red headed stranger album american outlaw country singer wide success recordings coupled negotiating skills manager nelson signed contract columbia_records label gave total creative control works concept album inspired tale red headed stranger song nelson play disk jockey program texas signing columbia decided record song arranged details return austin texas trip colorado recorded low cost autumn sound studios texas songs featured sparse arrangements largely limited nelson guitar piano drums nelson presented finished material columbia executives dubious releasing album thought demo nelson creative control production added concept album fugitive run law killing wife lover content consists songs brief poetic lyrics arrangements older material blue eyes crying rain waves despite columbia doubts limited instrumentation blockbuster country music mainstream audiences certified multi platinum nelson recognized artists country music cover blue eyes crying rain released single previous album release nelson number hit title album lasting nickname nelson ranked rolling_stone list greatest albums time number country music inducted nelson starred movie based story album album strong cultural impact song time preacher series edge darkness lyrics issue comic preacher background recording nelson signed contract year country artist signed label album atlantic critically acclaimed followed concept albums country music phases stages success recordings nelson signed columbia_records given complete creative control return austin ski trip colorado nelson inspired wife write western concept album suggested inclusion smith tale red headed stranger nelson sang radio shows previously children nelson decided write complete story included details events prior ones described song spontaneously composed songs wrote lyrics original writings nelson included story blue eyes crying rain waves sleep arms couldn believe true hands wheel arrived austin nelson recorded demo songs tape recorder accompanied guitar ranch road nelson started look studio texas record new material avoid modifications recordings previous sessions hired free lance recently opened texas heard need york acquaintance nelson offered nelson day free recording boost popularity studio nelson band went trial session january recorded songs later called york announcing nelson record entire album hearing tapes nelson band started song blue eyes crying rain result nelson decided strip instrumentation nelson instructed york performed tracks remarking method producers nashville recording took days additional day mixing summed studio costs costs took total nelson featured arrangements acoustic guitar accompanied piano played sister arrangements drums harmonica sparsely acoustic arrangements caused columbia directors doubt wisdom releasing album presented feeling produced demo nelson complete creative control released modifications concept story begins time preacher character evokes love wife suspects following song couldn believe true infidelity revealed leads short version time preacher singer ends line lesson killing begun reaction husband depicted nelson medley montana red headed stranger song describes double murder woman lover stranger states died smile faces leads second song medley describes grief stranger section followed nelson cover song blue eyes crying rain fugitive loss wife red headed stranger protagonist commits subsequent murder kills woman believes stealing horse horse undoubtedly holds sentimental attachment belonged stranger wife story continues stranger traveling south song denver character falls love woman meets bar town lines blue rock montana repeated variation danced smile faces following song sleep arms shows desire stranger redemption love remember announces vows deceased wife broken free love story ends hands wheel depicts stranger old man accompanied child presumably grandson new love song marks end sorrow stranger redemption years later album ends instrumental song reception chart performance critical reception reached number billboard chart country albums number week stay chart march certified gold recording_industry_association_of_america november certified double platinum rolling_stone writer wrote red headed stranger ambitious cool tightly controlled perfected art sharp outlines phrases power composition accessible lines nelson ties precise evocative lyrics remembered forgotten folk melodies create similar effect haunting utterly write material makes accomplishment singular critic robert_christgau wrote individual pieces nice concept album lyrics render nostalgic instrumental parts ironic lose additional charm narrative context music critic wrote article entitled mark luke latest album good country music gospel difference nelson current album especially passes soundtrack nashville nelson simply record heard strikes strange emotions works levels listening totally billboard described album lots instrumental work particularly fine piano usual highly stylized vocals mother jones wrote known years finally revealed world nelson simply brilliant songwriter interpreter singer damn universal defined merely country artist wrote red headed stranger sgt pepper country music record follow coherent theme instead merely compiling radio singles allmusic described red headed stranger elusive themes little tunes bit bare undoubtedly distinctive sounds distinctive passing year strictly intellectual triumph pair albums musically sound bit matter successful included albums magazine rated stars magazine wrote supporters album spread gospel outlaw recording greatest country album spare style changed way played sputnikmusic wrote red headed stranger simple bare following story preacher man kills cheating wife lover spins tale laid chords somber melodies pain character situation red headed stranger timeless story telling minimalist majesty music fills worn grove hearts enjoy folk roots united_states red headed stranger critical success cemented nelson outlaw image recognized artists country music title album long lasting nickname cover song blue eyes crying rain released single previous album number hit singer album ranked number rolling_stone list greatest albums time number country music adopted red headed stranger culturally historically aesthetically important informs reflects life united_states movie appearance music venue austin texas nelson met publisher screenwriter success album decided write script nelson based story finished draft project turned universal_studios studio film million sent script turned movie project nelson buy script universal script went hbo assigned project budget million project completed finally nelson decided finance film nelson portrayed role stranger movie released popular culture track time preacher bob_dylan film episodes television drama lyrics time preacher opening pages issue comic book preacher song opening premiere series based comic complete album performed recorded red headed stranger included guest appearance nelson season episode series monk entitled monk guest stars track listing original release reissue album reissued columbia legacy new issue features remastered sound inclusion previously unreleased songs credits chart positions album singles
Red Headed Stranger