Merle Haggard Album: “40 #1 Hits”

As I've explained in reviews of some older compilations of his music, it wasn't always easy to collect all Merle's classic songs that really mattered. The boxed set, Down every road, made that task very easy for those who could afford it. Now comes this double-CD containing forty of his most important songs. Some songs, now regarded as classics, were released only as B-sides, weren't released on singles at all, or didn't reach the top of the charts, so this set will not satisfy some diehard fans. Among the songs that do not qualify for inclusion here are Today I started loving you again, Silver wings, All my friends are gonna be strangers, Swinging doors, Bottle let me down and I take a lot of pride in what I am. Nevertheless, this is the strongest collection you're ever likely to find of Merle's music on a double-CD.

The set contains all 38 of his Billboard number one country hits, plus two that made number two. It may be that these two (If we're not back in love by Monday, I'm always on a mountain when I fall) made number one in some other chart - if not, the album title is inaccurate, but that doesn't affect the quality of the music, which covers his recordings for Capitol, MCA and Epic. Getting all three in one double-CD is a huge benefit to fans.

The tracks included here are the songs that established Merle's reputation and sustained it. Songs like Hungry eyes, Mama tried and Branded man tell of his troubled early life and coming to terms with it. Merle stood up for what he believed in with songs like Okie from Muskogee and Fighting side of me. He sang about overcoming hardship in Daddy Frank and If we make it through December. He sang of yearning in Always wanting you (apparently written about Dolly Parton), Big city and Sing me back home.

Merle sang some brilliant love songs including It's all in the movies, My favorite memory, That's the way love goes and A place to fall apart. He also recorded plenty of duets although only two of them qualified for this set, these being Yesterday's wine (with George Jones) and Pancho and Lefty (with Willie Nelson). Other classic songs feature here include Legend of Bonnie and Clyde, Working man blues, Old man from the mountain, Kentucky gambler, Moving on, Cherokee maiden and Roots of my raising.

This is the best introduction to Merle's music there is, unless you want to go for the boxed set. It contains nearly all the classic songs and the few it doesn't can be found easily if you want them.

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

There are two Merle Haggard's. Merle the younger and Merle the Elder, with

two quite different voices both equally plesant to listen to. Merle the younger sings a bit

higher and always returns to his favorite phrasing. Merle the Elder has a bit deeper range and

more variety in style. Both Merles are great listening and I listen so much I am now comfortable signing Merle songs at local Karaoki bars. This album is Merle the Younger and I recommend it strongly i you like Merle at all.

I've heard Merle now lives in the Redding area for the fishing. So if you are out fishing sometime and hear an old fisherman humming Merle tunes it might just be Merle.

I love Merle Haggard but I also love Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash, I love most old country singers. Wonderful

First off... Bar Room Buddies was originally released in 1980 on the Elektra label, not Capital. And the soundtrack was not "Any Which Way You Can", it was "Bronco Billy".

I own the vinyl soundtrack, cassette, and the promo 45 single (B/W The Not So Great Train Robbery).

Capital could've remastered this song and got rid of the pops and scratches, better yet remaster it off the analog cassette, which would've sounded a whole lot better.

I was able to remaster it myself from my cassette tape soundtrack, which came out like a champ and way better than the Capital release, and it only took a minute to do!

Capital Records... SHAME ON YOU!!!

Everything else on this compilation is great (including Bar Room Buddies if it only sounded great), and good selections.