My Own Peculiar Way

Willie Nelson did indeed have his own peculiar way, which is why RCA had the damnedest time trying to market him in the ‘60s. Nelson drew from so many musical pools it was nearly impossible to fit him into one category, and this 1969 release is emblematic of that indecision (which, admittedly, was more of a crisis for RCA than it was for Nelson himself, who would soon assert his individualism by relocating to Texas). Some of these songs try turn him into a pop crooner, others attempt to mold him into a folkie, and still others hone his original persona, as an elegant honkytonker in the mold of Ray Price. There is a little of all these types in Willie, which is why he could get away with songs as diverse as “Local Memory,” “That’s All” and “I Just Don’t Understand.” Critics have often derided this period in Nelson’s career for its overproduction — a valid criticism, to be sure — but they should also recognize the subtle power of songs like “I Walk Alone,” “I Just Dropped By,” simmering ballads made richer by their orchestral underpinnings.