| The Words Don't Fit the Picture | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1972 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 27:45 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Producer | Felton Jarvis | |||
| Willie Nelson chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
The Words Don't Fit the Picture is the 14th studio album by country singer Willie Nelson.
By 1972 Nelson had made fourteen albums for RCA with not much to show for it. RCA head Chet Atkins stuck to the formula of the Nashville Sound, which had churned out hits for other country stars throughout the sixties but did not complement Nelson's highly stylized musicianship, and promotion behind Nelson's LPs had been historically non-existent. [2] Further alienating Nelson was the label's perplexed reaction to his 1971 concept album Yesterday’s Wine, a suite of songs examining mortality influenced by the Bible and the works of Edgar Cayce. [3] Nelson's live shows bore little resemblance to the sound of his RCA albums, and Atkins refusal to allow him to record with his band left him disillusioned.
As Atkins scaled back his production duties at RCA, Nelson worked more with Felton Jarvis, who also produced Fats Domino, Skeeter Davis, and Elvis Presley. The album was recorded at RCA Studios in Nashville and contains all Nelson originals. The album is most notable for containing Nelson's first solo recording of "Good Hearted Woman", a song he composed with his friend Waylon Jennings. Jennings, who had been fighting many of the same battles with RCA as Nelson, started writing the song and asked Nelson to help him finish it during a late-night poker game at the Fort Worther Motel on Jacksboro Highway in Fort Worth. [4] By all accounts, Nelson's contribution was minimal, with his third wife Connie recalling, "The only part Willie came up with was ‘Through teardrops and laughter they walk through this world hand in hand.’ Waylon said, ‘That’s it! That’s what’s missing’ and gave Willie half the song." Nelson also collaborated with songwriter Don Bowman on "Stay Away From Lonely Places". Bowman previously wrote "Just to Satisfy You" with Jennings, a song Waylon and Willie would take to the top of the charts in 1982.
The album cover, shot by Jimmy Moore, portends Nelson's impending stylistic change - flanked by his wife, Connie, and his producer Felton Jarvis, dressed as a chauffeur, Nelson poses in front of a Rolls-Royce in full-freak cowboy regalia, battered guitar case in tow.
Jim Worbois of AllMusic states, "Another fine album of Willie originals, it's not quite as strong as some of his other albums released about this time, but still good."
Unlike most Willie Nelson albums from this time period, this was also issued on 8-track cartridge (RCA P8S-1892).
In 2017, reissue label Vinyl Me, Please remastered and reissued this album for the first time. Six years later, the Netherlands-based label Music on CD issued this album on Compact Disc, under license from RCA/Sony.
All tracks composed by Willie Nelson, except where indicated
Highwayman is the first studio album released by country supergroup The Highwaymen, comprising Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Highwayman, released through Columbia Records in 1985, was the group's first and most successful album.
Shotgun Willie is the 16th studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Willie Nelson, released on June 11, 1973. The recording marks a change of style for Nelson, who later stated that the album "cleared his throat". When Nelson refused to sign an early extension of his contract with RCA Records in 1972, the label decided not to release any further recordings. Nelson hired Neil Reshen as his manager, and while Reshen negotiated with RCA, Nelson moved to Austin, Texas, where the ongoing hippie music scene at the Armadillo World Headquarters renewed his musical style. In Nashville, Nelson met producer Jerry Wexler, vice president of Atlantic Records, who was interested in his music. Reshen solved the problems with RCA and signed Nelson with Atlantic as their first country music artist.
Folk-Country is the major-label debut album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1966 on RCA Victor. It is his first collaboration with producer Chet Atkins.
The Best of Waylon Jennings is a compilation album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1970 on RCA Nashville.
Good Hearted Woman is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released in 1972 on RCA Nashville.
Ladies Love Outlaws is an album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Nashville in 1972. Together with Jennings' previous album Good Hearted Woman, it marks his transition toward his Outlaw Country image and style. "Ladies Love Outlaws" coined the use of the term "Outlaw" to refer to the country music subgenre, which was developing at the time of its release.
Lonesome, On'ry and Mean is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1973. It was, after Good Hearted Woman and Ladies Love Outlaws, the third in a series of albums which were to establish Jennings as one of the most prominent representatives of the outlaw country movement. Photographer Mick Rock shot the album's cover.
Wanted! The Outlaws is a compilation album by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser, released by RCA Records in 1976. The album consists of previously released material with four new songs. Released to capitalize on the new outlaw country movement, Wanted! The Outlaws earned its place in music history by becoming the first country album to be platinum-certified, reaching sales of one million.
Waylon & Willie is a duet studio album by American singers Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, released by RCA Records in 1978. In the US, it stayed at #1 album on the country album charts for ten weeks and would spend a total of 126 weeks on the country charts.
WWII is a duet album by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, released on RCA Victor in 1982.
Waylon Live is a live album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1976.
Yesterday's Wine is the 13th studio album and a concept album by country singer Willie Nelson. Nelson had been recording for RCA Victor since the early 1960s, and had released no significant hit records. By 1970, his recordings had reached mid-chart positions. Nelson lost the money he made from his song-writing royalties by financing concert tours that were generally unsuccessful and unprofitable. In addition to problems with his music career, Nelson had a troubled personal life. He had divorced his wife, Shirley Collie, and his Tennessee ranch had been destroyed by a fire.
Laying My Burdens Down is the 11th studio album by country singer Willie Nelson, released in the autumn of 1970.
Both Sides Now is the tenth studio album by country singer Willie Nelson, released in 1970.
Good Times is the eighth studio album by American country music singer Willie Nelson, released in 1968. Arrangements were by Anita Kerr, Bill Walker and Ray Stevens.
Texas in My Soul is the seventh studio album by country singer Willie Nelson. It was an early concept album that aimed to pay tribute to the State of Texas. The original album artwork features the Alamo, along with three San Antonio construction projects completed in 1968: the Tower of the Americas, HemisFair Arena and the HemisFair monorail system.
The Party's Over and Other Great Willie Nelson Songs is the sixth studio album by country singer Willie Nelson.
Make Way for Willie Nelson is the fifth studio album by country singer Willie Nelson.
Country Willie: His Own Songs is the third studio album by country singer Willie Nelson. This was Nelson's third album, his first for RCA Victor.
Country Music Concert is a 1966 live album by country singer Willie Nelson.
