Let's say it loud and clear: For the past few decades, Willie Nelson has been the most conspicuous
stoner
in popular music.
A reputation earned with exploits such as smoking
firecrackers
on the roof of the White House, when Jimmy Carter was president (an occurrence that Willie himself revealed in one of his biographical books).
His fame as a consumer of his is so widespread that, the last time he was arrested, the police officer responsible was ridiculed by his colleagues.
He even dared to compete with
hip-hop
's biggest
stoner
, Snoop Dogg, in a tour of Amsterdam's
coffee shops
, which ended with the rapper surrendering.
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Willie Nelson's Reserve
According to Willie, he has recently quit smoking at the insistence of his doctors (he is currently 89 years old).
But he continues to argue—with theological reasoning!—in favor of the full legalization of “weed” (indeed, in the more tolerant states, he is opening a chain of cannabis stores, Willlie's Reserve).
Contrary to the cliché, Nelson is a very active artist, both on tour and on records (in one year, he released seven albums).
Sure, he's slowed down of late but he's just salvaged a recording from 1984,
Willie Nelson live at the Budokan
(Sony Legacy), previously only available in Japan on—remember?—LaserDisc format.
Now released as a double CD with DVD, it's well worth a listen.
Willie's live shows abound but
At the Budokan
sounds different.
From the beginning, there is evidence that none of the musicians consumed
pot
.
Four years earlier, Paul McCartney had been caught smuggling at Narita, Tokyo's international airport, and spent nine days in jail in harsh conditions, under threat of seven years in prison for “drug trafficking”.
Nelson suggested that no one take the risk.
Far from the noisy enthusiasm with which his American and European fans receive him, Willie was met with the circumspection of the Japanese.
And I suppose that, at the suggestion of the local record company, he forgot to delve into his first songbook, when he was a dapper country vocalist, without a beard or ponytails, writing for Patsy Cline, Ray Price, Faron Young and other Nashville figures.
In return, we get three tracks from the LP dedicated to Kris Kristofferson's repertoire, four
standards
taken from the sublime
Stardust
, songs from the movie (
Honeysuckle Rose
) he starred in in 1980, echoes of his
outlaw days
and recent material from him.
Cover of 'Willie Nelson live at the Budokan'.Sony
With the absence of the usual fuel, that could have been a disaster (and it is true that some instrumental slips are noticeable).
But the Sony engineers were used to recording at the Nippon Budokan and they achieved an unexpectedly warm sound from an atypical line-up, where both the harmonica and the piano regularly take center stage.
Willie's voice and his equally cascading Trigger guitar are always at the center.
Another plus point for
At the Budokan
: it doesn't include their biggest pop hit, also recorded in 1984,
To All the Girls I've Loved Before
, sultry
playboy
swagger , destined for Julio Iglesias' big-time release LP in America .
The record company, CBS, pleaded with Willie that his people would avoid joints during the star's visit.
And Nelson ordered the team to abstain from him.
It was fulfilled... at least until the Texans discovered that this Yulio was not prejudiced against drugs.
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