Honky Tonk Revival

Joey Guerra, Houston Chronicle, July, 2005
Miss Leslie's vintage--but vibrant--sound makes me believe in country music. Real country music.

About the Artist
Miss Leslie and Her Juke-Jointers play country music with a 50s and 60s flair. This group describes their music as "Country music with a hardwood floor sound". Combining some original material along with obscure country tunes that they have unearthed from the 50s and 60s, the band opens up new sounds in a retro honky tonk setting.

Honky Tonk Revival,Miss Leslie & Her Juke-Jointers,Zero Label Records,Country,Miscellaneous,This group describes their music as "Country music with a hardwood floor sound". Combining some original material along with obscure country tunes that they have unearthed from the 50s and 60s, the band opens up new sounds in a retro honky tonk setting.

Average customer rating: Merle's 40 #1 Hits Haggard's 40 Best TO ALAN: NOW I'M A HAGGARD FAN TOO! To Add to Your Collection Barroom Buddies is off vinyl!

40 #1 Hits Merle Haggard , and Clint Eastwood Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Honky-Tonk | Country | Styles | Music Western Swing | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ultimate Waylon Jennings 50 Years of Hits The Essential Willie Nelson David Allan Coe - 17 Greatest Hits 25 Number Ones ASIN: B0001I2BWG Release Date: 2004-03-23

Tracks:

1. Branded Man
2. The Fugitive
3. Mama Tried
4. Sing Me Back Home
5. The Legend Of Bonnie And Clyde
6. Hungry Eyes
7. Okie From Muskogee (Live)
8. Workin' Man Blues
9. The Fightin' Side Of Me
10. Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)
11. Carolyn
12. Grandma Harp
13. It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad)
14. Everybody's Had The Blues
15. I Wonder If They Ever Think Of Me
16. If We Make It Through December
17. Old Man From The Mountain
18. Things Aren't Funny Anymore
19. Always Wanting You
20. It's All In The Movies

Tracks:

1. Kentucky Gambler
2. Movin' On
3. Cherokee Maiden
4. The Roots Of My Raising
5. I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink
6. I'm Always On A Mountain When I Fall
7. If We're Not Back In Love By Monday
8. Bar Room Buddies
9. My Favorite Memory
10. Big City
11. Yesterday's Wine
12. Going Where The Lonely Go
13. Pancho And Lefty
14. You Take Me For Granted
15. Let's Chase Each Other Around The Room
16. Someday When Things Are Good
17. That's The Way Love Goes
18. A Place To Fall Apart
19. Natural High
20. Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star

Customer Reviews:

Merle's 40 #1 Hits.......2007-03-09

I am so glad that I purchased this CD. It is the best CD to have if you are a Merle Haggard Fan. This CD gives the music fan a great taste of all his hits throughout his career. I recommend this CD to any country music fan that loves the "Oldies" of country music and the artist that sings them.

Haggard's 40 Best.......2007-01-18

If you're a Merle Haggard fan, this CD is a must have. From way back to fairly recent, all of Merle's greatest are here. This is real, pure country music.

TO ALAN: NOW I'M A HAGGARD FAN TOO!.......2006-01-21

I owe it all to Alan Jackson. Recently I bought his album, WHEN SOMEBODY LOVES YOU and was listening to the first track, Meat and Potato Man. As I listened I heard Jackson sing, "I'm a Haggard fan. A meat and potato man..." I backtracked on the CD to make sure that I had heard him right. Did he say a Haggard fan? After playing it few a couple of times I was sure that Jackson was pitching Merle Haggard.

Interestingly, the lyrics came back to me again and again over the next few days until, finally, I determined to check Haggard out and 40 #1 HITS was the album that I chose. After listening I can certainly see why Alan Jackson would call himself "a Haggard Fan." If you haven't heard anything from Merle Haggard, there's certainly much more than the stereotypic "Okie From Muskogee." Here you'll be introduced to a broad range of Haggard offerings like "Mama Tried," "Grandma Harp," "I'm Always On A Mountain When I Fall," "Pancho And Lefty (with Willie Nelson)," and, my album favorite, "Going Where The Lonely Go." But, heck, there are forty songs here, any of which I could have listed.

Is Haggard worth a listen? Absolutely. Alan Jackson was dead right!

THE HORSEMAN

To Add to Your Collection.......2005-03-25

According to Billboard, Merle Haggard from Bakersfield, CA had 90 chart releases from 1963 to 1990. Think about that statistic! All 38 #1 songs are here on this two CD release. Two of Merle's 8 #2 hits round out the collection. Personal favorites are highly subjective but his reviewer favored "Things Aren't Funny Anymore", "and "Sing Me Back Home". The latter was dedicated to a former fellow inmate at San Quentin who was executed for murdering a prison guard. The former was composed while a marriage was breaking up. VERY special mention goes to " I Wonder If They Ever Think of Me". It's about a POW in Vietnam who is afraid his family and friends back in the World have forgotten him. That must have happened in real life far too often. The only tracks that failed to satisfy were the 3 duets, "Bar Room Buddies" - with Clint Eastwood! - "Pancho and Lefty" with Willie Nelson and "Yesterday's Wine" with George Jones. There is a fine quasi-duet with the ubiquitous Janie Fricke, "A Place to Fall Apart". Merle has always admitted to be heavily influenced by Lefty Frizzell and the similarity of styles is unmistakable, more to the credit of both men. Linear notes by Nancy Henderson embellish the collection and give context to several of the tracks. (Some may feel that the small, dropped out typeface doesn't do the insert complete justice.) Before reading Joel Whitburn's "Billboard Book of Country Music", this reviewer was unaware that many of Hag's best-known work did NOT attain #1 status. That list would include "Ramlin' Fever", and "Misery and Gin". Their exclusions should be ignored. The final word here is that this CD is a worthwhile addition to any serious classic country collection. For the $$, it is also a great value. Testimony such as that may appear trite, but it is on target in this case

Barroom Buddies is off vinyl!.......2005-02-01

The hard to find duet "Barroom Buddies" with Clint Eastwood from the soundtrack of Any Which Way You Can is taken from VERY poor quality vinyl for this collection. Shame On You Capitol Records! Although this collection is issued by Capitol Records, I have a sneaking suspicion that many of the songs here that were originally released on Capitol are rerecorded versions. Can anybody verify this? The Sony titles are definetly the originals (tracks 9-20 on disc 2).

