Workin' Man: Willie Sings Merle Vinyl

LP Edition.

Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle is Willie Nelson’s 78th solo studio album and 155th overall. It features Willie’s new interpretations of classic songs written by Merle Haggard, being the latest example in Nelson’s long history of dedicating entire albums to the work of a single songwriter or artist. Nelson and Haggard were friends and collaborators for many years, even releasing three albums together: Pancho and Lefty (1983), Last Of The Breed (2007, with Ray Price), and Django and Jimmie (2015).

For this album, Willie selected eleven of his favorite Merle compositions. The new interpretations span different stages of the legendary Haggard’s career: from tracks off his first No. 1 Country album, Swinging Doors (1966) —such as “Swinging Doors” and “Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down”—, through definitive hits from the late 60s (“Mama Tried”, “Okie From Muskogee”), to 70s classics (the poignant Christmas song “If We Make It Through December” and the Southern rock-tinged track “Ramblin’ Fever”), as well as the 1980 No. 1 honky-tonk classic “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here And Drink.”

Produced by the artist himself alongside his frequent collaborator Mickey Raphael, the album was recorded at Nelson’s Pedernales Studios in Austin and includes the last recordings made with historic members of the Family band: “Sister Bobbie” Nelson and Paul English. Constant in Nelson’s personal and professional life longer than anyone else, Sister Bobbie on piano and Paul English on drums join Raphael on harmonica, Kevin Smith on bass, and Billy English (Paul’s brother) on drums and percussion.