The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard

1. Today I Started Loving You Again

2. Okie from Muskogee

3. Swinging Doors

4. Branded Man

5. I'm a Lonesome Fugitive

6. Fightin' Side of Me

7. (My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers

8. I Threw Away the Rose

9. Sing Me Back Home

10. Soldier's Last Letter

The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard,Merle Haggard,Gusto,Bakersfield Sound,Country,Honky Tonk,Pop,Popular Music,Progressive Country,Songwriter,Traditional Country,Western Swing Revival

Average customer rating: Best introduction to a legendary artist. One of the greatest country artists ever.... Very Good unique collection Merle's best!

Hag: The Best of Merle Haggard Merle Haggard Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Honky-Tonk | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | 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: Jones Sings Haggard, Haggard Sings Jones: Kickin' Out the Footlights... Again 21 #1 Hits: The Ultimate Collection Back to the Barrooms Ultimate Waylon Jennings Last of the Breed ASIN: B000HC2PCM Release Date: 2006-09-12

Tracks:

1. The Bottle Let Me Down
2. Branded Man
3. Sing Me Back Home
4. The Legend Of Bonnie And Clyde
5. Today I Started Loving You Again
6. Mama Tried
7. Im Bringing Home Good News
8. I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am
9. Hungry Eyes
10. Workin Man Blues
11. Silver Wings
12. Okie From Muskogee
13. The Fightin Side Of Me
14. Someday Well Look Back
15. If We Make It Through December
16. Things Arent Funny Anymore
17. Honky Tonk Night Time Man
18. Old Man From The Mountain
19. Living With The Shades Pulled Down
20. I Think Ill Just Stay Here And Drink
21. Big City
22. Pancho And Lefty - with Willie Nelson
23. Im Leaving Now with Johnny Cash
24. Runaway Mama
25. Thats The News
26. She Aint Hooked On Me No More with Toby Keith

Album Description

The first-ever career spanning, cross-label (Capitol, MCA, Epic, Anti, Compendia), single disc, "Best of" compilation. 26 classic songs all remastered from the original studio tapes. Features duets with Johnny Cash, Toby Keith and Willie Nelson. This collection focuses on Haggard's songwriting--23 of the 26 songs were written or co-written by Merle Haggard. Includes 13 #1 Country Singles.

Customer Reviews:

Best introduction to a legendary artist........2007-05-23

If you were going to buy a best of to introduce someone to Merle Haggard, this is a good one. Plenty of classics here, But I kind of wish they included more of his MCA and Epic era hits.

One of the greatest country artists ever...........2007-03-27

I really like old country music. It's much more sincere and real that the current garbage permeating the airwaves. Merle Haggard is a prime example of that old country music. He's one of the greatest songwriters to emerge from country music, and his songs are still valid today. Many people dismiss him as a right wing blowhard because of songs like Okie from Muskogee and The Right Side of Me. I actually like Okie, and its criticisms of hippie lifestyles is kind of funny and true, considering hippies were silly and naive. I don't care for The Right Side of Me, which is way too jingoistic in my opinion, but that doesn't mean one should just dismiss everything the man has written. Merle is a true artist and a complicated man. The Grateful Dead have covered his songs (most notably Mama Tried, included here), so even the hippie Dead recognized that Merle is a great songwriter, and his political views (which are probably more complicated than most people think) shouldn't matter when it comes to his art. Personally, I think there's more wisdom in a 3 minute Haggard song (and a Cline and Wiliams one) than in all the political rants of lefties and righties combined. There was a recent article on Amazon's plog about how people in Seattle were rather rude to him when he was performing, showing that liberals can be closed minded as well. This is a wonderful collection, featuring many of Merle's greatest, including Mama Tried, Okie from Muskogee, Hungry Eyes, and The Bottle Let Me Down. Haggard is still going strong today, and his music will go on forever....

Very Good.......2007-01-03

Merle Haggard is at his best on this cd. Would like to see a dvd from him.

unique collection.......2006-10-11

no need to skip tracks, pop it in and let it play,great car cd, remastering is excellent. Classic cover photo. Nice set,buy it.

