Customer Reviews

Chicago Wind

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is Merle's first CD to be produced by someone other than himself since "1994". As with that CD, this one is much slicker and mainstream sounding than Hag's self-produced efforts. It's interesting to note that with Jimmy Bowen's previous collaborations with Merle, one ("Serving 190 Proof") wasn't slick at all, and may have been Merle's best album. The second, ("Back to the Barrooms"), was a bit "Nashville" slick - but didn't seem like it with all of the drinking songs. The result of this CD is uneven, but it certainly has more commercial potential than anything Merle has done since he left the Epic label in 1989. Here's a track by track review:

1. Chicago wind - My favorite cut on the disc. Jazzy guitars, good song - excellent vocal. Merle seems to always find something new and unique to try.

2. Where's all the freedom - I actually like this more than "America first". I agree with the sentiment, and it's a catchy tune.

3. White man singing the blues - Merle stretches this out more than the original version, and the guitar work is excellent. I still prefer the original version, however (1973 - "presents his 30th album").

4. Leavin's not the only way to go - Considering that it was written for a broadway show (Roger Miller's "Big river"), it's no suprise that it's a bit of a big production number. It's a really good song, however (although it's hard to figure how this song would apply to Huckleberry Finn!). Another good vocal by Hag.

5. What I've been meaning to say - Pretty good love song, but diminished by Jimmy Buffett-styled instrumentation.

6. Mexico - Lightweight (a rare comment for a Merle Haggard song), but you CAN tap your toe to it!

7. Honky tonk man - This was written for the Clint Eastwood movie, and sung by Clint in the film. Also recorded for the sountrack by Marty Robbins. I don't particularly care for the song, but Merle sings it nice.

8. (Rebuild) America first - The first single and video from the CD. The timing of this song is perfect, and if this one doesn't get played on the radio, it will be an awful shame. With airplay, this could be a big hit for Merle, considering that the majority of Americans probably agree with the message (in regards to the war and the hurricanes).

9. It always will be - A nice love song, this was recently the title song of a Willie Nelson CD (written by Willie). Merle's been doing this one live for a while, so he obviously likes it a lot.

10. I still can't say goodbye - Nice song, surely close to Merle's heart (about difficulty in dealing with the death of a father). This was done by Chet Atkins in the late 80's. The production is very Nashville, but still a good cut.

11. Some of us fly - (w/ Toby Keith) As with their duet on Toby's latest CD, the big guy shows that he can sing given the right material. Excellent philosophical lyric, terrific fiddle playing by Scott Joss. My second favorite cut on the disc.

Overall, this is a good (and different) CD for Merle. Clearly it was Merle's intent to make a contemporary sounding disc on his first new CD with Capitol ("Unforgettable" was recorded long before Merle re-signed with the label). Even though I prefer Merle recording with his own band, and the production on "If I could only fly", "Roots", and "Haggard like never before" was more to my taste - "Chicago wind" is a refreshing change. I think Merle (and Capitol) have made a full-out effort to appeal to a wider audience, and artistically he has succeeded. If this one doesn't catch on, I think there is no hope for mainstream country music!
Mon Nov 07, 2005 10:49 pm

This is a follow up CD to Hag's Unforgettable CD.In this album Hag goes back to his patriotic ferver on two songs that are my favorites on the CD.America First is kinda like Amber Waves of Grain in the let's help America before we help everybody else.Where's All the Freedom? is kinda asking what is the War in Iraq gaining us if we can't post the 10 Commandments etc.The only thing I didn't like about the disc is it's one of those new Copyright protection CD's and has a disclaimer on the back that IF this CD messes up your equipment were not responsible statement.It played fine on my car CD player so I guess it's OK.

Do not but this cd or any EMI copy protected cd's if you want to put them on an Ipod Nano. I am pretty sure it is not possible. I would never have bought it if I had known. I am a more educated consumer now, at least. I hate it for Merle. I have listened to a few songs and they are solid good Merle Haggard. It is a shame here he is with a major label again with a great new recording on a worthless format. It may be compatible with non apple portable players.

