Workin' Man: Willie Sings Merle

Description

Workin' Man: Willie Sings Merle is Willie Nelson's 78th solo studio album and 155th album overall. It features Willie's new interpretations of classic songs written by Merle Haggard, the latest in Nelson's long history of dedicating entire albums to the work of a single songwriter or artist. Nelson and Haggard were longtime friends and collaborators who released three albums together: Pancho and Lefty in 1983, Last Of The Breed in 2007 (with Ray Price), and Django and Jimmie in 2015. Eleven of Willie's favorite compositions were selected for the album. Nelson's new interpretations include songs from various periods of the legend's career, from tracks on his first No. 1 country album, Swinging Doors, released in 1966 ("Swinging Doors," "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down") and career-defining hits in the late 60s ("Mama Tried," "Okie From Muskogee") to 70s classics (the heartbreaking Christmas tune "If We Make It Through December," the Southern rock-tinged track "Ramblin' Fever") and Merle's No. 1 honky-tonk classic from 1980 "I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink." Produced by the artist with longtime collaborator Mickey Raphael, the album was recorded at Nelson's Pedernales Studios in Austin and features the last recordings he made alongside longtime Family band members "Sister Bobbie" Nelson and Paul English. Present in Nelson's personal and professional life longer than anyone else, Sister Bobbie on piano and English on drums are joined by Raphael on harmonica, Kevin Smith on bass, and Billy English, Paul's brother, on drums and percussion.