City of New Orleans (album)

City of New Orleans
Studio album by
Released1984
GenreCountry
Length37:06
LabelColumbia
ProducerChips Moman
Willie Nelson chronology
Angel Eyes
(1984)
City of New Orleans
(1984)
Music from Songwriter
(1984)

City of New Orleans is a studio album by the American musician Willie Nelson, released by Columbia Records in 1984.[1] The title track was written and originally recorded by Steve Goodman; his version was released in 1971. The next year, Arlo Guthrie became the first to have a hit with the song.[2] Nelson's version topped the U.S. country singles chart. Other covers on the album include "Please Come to Boston" and "Wind Beneath My Wings".

The title track was nominated for a Grammy Award.[3]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]

The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that Nelson's "pushing his all-purpose interpretive powers too far."[5]

Track listing

[edit]
  1. "City of New Orleans" (Steve Goodman) - 4:47
  2. "Just Out of Reach" (Virgil "Pappy" Stewart) - 3:37
  3. "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" (Danny O'Keefe) - 2:52
  4. "Why Are You Pickin' On Me" (Willie Nelson) - 2:26
  5. "She's Out of My Life" (Tom Bahler) - 3:26
  6. "Cry" (Churchill Kohlman) - 3:32
  7. "Please Come to Boston" (Dave Loggins) - 4:17
  8. "It Turns Me Inside Out" (Jan Crutchfield) - 3:27
  9. "Wind Beneath My Wings" (Larry Henley, Jeff Silbar) - 3:46
  10. "Until It's Time for You to Go" (Buffy Sainte-Marie) - 4:06

Production

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Personnel

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Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[11] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[12] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Willistein, Paul (2 Sep 1984). "'Living Legend' Is Returning for Allentown Fair Show Today". The Sunday Call-Chronicle. p. F1.
  2. ^ Holden, Stephen (17 Jan 1985). "Critic's Notebook". The New York Times. p. C16.
  3. ^ "Willie Nelson". Recording Academy. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  4. ^ "City of New Orleans Review by Jason Ankeny". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b Tucker, Ken (29 July 1984). "Willie Nelson, City of New Orleans". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. I9.
  6. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 499.
  7. ^ "Willie Nelson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  8. ^ "Willie Nelson Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  9. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1984". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  10. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1985". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  11. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Willie Nelson – City of New Orleans". Music Canada. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  12. ^ "American album certifications – Willie Nelson – City of New Orleans". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 29, 2021.