Merle Haggard Album: “Merle Haggard [Castle Pulse]”

This same concert pops up now and then under different names and foreign labels. I guess it's a bootleg from Europe, and Merle (and anyone else involved) probably isn't getting a cent from it.

But, still, it's an amazing performance. Not only is Merle sounding as great as ever, but his band is even more remarkable than usual. In addition to the easily recognizable sounds of the longtime "Strangers," it sounds like Clint Strong is part of the band on this show (probably recorded in the mid-80s), giving a virtuoso guitar performance unlike anything I've ever heard -- tastefully and effortlessly combining country, bebop, and rock.