Average customer rating: As good as country music gets All the best, when Hag was young! Pure Country Desert Island Hank And Haggard, The Best singer songwriters ever

Down Every Road Merle Haggard Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Honky-Tonk | Country | Styles | Music Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music Western Swing | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Buck Owens Collection (1959-1990) 50 Years of Hits Nashville Rebel The Conway Twitty Collection The Essential George Jones: The Spirit of Country ASIN: B000002U0R Release Date: 1996-04-02

Tracks:

1. Skid Row
2. Sing A Sad Song
3. You Don't Even Try
4. Sam Hill
5. (My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers
6. Just Between The Two Of Us
7. If I Had Left It Up To You
8. I'm Gonna Break Every Heart I Can
9. Swinging Doors
10. The Bottle Let Me Down
11. High On A Hilltop
12. I'll Look Over You
13. The Fugitive
14. House Of Memories
15. All Of Me Belongs To You
16. Mary's Mine
17. Someone Told My Story
18. Go Home
19. Whatever Happened To Me
20. Loneliness Is Eating Me Alive
21. I Threw Away The Rose
22. Branded Man
23. You Don't Have Very Far To Go
24. Somewhere Between
25. Sing Me Back Home
26. The Son Of Hickory Holler's Tramp
27. Seeing Eye Dog

Tracks:

1. The Legend Of Bonnie And Clyde
2. I Started Loving You Again
3. Is This The Beginning Of The End?
4. I'll Always Know
5. Mama Tried
6. In The Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)
7. Teach Me To Forget
8. I'm Looking For My Mind
9. The Day The Rains Came
10. California Blues (Blue Yodel #4)
11. I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am
12. I'm Bringin' Home Good News
13. I Can't Hold Myself In Line
14. It Meant Goodbye To Me When You Said Hello To Him
15. Hungry Eyes
16. Silver Wings
17. Waitin' For A Train
18. Jimmie Rodgers' Last Blue Yodel (The Women Make A Fool Out Of Me)
19. California Cottonfields
20. White Line Fever
21. Workin' Man Blues
22. Okie From Muskogee
23. I Can't Stop Loving You
24. Huntsville
25. Irma Jackson
26. The Fightin' Side Of Me
27. I'll Be A Hero (When I Strike)

Tracks:

1. Right Or Wrong
2. Trouble In Mind
3. Stay A Little Longer
4. The Farmer's Daughter
5. Tulare Dust
6. Carolyn
7. Someday We'll Look Back
8. Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)
9. Grandma Harp
10. It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad)
11. I Wonder If They Ever Think Of Me
12. If We Make It Through December
13. The Emptiest Arms In The World
14. Everybody's Had The Blues
15. Things Aren't Funny Anymore
16. Honky Tonk Night Time Man
17. Holding Things Together
18. Here In Frisco
19. Kentucky Gambler
20. Always Wanting You
21. Living With The Shades Pulled Down
22. Running Kind
23. It's All In The Movies
24. The Way It Was In '51
25. I Never Go Around Mirrors
26. What Have You Got Planned Tonight Diana

Tracks:

1. If We're Not Back In Love By Monday
2. Ramblin' Fever
3. It's Been A Great Afternoon
4. Red Bandana
5. Footlights
6. My Own Kind Of Hat
7. Misery And Gin
8. Leonard
9. I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink
10. Rainbow Stew
11. Big City
12. Are The Good Times Really Over (I Wish A Buck Was Still Silver)
13. You Take Me For Granted
14. Pancho And Lefty
15. That's The Way Love Goes
16. Someday When Things Are Good
17. Let's Chase Each Other Around The Room
18. Kern River
19. Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star
20. In My Next Life

Amazon.com

For a long time, Merle Haggard has been best known for his least-important music--"Okie from Muskogee" and its sequels, "The Fighting Side of Me" and "Are the Good Times Really Over." All three of these patriotic novelty songs are included on this four-CD box set, but they are dwarfed by the riches around them. Songs such as "Running Kind," "If We Make it Through December," and "I Started Loving You Again" eschew sloganeering to draw powerful portraits of working-class folks pulled in one direction by a longing for footloose freedom and in another by economic realities and emotional ties. The catchy directness, the poetic vernacular, and Haggard's baritone purr mark those numbers as examples of country music at its finest. Down Every Road is as crucial as Robert Johnson's Complete Recordings, Hank Williams' Original Singles Collection ... Plus, or Bob Dylan's Biograph. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

As good as country music gets.......2007-03-24

When you think of traditional country music, few names command the respect Merle Haggard does. There are perhaps dozens of Merle compilations, but I find "Down Every Road" is arguably the best showcase of his versatile career.

