Willie Nelson has crossed the borderline between musical genres countless times over his illustrious career. Initially he precipitated a rebellion against those who would dictate what a country record was supposed to sound like. Now fully established in country music as both a songwriter and a singer--having personally defined the outlaw sound--he broke through to the pop market in the late '70s with his mega hit STARDUST, a luminous collection of standards.
In a way, the lush orchestral charts of Nelson's nostalgic HEALING HANDS OF TIME mark a return to the clarity and wisdom of STARDUST, the big difference being that more than half of these standards are classics penned by Nelson himself--songs so imbued with lyrical craftmanship and emotional urgency that they can stand proudly next to the work of America's most esteemed songwriters.
Nelson's wistful classic of longing, loss and betrayal, "Funny How Time Slips Away," became a phenomenal single for Joe Hinton; the same goes for "Crazy," which was Patsy Cline's biggest hit. Both songs receive tender, forlorn readings from Nelson, goosed along by the gentle urgings of a 60-piece orchestra. Nelson offers a definitive reading of "Night Life," which is to Willie what "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)" is to Sinatra, while his poignant title tune tugs at the heartstrings like Hank Williams. And his earnest interpretations of "All The Things That You Are" and "I'll Be Seeing You" are the stuff dreams are made of.