Maps of Music

To All the Girls... (2013)

Where the lyrics of To All the Girls... take you, and where it was really made.

The title song was a 1985 hit for Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias, yet this album pairs Nelson with female singers throughout.

Key places

RCA Studio A recording location (2013)

Recording site RCA Studio B — The article lists RCA Studio A as a place where this album was recorded. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Sound Emporium Recording Studios, Nashville (2013)

Recording site Sound Emporium Studios — Several tracks were recorded at Sound Emporium Recording Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, according to the release notes. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Additional recording in New York City (2013)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — Some additional recording was done at NY Noise in New York City; the point marks the city centre, not the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Additional recording in Chicago (2013)

Recording site Chicago Recording Company — Additional recording was done at Chicago Recording Company in Chicago; the point marks the city centre, not the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Additional recording in Brooklyn (2013)

Recording site Rough Customer — Additional recording was done at Brooklyn Recording in Brooklyn; the point marks the borough centre, not the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Additional recording at NRG Recording Studios (2013)

Recording site NRG Recording Studios (Hollywood) — Additional recording was done at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, California. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Additional recording in Austin (2013)

Recording site Mirrorball Studios — Additional recording was done at Arlyn Recording Studios in Austin, Texas; the point marks the city centre, not the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• To All the Girls...: 62nd studio album by country singer-songwriter Willie Nelson
• Released 15 October 2013 on Legacy Recordings
• A set of duets: Nelson sings with female singers, mostly from the country genre
• Title taken from 'To All the Girls I've Loved Before', a 1985 hit for Nelson and Julio Iglesias
• Discogs release notes cover 18 tracks

Background

• Guests include prominent country singers such as Dolly Parton, Miranda Lambert, Loretta Lynn, Carrie Underwood, Rosanne Cash and Wynonna Judd
• Americana and alternative country singers: The Secret Sisters, Brandi Carlile, Alison Krauss, Shelby Lynne, Emmylou Harris
• Singers mostly associated with other genres: Sheryl Crow, Mavis Staples, Norah Jones
• Daughters of country artists: Melonie Cannon (daughter of Buddy Cannon), Tina Rose (daughter of Leon Russell), and Nelson's own daughter Paula Nelson
• Lily Meola, a Nelson protégée
• First single 'From Here to the Moon and Back' with Dolly Parton, released 2 August 2013; Parton wrote it for the 2012 film Joyful Noise
• 'Grandma's Hands' with Mavis Staples followed on 6 August
• 'It Won't Be Long' with The Secret Sisters came out 24 September; 'Somewhere Between' with Loretta Lynn on 1 October

Recording

• Tracks were recorded at several studios in Nashville, Tennessee
• Additional recording took place in New York City, Brooklyn, Chicago, North Hollywood and Austin
• Mixed at Budro Music Repair Shop and Loud Recording, Nashville; mastered at Georgetown Masters

Cover

• Release housed in a foldout cardboard slipcase

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

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

• Seattle Post-Intelligencer called it a wonderful album made from great material, performed with style and grace
• The Telegraph gave four stars out of five and called the range of genres impressive
• The Telegraph said Nelson's guitar playing was sweet and distinctive as ever, and his voice was holding up well
• AllMusic gave three and a half stars out of five, calling the tracks assured, easy, impeccably tasteful work
• AllMusic said the seventy-minute length makes the album feel a little samey
• Rolling Stone gave three stars out of five in a mixed review
• Rolling Stone said several pairings lament unions that could not work, while Nelson holds his own throughout
• Record Collector gave four stars and called it a fine addition to Nelson's collection of duets
• The Associated Press found the duets custom-made for the download age, but called the set too eclectic and too inconsistent
• Roughstock gave four stars and called the album a delight with 18 tracks of fantastic duets
• Metacritic gave the album a Metascore of 72/100, based on six reviews

Records

• Top Country Albums: number two, Nelson's highest position on that chart since 1989
• Billboard 200: number nine, his second top ten album on that chart
• 46th top ten debut for Nelson, the most of any country singer on that chart
• Sold 43,000 in its first week and 114,000 copies in the US as of January 2014
• UK album chart: debuted at number 72, selling 1,452 copies that week

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• 'From Here to the Moon and Back' also appeared on Dolly Parton's concurrent album Blue Smoke.
• Lily Meola is listed among the singers as a Nelson protégée.
• Melonie Cannon and Tina Rose are included as singers known mainly as the daughters of country artists.
• The album is Nelson's 62nd studio album.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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