Merle's best!.......2006-09-18

Merle Haggard is a musical genius, and this album shows why. Twenty six career spanning, great songs from one of country's greatest singer/songwriters. VERY highly recommended.

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: 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:

His Greatest & His Best Merle Haggard Manufacturer: Mca 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 ASIN: B000008GBE Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink
2. I'm Always on a Mountain When I Fall
3. Red Bandana
4. Way I Am
5. It's Been a Great Afternoon
6. Ramblin' Fever
7. Misery and Gin
8. My Own Kind of Hat
9. If We're Not Back in Love by Monday
10. Rainbow Stew
11. When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again
12. Leonard
13. Back to the Barrooms Again
14. Wake Up
15. Running Kind

Average customer rating: One of the best! An interesting historical document, but not a great record this is real bob wills music, real fun real swing Merle put Western Swing back on the map!! Supurb and Deserving Tribute

A Tribute To The Best Damn Fiddle Player In The World: Or, My Salute To Bob Wills Merle Haggard & the Strangers Manufacturer: Koch 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 | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Same Train, Different Time ASIN: B000001SLO Release Date: 1995-06-20

Tracks:

1. Brown Skinned Gal
2. Right Or Wrong
3. Brain Cloudy Blues
4. Stay A Little Longer (Stay All Night)
5. Misery
6. Time Changes Everything
7. San Antonio Rose
8. I Knew The Moment I Lost You
9. Roly Poly
10. Old Fashioned Love
11. Corrine, Corrina - Strangers
12. Take Me Back To Tulsa

Amazon.com essential recording

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. And he was resourceful enough to pick some tunes ("I Knew the Moment I Lost You") that remain obscure even today. --John Morthland

Customer Reviews:

One of the best!.......2005-09-18

Once again Merle Haggard has done a wonderful job on a tribute album. He did the same for Jimmie Rodgers. This album only makes a listener want more Bob Wills. The only exception to excellence is that I would have added a couple more of Bob Wills classics.

An interesting historical document, but not a great record.......2003-12-06

When Merle Haggard hit superstardom in 1969 on the back of "Okie from Muskogee," in his typical idiosyncratic fashion, he chose to exercise his new found leverage over his record company to record and release his salute to Bob Wills, who by that time sadly had faded into obscurity beyond a few honky-tonk jukeboxes on the Texas prairie. Hag's championing of Wills was instrumental in the resurgence of interest in his music and some of his former Texas Playboys, such as fiddler Johnny Gimble were able to resuscitate their careers in the wake of this recording. So there is no questioning Hag's sincerity and dedication. What is at issue it the recording itself.

Bottom line: it's not bad, but it's not Bob Wills, either. Hag's band, the Strangers, is not entirely suited to this music, and it loses some of its swing. And while Hag's a fine vocalist, he is no Tommy Duncan, and his spoken interjections, a la Wills, don't really come off, at least to me. So I would give five stars for the intention and effort, but if you really want to hear "Time Changes Everything," "Take Me Back To Tulsa," "San Antonio Rose," or other Bob Wills classics...buy a Bob Wills record.

this is real bob wills music, real fun real swing.......2003-07-08

The thing about this is that this music is real fun, not reverential archival recreation by people outside the music culture the life cultural the joy culture of the music, but something done by the literal descendant of Bob Wills, a great ARTIST who called together great artists to do this. This began the return of Westdarn swing
but forget about the importance of this album. You will like it because its fun, it swings, it talks about love in a loving way, blues in a bluesy way, swing in a swinging way, and it just is good even if it had been done last night by a garage band in Upper Nyack New York.
People I know who know Bob Wills Music because they sat out on the Santa Monica Peer among 10,000folks listening to battles of the bands between Wills and Spade Cooley say this is how the wills band sounded.
But even if there had never been a Bob Wills, this CD is a treasure.
Of course it is a treasure that will lead you to bigger more important ones--try Boot Hill Drag, the MGN years by Bob for size--if you like to strike it rich.
And don't forget if Haggard is this good here, try out his work from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s. Few American artists of any kind any genre have been as good has Haggard in his true Hag years

Merle put Western Swing back on the map!!.......2002-06-11

Merle put Western Swing back on the map!
True to form when Merle does a tribute album, he really does it right! He brings the spirit of the person alive whom he is paying tribute.