It's amazing to see how far Haggard's career progressed from the early 60's to now; this collection covers the vast majority of his hits through 1994 or so, with a few minor exceptions ("Movin' On" isn't included, for example). It's all here. All the stories that make country music great: drinkin', trains, love gained, love lost, good-boy-gone wrong, etc. The thing is, Merle's lived most of this. The listener can almost feel the pain in his voice in a lot of this material, and it's completely believable. I guess that's why I like him so much, and one of the reasons he's been so well received over the course of his lengthy career. He's a road warrior, a survivor. I would recommend this collection to any real country music fan, but it's priceless for true Hag fans. Worth every penny.

All the best, when Hag was young!.......2006-03-10

I got this set for my Dad after he made me a compilation of Merle's classics. I listened to it, and while it was the same songs, they weren't how I remebered them. I asked Dad where he got them and he said from a more recent best of package. Apparently, due to record label rights, they had to have the vocals re-recorded for legal purposes. So instead of hearing Merle when his voice was still young with more range, instead of the older, more mature tones of his current vocals. Don't get me wrong, I love the recent stuff too, but this is a great collection when he was at his best.

Pure Country.......2005-09-04

I've been a country music fan dang near all my life. There's only one time that I was willing to put out over $40 (which is a lot of money to a workin' man like me) for a box set of music and this is it. That was about a year ago, and I have absolutely no regrets. They don't call Merle the "working man's poet" for nothing. Just pop one of these CDs in -- sit back, and listen closely to the words. He sings about what life really boils down to -- the hurtin', the lovin', the laughin', the cryin', the dyin', and in a way that just soaks into your soul. Just listen to the words and emotions behind "The Fugitive", "Branded Man", "The Bottle Let me Down", and "Silver Wings" for example. Merle's isn't just successful at singing heart-tugging songs, he can also belt out "get up and boogie" songs with the best of them -- songs like "Workin' Man Blues" and "Stay a Little Longer". Out of these 100 songs within these 4 CDs, there's not one bad song in the lot. You don't have a music career that spans decades if you're not touching a bunch of folks out there -- and Merle does just that with his heartfelt, believable singing. But, if you're checking out this album, you probably allready know that. Thanks, Merle, for all the great music.

Desert Island .......2004-12-18

If my entire music collection were lost, this would be my first purchase. I had all of Merle's (available) LP's and CD's when this came out, so I bought it for the unreleased tracks. The packaging and sound are wonderful. As this was a Capitol release, they went heavy on their own stuff (and also left off quite a few Capitol hits for obscure early album cuts). Quite a few essential Epic cuts are missing, and if I were to make a four CD Haggard set, I would balance it more with later hits. That being said, this is a fantastic set of music, and shows why Merle is the best all-around artist ever. As far as the combination of singing, songwriting, and musicianship goes (and he's great live),no one (including Hank) can touch the Hag. Buy this and see why most of the "singers" you hear today are imitations (albeit pale ones) of this man.

Hank And Haggard, The Best singer songwriters ever.......2004-03-29

Buy this with the Original Singles Collection by Hank Williams, and then throw in the theme cds by Haggard called Hurtin, Cheatin, Drinkin and Prison. If you can afford it get the Complete Hank Williams.

Average customer rating: Wonderful memories 20 Of His Great Songs. merle haggard Great selection of songs by the "Master" You've gotta love this CD - It's the best of Merle

Merle Haggard - 20 Greatest Hits Merle Haggard Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Honky-Tonk | Country | Styles | Music Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music Western Swing | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ultimate Waylon Jennings 16 Biggest Hits The Very Best Of Buck Owens, Vol.1 Waylon Jennings - Greatest Hits [RCA] 25 Number Ones ASIN: B000060NUP Release Date: 2002-02-26

Tracks:

1. Mama Tried
2. Workin' Man Blues
3. Silver Wings
4. Always Wanting You
5. Okie From Muskogee (Live)
6. Living With The Shades Pulled Down
7. Branded Man
8. Carolyn
9. If We Make It Through December
10. The Fightin' Side Of Me
11. The Bottle Let Me Down
12. House Of Memories
13. Today I Started Loving You Again
14. Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)
15. Honky Tonk Night Time Man
16. Sing Me Back Home
17. What Have You Got Planned Tonight, Diana
18. I'm A Lonesome Fugitive
19. Hungry Eyes
20. Old Man From The Mountain

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful memories.......2007-03-14

Merle has that wonderful early country music warmth when he sings. It is all about his experiences and his feelings. He doesn't rely on all the electronic back ups to high light his voice, it is just him.

20 Of His Great Songs........2007-02-08

Well This Album Has What You Need, When You Like Merle Haggard

merle haggard.......2006-03-29

this is just one of his many great albums. i would recommend it to any country music fan.

Great selection of songs by the "Master".......2006-03-16

This is the best collection of songs by the "Hag" that I have in my collection. Will bring back many memories to Merle Haggard fans.

You've gotta love this CD - It's the best of Merle.......2005-11-03

I was fascinated to find out that Merle either wrote or co-wrote most of the songs on this CD. I would recommend this CD to anyone who likes the "real country" music. All you have to do is listen to this CD and you will know that Merle has lived what he writes about. You will like this CD!

