Originally drawn in by the pure aesthetic wonder of Willie Nelson’s hopeful sorrow portrayed in both his singing and guitar playing, an obsession for his album “The Red Headed Stranger” has grown increasingly in me since being introduced to the album this summer. As I continued to listen, I realized that, in fact, the album is a story including a player-piano closing credits. I don’t want to give away too much of the story, but the basic plot is about a Montana preacher whose wife leaves him for another around the turn of the century. The man loses his mind, is swallowed by his sorrow, and travels around Montana and Colorado killing people in saloons. He gains notoriety and becomes known as the “red headed stranger” throughout the west.
Often I would sit down with my guitar to listen and play along, and I realized that although the album sounds simple, its overall musical structure is brilliant. The story is pushed along by the music and some scenes are shaped by it imaginatively.
Although my knowledge of music theory is incredibly limited, I will try to explain what I mean. Basically the album starts out in the key of E. The songs are all simple country blues or bluegrass progressions in E. “In the time Of the Preacher,” which appears as the first, third and eighth song on the album is the best example of this transition. As other chords are introduced in these traditional progressions, the album’s general key begins to change from E to D.
Because of this subtle change, Willie is able to keep things moving. Although we hear some of the songs two or three times, we are still compelled. After the third time we hear “In the Time of the Preacher,” a piano, guitar, accordion, and harmonica country symphony is attached reflecting the immense sorrow of the protagonist and exemplifying Willie’s musical well roundedness.
After listening to this album for the past couple of months, I have written more songs than I have in the past few years(which is only four, but for me that is pretty good). Everyone who I live with has also grown to share in my obsession. When we come home from the bars, someone is likely to put it on and, depending on how much they drank, cry.
If you have ever loved anyone, “Hands on the Wheel” expresses those feelings where simple words would be lacking. If you have ever loved anyone and had them leave for another, “Red Headed Stranger” will express your most enraged, lonely fantasies in song.
Rating: Play the d*mn thing!