Merle Haggard - Roots Volume 1 info.txt
Merle Haggard - Roots Volume 1
Anti/Epitaph
86634-2
2001
Tracklist :
01. Always Late (With Your Kisses)
02. More Than My Old Guitar
03. If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time)
04. Look What Thoughts Will Do
05. My Baby's Just Like Money
06. Honky Tonkin'
07. Runaway Mama
08. I'll Sign My Heart Away
09. I've Got A Tender Heart
10. The Wild Side Of Life
11. Take These Chains From My Heart
12. I Want To Be With You Always
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If I Could Only Fly, Merle Haggard's first album for the indie label Anti,
was deservedly hailed as his finest record in decades, as audiences and
critics recognized a revitalized Hag. It wasn't just that his songwriting
was stronger than it had been, but it was also the unhurried grace of the
performances that recalled his peaks with the Strangers in the '60s and '70s.
If I Could Only Fly set the bar so high that it would have been easy to
assume that Haggard couldn't match it with his next album for Anti but,
remarkably, Roots, Vol. 1 surpasses its predecessor, ranking among the very
best albums of his long, storied career. The title implies that the record
is a return to the beginnings for Haggard, and that's true to a certain extent,
but Roots, Vol. 1 is hardly a studied, self-conscious tribute. Instead, it's
an unexpected return to how country records used to be made, inspired largely
by Haggard's teaming with Norman Stephens, Lefty Frizzell's longtime guitarist.
Stephens and Hag started playing and not long afterward, they decided to make
a record, comprised largely of Lefty songs, but also some Hank Thompson and Hank
Williams, along with three tunes from Haggard. There are no surprises here --
if you know country music, you know these songs -- but that's the beauty of the
record; since you know these songs so well, it's possible to hear the joy, the
elegance, and the brilliance of the performances. And, make no mistake about it,
this is a brilliant record, the equal of his legendary Bob Wills tribute, but
where that had the spirit of a punk record -- Merle learned how to play fiddle
weeks before recording -- this is the sound of a veteran relaxing, playing the
music he loves, but personalizing it through his years of experience, both
personal and professional. So, it's an album filled with small gems, but they
add up to a large triumph -- a rich, masterful album that's not just the best
country album of 2001, but one of Haggard's finest moments.
-- Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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Ripped with :
EAC 1.0b3
Secure Mode
Test & Copy
Flac 8
All artwork is also included
in 600 dpi scans in PNG
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