Craft Recordings and HighTone Records have announced the return of a major album by Willie Nelson to vinyl. Originally released in 2010 and helmed by well-known Producer T Bone Burnett,the Grammy-nominated album, Country Music, finds the artist putting his touch on 15 Country standards, including Hank Williams’ “House of Gold,” Ernest Tubb’s “Seaman’s Blues,” Merle Travis’ “Dark as a Dungeon,” as well as his own 1959 single, “Man with the Blues.”
Arriving on February 27th, 2026, Country Music comesas a 2-LP set, housed in a gatefold jacket, while fans can choose from a selection of limited-edition pressings, including Sky Blue Swirl vinyl (exclusively at Barnes & Noble) and Opaque Grass Green (Books-A-Million). Country Music will also be available on CD and hi-res digital on February 27.
Willie Nelson started out in life working behind the scenes in Nashville, penning country hits for the likes of Patsy Cline (“Crazy”), Billy Walker (“Funny How Time Slips Away”), and Faron Young (“Hello Walls”). Though he would soon find success as a pioneer of the Outlaw Country sound, it was this formative period that shaped his artistry. Half a century later, he recorded his very first album of Country standards.
Aptly titled Country Music, Nelson’s 2010 album, his first for Rounder Records, found him returning to Nashville to interpret the foundational tunes that inspired him.
Nelson worked with the celebrated producer T Bone Burnett, who aimed for a rustic sound with stripped-down arrangements and traditional instrumentation, brought to life by some of Nashville’s finest, including Buddy Miller (guitar), Ronnie McCoury (mandolin), Russell Pahl (pedal steel), and Stuart Duncan (fiddle).
The tracklist, meanwhile, ranges from traditional spirituals like “Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down” and “Nobody’s Fault but Mine,” to foundational favorites like Al Dexter’s “Pistol Packin’ Mama,” Merle Travis’ “Dark as a Dungeon,” and Earnest Tubb’s “Seaman’s Blues.”
Nelson and Burnett also selected mid-century staples like Hank Williams’ “House of Gold,” Bill Mack’s “Drinking Champagne,” and Hazel Houser’s“My Baby’s Gone.” And, in a fitting nod to his own legacy, Nelson opens the album by revisiting one of his earliest singles, 1959’s “Man With the Blues.”
Released in April 2010, Country Music proved to be another success for Nelson. In addition to debuting at No.4 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart and No.20 on the Billboard 200, it earned a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album.
Country Music marks the second reissue under the recently relaunched HighTone Records, which made its 2025 return with the first ever vinyl release of Tulare Dust: A Songwriter’s Tribute to Merle Haggard.
Tracklist (2-LP Vinyl)
Side A:
1. Man With The Blues
2. Seaman’s Blues
3. Dark As A Dungeon
4. Gotta Walk Alone
Side B:
1. Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down
2. My Baby’s Gone
3. Freight Train Boogie
4. Satisfied Mind
Side C:
1. You Done Me Wrong
2. Pistol Packin’ Mama
3. Ocean Of Diamonds
4. Drinking Champagne
Side D:
1. I Am A Pilgrim
2. House Of Gold
3. Nobody’s Fault But Mine
