Phases And Stages (Ofgv)

Willie Nelson’s 1974 classic, celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2024. If Shotgun Willie played a bit like a concept album, Phases and Stages was full-blown, tracing the dissolution of a marriage and devoting one side to the wife's perspective, the second to the husband's…. Phases and Stages is easily the equal of its remarkable predecessor, a wonderful set of music that resonates deeply, as deeply as the words. Make no mistake -- the deceptively relaxed arrangements, including the occasional strings, not only highlight Nelson's clever eclecticism, they also heighten the emotional impact of the album. And this is a hell of an emotional record, where even each side's celebratory honky tonk numbers (the medley "Sister's Coming Home/Down at the Corner Beer Joint" and "Pick Up the Tempo," respectively) are muted by sadness. Then, there are the centerpieces: "Walkin'," where the woman decides it's time to move on; "Pretend I Never Happened," perhaps the coldest ending to a relationship ever written; "Bloody Mary Morning," a bleary-eyed morning-after tale that became a standard; "It's Not Supposed to Be That Way," a nearly unbearably melancholy account of a love gone wrong; and "Heaven and Hell," a waltz summary of the relationship. Any two of these would have formed a strong core for an album, but placed together in a narrative context, their impact is even more considerable. As a result, this is not just one of Willie Nelson's best records, but one of the great concept albums overall. Tracklist Side One 1. PHASES AND STAGES (Theme) [0:20] WASHING THE DISHES [1:22] 2. PHASES AND STAGES (Theme) [0:24] WALKIN’ [3:41] 3. PRETEND I NEVER HAPPENED [2:59] 4. SISTER’S COMING HOME [1:48] DOWN AT THE CORNER BEER JOINT [1:57] 5. (HOW WILL I KNOW) I’M FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN [3:25] Side Two 1. BLOODY MARY MORNING [2:48] 2. PHASES AND STAGES (Theme) [0:32] NO LOVE AROUND [1:51] 3. I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE GONE [4:15] 4. IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THAT WAY [3:27] 5. HEAVEN AND HELL [1:52] 6. PHASES AND STAGES (Theme) [0:24] PICK UP THE TEMPO [2:41] PHASES AND STAGES (Theme) [0:21] Side Three 1. PHASES AND STAGES (Theme) (Alternate Version) [2:41] WASHING THE DISHES (Alternate Version) 2. SISTER’S COMING HOME (Alternate Version) [3:58] DOWN AT THE CORNER BEER JOINT (Alternate Version) 3. PHASES AND STAGES (Theme) (Alternate Version) [4:00] (HOW WILL I KNOW) I’M FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN (Alternate Version) 4. BLOODY MARY MORNING (Alternate Version) [3:40] 5. NO LOVE AROUND (Alternate Version) [1:54] Side Four 1. I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE GONE (Alternate Version) [4:15] 2. IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THAT WAY (Alternate Version) [3:16] 3. HEAVEN AND HELL (Alternate Version/Duet Vocal) [2:59] 4. PHASES AND STAGES (Theme) [3:10] PICK UP THE TEMPO 5. PHASES AND STAGES (Theme) (Alternate Version) [0:40]