Merle Haggard Album: “Big City”

Arguably Merle's best album of the Epic years, this is a no-filler, must-have for any serious student of country music. The remastered disc sounds superb and is worth the price if you've got the older cd issue. I dispute the reviewer who asserts that Haggards Epic years were wasted with the exception of this classic. The Epic albums do have a different sound than the earlier Capitol years but that's only a natural progression of a man entering his 40's in a time when Nashville was swinging back to the "Urban Cowboy" pop period. Merle never gave in to the "Big City" sound and this album stands in clear contrast to much of what filled the airwaves then...and now. Pick it up and thank me later.

This may well be the finest of many excellent albums that Merle has recorded. The album yielded three major country hits - the title track (about a man in the city yearning to return to the country), My favorite memory (a very romantic song) and Are the good times really over (remembering the fifties).

There are plenty of other high quality songs too, including Good old American guest (a brilliant train song), I think I'm gonna live forever (about being glad that a failed relationship is over), Stop the world and let me off (about being upset that a failed relationship is over - this is a cover of a song most commonly associated with Patsy Cline), You don't have very far to go (a song that Merle wrote in the sixties) and I always get lucky with you (an excellent way to finish the original album.

As a bonus, this re-mastered edition includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks (Call me, I won't give up my train) - so there is more music than before and the sound is also improved. What more could anybody want? I think that this is an outstanding album by a country music legend.

If I had to pick just one Merle Haggard album to listen to, this is it. All the songs are great and Hag's voice is solid. One of the classic albums in country music. If you like his voice, you need this album.

All the alt-country, neo-folk, new-Americana wannabees out there trying to carry the torch better listen closely to this 1981 Hag classic for how this should be done. The big man's songwriting was peaking, introspective and personal as usual, but with good humor, wit, and class at the same time. Hag's infatuation with western swing was also growing, and was used to great effect here, highlighting and illustrating the lyrics without sounding intrusive. The production is minimal and clean, and really sounds great. The title track, his raucous song about ridin' the rails ("Good Old American Guest"), and many others make this a superior collection that stands the test of time. Thank you Merle!

I really like Merle Haggard's music. His music is always so soothing to listen to and is truly traditionally old country. This CD will give you that. Loved the CD.