When Merle Haggard and his The Strangers and a handful of retired Texas Playboys recorded this album, he intended to turn back the pages of time, hoping for a glance at what once had been, never dreaming that he would jump start the Western Swing genre back into popularity single-handedly.

Haggard, always a risk taker, lost his father way too soon, ended up riding the rails, `hoboing' across the US with a Railroad Workers pass in his pocket because of his father's trade. He never used the pass and did it his way. His way, wound him up in San Quentin Prison serving hard time where he turned 21 in solitary confinement next to condemned criminal Caryl Chessman. His offenses, though not the caliber of Chessman, he was a very unsettled young man with a string of convictions ranging from burglary, grand theft auto and more escapes from jails and juvenile institutions than the judge had ever seen. He served his time, paid his debt to society and later California Governor Ronald Reagan eventually gave him a full pardon.

Haggard beat the odds. He emerged from prison a changed man. He left behind a life of crime and ended up a legend in his own hometown of Bakersfield and in Country music, not to mention, a legend in his own time.

At the height of his career, he swept the CMA awards ceremonies in 1969 for his self-penned, mixed message anthem, 'Okie From Muskogee'. It garnered awards for album, song, single, and male vocalist and entertainer of the year. As he stood there accepting the trophys, in the back of his mind was a project that would change music history; `The Bob Wills Tribute'.

He discussed it with his Strangers and always the perfectionist, never the compromiser; they decided if the project was to have validity, outside assistance was necessary. Merle went to Ft. Worth to see Bob Wills, then ailing from a series of heart attacks and strokes which impaired him where he no longer lead a band or perform. Wills advised, "Get some of my Texas Playboys to help you!" Most were scattered, in retirement except fiddler Johnny Gimble in Nashville who was a popular sideman. Within hours of this meeting with Wills, Merle had received commitments from 6 former Texas Playboys including Johnny Gimble, guitarist Eldon Shamblin, fiddlers Joe Holley and Tiny Moore who also played electric mandolin, trumpet man Alex Brashear, Bob's brother Johnnie Lee Wills on tenor banjo. With the Strangers as a nucleus: guitarist Roy Nichols, steel guitarist, Norman Hamlet, rhythm Bobby Wayne, bass man Dennis Hromek, drummer Biff Adam, fiddler Gordon Terry and pianist George French the two groups merged together and commenced rehearsals on Merle's 33rd birthday, April 6th, 1970. The 3 day session yielded the album that turned back the pages of time, 'A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddler in the World... or My Salute to Bob Wills'.

Talk about taking risks! Having swept the CMA awards and he chose this to be his `Okie' follow-up album? Capitol Records producer Ken Nelson was NOT amused! Threatening to sue Hag for breach of contract, Nelson, who had produced virtually all of Haggard's early hits, refused to produce the sessions. Calling their bluff, Merle booked studio time and commenced. They were not about to lose their `cash cow', after all the awards, number one hits, and all that money rolling in. Meanwhile, Capitol released a `live' follow-up album from a concert in Philadelphia, entitled 'The Fightin' Side Of Me', a sequel to 'Okie'.

Haggard stood his ground, self produced the recordings, while Capitol assigned Earl Ball interim `producer'; he made sure there was tape on the Ampex recorders. Merle proudly played the fiddle Bob Wills had given him. This recording was about posterity, not hits, or money. It is the album, which brought Western Swing out of mothballs. The music had with the emergence of Television and Rock and Roll. It was dance music but by 1956, Wills' music was taking a backseat to 'I Love Lucy' and Elvis Presley. People preferred to sit at a 'concert' to view a performance instead of `shaking a leg'. Old-timer's talked about the good old days, teenagers took over music, the recording industry catered to them and the old 78-rpm's gave-way to 45-rpm's.

