ories , ▁featuring ▁him ▁and ▁his ▁guitar , ▁without ▁the ▁accompan iment ▁of ▁his ▁band . ▁The ▁album ▁constit uted ▁a ▁compilation ▁of ▁Nelson ' s ▁hits . ▁A ▁second ▁t ape ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁record ings ▁The ▁Hun gry ▁Years ▁was ▁offered ▁to ▁direct ▁sales ▁purch as ers ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time . ▁ ▁Release ▁and ▁reception ▁The ▁album ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁stores ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁By ▁that ▁time , ▁Nelson ' s ▁assets ▁had ▁been ▁au ction ed ; ▁the ▁items ▁were ▁returned ▁to ▁Nelson ▁by ▁fans ▁and ▁friends ▁who ▁purchased ▁them . ▁Nelson ▁promoted ▁the ▁album ▁during ▁a ▁benefit ▁concert ▁for ▁the ▁rest oration ▁of ▁the ▁Texas ▁State ▁Capit ol . ▁During ▁an ▁appearance ▁on ▁Prim etime ▁Live , ▁Nelson ▁wore ▁a ▁T - sh irt ▁with ▁the ▁none x istent ▁to ll - free ▁number ▁ 1 - 8 0 0 - IR S - T AP E , ▁that ▁alleg edly ▁was ▁the ▁number ▁to ▁call ▁to ▁order ▁the ▁album . ▁After ▁ 5 0 0 ▁calls , ▁Jon ▁Rich ards , ▁the ▁owner ▁of ▁Visual ▁Technology . ▁Inc ., ▁announced ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁let ▁Nelson ▁le ase ▁or ▁purchase ▁the ▁number ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁sales ▁of ▁the ▁album . ▁Besides ▁the ▁phone ▁orders , ▁Nelson ▁also ▁negoti ated ▁with ▁Sony ▁Music ▁to ▁dist ribute ▁the ▁album ▁in ▁stores . ▁The ▁I RS ▁collected ▁US $ 3 . 6   mill ion ▁from ▁the ▁sales ▁of ▁the ▁album , ▁and ▁after