#315Albums is a list of 315 albums that appear on both the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, as well as the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die book, edited by Robert Dimery. At its best, it is a representation of some of the greatest music ever released; at its worst, it is a journey through the history of music that the majority see as important, influential, and/or relevant. If nothing else, these albums are worth experiencing at least once to get a better understanding of music, which is why we are working to complete all #315Albums.


No. 024

Red Headed Stranger is extraordinarily ambitious, cool, tightly controlled.”

Artist: Willie Nelson
Album: Red Headed Stranger
Released: 1975
Label: Columbia
Rolling Stones Ranking: 183

As iconic as Willie Nelson is now, I’ve never really spent much time with his music. Red Headed Stranger was about what I would expect from a country album – the first of this journey – from 1975. The harmonica really helped set the tone for the album, and though I enjoyed Nelson’s vocals, not much else stood out to me. I am a big country music fan, but the country music of today is significantly different than this style of country music, and it normally comes off as a bit hokey. I honestly feel like this album avoids most of that “hokiness” you see on some songs from this era, which is a testament to Nelson, but this isn’t one that will stick with me for long. Good, but meant for a particular type of country music fan.

Cinefessions’ #315Albums Rating: 62%

Image and quote courtesy of Rolling Stone Magazine.