Average customer rating:

Thank You for Smoking Original Soundtrack Manufacturer: Lakeshore Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Honky-Tonk | Country | Styles | Music Western Swing | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Nostalgia | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Revival | Folk | Styles | Music Similar Items: Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette! Thank You for Smoking: A Novel Thank You for Smoking (Widescreen Edition) Monster House [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Apocalypto ASIN: B000EXDS0M Release Date: 2006-04-18

Tracks:

1. Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette - Tex Williams
2. Smoke Rings The Mills Brothers
3. Greenback Dollar The Kingston Trio
4. Little Organ Fugue The Swingle Singers
5. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes The Platters
6. Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray - Patsy Cline
7. Cigarettes & Whiskey Ramblin Jack Elliott
8. Cigarettes and Coffee - Otis Redding
9. Another Puff Jerry Reed
10. Intro & Tobacco One Rolfe Kent
11. Donate It & Sex Back In Cigarettes Rolfe Kent
12. Joey & Drums of Doom Rolfe Kent
13. Spanish Epilogue Revisited Rolfe Kent

Amazon.com

Based on Christopher Buckley's eponymous novel, Thank You for Smoking cynically and gleefully sends up the more PC aspects of our times. The first nine tracks are all golden oldies culled from a time--mostly the 1940s and 1950s--when smoke getting in your eyes was considered romantic, not second-hand poisoning, such as the Platters' version of Jerome Kern's "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"). Those familiar with kd lang's version of "Smoke Rings" will love the Mills Brothers' earlier version from 1932. The track is actual typical of the album, which not only offers those-were-the-days takes on smoking, but almost as many lessons on vocal styling. Group harmonies by the aforementioned Mills Brothers and the Swingle Singers' take on Bach's "Little Organ Fugue," for instance, are dazzling, while Patsy Cline ("Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray") and Otis Redding ("Cigarettes and Coffee") shine solo. In a completely different register, Jerry Reed's 1972 ode to addiction, "Another Puff," is punctuated by unappetizing coughs; Reed rasping lines "Give it to me! Give it to me! I love it! I love it! I love it!" and "You quit smoking, that'll leave more for me!" are followed by a maniacal laugh. The last four instrumental tracks consist of Rolfe Kent's original score; they maintain an appropriate lounge-lizardy mood but pale in comparison to the nuggets that precede them. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Average customer rating: A Tribute to a Tribute Album

A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World/It's All in the Movies Merle Haggard , and Merle Haggard & the Strangers Manufacturer: Beat Goes On ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Honky-Tonk | Country | Styles | Music Western Swing | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Country | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Back to the Barrooms Same Train, Different Time Jones Sings Haggard, Haggard Sings Jones: Kickin' Out the Footlights... Again Portrait of Merle Haggard/Keep Movin' On Strangers/Swinging Doors & The Bottle Let Me Down ASIN: B000EBGBKI Release Date: 2006-04-10

Tracks:

1. Brown Skinned Girl (With Narration) - Merle Haggard
2. Right or Wrong - Merle Haggard
3. Brain Cloudy Blues - Merle Haggard
4. Stay a Little Longer - Merle Haggard
5. Misery - Merle Haggard
6. Time Changes Everything - Merle Haggard
7. San Antonio Rose - Merle Haggard
8. I Knew the Moment I Lost You - Merle Haggard
9. Roly Poly - Merle Haggard
10. Old Fashioned Love - Merle Haggard
11. Corrine Corrina - Merle Haggard
12. Take Me Back to Tulsa - Merle Haggard
13. It's All in the Movies - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
14. Nothing's Worse Than Losing - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
15. After Loving You - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
16. Stingeree - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
17. I Know an Ending - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
18. This Is the Song We Sing - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
19. Living with the Shades Pulled Down - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
20. Hag's Dixie Blues, Pt. 2 - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
21. Let's Stop Pretending - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
22. Cotton Patch Blues - Merle Haggard & the Strangers
23. Seeker - Merle Haggard & the Strangers

Album Description

Remastered. If any one album deserves credit for ushering in the Western swing revival, it's this previously buried treasure from 1970. Haggard taught himself to play fiddle before recording this album and augmented his band with members of Wills's pioneering Texas Playboys, including guitarist Eldon Shamblin and fiddler Johnny Gimble. Merle would become a more fluid fiddler in the future, and the Strangers would swing more cohesively, but that doesn't take away from the chemistry or adventurousness in this, his first effort in the genre. BGO. 2006.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Edition that Combines the Tracks of Two Original LP Classics on to a Single Compact Disc. "Tribute..." Was Recorded Shortly after Famed Bandleader Bob Wills Had Been Cited by the Texas Legislature and Taken Ill Shortly After. Haggard Made it his Mission to Heighten Public Awareness of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys Contribution to Modern Music by Reuniting as Many Members of the Original Band that Would Participate in These Sessions Along with his Own Band the Strangers. The Album Accomplished It's Goal and Became the Precusor of Many Tributes by Others that Would Follow in the Years to Come. "it's all in the Movies" was Just One of Two Album Releases in 1975 and Finally Makes Its CD Debut on this Set. Includes the Hit Title Track and the Bob Wills Inspired "Living with the Shades Pulled Down".

Customer Reviews:

A Tribute to a Tribute Album.......2007-02-07

Not to worry this is a CD that takes two of Merle Haggard's Capital Record albums from the 1970's and puts them on one CD. In a way its amazing that Record buyers from the 60's and 70's bought albums with 30 minutes of music, but today we can reap the benefits of two albums plus some well worth bonus tracks on one CD. As to the Music its a pure delight. Merle Haggard plays tribute to his musical idol Bob Wills on the 1st half of this CD. Its great and many of the original Texas Playboys play too. This has been out of circulation for awhile. The other half of the CD is pure Haggard at his best.

