Which Willie Nelson album is known for its stark outlaw-country concept and 1975 release?

Willie Nelson’s 1975 album is titled Red Headed Stranger.

Released by Columbia Records, the album was a landmark of the outlaw-country movement. Its sparse arrangements and narrative sequence followed a preacher fleeing after killing his unfaithful wife, creating a cohesive story rather than a collection of unrelated songs.

The album included Nelson’s recording of “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” which became his first number-one country single as a performer. Its stripped-down production contrasted with the polished Nashville sound common at the time.

The title is sometimes mistaken for a nickname or a single song, but Red Headed Stranger is an album title. Nelson later starred in a 1986 film adaptation also called Red Headed Stranger.