Nelson and producer James Stroud were inspired to record the album while talking about Tex Williams' hit song "Smoke!

[1] Nelson and producer James Stroud decided to record the album to summarize with different hits the history of country music.

[5] USA Today wrote: "The concept sounds fail-safe: Country's beloved elder statesman applies his iconic dust-dry vocals to 14 classics handpicked from the Billboard charts.

1 as one of America's most revered country music icons sings a collection of the genre's most definitive songs[...] In addition to Nelson's incomparable vocal stylings, each track benefits from the work of Nashville's top musicians in a band.

"[7] Rolling Stone rated the album with two-and-a-half stars out of five, criticizing the backing and the performances of the selected material: "Nelson's voice is perfectly preserved, but an overstuffed band of Nashville pros provides stiff arrangements, and Willie has already released better versions of several tracks here.

"[8] Meanwhile, Country Weekly wrote: "Willie puts his more idiosyncratic tendencies in check, delivering straightforward takes on 14 tunes that span roughly four decades [...] and offer an overview of old-school country’s versatility, evolution and lasting power [...] Those who favor Willie at his most freewheeling may find this collection a tad tame, perhaps even redundant.

The nimble musicians underscore him with taste and, when called for, gleeful and virtuosic abandon, and all parties involved take care to honor the original spirit of the songs they tackle here.

"[9] Allmusic rated the album with three-and-a-half stars out of five: "will undoubtedly have a lot of volumes following in its wake, since the premise is unlimited [...] backed by some of Nashville’s finest session musicians.