You know, I’m more than just a little ashamed to say I’ve actually never heard Willie Nelson’s recording of this song. I imagine it sounds great, since Ryan wrote it for Willie, but I just never really got around to finding a recording anywhere. I have to say, though, I really enjoy the sound. It reminds me of “Let Us Down Easy” from Cardinology in more ways than one, and part of me thinks “Blue Hotel” definitely influenced, if not inspired, the latter. The recording found on Follow The Nights is pretty good, but there are some absolutely stellar live versions out there. I found one that I particularly enjoyed on YouTube and posted the link at the bottom of the post here.
It’s smooth and bluesy, but has that classic Cardinals twang. Sure, it may have been written for another musician, but you can really tell that it’s a Ryan Adams song. There’s something about the way he sets up each line in his verses that no one else can reproduce.
