Nu de oude baas weer hip is onder een nieuw 'americana'-publiek is het tijd 's mans beste werk, voor Capitol, uit de jaren '60 en begin jaren '70 te belichten. Een mix die laveert tussen stroperige countryballads en bijtende honky tonk.
"This CD pairs Merle's first two solo albums, originally released in 1965 and 1966. "Strangers" shows all the hallmarks of being a debut: it's largely comprised of previously released singles and finds Haggard in debt to his influences. It also is heavy on covers. But the album is thoroughly entertaining, highlighted by Merle's original "I'm Gonna Break Every Heart I Can" and the immortal title track. If Hag was merely finding his voice on "Strangers", he comes into his own on "Swinging Doors...". He had assembled his backing band, the Strangers, and developed his signature lean, tough Bakersfield sound. The two songs mentioned in the title are hardly the only bright spots on the album. It also finds him coming into his own as a songwriter, penning 10 of the 12 songs, and while not all of the tunes are quite at the level of the title tracks, most of them illustrate the depth and range of Haggard's writing and suggest the richness of the music that was just around the corner." (S.T. Erlewine, Allmusic)
Twee albums, uit 1966 en 1970, op één CD. "Bonnie Owens' first husband was Buck Owens, whom she married in 1948, and in 1965 she tied the knot again with Merle Haggard. She enjoyed a few hits as Haggard's duet partner; when "Just Between The Two Of Us" was released, Hag's career was only just getting off the ground. However, while Bonnie was a good honky tonk singer, she was hardly a great one like Haggard, who seems to be holding himself back a bit here. And while Hag and his Strangers are in typically strong form, this set of love songs (and the occasional cheatin' weeper) lacks the flinty power of Hag's classic outlaw ballads." (Mark Deming, Allmusic) Het op naam van Haggard verschenen live-album is een typische country-show, zoals we die ook van Cash kennen. Voor de afwisseling zingt zijn vrouw Bonnie een solo-nummer, The Strangers spelen een instrumental en er is plaats voor een heuse medley met successen van collega-country-artiesten. Zo zingen Merle en Bonnie een couplet van Cash & Carters "Jackson".
Tweede album dat de legendarische countryzanger maakt voor punklabel Epitaph (waar ook Tom Waits bij zit), Ongedwongen gespeelde country-songs, vaak in old-style honkytonk-vorm, vol delicaat steelguitar- en fiddlespel.
"Two albums from 1967, that both expanded the template that Haggard laid down on his second solo album, 1966's "Swinging Doors" and "The Bottle Let Me Down", continuing with the lean, propulsive spin on the Bakersfield sound pioneered by Buck Owens and Tommy Collins, but adding elements of folk and a stronger honky tonk underpinning. Haggard continued to mine the Tommy Collins songbook, and also started working Jimmie Rodgers tunes into his recorded repertoire, but the biggest development on these two records belonged to Haggard as a songwriter. On both records, he grew by leaps and bounds as a writer, penning such classics as the ghostly "House of Memories," "All of Me Belongs to You," "Someone Told My Story," "Skid Row," "I Threw Away the Rose," and "Branded Man," along with other notable tunes like "Life in Prison," which consciously recalls his own life story. Since there's not much that separates these two albums in an aesthetic sense, they make for an excellent two-fer." (S.T. Erlewine, Allmusic)
Ook verschenen onder de titels "The Hag - Live" en "In Concert - 1983". "This is a fantastic recording of Merle Haggard live at the Cheyenne Saloon & Opera House, Church Street Station, Orlando, FL. Haggard plays an impressive set starting with a very nice "Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Star." The overall performance has spirit and a soulful appeal, not the least of which is Haggard's loose yet still commanding musicianship and presentation. It's a crowded stage playing to a packed house. On "Corrine Corrina" he pulls out the fiddle, and on a charming rendition of "Faded Love" his ex-wife, Bonnie Owens, duets. She adds a nice element: beautiful harmonies on "That's the Way Love Goes" and a happy presence clapping her hands and lending vocals to "Okie from Muskogee." The horns and pedal steel guitar feel almost like orchestration behind Merle's twangy guitar, creating a clear and precise edge that gives this hardcore country music a bit of a rock & roll feel." (Joe Viglione, Allmusic; klik op link voor complete tekst)
Compilatie met songs van de albums die de outlaw countryzanger tijdens z'n vierjarige contract voor MCA records maakte. Songs over hoe moeilijk het is om van de drank af te blijven (en wat daar de gevolgen van zijn). Over vreemdgaan, over het daaropvolgende vertrek van vrouwen en over pogingen hen terug te krijgen. Daartussen staan ver-country-de versies van Elvis Presley-klassiekers, afkomstig van het Elvis-tribute-album "My Farewell To Elvis", dat hij, slechts enkele weken na Elvis' dood, in 1977 uitbracht. Alles vertolkt met die prachtige warme baritonstem, die je doet geloven dat hij ook daadwerkelijk veel heeft meegemaakt van waar hij over zingt.
Live-album uit 1981 van de outlaw-countryster met de gelooide stembanden, voor een extreem enthousiast en zo te horen massaal stadionpubliek. "Rainbow Stew: Live at Anaheim boasts an augmented Strangers (Haggards begeleidingsband, HB), with former Texas Playboys Eldon Shamblin, Tiny Moore, and Gordon Terry and a horn section filling out the band's sound. The result is a wonderful, swinging album that brings a new spin not only to classics like "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive" and "Sing Me Back Home" but also to Hag's newer songs "Misery and Gin," "I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink," and the title track." (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)
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