Oh What a Beautiful World
| Oh What a Beautiful World | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 25, 2025 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 47:00 | |||
| Label | Legacy | |||
| Producer | Buddy Cannon | |||
| Willie Nelson chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Oh What a Beautiful World | ||||
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Oh What a Beautiful World is the 77th solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Willie Nelson. It was released on April 25, 2025, through Legacy Recordings.[1] Produced by Buddy Cannon, the album contains twelve songs by the songwriter Rodney Crowell, who performs harmony vocals on the lead single and title track.[2]
Background
[edit]Nelson's first studio recording of a Crowell song came with "'Til I Gain Control Again" on the 1983 Waylon Jennings duet album Take It to the Limit,[3] although he had previously performed the song in concert as on the 1978 album Willie and Family Live. Over the next four decades, Nelson continued to record Crowell songs (prominently on 2024 album The Border) and he personally chose the twelve songs for this album.[4]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Mojo |   [5] |
No Depression praised the "radiant" album and Nelson's performances of Crowell's "emotionally resonant" songs."[6] Hot Press noted that "Crowell's canon mines classic Nelson territory", adding that the album is "a splendid record."[7]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "What Kind of Love" | 3:41 | |
| 2. | "Banks of the Old Bandera" | Crowell | 3:26 |
| 3. | "The Fly Boy & The Kid" | Crowell | 3:51 |
| 4. | "Forty Miles From Nowhere" | Crowell | 4:28 |
| 5. | "I Wouldn't Be Me Without You" | Crowell | 3:56 |
| 6. | "Making Memories of Us" | Crowell | 4:11 |
| 7. | "Oh What a Beautiful World" (featuring Rodney Crowell) | Crowell | 4:00 |
| 8. | "Open Season On My Heart" |
| 3:52 |
| 9. | "Shame on the Moon" | Crowell | 4:27 |
| 10. | "She's Back In Town" | Crowell | 3:21 |
| 11. | "Still Learning How to Fly" | Crowell | 4:00 |
| 12. | "Stuff That Works" |
| 4:00 |
| Total length: | 47:15 | ||
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from Tidal.[8]
- Willie Nelson – lead vocals, Trigger
- Wyatt Beard – background vocals
- Jim "Moose" Brown – organ, piano, Wurlitzer piano
- Buddy Cannon – production, background vocals
- Melonie Cannon – background vocals
- Tony Castle – mixing, engineering
- Rodney Crowell – lead vocals on "Oh What a Beautiful World"
- Fred Eltringham – drums, percussion
- Andrew Mendelson – mastering
- James Mitchell – electric guitar
- Mickey Raphael – harmonica
- Bobby Terry – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, steel guitar, additional engineering
- Michael Walter – engineering assistance
- Glenn Worf – bass guitar, double bass
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Croatian International Albums (HDU)[9] | 4 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[10] | 42 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[11] | 36 |
| UK Albums Sales (OCC)[12] | 49 |
| UK Americana Albums (OCC)[13] | 11 |
| UK Country Albums (OCC)[14] | 1 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[15] | 16 |
References
[edit]- ^ Jones, Abby (March 14, 2024). "Willie Nelson Announces 154th Album Oh What A Beautiful World". Stereogum. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ Krueger, Jonah (March 14, 2024). "Willie Nelson Has a New Album Coming: Here's When The Border Arrives". Consequence. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ Todd, Nate (March 12, 2025). "Willie Nelson Announces New Album 'Oh What A Beautiful World' & Shares Duet With Rodney Crowell". JamBase. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (March 12, 2025). "Willie Nelson to Reinterpret the Songs of Rodney Crowell on New Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ "Willie Nelson – Oh What a Beautiful World". Mojo. July 2025. p. 87.
- ^ Carrigan, Henry. "Album Review: The Beauty of Willie Nelson and Rodney Crowell's World of Songs". No Depression. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
- ^ Russell, Will (April 25, 2025). "Album Review: Willie Nelson - Oh What a Beautiful World". Hot Press. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ^ "Oh What A Beautiful World / Willie Nelson / Credits". Tidal. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ "Lista prodaje (strano) 19. tjedan 2025. (05.05.2025. - 11.05.2025.)" (in Croatian). Top lista. May 19, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Willie Nelson – Oh What a Beautiful World". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
- ^ "Official Albums Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
- ^ "Willie Nelson Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