Average customer rating: JENNY'S OPINIONS--THEY ARE FREE Interesting songs not all available elsewhere One of the best from Merle Haggard. The HAG tells it the way it is

18 Rare Classics Merle Haggard Manufacturer: Curb Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Honky-Tonk | Country | Styles | Music Western Swing | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Country General | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Country General | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Honky-Tonk | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Honky-Tonk | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Country | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Drinkin' Hurtin' Prison Cheatin' If I Could Only Fly ASIN: B000000D1L Release Date: 1991-06-18

Tracks:

1. Kentucky Gambler
2. Running Kind
3. Grandma Harp
4. Turnin' Off A Memory
5. Making Believe
6. The Way It Was in '51
7. A Working Man Can't Get Nowhere Today
8. What Have You Got Planned Tonight Diana
9. Green Green Grass Of Home
10. Here In Frisco
11. Where Does The Good Times Go
12. Am I Standing In Your Way
13. Love & Honor
14. White Line Fever
15. I'm A Good Loser
16. Silver Wings
17. Got A Letter From My Kid Today
18. When My Last Song Is Sung

Customer Reviews:

JENNY'S OPINIONS--THEY ARE FREE.......2006-11-05

HAGGARD AT HIS BEST. ITS SO EASY TO LISTEN AND HEAR WHAT MELRE CAN DO WITH HIS VOICE. WONDERFUL MUSIC. A MUST HAVE AND A KEEPER

Interesting songs not all available elsewhere.......2004-04-21

Curb released this collection partly to supplement other collections of Merle's hits then available on CD (Capitol Collectors series, More of the best, Best of the early years - all of which I've reviewed though two are long out of print). At the time this was released, three of his Capitol number one country hits (Kentucky gambler, Grandma Harp, Carolyn) were (to my knowledge) unavailable on CD. Two of them are included here, together with many great songs - a mix of B-sides and album tracks.

Dolly Parton wrote Kentucky gambler, which Merle took to the top of the country charts in 1974. Dolly's own version appeared on her album, Bargain store. Grandma Harp is based on a true story about a grand old lady. Running kind (about restlessness) is one of two other country hits on this collection - it made number twelve in 1977. The remaining country hit, A working man can't get nowhere today, made the top twenty in 1977.

Other songs that may be familiar to those with only a limited knowledge of Merle's music include two covers of country classics (Green green grass of home, Making believe) and Silver wings, one of his most popular B-sides. In the nineties, Merle re-recorded Silver wings as a duet with Jewel.

Of the others, I particularly like What have you got planned Diana (originally released as the B-side to Cherokee maiden), Here in Frisco and Where does the good times go - but there are a lot of great songs here, many still not available elsewhere on CD.

This collection may not appeal to casual fans just looking for hits but has much to offer committed fans of Merle's music.

One of the best from Merle Haggard........1999-10-07

The album is typical from Merle. It has some great songs in it and some great classics. I am very pleased with this album. If you are a Haggard fan, then by all means, buy this album. You want be un- happy with it.

The HAG tells it the way it is.......1999-01-02

Merle Haggard songs of real life is something every hard working american can relate to.Not like these tight jeans pretty boy singers of today.

Average customer rating: My Own Kind of Hat new to haggard Resonates of Johnny Cash Best Collection of his mid-to-late 70's, early 80's hits Close But No Cigar

The Ultimate Collection Merle Haggard Manufacturer: Hip-O Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Honky-Tonk | Country | Styles | Music Western Swing | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Country | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: For the Record: 43 Legendary Hits His Epic Hits: First Eleven to Be Continued 40 #1 Hits Hag: The Best of Merle Haggard Ultimate Waylon Jennings ASIN: B00004T93L Release Date: 2000-05-16

Tracks:

1. The Fugitive (aka I'm A Lonesome Fugitive) - Merle Haggard & The Strangers
2. Mama Tried (The Ballad from Killers Three) - Merle Haggard & The Strangers
3. Okie From Muskogee - Merle Haggard & The Strangers
4. If We Make It Through December
5. If We're Not Back In Love By Monday
6. Ramblin' Fever
7. From Graceland To The Promised Land
8. I'm Always On A Mountain When I Fall
9. It's Been A Great Afternoon
10. Red Bandana
11. My Own Kind Of Hat
12. The Way I Am
13. Misery & Gin
14. I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink
15. Leonard
16. Rainbow Stew
17. Yesterday's Wine - duet with George Jones
18. Pancho & Lefty - duet with Willie Nelson
19. That's The Way Love Goes
20. Sing Me Back Home - live

Album Description

He has the voice of a survivor, one who by the age of thirty had endured poverty, troubled youth and hard time in one of California's toughest prisons. In the late `60's, a time when far too many Nashville Country records were smothered in full orchestras and choirs to attract adult pop audiences, Merle Haggard helped jerk the music back to its senses.

Customer Reviews:

My Own Kind of Hat.......2007-07-08

Jeeezey creeezy, I'd been looking for "My Own Kind of Hat" for a long time, until I did an Amazon crawl and found it! Yes, the other songs are coooool too!! Thanks Amazon!

new to haggard.......2007-05-12

the more i listen to him the more i like him - very artful - very soulful - he's the real mccoy.

Resonates of Johnny Cash.......2006-05-29

Same depth and grit of the voice of Johnny Cash in a reflection of long last looks that everyone can relate to, and should, over the course of a lifetime.

Great duets with Willie Nelson in that they complement each other so well, each with a tone uniquely his own, but together scour the envelope of options and perspectives that touch the inner reaches of even male emotions, so often hard to reach.

Best Collection of his mid-to-late 70's, early 80's hits.......2005-01-28

You won't find all of the hits from this particular segment of Haggard's career on another single cd, and I regard it to be his best period overall. What I like about this collection is that they included a few of the essential earlier songs as well. My main gripe is that "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down" - one of his best songs ever - is missing. Regardless, this is a great Merle cd. Where else can you find "Ramblin Fever," "Leonard," "My Own Kind of Hat," "Pancho and Lefty," "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive," "Mama Tried," and "The Way I Am" on a single cd? The live version of "Sing Me Back Home," from Live in Anaheim, is the best I've ever heard. There are a couple of corny love songs thrown in, but Merle is the realest of the real deal, and most of the songs included here prove that.

