Maps of Music

Band of Brothers (2014)

Where the lyrics of Band of Brothers take you, and where it was really made.

Band of Brothers became Nelson's first country chart-topper since 1986's The Promiseland, and its nine new songs marked his return to writing after sixteen years.

Key places

Main sessions in Nashville (2014)

Recording site Sound Emporium Studios — The main sessions for the album took place at Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville. The map point is at the building level. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Additional recordings in Texas (2014)

Recording site Pedernales Studio — The source says additional recordings were made at Pedernales Studio in Austin, Texas. The map point is set at city-center level. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Additional recordings in Miami (2014)

Recording site The Hit Factory Criteria — Additional recordings for the album were made at The Hit Factory Criteria in Miami. The map point is set at city-center level. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Studio in New Orleans (2014)

Recording site Mobile studio, 1305 Soniat Street — Esplanade Studios in New Orleans is listed among the studios used for the album. The map point is set at city-center level. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Band of Brothers: 63rd studio album by country singer-songwriter Willie Nelson
• Released June 17, 2014 by Legacy Recordings
• Nine of the fourteen tracks are new original songs
• Topped Billboard's Top Country Albums and reached number five on the Billboard 200
• Sold 37,000 copies in the US in its first week

Background

• Marks Nelson's return to writing after sixteen years
• Nine new songs is the most on one album of his since 1996's Spirit
• Covers include Vince Gill's Whenever You Come Around and Bill Anderson's The Songwriters
• Includes a duet with Jamey Johnson on Billy Joe Shaver's 2012 song The Git Go

Recording

• Produced by Buddy Cannon; recorded October 2013 to March 2014
• Main sessions at Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville
• Additional recordings at Pedernales Studio in Austin, Texas and The Hit Factory Criteria in Miami, Florida
• Also used Blackbird Recording Studios and The Doghouse in Nashville, and Esplanade Studios in New Orleans
• Carrtune Studios handled the mix by Butch Carr
• Nelson first recorded guitar samples of the tracks; Cannon then hired session musicians and arranged the tracks from those demos
• Nelson recorded his vocals later, and the tracks were dubbed

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com · it.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born Willie Hugh Nelson on April 29, 1933, in Abbott, Texas.
• Wrote his first song at age seven and joined his first band, Bohemian Polka, as a guitarist at age nine.
• Attended Baylor University for two years before dropping out to pursue music.
• Moved to Nashville in 1960 and joined Ray Price's band as a bassist.

Career

• Songs such as "Crazy" (Patsy Cline), "Funny How Time Slips Away" and "Pretty Paper" became hits for other artists.
• Debut album ...And Then I Wrote was released in 1962; joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1965.
• Helped lead the outlaw country movement after moving to Austin, Texas in 1972.
• Red Headed Stranger (1975) was a critically acclaimed concept album; the single "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" became his first number one hit.
• Co-founded Farm Aid in 1985 with Neil Young and John Mellencamp.
• Acted in over 30 films, including The Electric Horseman (1979).
• Received a Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance for "Ride Me Back Home" (2019).
• Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Metacritic Metascore of 79, based on fifteen critics: generally favorable reviews
• AllMusic (Thom Jurek): compared the production to Buddy Cannon's work with Nelson in the mid-1970s, and called him a classic country singer and songwriter first
• Rolling Stone (Will Hermes): 3.5 out of 5, praising the songwriting
• The New York Times (Jon Pareles): positive review, describing the record as a serene and feisty autumnal statement
• American Songwriter (Jonathan Bernstein): 3.5 out of 5, saying Nelson mostly proves he is still as sharp a vocalist as ever
• The Daily Telegraph (James Hall): 4 out of 5
• Country Weekly (Bob Paxman): graded A
• NPR (Ann Powers): favorable review, praising the musicians and Buddy Cannon for leaving room for Nelson
• The Observer (Neil Spencer): 3 out of 5
• The A.V. Club (Marah Eakin): graded C+
• Exclaim! (Blake Morneau): 6 out of 10

Records

• Billboard 200 debut at number 5; Top Country Albums number 1
• Best debut for Nelson in 28 years on the chart
• First country chart-topper for Nelson since 1986's The Promiseland
• Highest Billboard 200 position for Nelson since 1982's Always on My Mind
• 37,000 copies sold in the US in the first week; 65,000 by August 2014
• UK debut at number 52, selling 1,589 copies in the first week

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The recording was dedicated to Butch Carr, who died two weeks after the album was completed.
• Nelson's album had nine new songs out of fourteen, the most on one of his releases since 1996's Spirit.
• In the UK, the album debuted at number 52, selling 1,589 copies in its first week.
• The album's first-week sales in the US were 37,000 copies.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

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