Customer Reviews

1996

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
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What a beautiful album Haggard has produced to follow up his many, many other soulful tributes to a life well lived. Merle Haggard mixes true honky-tonk ("Beer Can Hill", where he is joined by classic Buck Owens) with a sound rather like The Band (a truly memorable ballad called "No Time to Cry") and traditional Merle humor in "Untanglin' my Mind". Haggard puts those pure and hearty vocal chords forward, proving that he still has what it takes to be one of country music's greatest and longest enduring stars.

Some say that Hag's songwriting skills have diminished. If that's true, you can't tell from this CD. His most recent collection of new music is also one of his best, from the raucus 'Sin City Blues' (reminiscent of his best raunchy honky tonkers like 'Living With The Shades Pulled Down') to the haunting 'Kids Get Lonesome Too'. In the last track, Merle displays his love for the natural world, in a way that only he can. Country radio should be ashamed of itself for not playing this.

The voice is craggier and the tunes are just as good or better than many of his earlier classics...essential for Hag fans! In addition, his band keeps getting tighter and is a great joy to listen to.

This album in my opinion is a breath of fresh air from all the "repackaged hits" we've seen for the last 10 years. As the liner notes state, Merle Haggard has "updated" his sound and the songs that he chose to record for this album are well worth the investment for this CD. Especially take note of the duet with John Anderson called Winds of Change. A handful of the songs on this CD should be hits and would be hits if today's radio stations would give this country music icon some air-time. When I saw Haggard in concert recently I was extremely dissappointed that these songs were not performed. So....the only way to hear them is to buy this CD. You won't be sorry.