Close But No Cigar.......2004-11-05

Is there really such a thing as a bad Merle Haggard song? I'm not the most rabid of country music fans, but if you don't like Merle Haggard, you don't like fried chicken on Sunday. Each of the songs Hag made on this set are quality, done with feeling, but it's pretty audacious of the company to call this "ultimate". Not fair to new Haggard fans. Where is "Silver Wings", "Branded Man", "Today I Started Loving Her Again"? There are others. Number one in Hag's heyday meant only #1 on the country chart, but that was sufficient and the missing songs were way up there on that chart as country music came into its own. You can buy all of his works if you like, but you will probably be better served to go for "20 Greatest Hits" or even "40 #1 Hits" if you can't get enough of this country music giant. Shop before you buy.

Average customer rating: Not original tracks--but Excellent later studio versions The Hag Merle sings the hits of yesteryear Still great after all these years... I shoulda consulted with Amazon!!

16 Biggest Hits Merle Haggard Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Honky-Tonk | Country | Styles | Music Western Swing | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Country | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $7.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: 16 Biggest Hits Super Hits, Vol.1 Waylon Jennings - Greatest Hits [RCA] 16 Biggest Hits 16 Biggest Hits ASIN: B000009CZT Release Date: 1998-07-14

Tracks:

1. Swinging Doors
2. The Bottle Let Me Down
3. I'm A Lonesome Fugitive
4. Branded Man
5. Sing Me Back Home
6. Mama Tried
7. Hungry Eyes
8. Workin' Man Blues
9. Okie From Muskogee
10. The Fightin' Side Of Me
11. Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)
12. I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink
13. Big City
14. Are The Good Times Really Over (I Wish A Buck Was Still Silver)
15. Going Where The Lonely Go
16. Silver Wings

Amazon.com

Hag went into the studio in October 1994 to rerecord his Capitol classics of the 1960s and early 1970s. Thirteen of these 16 cuts come from that session--perfectly fine versions, but not the original versions--while three early-1980s Epic recordings round out the collection. Still, fans who want to hear the Capitol chestnuts in their original form should strongly consider the outstanding two-CD Lonesome Fugitive: The Merle Haggard Anthology. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Not original tracks--but Excellent later studio versions.......2006-11-27

Great Merle Haggard songs performed by him and an uncredited band in the eighties, in chronological order, from his career beginning through the mid-eighties. Sound is excellent, arrangements are different enough to be interesting but not so different that they take your mind from the originals. Merle's voice sounds excellent throughout. A reasonably-priced compilation done by an older, wiser Haggard. A good companion to the original tracks. Recommended.

The Hag.......2006-02-06

I'm not sure how many different studio recordings of "Mama Tried" Merle released, but I've heard at least 3 different versions of it. I think I've finally found the version I like, this one. This is the one that used to be on the box at the National Liquor bar. In this version the line "no one could steer me right...but mamma tried", you have that pause there, this version is far superior to the other studio recordings, yes even the original. This one is sung with the most emotion by far.

Merle sings the hits of yesteryear.......2005-01-07

A mature Merle Haggard looks back to his early hits in this CD that was mostly recorded in the mid-to-late '90s, nearly three decades after these songs were chart-toppers. His voice has a bit more whiskey and gravel in it, but is still that unique sound, often a sound of pain, that is purely Merle. These are tales of hardship and loneliness, and Merle has at one time or another in his life lived them. The song I always find to be a heartbreaker is "Hungry Eyes", where Merle's writing genius captures a story of need so vividly we can almost see it in our mind's eye. "Working Man Blues" is a great toe-tapper, as is "The Fightin' Side of Me", a song that expresses how many of us feel in the present time.

Most of the tracks have simple but excellent backing, but there is no recording info given as to who is in the band in the minimal liner notes.
There are three tracks that were previously released: Two from the "Big City" CD from 1981 (tracks # 13 and # 14) and one from the "Going Where the Lonely Go" from 1982 (track # 15).
This is a terrific CD, as long as one isn't expecting the original recordings; I appreciate the legendary Haggard at every stage of his long career...and this look back at his early work is wonderful...music that tells stories from a time long gone, but still so relevant today.
The sound for the most part is good and total playing time is 50'58.

Still great after all these years..........2004-06-17

I withhold one star from this because these tracks were all recorded in October, 1994, although the original singles were released in the '60's, 70's and 80's. That said, it is still a fine one-disc collection of SOME of Merle's best. His voice was still great in '94, and the man knows how to write a song and put one over. "Lonesome Fugitive" and "Branded Man" and "Sing Me Back Home" and "Fightin' Side of Me" and "Big City" are all great. "Mama Tried" is universal. There is a two-CD collection just released earlier this year (2004) which probably represents the artist more completely, but if you find this one at a good price, it should please all his fans. Merle sings "Working Man Blues" on this disc, and I have tickets to see him perform on July 3rd. Check out his website and you'll see he works a heck of a lot for an old geezer born in 1937 (seven years older than I am!) He is one of country's greatest singers, along with Jones and Cash and Nelson, and still has something to say to music fans young enough to be his grandchildren.

I shoulda consulted with Amazon!!.......2001-11-09

I picked up this CD in a store and when I got it home, realized that instead of the original versions of his hits, we have re-hashed re-recordings from 1994! What a let down! I was expecting the old classics recorded with the Strangers! Shame on Sony Music for not labeling this collection on it's outer package for what it is. Thank you Amazon for honestly describing the contents on your website!

Anyone want a slightly-used Merle Haggard CD??

Average customer rating: WE DON'T "INHALE" MAR!JUANA IN MUSKOGEE (a.k.a. Clintonville) This is THE Haggard album,by far. The best Basic Collection Available GOOD MUSIC First 8-track, then LP, then cassette, now CD!