In 1970, enter Merle Haggard Superstar. He releases this groundbreaking album paying homage to another hero whose music has touched untold thousands. This album was the Rosetta Stone where artists Asleep at the Wheel, George Strait and others took inspiration, emerging as great Western Swing artists. Haggard relit the torch, passed it on to these upstarts and the results speak for themselves.

The album proved several things. Merle had done his homework, this was not some `Johnny-come-lately-flash-in-the-pan' just out to fulfill contract obligations and make a few bucks. Merle knew Wills, seeing him many times in his neighborhood as a teenager at dances in the 40's at Bakersfield's Beardsley Ballroom from a window he crawled up and sat in. He witnessed legends playing with freshness on each performance yet with standard of excellence, heard on the red Columbia Bob Wills 78 rpm's his mother had bought him. He observed with an intensity that afforded him knowledge of Bob's stage antics as he played his fiddle, and the band extemporized their solos. Merle, who was especially delighted in Tommy Duncan's easy, straightforward singing style and the hot guitar solos. When the tribute album was in the works Merle would say, "Didn't 'we' used to do it like this?" playing a passage on the fiddle. Merle indeed did his homework. He loved their music, and it shows! The album is a labor of love; lots of joy and tears passed between them all before it was completed.

Buy this CD! It is a highly recommend album for all fans of Bob Wills, Western Swing, and Merle Haggard. You will get a birds eye view of what Merle observed from that window as a kid. Let Merle and company turn back the pages of time. Bob Wills is gone and was not present on this album- but his spirit sure was and still IS!

Buddy McPeters
Bay Area, CA June 2002

Supurb and Deserving Tribute.......2001-04-27

I'm also 33 years old but my parents actually had the LP of this great album. (What's a CD?) However it's been collecting dust for 25 years since it's too worn out to listen to. Plus, where is that darned old record player anyway! After recently acquiring this LP on CD, trust me, you'll be glad to hear this fine "tribute to the best" in true 21st century hi-fi sound (CD quality). Oh yeah, the songs are all good to, but I've loved this album since the '70s. Ahh Haa.

Average customer rating:

Very Best of Merle Haggard Merle Haggard Manufacturer: EMI Gold Imports ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Country | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000R4S5Z6 Release Date: 2007-07-09

Tracks:

1. I'm A Lonesome Fugitive
2. Branded Man
3. Sing Me Back Home
4. The Legend Of Bonnie And Clyde
5. Mama Tried
6. Hungry Eyes
7. Workin' Man Blues
8. Okie From Muskogee
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. I Wonder If They Ever Think Of Me
15. Everybody's Had The Blues
16. If We Make It Through December
17. Things Aren't Funny Anymore
18. Old Man From The Mountain
19. Kentucky Gambler
20. Always Wanting You
21. Movin' On
22. It's All In The Movies
23. The Roots Of My Raising
24. Cherokee Maiden
25. (My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers
26. Swinging Doors
27. The Bottle Let Me Down
28. I Threw Away The Rose
29. I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am
30. Street Singer
31. Jesus, Take A Hold
32. I Can't Be Myself
33. The Sidewalks Of Chicago
34. Soldier's Last Letter (1990 Digital Remaster)
35. Someday We'll Look Back
36. The Emptiest Arms In The World
37. Here Comes The Freedom Train
38. Sing A Sad Song
39. Just Between The Two Of Us
40. I'm Gonna Break Every Heart I Can
41. What Have You Got Planned Tonight Diana (2001 Digital Remaster)
42. A Working Man Can't Get Nowhere Today
43. Running Kind
44. Making Believe
45. The Way It Was In '51
46. High On A Hilltop
47. I'll Leave The Bottle On The Bar (2001 Digital Remaster)
48. Silver Wings

Album Description

Merle Haggard. Just those two words together say so much more than any sentence or paragraph. Merle is one of the greatest Country artists of all-time...if not THE greatest! Yeah, Johnny, Willie, Waylon and the others are great, too, but Merle is something else. If you took an X-Ray of Merle, all you'd find is a bottle of whiskey, a dusty cowboy hat, a banged-up acoustic guitar, a bus pass and a broken heart. Yeah, that's Merle Haggard. This double disc set contains 48 great tracks including 'Silver Wings', 'Swinging Doors', 'Okie From Muskogee', 'I Wonder If They Ever Think Of Me', 'Things Aren't' Funny Anymore' and many others. EMI. 2007.

