Merle Haggard Album: “Going Where the Lonely Go/That's the Way Love Goes”

Description :

2 LPs on 1 CD: GOING WHERE THE LONELY GO (1982)/THAT'S THE WAY LOVE GOES (1983). <p>Audio Remasterer: Steve Hoffman. <p>The 1980s weren't kind to Merle Haggard--the decade's air of ersatz optimism and its featherweight pop songs were anathema to his gritty, workingman ballads, while country music's newfound prissy puritan streak signaled the demise of the traditional drinking song that remained his forte. Despite his lack of chart success, however, Haggard's remarkable songwriting abilities are very much in evidence all over this budget-priced twofer--in GOING WHERE THE LONELY GO's title track, in "Why Am I Drinking" (the kind of barroom classic Haggard seemed to be able to write in his sleep), and in the painful honesty of "Half a Man." Though the focused production of THAT'S THE WAY LOVE GOES has the edge, Haggard's world-weary vocals and unerring ear for a turn of phrase make both these albums worthy of attention.

"Going Where the Lonely Go", - what ever happened to great albums like this, a gem of the past, cause they sure don't make'm anymore. Going Where The Lonely Go, the Hag's best Epic effort, displays a good variety of songs, ballads, drinkin' songs, leaving songs, and Merle Haggard with the Strangers is at their very best playing tunes like, "Going Where The Lonely Go", "If I Left It Up To You", "I Won't Give Up My Train", "Why Am I Drinkin'", "For All I Know", "You Take Me For Granted", "Shopping For Dresses", and "Half A Man",- both are Jimmy Dickens and Willie Nelson originals. The second Epic album on this cd, "That's the Way Love Goes", not the greatest Merle Haggard album but seems to blend in well with GOING WHERE THE LONELY GO. That's the Way Love Goes, a classic Lefty Frizzell standard,(Frizzell one of the Hag's mentors) is the best tune on here and received alot of airplay and attention for Merle, and the same goes with, "What Am I Gonna Do With(The Rest Of My Life.)" and the notable, "Someday When Things Are Good". A Merle Haggard essential.