Everyone should be familiar with Willie Nelson, even if they are not a Country music fan.  There has been no way to escape Willie Nelson’s presence in Pop culture over the last 50 years.  With over 150 albums, 30 movies, a lifetime of charitable giving and countless mentions in the news, Willie Nelson has proved his importance in modern Pop culture.

Willie Nelson was born in Abbott, Texas in 1933, right as The Depression was setting in. His parents separated and his mother moved away.  His dad remarried and he moved away.  Willie Nelson and his sister Bobbie were left alone.  They ended up being raised by their grandparents.  It was his grandfather that gave him his first guitar.  Willie joined his first band when he was 10 years old.

Willie Nelson took odd jobs and moved around often trying to find his place in life.  All the while, he worked as a disc jockey on local radio, wrote songs and played in local bars.  He eventually moved to Nashville and after a year there, RCA offered him a recording contract.  Willie Nelson stayed with RCA Nashville for 10 years and released a lot of albums throughout the 1960s, but none were top sellers.  During this period in his life, he probably made more money from song writing than he did as a recording artist.

After recording a couple of albums for Atlantic Records in the early 70s, Willie Nelson signed a recording contract with Columbia.  By this time, Willie Nelson had become what was termed an “outlaw” because he rejected the large corporate oversite of RCA and the Country music industry in general.

While at Columbia, Willie Nelson was given creative control over his music, and he recorded albums the way he wanted to.  It was at this same time that he started recording with Waylon Jennings and later Merle Haggard.  From this point on, Willie Nelson’s albums topped the charts, and many crossed over to the Pop charts as well.  Willie Nelson continues to release albums and tour when his health allows it.

This CD reissue of his 1979 Columbia Christmas album comes to us from SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT.  The CD contains all the songs from the original album, and all are in their original order.  There are 12 songs included and all but two are secular Christmas songs, and all songs should be familiar Christmas songs.  This is Willie Nelson’s first Christmas album, and he would go on to release 2 more; one in 1994 and one recorded with his sister Bobbie in 1997.

The cover artwork of the CD replicates the original album cover exactly.  It is made to look like a Christmas gift wrapped in silver paper with a large blue ribbon that was sent in the mail.  All the brown packaging paper has been removed except a small portion at the top right corner.  It is here that a picture of a smiling Willie Nelson appears as a postage stamp.  Beside it is a cancellation mark that reads “Austin, Texas 78767 25 Dec 1979”.  On the left side of the Christmas gift is the album title in a white square meant to resemble a “to / from” gift tag. 

The back of the CD resembles the back of the album closely.  The artwork on the back of the CD uses about 2/3rds of the artwork from the back of the album.  It is made to look like the backside of the wrapped gift.  The space where the brown packaging paper remains features a numerical track listing with time signatures.  The original album didn’t feature time signatures, but it did have producer and recording credits that don’t make an appearance on the back of the CD.

The CD cover comes out and opens along a single fold-out.  And inside is found…nothing.  Blank white on both pages, void of any useful information.  Bummer.  This seems to be a common feature, I mean, non-feature, of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT reissues of older albums.  The back of the CD cover is an exact copy of the back of the CD, so no new information here either.  This also seems to be common to SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT re-releases.

Even though the artwork is basically the same, I believe the colors are a little off.  The blue ribbon on the front and rear covers of the CD is a slightly different shade of blue than found on the album, and the designs on the wrapping paper are silver on the CD and appear to be embossed on the original album cover.  (This could be just the lighting of the photographs online compared to the one I’m holding in my hand).

I did notice that on the CBS Records editions that were released in other countries, the track listing differs than from the Columbia Records editions released in the United States.

This is a quiet Christmas album.  The arrangements are primarily acoustic with a small group of two guitarists, a bass player, drummer, harmonica player and keyboards played by Booker T. Jones.  (I thought that organ sounded familiar).  Booker T. Jones was also the producer of the album.

The CD begins with Willie Nelson’s signature Christmas song, Pretty Paper, originally written in 1963 but recorded and released by Roy Orbison.  Willie Nelson did release his version as a single in 1964, but Roy Orbison is the artist most associated with the song.  The version on this CD is a newer one recorded in 1979 for this Christmas album.  An acoustic guitar carries most of the melody and after the first verse, the piano and harmonica join in for the rest of the song.

The 2nd song, White Christmas, opens with Booker T. Jones on the organ.  Right after the vocals start, the organ drops out and as Willie Nelson begins singing, he is accompanied by a faint acoustic guitar and bass.  The organ soon returns. This song is one of the softest versions of White Christmas I have ever heard.  A wonderful acoustic and electric guitar duet takes the middle instrumental part.