Album Details

Merle Haggard Had a Very Chequered Life Spending a Lot of his Early Years in and Out of Prison. However from the Early 60s Onwards He Never Looked Back Having Had a Run of 37 Consecutive Top Ten Country Hits, 23 of which were Number One's. In 1966 He was Voted Best Male Singer by the Academy of Country Music Awards. Disc One of this Set Includes 24 of his Number One's and the Songs on Disc Two were all Top Ten Hits for Haggard.

Average customer rating: Inspirational and enjoyable

Merle & Willie: Gospel's Best Merle Haggard , and Willie Nelson Manufacturer: Mca Special Products 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 Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Country General | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Country General | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Honky-Tonk | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Honky-Tonk | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Outlaw & Texas Country | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Outlaw & Texas Country | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Christian & Gospel | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Gospel Favorites What a Friend We Have in Jesus How Great Thou Art The Troublemaker The Gospel Collection ASIN: B000002QEK Release Date: 1995-01-01

Tracks:

1. What A Friend We Have In Jesus
2. He Walks With Me
3. The Old Rugged Cross
4. Swing Low Sweet Chariot
5. Stand By Me
6. In God's Eyes
7. Tell It To Jesus
8. It Is Not Secret (What God Can Do)
9. Softly And Tenderly
10. There Shall Be Showers Of Blessings

Customer Reviews:

Inspirational and enjoyable.......2000-08-10

Great inspirational songs performed with the uniquely familiar voice of Willie Nelson, as well as the deep quality of Merle Haggard's voice. The sincerity can be heard in their voices. The music is great for any fan of Willie-style country music and even better for those who enjoy the familiar lyrics of Christian hymns. Easy and fun to sing along with.

Average customer rating:

Best of the 70's and 80's Merle Haggard Manufacturer: Krb Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Honky-Tonk | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Similar Items: Last of the Breed Jones Sings Haggard, Haggard Sings Jones: Kickin' Out the Footlights... Again Live at Texas Stadium A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection ASIN: B000FGBYD6 Release Date: 2007-04-16

Product Description

SONGS:ALWAYS WANTING YOU,FROM GRACELAND TO THE PROMISED LAND,IT'S ALL IN THE MOVIES,RAMBLIN' FEVER,CHERKEE MAIDEN,I'M ALWAYS ON A MOUNTAIN WHEN I FALL,THE ROOTS OF MY RAISING,THE WAY I AM,I THINK I'LL JUST STAY HERE AND DRINK,IT'S BEEN A GREAT AFTERNOON

Average customer rating:

His Best Merle Haggard Manufacturer: Mca 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 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 Similar Items: Big City ASIN: B000002O20 Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. I Don't Want To Sober Up Tonight
2. When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
3. Make-Up And Faded Blue Jeans
4. Love Me When You Can
5. Leonard
6. No One To Sing For (But The Band)
7. Back To The Barrooms Again
8. Wake Up
9. Roses In The Winter
10. The Running Kind

Average customer rating: One Of The Great Album By Merle.

Best of the '90s, Vol. 2 Merle Haggard Manufacturer: Curb Special Markets 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 CDs Under $7 | Country General | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | 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 Under $7 | Honky-Tonk | 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 ASIN: B00004GJXP Release Date: 2000-02-15

Tracks:

1. Way Back In The Mountains
2. Troubadour
3. In My Next Life
4. Bye, Bye Travelin' Blues
5. Swingin' Doors
6. Lucky Old Colorado
7. Never No More Blues
8. A Bar In Bakersfield
9. My Home Is In The Street
10. Too Many Highways
11. If Anyone Ought To Know

Customer Reviews:

One Of The Great Album By Merle........2007-01-12

This Is Just A Good Album, I Realy Enjoy Listening To It--Whenever---

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