| Island in the Sea | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1987 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | 
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| Willie Nelson chronology | ||||
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Island in the Sea is a studio album by the American musician Willie Nelson, released in 1987.[1][2] The album contains two singles: the title track and "Nobody There but Me", which respectively reached No. 27 and No. 82 on the Hot Country Songs charts.[3] "The Last Thing on My Mind" is a cover of the Tom Paxton song.[4]
The book Willie Nelson: The Outlaw calls the album "a laid-back slice of old-time textures, including Hawaiian music, yodeling, folk, and country, with four [sic] overproduced tracks by Booker T. Jones tacked on at the end."[5]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating | 
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
The Philadelphia Inquirer praised Nelson's original compositions.[6] The Vancouver Sun deemed the album "a trifle better than standard Willie."[8] The Orange County Register noted that the album's first side "features the spine-tingling beauty of the unadorned Nelson sound."[9] USA Today considered the title track to be the album's best song.[10]
Track listing
- "Island in the Sea" (W. Nelson) - 2:19
 - "Wake Me When It's Over" (W. Nelson) - 3:17
 - "Little Things" (W. Nelson, Shirley Collie Nelson) - 4:23
 - "The Last Thing on My Mind" (Tom Paxton) - 5:17
 - "There Is No Easy Way (But There Is a Way)" (W. Nelson) - 2:32
 - "Nobody There but Me" (Bruce Hornsby, John Hornsby, Charlie Haden) - 2:47
 - "Cold November Wind" (Phyllis Horne) - 4:18
 - "Women Who Love Too Much" (Booker T. Jones, Waylon Jennings) - 4:45
 - "All in the Name of Love" (Jones, Jennings) - 4:59
 - "Sky Train" (Jones, Jennings) - 2:39
 
Personnel
Compiled from Island in the Sea liner notes.[11]
- Musicians
 
- Willie Nelson - guitar, vocals
 - Paul English - drums
 - Mickey Raphael - harmonica
 - Bee Spears - bass guitar
 - Bobbie Nelson - piano
 - Grady Martin - guitar
 - Jody Payne - guitar, vocals
 - Billy English - percussion
 - Chip Young - acoustic guitar
 - Mike Leech - bass guitar
 - David Briggs - keyboards
 - Pete Wade - electric guitar
 - Martin Parker - drums
 - Bobby Ogdin - piano
 - Farrell Morris - percussion, vibes
 - Booker T. Jones - drums, keyboards, acoustic guitar, bass guitar
 
- On "Nobody There but Me"
 
- Bruce Hornsby - piano, synthesizer
 - Peter Harris - guitar
 - George Marinelli, Jr. - guitar
 - John Mollo - drums
 - Joe Puerta - bass guitar
 
- Technical
 
- Bobby Arnold - engineering
 - Larry Greenhill - engineering
 - Booker T. Jones - production (tracks 8-10), engineering
 - Grady Martin - production (track 7)
 - Willie Nelson - production (tracks 1-6)
 - Denny Purcell - mastering
 - Glenn Rieuf - engineering
 - Chip Young - engineering
 
Chart performance
| Chart (1987) | Peak position | 
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 14 | 
References
- ↑ Tucker, Ken (18 June 1987). "Summer Music". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D1.
 - ↑ Boehm, Mike (August 3, 1987). "Willie delivers it all in strong crowd-pleaser". The Providence Journal. p. A13.
 - ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2012). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2012. Record Research, Inc. p. 238. ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.
 - ↑ Davis, Rick (September 11, 1987). "Music". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. C2.
 - ↑ Thomson, Graeme (31 July 2012). Willie Nelson: The Outlaw. Random House. ISBN 9781448133413.
 - 1 2 Tucker, Ken (5 July 1987). "Willie Nelson Island in the Sea". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. I5.
 - ↑ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 499.
 - ↑ Mackie, John (18 July 1987). "Willie Nelson: Island in the Sea". Vancouver Sun. p. D8.
 - ↑ Davis, Noel (September 4, 1987). "Willie Nelson Island in the Sea". Orange County Register. p. P40.
 - ↑ Oermann, Robert K. (December 11, 1987). "It's Star Time". USA Today.
 - ↑  Island in the Sea (CD insert). Willie Nelson. Columbia Records. 1987. 40487.
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