Winter Wonderland begins with wood blocks accompanied by a light organ.  As the song progresses, the other instruments slowly join in.  Willie Nelson’s vocals are soft and deliberate.

Rudolph The Red- Nosed Reindeer begins with the Hammond B3 organ that Booker T. Jones used so effectively in his own group Booker T. & The MG’s in the 1960s.  The Hammond B3 takes most of the melody while an acoustic guitar takes the middle instrumental part.  To hear Willie Nelson sing this, it doesn’t sound like a Christmas novelty song as it does when almost everyone else performs it.

The 5^th song, Jingle Bells, begins with an acoustic guitar, which in itself, is unusual, and unlike most other versions, there are no sleigh bells to announce the song.  It does feature a gliding arrangement, and the dual guitars play so well together; at times they sound like they are bells.

The 6^th song, Here Comes Santa Claus, begins softly with acoustic and electric guitars.  As Willie’s vocals begin, the Hammond B3 makes its presence known with a 1960s sounding lounge arrangement.  For the finish, the dual guitars join in harmony.

Blue Christmas is the 7^th song, and believe it or not, it is one of the more upbeat songs on the album.  That’s hard to imagine because usually the song is delivered in a solemn, sad arrangement.  Here the mood is festive with piano and dual guitars accompanied by the Hammond B3 and a harmonica.  Willie Nelson’s vocals are straight forward, and the sadness in most versions has been replaced with a sense of acceptance.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town features the Hammond B3 during the first verse.  For the chorus, the twin guitars join in and provide the middle instrumental part.  Willie Nelson returns with the vocals as all the band members stick around to provide a unique arrangement for this Christmas classic.

The 9^th song, Frosty The Snowman, should sound familiar to anyone who listens to the radio during the Holiday season.  It is a fun, festive Christmas song that relies on the Hammond B3 to carry the rhythm.  Here again, Willie Nelson delivers the vocals effectively.  As in most of the songs on the CD, the acoustic guitar plays well during the instrumental part.

The 10^th song, Silent Night, one of only two traditional Christmas hymns, needs to be heard to be truly appreciated.  Booker T. Jones and his Hammond B3 start the song strongly before quietly dropping off.  As the organ drops to a whisper, Willie Nelson begins his vocals.  Willie Nelson’s pace of the lyrics must be the slowest arrangement I am aware of.  Very solemn, very soft, very convincing.  It’s just Willie and Booker T. until the middle instrumental part and then the acoustic guitar carries the melody.  A harmonica is slightly heard, and everyone softly fades out.  This is a remarkable version of this most recorded Christmas Classic.

The pace picks up but just slightly for O Little Town Of Bethlehem, the 11^th song.  Willie Nelson starts a cappella for the first few bars, then the bass is the first instrument heard, but barely.  Slowly and softly, the acoustic guitar and organ join in.  For the instrumental break, the acoustic guitar once again carries the melody.  This is a very short song, so at this point the guitar fades out and the song is over.

Not really, because the instant O Little Town Of Bethlehem ends, the last song on the CD, Christmas Blues, begins.  It’s almost like the two songs are meant to be one.  I believe this is an original Christmas song, but I can’t check it with the writers of the other songs I have titled Christmas Blues because there are no writer’s credits for this song on the CD.  The song is an instrumental, bluesy Christmas song.  The song begins with the whole band, but none of the instruments are overstepping their bounds.  The dual guitars are the primary instruments with the electric guitar taking center stage.  This song is a perfect example of how Willie Nelson would mix Country, Jazz and Blues into his song writing.

This is a Christmas CD I can highly recommend.  This CD contains some of the most soulful, solemn Christmas songs you can fit on one album.  There is not a bad song on here.  In fact, most of the songs, although they are familiar Christmas songs, their arrangements are all original.  The small group of musicians are all in sync and you can just tell that everyone understood the mood Willie Nelson was trying to construct.

All the songs feature acoustic guitar with the Hammond B3 taking a lot of the melody.  There are no large string orchestras or brass instruments to triumphantly declare it’s the Christmas season.  Rather Willie Nelson, et al, deliver the message just as convincingly, but with a softer approach.  You do not have to be a Country music fan to enjoy this CD.  And I don’t think anyone at your party will complain either.  These are terrific, acoustic arrangements of Christmas favorites and guaranteed to keep the spirit bright.

I give this CD :

****