For the Record: 43 Legendary Hits

Having been an avid Haggard fan since my early teens (now 41) I have felt this man's joys and his sorrows, I can relate thru everybit of poetry that Merle composes and sings for "the common man" This CD set is an accomplishment of Merle's dedication to his art form, his love for man and country and the new freedom he has found to share his treasures with us his public. It dosen't matter which way a Haggard classic is sung, reproduced, or rearranged it is and always will be that pure strong influence that Merle has had on country music. People use the word legend to describe this country giant, I say ICON! Merle is the total sum of country music today. This album not only takes you on a total memory trip from hit to hit, but, if you are a dedicated Haggard fan you will remember when and where you were, when these songs had airplay on country radio. The works on the tracks, including; Willie Nelson, Brooks & Dunn, Jewell, Alabama proves that the versatility...Read more

All the hits are here and for the first time in digital recordings. Haggard, like Sinatra in his later years, trades power and range in for deeper tonal qualities and interpretation. Maybe the performances are less than the earlier recordings, but its good to hear Hag still great at age 62. Best cuts: Silver Wings and That's the Way Love Goes.

Re-recordings of 43 of Haggard's greatest hits, this double CD was recorded at the record company's request; Haggard himself had doubts about the project's validity as all the original recordings of these songs are still available. Can a sixty year old match or improve the standard he set up to 30 years previously? The answer is - sometimes. Haggard's voice had naturally changed during his decades-long career, devoloping a shrill edge in certain songs that required him to use the higher part of his range. He puts alot of life into songs that he not only recorded in the 60s and 70s (and beyond), but has sung in every concert ever since - Okie From Muskogee, The Fightin' Side Of Me and Mama Tried being obvious examples. Haggard is a superb ballad singer - listening to Natural High, one of his later hits re-recorded on this CD, it's clear that this is a singer of the highest quality. To appeal to a younger audience, both in country music and beyond, duets of Silver Wings and That's The...Read more