One Hell of a Ride [Box Set] [Box] [PA] (CD - 2008)

There have been other Willie Nelson box sets in the past, but the four-disc ONE HELL OF A RIDE, released just before the country icon's 75th birthday, leaves every other collection in the dust. A truly career-encompassing anthology, it covers more than 50 years of music, from Willie's 1950s indie singles all the way up to the 21st century.

While the blockbusters are here ("Always on My Mind," "On the Road Again," etc.), the real public service performed by this box is reaching back to great Nelson albums from the '60s that have long been out of print, and scooping up some of their dusty gems. For instance, "One in a Row" shows that Willie could croon a countrypolitan-style tune with the best of them, while "Texas in My Soul" is an early example of the jazzy Western swing influence that has always been an undercurrent of Nelson's music. ONE HELL OF A RIDE follows the Red Headed Stranger's growth from well-groomed Nashville cat to hirsute country outlaw to grey-bearded elder statesman, cherry-picking the best of every phase along the way. minimize