Search - Merle Haggard :: Unforgettable

Interesting project

Bob McGrath | Sacramento, CA | 12/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a big fan of Merle Haggard the country singer-songwriter-musician. I wasn't sure about Merle Haggard the classic crooner, but it actually works out pretty well on this album. Hag seems to have found a solid middleground between faithful recreation of old arrangements and mangling things up by attempting to countrify this stuff too much. Clearly, this is Haggard... but it's a different side of Haggard that we've only seen at intervals in the past, in songs like "Always Wanting You" and others of that ilk. It's an interesting listen, and a good holiday purchase for anyone who likes either the old standards or Merle, as both are equally represented here.



Merle has always done good concept albums. Among them are the old tribute to Bob Wills, the recent "Roots, Vol. 1," and now "Unforgettable." I loved Roots. I still think that is one of the best albums ever. I wouldn't quite put "Unforgettable" up on that same plateau because Merle doing Lefty songs seemed so natural (the likeness, vocally, is remarkable), whereas Merle doing songs that were popularized by Nat King Cole and others is conceivable but not exactly intuitive. He does the songs extremely well, and the nature of this project (covering pop standards rather than country standards) will probably allow it a much broader fan base than "Roots," but I found "Roots" remarkable whereas this outing is merely fantastic.



This is an adventuruous and deft move for Haggard, but he's always been an adventurous sort of guy, so it's nice to see that he's not settling down or growing complacent as his years advance. As Merle sings his way through old classics, some forgotten gems, and a few new songs, the thread that holds the album together is the love of the music that pervades all of these performances... a love of ALL music, not just the country music that Haggard has defined, defended, and revived for the past sixty years or so. Highly recommended."

Not all that memorable but still a nice side trip

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 04/12/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"How many albums have (or don't have) the title "Unforgettable"? Better for Hag to stake out his originality rather than associate himself too closely with Nat, Bing, or Sinatra. Listening to this recording with these other singers in mind is an invitation to disappointment. Most noticeable when mining this musical territory is an inconsistency in Merle's vocal timbre and diction. He hasn't learned which vowel sounds require alteration for the sound to resonate or, for that matter, how to switch dynamic levels without altering the basic texture of his voice.



On the other hand, comparing Merle to numerous "legit" singers who have attempted to go "pop" or, for that matter, to Willie Nelson or Rod Stewart produces a far more favorable assessment. In fact, the reading of "Stardust" on this album strikes me as more deeply felt, affecting and natural than Willie's version. This is an album that kind of grows on you--not quite 4 stars but, in anticipation of playing it some more, I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt. Moreover, he's revived at least a couple of good old songs--"I'll Get By" and "The Gipsy"--that even Sinatra never got around to doing."