The Best of The Best of Merle Haggard Merle Haggard Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Honky-Tonk | Country | Styles | Music Western Swing | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Similar Items: Big City His Epic Hits: First Eleven to Be Continued Okie from Muskogee What a Friend We Have in Jesus Merle Haggard - 20 Greatest Hits ASIN: B000002UU3 Release Date: 1991-09-10

Tracks:

1. Okie From Muskogee
2. Hungry Eyes
3. Workin' Man Blues
4. The Farmer's Daughter
5. Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)
6. Today I Started Loving You Again
7. Mama Tried 'The Ballad From Killers Three'
8. Silver Wings
9. No Reason To Quit
10. Every Fool Has A Rainbow
11. The Fightin' Side Of Me

Customer Reviews:

WE DON'T "INHALE" MAR!JUANA IN MUSKOGEE (a.k.a. Clintonville).......2007-04-27

I had a great, true blue friend named Andy who took his own life in 1986. Andy was a hard-core Country-Western music fan who was certain that MERLE HAGGARD was God. His most famous remark - heard daily and known to all of his friends - was, "You know what Merle Haggard says: F**k 'em!" That was Andy's answer to everything: "You know what Merle Haggard says: F**k 'em!" His greatest disappointment in life was the fact that he couldn't get into the U.S. military (preferably the Marines) because he had a metal plate in his head from a childhood accident where he went through the windshield of a pickup truck his brother was driving.

When Andy put a bullet through that metal plate in '86, his friends held a wake where we played Merle Haggard's music in tribute. I later acquired the compact disc THE BEST OF THE BEST OF MERLE HAGGARD to listen to each year on Andy's birthday. I've just learned that the Country-Western legend has written a song called "HILLARY" promoting Hillary Clinton's White House bid. Well, I'm almost glad that Andy didn't live long enough to see this day, and you know what I say about Merle Haggard: "F**k 'im!"

The old "OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE" whose most famous song starts with, "We don't smoke mar!juana in Muskogee" is now endorsing a woman for U.S. president whose husband admitted that he smoked that weed, but didn't have the groin stones to admit that he "inhaled" it too. That song also says, "We don't burn our draft cards down on Main Street." Well, ol' Bubba never received a draft card because he jumped through hoops to avoid the Vietnam "police action" (not that I really blame him for that, but his cavorting with the Commies in Rooskieville was inexcusable!) Furthermore, the Okie from Muskogee told us that, "We don't make a party out of loving", but Hillary's wife made a national disgrace out of it. But then I suppose that "depends on what the meaning of loving is." Although in his defense, I don't think he ever had more than one woman in the Oval Office at a time. A sure sign of human decency, respect for the office of president, and indicative of respect for his husband, Hillary. (Read Year of the Rat: How Bill Clinton Compromised American Security for Chinese Money for a real eye-opener!)

The singing narrator of WORKIN' MAN BLUES (this disc's best song in my op.) tells us that he has nine kids and a wife but also boasts, "I ain't never been on Welfare, and that's one place I won't be." But now in 2007, the singer is supporting a feminist with a Socialistic agenda. (That's a bit redundant, I realize, but I won't take the time to explain why.) The author of "IT TAKES A VILLAGE" is now supported by the Workin' Man who shuns Welfare. Well, my great friend, Andy, may have had a metal plate in his head, but at least he had SOMETHING in there! And at least he really did believe in Truth, Justice, and THE AMERICAN WAY; when it came to Marxism/Leninism, he wasn't Hot-To-Trotsky.

In his entertaining book, Waylon: An Autobiography, MY favorite Country-Western legend tells an interesting story: "Merle Haggard and his manager, Fuzzy Owens, got me in a poker game and cleaned me out. I had four or five thousand dollars on me, and they won everything. They were there to get my money. That was it. I think Merle is a great singer and songwriter, and probably he was in as bad a shape as I was, but we've never been close since that night. I can still remember their faces. When I was broke, they said their good-byes and left. I never forgot that." [Page 173]

With a friend like that, who needs enemies? So I already knew that Merle was a jerk, but now his idiocy has been confirmed as well. I have decided that from now on I will honor my friend Andy's memory by NOT playing THE BEST OF THE BEST OF MERLE HAGGARD on his birthday. I'm going to leave the disc in the vast Arizona desert for the wild dogs to p*ss on and the "snakes" to adopt as one of their own. I give three stars to the music (not bad) but zero stars to the checkered-shirtted, straw-hatted, tobacco-chawin' turncoat who makes it. Poor Andy, he must be turning over in his . . . well, he doesn't have a grave - his ashes were let loose by a group of parachuting buddies in free-fall over Kern county, California.

Following are the lyrics to Merle Haggard's "HILLARY" :

Eight years in the White House
With the know-how we need
When you walk with a leader
You learn how to lead
And who kept her head high
When it could have been down
Who ran the show
When the scandal hit town
This country needs to be honest
Changes need to be large
Something like a BIG SWITCH OF GENDER
Let's put a woman in charge
Put a woman in charge of the Army
Put a woman in charge of the wheel
The country owes it to Hillary
And Hillary owes it to Bill


Now I can fully appreciate HAGGARD's disgust with the GEORGE W(ish I had a brain) BUSH presidency. Bush never got a single vote from me. Being a "True" and "Educated" American patriot I NEVER vote for a Republican or a Democrat; I cast mine for THE CONSTITUTION PARTY's candidate in the last election. And I opposed the war in Iraq from Day One. But Haggard's support of Hillary illustrates why so many in that music genre are mocked for their high self-esteem/low IQ reputations. If I was an Okie from Muskogee, I wouldn't be very "proud" today.

