Disco de Merle Haggard: “Cheatin'”

Descripción (en inglés) :

All tracks have been digitally remastered. <p>Perhaps taking a cue from Columbia's theme-centered 2000 series of Johnny Cash compilations (GOD, MURDER, LOVE), Capitol gave Merle Haggard's work a similar treatment in 2001. Like Cash, Haggard was always regarded as a poet of the working class, and the four volumes of this series (HURTIN', DRINKIN', CHEATIN', and PRISON) reflect the proletarian ethos the hard-living Haggard knows so much about. The fact that his Capitol tenure encapsulated Haggard's most commercially and aesthetically successful recording years means that much more impact for this quartet of honky-tonk treasures. <p>CHEATIN' hones in on that most basic of country music song subjects, infidelity. The pure, unadulterated bitterness that drips from each of these ten songs is typified by the first line of the first song "I'll Always Know;" "revenge must be the reason why forgiveness was a thing I never knew." Merle's hard-hitting musical approach was always matched by his willingness to tackle unpleasant subjects with clear-eyed commitment, so he's fully qualified to dig into the scornful emotions of the cuckold's tale "Love and Honor" and the existential justifications of "It's Not Love (But it's Not Bad)"'s desperate circumstances. "My Ramona" caps off the album with its too-defensive narrator staving off inevitable romantic disappointment and making veiled threats, adding a darker tinge to CHEATIN's already grim color scheme.

Great CD. One of four new albums of Merle's vintage stuff arranged thematically. I have three of four ("Drinkin," "Cheatin" and "Prison" -- I didn't get "Hurtin" yet, because it seemed, well ... possibly downbeat).

If Merle wasn't cuckolded and cheated on like a blind poker player, then he sure faked it well. These are those classic country Haggard songs you're looking for, with that "swinging doors" sound and twang from the golden age that Merle pretty much helped define.

After this album, you'll be tempted to drive around the Motel 6 and see if the old lady's car is there. Which will lead you to Merle's "Drinkin" CD. Hey, either way, it's a tribute to the master Merle that his stuff is still out there as country music continues to go into the can.

I rated this CD only 4 stars, just because I am saving the 5 stars for the other 3 CDs in the series: Hurtin', Drinkin', and Prison. Aside from Trains, Pick Ups, and Mama, these are like the four main themes of Country Music. Carolyn and Ramona, the last two cuts, are my favorites. Carolyn is a ballad, kind of a story song. It tells a haunting tale of what happens when a man isn't treated well at home. "Something about the smell of strange perfume. . ." Ramona has great guitar picking and fabulous singing. Chills up the spine. It tells the tale of how Ramona changes while her man is away at prison. But that is another CD. The CDs in this series are collections of previously recorded material, but grouped together around 4 main themes. It is a very good concept, and the artwork is exceptional. A great introduction to Merle Haggard's music. Collect all 4.