Willie Nelson Wants You To Know About This Revered Songwriter
We’re used to younger and up-and-coming artists paying tribute to Willie Nelson, or perhaps Willie toasting the legends who came before him like Frank Sinatra and Gershwin.
But if you want to know the kind of respect the catalog of Rodney Crowell commands, appreciate that for his next album, the 91-year-old Willie Nelson will be paying tribute to the Texas-born songwriting legend. To arrive on April 25th via Sony/Legacy Recordings, Oh What A Beautiful World will see Willie Nelson reprise 12 songs written or co-written by Rodney Crowell, with Crowell himself appearing with Willie on the title track (listen below).
Oh What A Beautiful World includes the song “Banks of the Old Bandera” that was originally recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker, the Bob Seger hit “Shame On The Moon” from 1981, as well as ’90s tracks such as “What Kind of Love” and “Stuff That Works.” The project also features early 2000s songs recorded by Keith Urban and Tim McGraw, and four tracks from Crowell’s more recent albums from the 2010s.
The album comes in a line of recent releases that tribute a single songwriter or performer. 2016 saw Willie pay tribute to Gershwin with Summertime. 2018 saw Willie toast Frank Sinatra with the album My Way, and again in 2021 with That’s Life. In 2023, Willie paid tribute to Harlan Howard with I Don’t Know a Thing About Love.
Willie is no stranger to Rodney Crowell material. He first covered his fellow Texan in 1983, and most recently did so on his album The Border from 2024, whose title track was originally recorded by Crowell for his 2019 album Texas. Just like his last two albums, Willie Nelson’s announcement comes the day before his Luck Reunion in Luck, TX as part of SXSW.
Oh What A Beautiful World was produced by longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon, and includes Bobby Terry (acoustic guitar, steel guitar, electric guitar), James Mitchell (electric guitar), Jim “Moose” Brown (B-3 organ, piano, Wurlitzer), Mickey Raphael (harmonica), Fred Eltringham (drums, percussion) and Glenn Worf (bass, upright bass). Background vocals are provided by Wyatt Beard and Melonie Cannon.
Oh What A Beautiful World is now available for pre-order.
Track List:
1. “What Kind Of Love” (Rodney Crowell, Will Jennings, Roy Orbison)
2. “Banks Of The Old Bandera” (Rodney Crowell)
3. “The Fly Boy & The Kid” (Rodney Crowell)
4. “Forty Miles From Nowhere” (Rodney Crowell)
5. “I Wouldn’t Be Me Without You” (Rodney Crowell)
6. “Making Memories Of Us” (Rodney Crowell)
7. “Oh What A Beautiful World with Rodney Crowell” (Rodney Crowell)
8. “Ope Season On My Heart” (Rodney Crowell, James Slater)
9. “Shame On The Moon” (Rodney Crowell)
10. “She’s Back In Town” (Rodney Crowell)
11. “Still Learning How To Fly” (Rodney Crowell)
12. “Stuff That Works” (Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark)
March 12, 2025 @ 7:01 pm
This could jump-start a push to elect Rodney Crowell into the Hall of Fame. Maybe as an “entry” with Rosanne Cash.
Rodney’s written so many great songs that one of the early Oak Ridge Boys #1 smash hits that he wrote, “Leavin’ Louisiana in the Broad Daylight,” apparently did not make it onto this album.
I used to think I heard the Oaks mention “Shotgun Willie” when I’d hear their rendition of that song. But I didn’t get it quite right. The actual lyric is:
Did you ever see a Cajun when he really got mad
When he really got trouble like a daughter goin’ bad
It gets real hot down in Louisiana
The stranger better move it or he’s gonna get killed
He’s gonna have to get it OR A SHOTGUN WILL
It ain’t no time for lengthy speeches
March 12, 2025 @ 7:49 pm
Crowell to me is just exceptional as songwriters go. Can’t remember hearing too many Crowell songs i don’t like. And even his later stuff is great. Sex and Gasoline and Earthbound are two later ones that exemplify that greatness still came later in his career. Nice of Willie to honor his friend in this way. I do agree that Crowell unquestionably ought to be in the Hall of Fame.
March 13, 2025 @ 12:01 am
Really excited for this one.
March 13, 2025 @ 2:58 am
Thanks for the heads up Trig. I don’t know much of Rodney’s work beyond Houston Kid, but I really liked that album. I do have a question about “I Couldn’t Be Me without You”. I thought Billy Joe Shaver wrote that one. Was it a collaboration, or am I confused?
March 13, 2025 @ 6:25 am
“I Couldn’t Be Me without You” is the same title of different songs by Crowell and Shaver.
March 13, 2025 @ 9:46 am
Thanks Ronald, I’ll have to give it a listen!
March 13, 2025 @ 7:31 am
Crowell = one of the best ever, any genre.
To me, Gary Stewart’s performance of Crowell’s song “Rachel” (from the “Your Place or Mine” album) is just about the most perfect pairing of songwriter and performer I’ve ever heard.
March 13, 2025 @ 7:31 am
Just before her death in 2006, Willie Nelson released a tribute to songwriter Cindy Walker. The cover features the typewriter on which she wrote those legendary songs. It now resides at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Having no heirs, Cindy bequeathed her royalties to the Hall.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0gKgK_KIlOYIdrJyMVtakq57TKbWiEcp
March 13, 2025 @ 9:09 am
Rodney Crowell is an all-time great songwriter and I’m stoked Willie is doing this. When I think of Rodney I think of his commercial success and especially the 10/10 album Diamonds and Dirt. He made a comeback with Lovin’
All Night just as I started listening to country radio in the early 90s.
My brother saw him live about 20y agp on eastern LI. Jedd Hughes opened. Rodney sat down at the bar where my brother was. They started talking and my brother told Rodney that he hears a lot of McCartney in his songs. I brother expected him to be surprised, but Rodney replied, “I get that a lot”. I 100% believe that.
March 13, 2025 @ 1:01 pm
Good to see Mickey Raphael will be on the album. Was pretty heartbroken when he announced his retirement last year. Such an integral part of Willies signature sound.
March 13, 2025 @ 3:22 pm
Wait, what?! I saw him last September with Willie and google did bring back any retirement articles.
The most recent article I found was from January 2025 where he’s talking about Willie and trying to keep up …
https://www.wmot.org/show/the-string/2025-01-10/mickey-raphael-harmonica-man-to-the-stars-on-the-string
March 13, 2025 @ 3:32 pm
Out here at Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion, and Mickey just appeared at the Kris Kristofferson tribute. I mentioned retirement to someone, and they shut me down.
March 13, 2025 @ 4:03 pm
Wow, hott-ish down there. Just checked Spiceland’s weather. Low 90’s., with low humidity.
Imagine it will feel pretty nice this evening.
Have Fun!!!
March 13, 2025 @ 5:12 pm
91 years old and he’s still hitting it out of the park. He’s not human, he’s a machine.
March 14, 2025 @ 4:26 pm
Rodney is a legend! We are looking forward to having him headline the Cosmic Songwriter Festival in Bloomington, Indiana on May 16th