God's Problem Child Explained

God's Problem Child
Type:studio
Artist:Willie Nelson
Cover:Willie Nelson - God's Problem Child.jpg
Released:April 28, 2017
Genre:Country
Length:44:25
Label:Legacy Recordings
Producer:Buddy Cannon
Chronology:Willie Nelson
Prev Year:2016
Next Year:2017

God's Problem Child is the 66th solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Willie Nelson. It was released on April 28, 2017, by Legacy Recordings. The album features new songs co-written by Nelson and producer Buddy Cannon. Using their frequent method, Cannon and Nelson wrote the songs exchanging the lyrics in text messages, while Nelson later recorded his vocals in the studio.[1]

Content

The title track was written by Jamey Johnson and Tony Joe White, and features vocals by Leon Russell in one of his last recordings. Alison Krauss provides background vocals on the tracks "True Love" and "Little House on the Hill". The original album title, I'm Not Dead, refers to the recurrent hoaxes announcing Nelson's death. "Delete and Fast-Forward" describes Nelson's view on the 2016 United States elections. The release includes a song written by Cannon's mother, Lyndel Rhodes.[2] It also includes "He Won't Ever Be Gone", a tribute to Merle Haggard written by Gary Nicholson. Seven tracks on the album are written by Nelson and Cannon. Alongside traditional music retailers, the release was made available for pre-order on the website PledgeMusic along with promotional merchandise.[3]

Release and reception

The album's lead single, "A Woman's Love", and its respective video premiered on Rolling Stones website on February 14, 2017.[4] The video for the single "It Gets Easier" was later premiered by the Los Angeles Times on March 9.[5] Later, on March 28, the video for "Old Timer" first appeared on The Daily Beast.[6]

Upon its release, God's Problem Child reached number one on Billboard's Top Country Albums with 36,000 album-equivalent units and 34,000 pure sales. It became Nelson's sixteenth country album chart-topper, while it also entered the Billboard 200 at number ten.[7]

AllMusic awarded the album four stars out of five. The review noted an improvement in Nelson's voice, compared to his releases of 2016. Critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine concluded, "It's simply an uncommonly strong latter-day record from Willie Nelson: there isn't a hint of fussiness and the songs and the performances are so understated, they only seem richer with repeated spins".[8] Rolling Stone praised the album observing that age is a focus of Nelson's new songwriting giving him "(a) renewed purpose as a lyricist and heightened vulnerability as a vocalist".[9]

Uncut rated the album eight out of ten, and favored Nelson's songwriting, while it called the single "Still Not Dead" one of Nelson's "modern masterpieces".[10] Popmatters delivered a favorable review, calling it an "indisputable high point" of Nelson's latest records.[11] Record Collector rated the album four out of five stars, hailing Nelson as a "bona fide legend who’s never sounded more alive".[12] Paste felt that the release was "as vital" as the rest of Nelson's repertoire.[13]

Pitchfork summed up the album by calling Nelson "(a) cosmic joker contemplating mortality with endearing humor and touching honesty".[14] The Austin American-Statesman opined that it was "Nelson’s best album since the 1990s" and attributed its success to "(a) near-perfect balance between Willie as songwriter and as interpreter".[15] Sounds Like Nashville added that "Nelson isn’t going to go quietly in the night. The 'Red Headed Stranger' has never done anything in that fashion, and at age 84, the singer continues to come out swinging on all cylinders."[16]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number one on Billboards Top Country Albums chart, selling 34,000 in copies (36,000 equivalent albums in total) in its first week. This is his record-extending 50th top 10 album on the Top Country Albums chart. It also debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200, becoming Nelson's sixth top 10 album on the chart.[17] It has sold 108,300 copies in the United States as of June 2018.[18]

Personnel

Charts

Year-end charts

Notes and References

  1. News: Hall, Kristin. Willie Nelson wants Loretta Lynn to try pot again. January 12, 2017. January 17, 2017. Austin Chronicle. Hearst Newspapers.
  2. Grow, Kory. Willie Nelson Reveals New Trump-Inspired Song 'Delete and Fast-Forward'. Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. January 13, 2017. January 17, 2017.
  3. Willie Nelson Announces New Album 'God's Problem Child'. Bretts, Stephen. February 1, 2017. February 1, 2017. Rolling Stone. Wenner Media.
  4. See Willie Nelson's Evocative 'A Woman's Love' Video. Crawford, Robert. Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. February 14, 2017. February 14, 2017.
  5. News: Watch Willie Nelson's latest video, 'It Gets Easier,' from 'God's Problem Child' album. Lewis, Randy. Los Angeles Times. March 9, 2017. March 9, 2017.
  6. News: Beast Exclusive: Willie Nelson Confronts Mortality in New 'Old Timer' Video. Daily Beast Video. The Daily Beast Company. March 28, 2017. March 28, 2017.
  7. No 'Problem': Willie Nelson's New Album Bows at No. 1. May 9, 2017. May 10, 2017. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
  8. Web site: Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. God's Problem Child - Willie Nelson. Allmusic. RhythmOne, LLC. May 1, 2017.
  9. Bernstein, Jonathan. Willie Nelson Stares Down Mortality on Most Moving LP in Years. Rolling Stone. Wenner Media LLC. April 27, 2017. May 1, 2017.
  10. News: Sodomsky, Sam. Willie Nelson – God's Problem Child. Uncut. Time, Inc. (UK) Ltd. April 20, 2017. May 1, 2017. April 24, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170424030600/http://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/album/willie-nelson-gods-problem-child. dead.
  11. News: God's Problem Child. Paul, John. PopMatters. PopMatters Media, Inc. April 24, 2017. May 1, 2017.
  12. News: Stauton, Terry. Willie Nelson - God's Problem Child. Record Collector. Diamond Publishing Ltd. May 1, 2017.
  13. News: Paste Review of the Day: Willie Nelson - God's Problem Child. April 27, 2017. Gleason, Holly. Paste. Paste Media Group. May 2, 2017.
  14. News: Beta, Andy. Willie Nelson: God's Problem Child. April 29, 2017. Pitchfork. Condé Nast. May 2, 2017.
  15. News: Blackstock, Peter. Willie Nelson's new album proves how musically sharp he remains at 84. April 27, 2017. Austin American-Statesman. Cox Media Group. May 2, 2017. July 1, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170701163148/http://www.mystatesman.com/entertainment/music/willie-nelson-new-album-proves-how-musically-sharp-remains/UnseSwk1tv7415fmoPBfZK/. dead.
  16. News: Album Review: Willie Nelson's 'God's Problem Child'. Sounds Like Nashville. April 28, 2017. May 2, 2017.
  17. No 'Problem': Willie Nelson's New Album Bows at No. 1. May 9, 2017 . Jim . Asker. Billboard.
  18. News: Top 10 Country Albums Sales Chart: June 5, 2018 . Matt . Bjorke . June 4, 2018 . Roughstock . July 1, 2018.
  19. Web site: NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart. Recorded Music NZ. May 8, 2017. May 5, 2017.
  20. Top Country Albums – Year-End 2017. Billboard. July 19, 2020.