Merle Haggard's My House of Memories : For the Record [Hardcover]

Tom Carter (Author), Merle Haggard (Author, Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 1999

Free and Easy the Hag's road has never been. Losing his father at age nine, he led an out-of-control youth capped by a stretch in San Quentin preceded by his first of five marriages. Toughing his way through the ranks of country music (starting with the dives of Bakersfield's notorious "beer can hill"), he finally reached the #1 spot in 1966 with "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive." The Running Kind is named for one of his biggest hits. A period of great personal tribulation, the last two decades have also established Haggard's legendary status alongside such immortals as Willie Nelson and George Jones.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Somewhere in the middle of this blunt autobiography, Merle Haggard talks about the "art called country music" and describes it astutely as "emotion set to rhythm." "A song was an excuse," he writes, "to sing some of the sentimental things." Perhaps it's not surprising, then, that when Haggard attempts the unsung word he's oddly terse, dry, and emotionless--despite his roaring successes and multiple misfortunes. Haggard is nothing if not frank, although his candid storytelling often becomes sensationalistic. For example, his five-year coke orgy during the late '70s and early '80s warrants the opening chapter of an otherwise chronological tale. The death of his father when Haggard was 9 is clearly the defining moment of his life, yet we have to get past his wet T-shirt phase before we hear about it.

Haggard spends well more than half the book recounting his early-life travails--revolving-door stays in institutions, halls, reform schools, jails, and prisons of every sort. His misspent-youth stories are enthralling in a certain way, but he seems to tell them from the perspective of either a child who doesn't understand what's happening or an elder who has the benefit of experience--never from the perspective of a man going through these horrors at the time. He even writes on a number of occasions that he looks at his younger self as a completely different person, which may explain why his accounts often lack emotional depth. He recalls (often crudely) his numerous fights, drunken escapades, sexual conquests (stories about wanting to "get into her pants"), and many other sordid details (must we hear the story about his steel player farting during a show?) to the point that what gets short shrift, unfortunately, is his brilliant music. In a way, though, a memoir like this makes perfect sense because Haggard has never pulled any punches. And while the book doesn't offer many of his own insights, it certainly presents a clear picture of his remarkable life, which allows readers to draw their own conclusions about his personality and his music. Perhaps we should be thankful Haggard saves his emotions for his songs--they always make for thrilling listening. --Marc Greilsamer

From Library Journal

Named for one of Haggard's greatest hits, this book is published to coincide with a 50-city farewell tour.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: HarperEntertainment (September 22, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060193085
• ISBN-13: 978-0060193089
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #415,561 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Composers & Musicians > Country & Folk

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Much Happened in the Last 18 Years!, December 30, 1999

By 

Terry Fischer (San Lorenzo, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Merle Haggard's My House of Memories : For the Record (Hardcover)

I am a very major fan of Merle Haggard, and feel he is one of the best songwriters we have in America. I think this added to my disappointment in this book. I had already read his 1981 biography, SING ME BACK HOME, so was really surprised to start reading this book which is about 4/5 a duplication of that book. Not only is the typeprint in this book LARGE, there is almost no additional information in this book. Merle, with the life you have led, you certainly could have offered different stories than the ones you did 18 years ago.

I also learned a lesson about ordering on-line, maybe the good old bookstore would have been a good idea when deciding if I really wanted to spend the $$$ on this rehash!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars VERY DISAPPOINTING, December 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Merle Haggard's My House of Memories : For the Record (Hardcover)

Years back, I read Merle's first biography, "Sing Me Back Home". This was very in-depth and interesting; which I found this book totally opposite of. There are parts of this book which you know are Merle's words, and others, which are clearly Tom Carter's. There, it's an inconsistency.

Merle chooses to delete certain information which he reveals in his first biography, so therefore, it really isn't a secret. Also, some of the language used in this book is deplorable. The point can be well made with those words omitted.

Overall, I prefer his first book. While that one only extended to a certain point of his life, it was better-written and held the reader's interest much better. This book should've been written the same way, and picked-up where the other one left off. Instead, it rehashes old facts which we already know.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars OK, But Not Great, April 1, 2002

By 

"randessa" (USMA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Merle Haggard's My House of Memories : For the Record (Hardcover)

I enjoyed the book, but I thought it could have been so much better. I learned more about Merle Haggard than I knew before. I liked the stories and Merle's sense of humor. I just think there was something missing. I can't really put my finger on what it is, but I was expecting more. The book was pretty good though. I read it cover to cover. I am sure anyone who likes Merle Haggard will enjoy this book.