The Willie Way

The Willie Way is the final album Willie Nelson released for RCA, and when it arrived the singer was already moving on to the next phase of his career, making records his way in Austin, Texas. Despite being released as its author was on the precipice of a major change, The Willie Way is in no way a rushed or half-hearted affair. On the contrary, it bids farewell to the Nashville scene with full-bodied feeling and elegance. Nelson’s version of Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night” is lush and triumphant, but still resounds with Willie’s gentle touch. While another artist at this juncture might leave his label with a whimper, these recordings instead feel like the culmination of Nelson’s career thus far. Between swift-moving shuffles like “A Moment Isn’t very Long” and “Undo the Right” and slow-burning ballads like “Wake Me When It’s Over” and “I’d Rather You Didn’t Love Me,” The Willie Way encapsulates everything its author had accomplished over his ten years as a Nashville recording artist.