If I Could Only Fly

Merle Haggard | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 10, 2000)
• Original Release Date: October 10, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Anti
• ASIN: B00004YR5Q
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,364 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: Country & Western
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 10-OCT-2000

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Merle Soars!, October 22, 2000

By 

Joe Oliver (Nacogdoches, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: If I Could Only Fly (Audio CD)

I think this is an excellent CD. I'm proud of Merle for continuing to keep his career alive through recording as well as live performances. I recommend this title to you if:

1. You are a Merle Haggard fan and want his current sound.

2. You are tired of the re-issued and re-record Merle Hits and want something new to bathe your ears with.

3. You like traditional country, including western swing and blues.

4. You want to encourage Merle to keep recording.

These songs, simply lyrics and arrangements for the most part, are the kinds of performances you would expect to hear if Hag and The Strangers came over to your house for an outdoor barbeque and decide to jam a little: there are no attempts at hit-single material here with its necessary song-hooks; rather, just solid performances by seasoned veterans still on their game. I recommend this CD.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Merle:Still setting the pace, November 17, 2000

By 

ivan mullan (uk) - See all my reviews

This review is from: If I Could Only Fly (Audio CD)

Merle Haggard new CD sets out as a showcase for a whole new generation of fans and ends up being an emotional tour de force,that ranks as one of the strongest albums of his long career.The opening song "Wishing All These Old Things Were New" is stunning in its opening lines,as Hag warbles"Watchin while some old friend do a line"the open intensity which marks all Hags best work,is starkly evident here as he runs the gamut of all the sub-styles of Country Music,"Honky Tonky" is pure Emmett Miller style 1920s blues, and Hags enjoyment of singing it comes across well to the listener."Turn To Me"with its Floyd Tillman phrasing,is both beautiful and sad,with its Bakersfield sound production,and soulful steel from longtime sideman Norman Hamlet.I can,t for the life of me understand why he has re-recorded "If I could Only Fly"The song(nice though it is!) wasn,t a hit before(with Willie Nelson)and won,t be again,its far too long-winded and in parts like

the lines of the song its self,just plain dismal,(Too long for the radio),and depressing.A wet monday morning in november, feel!.We come to probably one of the two most commercial songs on the album,"Crazy Moon"with its Samba style beat,Merle works hard on it,and given the right airplay,might be a big hit for him,the voice is strained a little on the high notes,but even that adds to the overall feel of the song,and, Like nine of the songs on the album,a Haggard original song."Bareback" is pure Bob Wills Western Swing,with some fine acoustic lead form Redd Volskart on lead guitar,a real fun song for partying and dances,this on will go the rounds of honky-tonks for years to come,Rich and salty,and a great song!.Given the circumstances of the next song on the album, "Think Abmut A Lullaby"is immensely sad & moving,only Merle Haggard could convey the emotions,and the reasons why the song was written,a minor masterpiece!The next three songs on the set, are mainly to do with family,as follows:"Proud To Be Your Old Man,(Funny):Leavin,s Getting Harder,(Wistful&wishing)"Thanks To Uncle John"(Grateful)great writing prevade each of the songs,and remind us of all thats lacking in the Nashville-conveyer-belt style currently in vogue on the country charts,in short,SOUL! Hag has saved the best track on the album for the last,"Listening To The Wind" is quite simpley beautiful, this is Merle Haggard at full throttle,the one who wrote"Shellys Winter Love,and "If We Make It Through December"The song haunts, and brings a thousand images to life,for anyone,who will hear it, If he releases it,the song could be a No1 for him,but even so,its a masterclass in songwriting,for anyone,who ever put pen to paper,with an idea in their head,the vocals are subtle and assured,and Merle and his song do each other full justice,a classic in the making,and worth the price of the CD on its own!. Overall,the best Haggard Album,since "A Friend In California" way back in the mid-eighties,I hope it does well,as its free from the superficiality on modern country, and,released from the shackles of big Country Record Labels, Merle,s still setting the pace.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Surprise From A Country Music Legend, October 19, 2000

By 

Ron Frankl (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: If I Could Only Fly (Audio CD)

Merle Haggard returns to action with an astonishing first recording for the L.A. based indie, Anti Records. "If I Could Only Fly" perhaps follows the path set by Johnny Cash in his recent work, but the result is hardly imitative. Haggard has been much appreciated in recent years but, truth be told, its been a long while since he recorded a solid album of new material. Haggard wrote almost everything here, and they mark a return to the plainspoken but heartfelt songs of his younger days.

The simple, rough-hewn arrangements suit the melodies well, and the blend of honky tonk and western swing has never been more infectious. I was surprised by the energy of these songs, and the album as a whole manages to be both fun and moving. At 63, Merle Haggard has made one of the most adventurous albums of his stellar career, and its is truly a triumph. Unfortunately, "If I Could Only Fly" deserves to reach a wider audience than it is likely to find. Fans of both traditional country and alt. country will enjoy this nice surprise from Haggard.