Hey, MERLE, I got some news for ya: That "BIG SWITCH OF GENDER" you're looking for? It's already occurred, pal. Take a gander in yer Wranglers!

This is THE Haggard album,by far........2007-03-03

Like everyone else,had this on 8-track,vinyl,cassette,and finally CD. In the early 70's, everyone had a copy of this. If you are a fan in 2007, you must get a copy of this,while you can.
A real 5-star CD.

The best Basic Collection Available.......2006-01-11

I've had this album on LP, Cassette, and now CD. One of my favorite albums and probably the best BASIC Merle collection on the market. Too many of the Merle Collections out there are re-recordings of a tired and burnt-out Haggard that leave the listener disappointed.....this one is not one of those. Get it while you can; a fine sampling of a legend in his heyday. A+

GOOD MUSIC.......2002-05-18

This is my favorite Merle Haggard cd. Every song is likeable if givin' the chance.

First 8-track, then LP, then cassette, now CD!.......2002-03-29

We've owned "The best of the best" in all 4 formats. If you love Mr. Haggard, this album is a must have. My family has never been on a road trip without it. Growing up, I listened to the record all of the time. Nowadays, I don't listen to country at all- but I'll always listen to Merle!

Average customer rating: Just Between the Two of Us/The Fightin' Side of Me from the vaults Merle Haggard "Live In Muskogee Oklahoma" from 1969 merle haggard : the fightin' side of me - live

Just Between the Two of Us/The Fightin' Side of Me Merle Haggard Manufacturer: Bgo - Beat Goes on ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Honky-Tonk | Country | Styles | Music Western Swing | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Country | Imports | Stores | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Portrait of Merle Haggard/Keep Movin' On It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad)/If We Make It Through December My Love Affair / The Roots Presents His 30th Album/A Working Man Can't Get Nowhere Today A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World/It's All in the Movies ASIN: B0000DIGL3 Release Date: 2003-11-17

Tracks:

1. Just Between the Two of Us - Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens
2. House Without Love Is Not a Home - Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens
3. Slowly But Surely - Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens
4. Our Hearts Are Holding Hands - Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens
5. I Wanta Live Again - Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens
6. Forever and Ever - Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens
7. That Makes Two of Us - Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens
8. I'll Take a Chance - Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens
9. Stranger in My Arms - Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens
10. Too Used to Being with You - Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens
11. So Much for Me, So Much for You - Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens
12. Wait a Little Longer, Please Jesus - Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens
13. Opening Theme: Hammin' It Up - Merle Haggard
14. I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am - Merle Haggard
15. Corrine Corrina - Merle Haggard
16. Every Fool Has a Rainbow - Merle Haggard
17. T.B. Blues - Merle Haggard
18. When Did Right Become Wrong - Merle Haggard
19. Philadelphia Lawyer - Merle Haggard
20. Stealin' Corn - Merle Haggard
21. Harold's Super Service - Merle Haggard
22. Medley: Devil Woman/I'm Movin' On/Folsom Prison Blues/Jackson/Orange Bl - Merle Haggard
23. Today I Started Loving You Again - Merle Haggard
24. Okie from Muskogee - Merle Haggard
25. Fightin' Side of Me - Merle Haggard

Album Description

UK twofer combines the country outlaw's 1966 album, 'Just Between The Two Of Us' (with Bonnie Owens), & 1970 album 'The Fightin' Side Of Me'. 25 tracks. BGO Records. 2003.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Two Original Albums on a Single CD. The First was Recorded in 1966 with Bonnie Owens (Formerly Mrs. Buck Owens and at this Time Mrs. Merle Haggard). The Second was Recorded Live in 1970 in Philadelphia Before a Capacity Crowd.

Customer Reviews:

Just Between the Two of Us/The Fightin' Side of Me.......2007-03-14

If you like clasic 70's country than this CD is for you. Bring back memories of deer hunting with my Dad and Brothers.

from the vaults.......2005-03-20

"Fightin' Side of Me," was recorded live in Philadelphia in the late '60s or early '70s, when protesting the Vietnam war was all the rage. This is the better of the two live Haggard albums I own, and I love his impressions, along with the novelty song "Harold's Super Service," available no place else. That one inspired a story by Jean Shepherd for "Playboy," about a pump jockey. Any song that can get Jean Shepherd interested is worth hearing--and singing. The truly weird part of this CD is just this--the first part, "Just Between the Two of Us," isn't Merle Haggard. That's a Buck Owens album. There's no mistake whatsoever. So, this is the oddest combo on one CD I ever heard. Luckily I enjoy Buck, so no problem, and I would have paid the full price just for the live Haggard album alone if I had to. a real treat.

Merle Haggard "Live In Muskogee Oklahoma" from 1969.......2004-04-20

I own the vinyl version and couldn't wait for this album to come out in CD form. Another album where Merle is at his very best.

merle haggard : the fightin' side of me - live.......2004-04-18

what a great album! my dad had this album on 8 track when i was a kid. i've been looking for it for 25 years and finally someone has re-released it! this is hag and the strangers at their best. the highlight of the album for me is merle doing his impersonations of marty robbins, hank snow, johnny cash, and a killer buck owens that you would swear is really him! if you're a haggard fan this is a must have. if i could own only one hag album, this would be it!

Music Album:

1. Hum & Strum / Other Chet Atkins
2. I'll Fly Away
3. I'm Staying Out
4. It's All Relative
5. Jole Blon
6. Just Divorced//Darlin Darlin Plus [Import] [Original recording remastered]
7. King of Hillbilly Bebop
8. Legendary Dolly Parton [Import]
9. Live!
10. Live at Longview [Live]

Music Album