Search - Merle Haggard :: Merle Haggard 1994

Don't miss the "Curb" series

Rick Johnson | Ratcliff, AR USA | 06/07/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Beginning in 1990 with "Blue Jungle" and followed by the eponymously titled efforts of 1994 and 1996, Merle Haggard created three pieces of work that I believe could define the pinnacle of his wonderful career. Strangely, none of these three masterpieces is usually mentioned by most reviewers as belonging on the list of Hag's best. In fact, somewhere I read where even the great man himself dissed the albums. Be that as it may, the writing; poignant, clever and always incisive, the musicianship; clean, precise, inventive and, of course, the voice; smooth, supple and capable of conveying the full gamut of emotions are all present on these LPs to a degree only dreamed of by other artists."

Another great one from Merle

Michael Carley | San Joaquin Valley, CA | 08/04/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If Merle Haggard has lost anything, it's only in the creativity of his
album titles. For some reason, he's gone for simplicity in the last
two albums, calling them '1994' and '1996' respectively. Inside
however, you'll find the same old Hag; great music is the first
priority. The real gem of this CD is the Max D. Barnes penned "In
my next life", a tearjerker about an aging farmer who loses his
farm to the elements. On his deathbed, he laments his failures, and
promises his wife that he'll make it up to her in his "next
life". The rest of the album is solid as well. "Way back in
the mountains", "Set my chickens free" and
"Chores" are the kind of working class celebrations that
only Hag can write. There are a couple of lost love songs: "I am
an island", "What's new in New York City" and a couple
of strait love songs: "Solid as a Rock" and Willie Nelson's
"Valentine". "Bye, bye, travelin' blues" is a
Jimmie Rodgers inspired blues number, written by Merle, but if you
didn't know better, you would think it was another Rodgers
tribute. (Maybe Hag is really the reincarnation of the Singing
Brakeman, wasn't he born about the same year Rodgers died?). The
inclusion of the previously recorded "Ramblin' Fever" is a
bit superfluous, but who'll complain? It's a great song. It's too bad
country radio has decided that no one over 40 is allowed. In a real
'free market', this one would have had several big hits.
"