can't Believe You're Gone" The Man Realizes The Vast Impact On His Life Of Her Leaving. "It's Not Supposed To Be That Way" Reflects His Inability To Accept The Situation And His Grief But Still In A Self-Centered Way. In "Heaven And Hell" The Man Expresses His Ambivalence About Living Without His Wife With The Lyric "Sometimes It's Heaven Sometimes It's Hell And Sometimes I Don't Even Know." The Final Track Is "Phases And Stages/Pick Up The Tempo/Phases And Stages" In Which The Man Reveals His Inability To Change His Character And Accepts His Nature And Its Consequences. The Album Was Released In March 1974. It Peaked At Number 34 In Billboard's Top Country Albums And Number 187 In Billboard's Top LPs & Tapes. The Single "Bloody Mary Morning" Peaked At Number 17 And Its Follow-Up "I Still Can't Believe You're Gone" Peaked At Number 51 In Billboard's Country Singles. Despite The Moderate Success Of Nelson's Singles Atlantic Records' Executives Were Unhappy With Nelson's Style And Closed Their Country Music Division In September 1974. Wexler Protested To Ahmet And Nesuhi Ertegun Arguing That Atlantic Had Willie Nelson. The Ertegun Brothers Replied "Willie Who? Go Ahead And Close It." Following The Division's Closure Wexler Resigned. The Album Sold 400 000 Copies And Nelson Was Released From His Atlantic Contract Prompting Columbia Records' Executives To Offer Nelson A Contract Giving Him Complete Creative Control Of His Works. Wexler Later Described Phases And Stages And Shotgun Willie As "...Generally Viewed As Having Set Willie On A New Path ... It Was The Coalescing Of His Audience Where The Rednecks And The Hippies Came Together. And To This Day That's Willie's Audience." Rolling Stone Wrote " Nelson Seems To Understand An Unloved Woman Better Than Any Dozen Articles From Ms. Magazine . The Fact That Nelson Can Fashion A Believable Scenario With Such Sparseness Is A Tribute To His Ability To Turn Experience Into Good Music. Phases And Stages His Best Work To Date Now Seems To Call Out For The Filmmaker Who Can Turn Good Music Into Good Cinema". Texas Monthly Described The Album As "...A Compassionate Account Of Dissolution Of Marriage Which Gave Extremely Sensitive Male And Female Viewpoints". Billboard Wrote "Nelson's Unfettered Voice Honestly Portrays His Songs Of Love And Lament". Critic Robert Christgau Wrote "Nelson's Combination Of Soft-Spoken Off-Key And Battered Honky-Tonk Matches The Bare Responsive Country Music Jerry Wexler Has Gotten Out Of The Muscle Shoals Regulars." Newsweek Wrote "In Phases And Stages Nelson Looked Far Beyond Country Music's Traditional Shore Of Self Pity Toward A Clear Vision Of Real Life Country Divorce". Review "If Shotgun Willie Played A Bit Like A Concept Album Phases And Stages Was A Full-Blown One Tracing The Dissolution Of A Marriage And Devoting One Side To The Wife's Perspective The Second To The Husband's. If Anything Willie Overplays His Hand A Bit Insisting On Grafting The "Phases And Stages" Theme Between Crucial Songs To The Point Of Genuine Irritation. But Pretend That Never Happened Erase It From Your Mind And Phases And Stages Is Easily The Equal Of Its Remarkable Predecessor A Wonderful Set Of Music That Resonates Deeply As Deeply As The Words. Make No Mistake -- The Deceptively Relaxed Arrangements Including The Occasional Strings Not Only Highlight Nelson's Clever Eclecticism But They Also Heighten The Emotional Impact Of The Album. And This Is A Hell Of An Emotional Record Where Even Each Side's Celebratory Honky Tonk Numbers The Medley "Sister's Coming Home/Down At The Corner Beer Joint" And "Pick Up The Tempo " Respectively Are Muted By Sadness. Then There Are The Centerpieces "Walkin' " Where The Woman Decides It's Time To Move On "Pretend I Never Happened " Perhaps The Coldest Ending To A Relationship Ever Written "Bloody Mary Morning " A Bleary-Eyed Morning-After Tale That Became A Standard "It's Not Supposed To Be That Way " A Nearly Unbearably Melancholy Account Of A Love Gone Wrong And "Heaven And Hell " A Waltz Summary Of The Relationship. Any Two Of These Would Have Formed A Strong Core For An Album But Placed Together In A Narrative Context Their Impact Is Even More Considerable. As A Result This Is Not Just One Of Willie Nelson's Best Records But One Of The Great Concept Albums Overall." - Stephen Thomas Erlewine Personal Willie Nelson – Acoustic Guitar Vocals
Fred Carter Jr. – Acoustic 12-String & Electric Guitars Dobro
Pete Carr – Acoustic & Electric Guitars Dobro Background Vocals On "Pick Up The Tempo"
John Hughey – Pedal Steel Guitar
Johnny Gimble – Fiddle Mandolin
Barry Beckett – Keyboards
David Hood – Bass
Roger Hawkins – Drums
Eric Weissberg – Banjo On "Down At The Corner Beer Joint"
Al Lester – Fiddle On "Bloody Mary Morning"
Jeannie Greene – Background Vocals On "Pick Up The Tempo"
George Soulé – Background Vocals On "Pick Up The Tempo"
Mike Lewis – String Arrangements On "I Still Can't Believe You're Gone" And "It's Not Supposed To Be That Way"
Jerry Wexler – Producer Allmusic

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