Prime Cuts: Chicago Wind, Honky Tonk Man, I Still Can't Say Goodbye

"Chicago Wind" explains why there are so many Merle Haggard clones in and around Music Row. On this sophomore CD that bears the Capitol Nashville logo this side of the new Millennium, Haggard does not just sings. But, with some deftly strokes of his vocal nuances, he paints a sonic magnum opus drawing upon a mélange of colorful emotions from his listeners. In short, Haggard personifies his music as it engages the listener on an emotional and spiritual level. A listen to the forlorn title cut "Chicago Wind," a newly penned Haggard original, proves the point. On this lonesome ballad, when this old Okie describes the razor-sharp freeze of the gust of the Windy City, there's an incumbent pain and loneliness producing a gush of spine chilling moments in seriatim.

This title cut sets the pace of this CD: Rather than a rough and rowdy honky-tonk record some have been hankering for, this new CD finds a reflective and warm Hag. Like Neil Young and John Prine's latest efforts, the backings accommodate rather than intrude, providing a sympathetic undercurrent for Hag's soft yet gruff deliveries. This is in part credited to co-helmsman Jimmy Bowen, who came out of an over a decade-long retirement to produce this set with Mike Post. Despite its title, "Honky Tonk Man" (one of four tracks not written by Hag) is an understated love ballad delivered with a seasoned devotional restrain that is tender and romantic. Roger Miller's lesser known "Leaving's Not the Only Way to Go" bespeaks to our times where marriage and relationships are often so flippantly resolved. A poignant ballad that calls for giving love a second consideration, lines such as "Maybe leaving's not the only way to go/People reach new understandings all the time/Take a second look, maybe change their minds" are therapuetic. Leaving romance aside for a moment, the James Moore and Robert Blinn "I Still Can't Say Goodbye" is a gentle tear-jerking love song from a child to his departing dad that offers sentiments so dear yet often suppressed. This superior paean ought to be a Father's Day anthem in years to come.

Amongst the Hag originals, "Some of Us Fly" finds the Hag teaming with Toby Keith on the much anticipated duet. Offering a philosophical treatise on Fate's right hand, this fiddle-laden ballad has a jazzy late night feel, though Keith sounds a little bored. Showing a tender side to this country legend, "What I've Been Meaning to Say" finds a regretful Hag laying his heart on the line on this insightful as well as heartfelt love song. Included also are two patriotic numbers: the debut single "America First" and the freedom of speech "Where's All the Freedom." With comments made about the public read of the Ten Commandments and the Iraqi War, though there's nothing as bellicose as pal Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue," there's nothing watershed about these recycled political decries. Compared to Hag's previous "Me and the Crippled Soldier," these two patriotic numbers pale in terms of their messages and ingenuity.

Nevertheless, "Chicago Wind" finds the Okie leaving his rambling soul behind. Instead, this is an album filled with heart warming moments with Hag dealing with various issues of the heart. And with such thoughtful ruminations and carefully executed tunes (thanks in large to a cohort of A-list musicians including Billy Joe Walker, Jr, Herb Pederson, Reggie Young to list a few) the Chicago wind doesn't feel that cold and lonesome.

Another unforgettable album from the master of solid country music. I always pick up the new Hag albums anytime I can, but I can't say that I am partial. Excellent music can't be biased - it's all universal.
While this one seems more like his 80's output leaning on the country pop side on occassion (just like a Toby Keith) it still has essence and flow.
An impressive set of songs.

Perfect for newcomers and old timers alike.
This one feels geared towards a WIDE radio audience.
Maybe he can get MORE radio airplay with all these new top notch releases!
After touring with Dylan it has been heard through the grapevine that Merle rocks with the young kids of today and of course the old-young folks of yesterday.

check out what real country is measured on!!!

Highly Recommended...

While Hag's voice is not quite the instrument that it was during his first stint on Capitol, his weathered vocals suit the material on this album quite well. This album features a lot of the giants of his late-peak years, with production by Jimmy Bowen and Mike Post, and a roster of great musicians such as Herb Pedersen, Reggie Young, Billy Joe Walker Jr and Leland Sklar and more.

The musicians are put to good use - there is a beautiful instrumental passage on the title track that lasts about a minute before Hag starts into his vocals.

I suppose "Chicago Wind" is a truck driving song, but I'd call it a desolation ballad, and no one can write about the forlorn and lonely like Haggard. Hag also can express a subdued anger, as is evident on "America First", or a questioning and lively "Where's All The Freedom" wherein Haggard poses questions, sometimes rhetorical, about the direction the country is going.

Other Hag tunes include a reworking of his 1970 classic "White Man Singin' The Blues" and an interesting duet with Toby Keith on "Some Of Us Fly".

