Maps of Music

Songbird (2006)

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

Willie Nelson's 55th studio album is mostly cover songs, and the record was shaped as much by producer Ryan Adams and his band The Cardinals as by Nelson himself.

Key places

Recording at Loho Studios, New York (2006)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — Songbird was engineered by Tom Gloady and Jamie Candiloro at Loho Studios in New York. The point is placed at the city centre, not at the studio building itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Songbird: 55th studio album by Willie Nelson
• Released 31 October 2006 by Lost Highway Records
• Produced by Ryan Adams
• Adams and his band The Cardinals performed on all eleven tracks
• Only two brand new compositions: Nelson's Back to Earth and Adams's Blue Hotel

Background

• Most songs are covers, given new interpretations
• Rainy Day Blues, We Don't Run and Sad Songs and Waltzes are older Nelson originals, newly recorded here
• Nelson said he was tentative about recording songs that had already been recorded this well
• Adams credits the covers to himself, saying he felt confident with all the selections

Recording

• Engineered by Tom Gloady and Jamie Candiloro at Loho Studios, New York
• Mixed by Jamie Candiloro at Avatar Studios, New York
• Mastered by Fred Kevorkian at Kevorkian Mastering, New York
• Adams had everyone set up in one room around Nelson
• Only drummer Brad Pemberton wore headphones
• The band used worn-out amps so that Nelson's voice and guitar were the main sound heard
• The sessions were spread over a couple of different months
• Adams said Nelson usually arrived with the track already done and only sang over it

Cover

• Cover photography by Danny Clinch
• Art direction and design by Craig Allen

Sources: en.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

• Ryan Adams described his role as producer as setting limits on the sessions to keep the recording's integrity
• Adams said he wanted the band to play loudly through old amps so the room would listen hard to Nelson
• Adams said this approach made the band struggle to follow Nelson, and he described the result as a healthy struggle
• Nelson said the album would always be the Ryan Adams project as far as he was concerned

Records

• Peaked at number 87 on the Billboard 200 on 18 November 2006
• Eleven tracks in total
• Mostly covers, with three of Nelson's earlier originals re-recorded
• Release date 31 October 2006 on Lost Highway Records

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Only two of the eleven tracks are new compositions; the rest are covers or older Nelson songs.
• Nelson described the album as a Ryan Adams project, meaning Adams shaped the sound more than he did.
• Adams said Nelson usually came into the studio with the track already finished and only added his vocal on top.
• The closing track is Amazing Grace, arranged by Ryan Adams from a traditional source.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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