Merle Haggard - For the Record 43 Legendary Hits (43 tracks) +Album Reviews

Refried Hag

W. David Ferrell | West Virginia | 04/15/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"These songs are classics... I mean great songs... but, don't waste your money on this collection: buy the originals. I love to hear Haggard sing his classics, and if this CD were recorded in concert I'd say buy it NOW, but it's not. It's represented here as 43 Classics, but these are not the classic hit recordings of these songs... they're all re-records made in 1995 (for I suppose the sake of making money that wasn't being made from the original records which were far superior to these). To put it in a nutshell, this collection is simply "Re-fried Hag"."

"The old man from the mountain came home"

10/20/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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 of this man who taught himself to play the guitar and fiddle compose the greatest country music of our time, live thru the life and times that he has, that we the fans only hope for many more years of the joy and endless hours of entertainment that he has provided. I further suggest that you check out Merle's autobiography "MY HOUSE OF MEMORIES""

Hag Fans Will Love It

Joe Oliver | Nacogdoches, TX United States | 11/07/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Country music starts and ends here

Dino | Scotland | 07/28/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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 Way Love Goes with Jewel are included, as are other duets with Brooks and Dunn, Alabama and Willie Nelson. Merle Haggard is one of the great voices in country, a true artist who has sung and written some of the greatest country music ever made. If you want all his major hits in one double CD, this is an excellent value for money purchase."

Why Bother?

jekyllnhyde | NJ | 02/18/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If you're going to bother to re-record a song, shouldn't it be an improvement on the original? All of these songs are basically performed the same as the originals, with occasional stray horns or strings added which don't enhance the performance. The guest appearances are also unnecessary, the worst example being the inclusion of Jewel. There are plenty of compilations available with the original versions of these classics. Personally, I don't see the point of settling for this. (One side note; I hope Hag's been getting royalties on Elmo & Patsy's "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer", a blatant ripoff of "Daddy Frank"!)"

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