Hag wrote seven of the tunes, which leaves room for some exquisite cover tunes. Roger Miller's "Leavin's Not The Only Way To Go" isn't covered all that often but it deserves to be revived more often with it's reflections on decisions made and not made. Hag also covers his buddy Willie Nelson's "It Always Will Be" the title cut of one of Willie's many albums issued in the last few years. A quiet and gentle ballad, Hag covers it perfectly.

While my favorite country singers are Ernest Tubb and Webb Pierce, Merle Haggard is the greatest country artist EVER. I am delighted that he continues to produce vital work

Merle's last masterpiece was "1996", a yet undiscovered and, to this very day, underrated work. Since that time, Merle's releases have sometimes sounded tired, uninspired, and contrived. This time around, the poet of the common man emerges with a set of (a). pretty darn good songs, (b). crisp, punchy production, but most of all (c). THE VOICE. Merle's voice is in top shape on this recording.

"Chicago Wind" has everything... Merle originals (the title cut is perfect for the upcoming winter weather), masterful renditions of cover songs (like Roger Miller's "Leaving's Not The Only Way To Go"), extremely pertinant political statements (Merle's moderate political stance is a breath of fresh air in the current climate of radical partisan politics and... well, general lunacy), but most importantly, REAL country music.

Hey, Merle Haggard could sing names out of the phone directory and I'd buy it; but every decade or so, the man unleashes a true masterpiece on us.

Now, for the caviat:

I had a dream the other night. I dreamed I was walking through downtown Dallas, Texas, when a man drew a gun on me and forced me to go into Reunion Arena and watch a Toby Keith concert. Toby's band came out, and they were all wearing gimme caps backwards on their heads... and hip-hop jumpsuits... with hood ornaments around their necks. Toby came out wearing a plastic bag over his hair, and they proceded to continue their mission of ushering country music into The Age Of Rap.

So, needless to say, my biggest disappointment with this CD is Merle's money-grubbing bastardization of his impeccable musical legacy, by inviting Toby Keith onto this otherwise unassailable work. I stopped buying Willie Nelson CDs in the 90s for this very reason.

Still, I like this album well enough (discounting the Toby Keith duet) to give it a very heartfelt 5 stars.

A message to Merle: "Merle, your true fans (like me) will always support you. Toby Keith's fans could care less, and it won't help you sell ONE extra CD... CUT THAT CRAP OUT, Willie, Merle, Jimmy Buffett, all you guys... QUIT PUTTING YOUR SOUL (and souls) UP FOR SALE... if you want us to continue supporting you, CUT THAT CRAP OUT! I'm truly ashamed to have to include twits like Toby Keith and Alan Jackson in my music collection by way of greats like Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and the like... and I'm even more disappointed that I can't take this great new Merle Haggard CD on the road with me on my iPod (it's copy-protected) because of the risk of Toby's adolescent fans stealing this stuff off of Napster... indeed, where's all the freedom we've been fightin' for?"

"Chicago Wind", first ten cuts, is a Merle masterpiece. Five stars. 'Nuff said.

--BB

Beware! This cd from emi is copy protected and when I attempted to copy it to my music file media player it gave me a message saying I do not have the rights to do that. Out of the three hundred cd's in my collection it is the only one that I can not put on my hard drive or my Ipod Nano. I have a very extensive Merel Haggard cd collection of his earlier recordings and after wasting my money on this cd, it will be the last Merel Haggard cd I purchase until he changes record labels. It is a great recording on a worthless cd. I can play the cd itself anywhere, just can't put it on my hard drive or Ipod.

Once again, EMI has created a copy protected CD which can be imported as WMA or AAC but not MP3. Once again, Amazon provides minimal warning about this (see guidance under "Format"), instead of putting advice in our faces - which it does excellently to sell product.

I'll be returning this CD as not fit for purpose. If you can afford to, I suggest that you also buy and then return it, to maximise cost and inconvenience to the label and Amazon. If not, just don't buy it, regardless of the quality of the music.

This crap has to stop. 1 star review because Amazon prevents a zero star choice.

I really didn't know what to expect when I purchased this CD. The reviews seemed to go back and forth between good and not-so-good. I was very pleasantly surprised. Some folks have written Haggard's voice doesn't have the same quality that it used to, and that is probably true. It is called AGE. With that being said, I think it is the new roughness in Merle's voice that gives it a raw-sounding outlaw country sound.

My hats off to Hag! I hope I can still be kickin' it like he does when I reach his age.

I would highly recommend this CD to any true country fan.