Merle Haggard Okie From Muskogee CD

Merle Haggard's willingness to tackle tough subjects in his songs--and his ability to do so without being mawkish or simple-minded--has resulted in a classic body of work, one that has achieved overwhelming commercial success without compromising Haggard's artistic integrity. THE OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE, a budget-line release from Capitol Records, offers a solid introduction to the first decade of Haggard's career, during which the singer made and cemented his reputation as the 'working man's poet.'

Among the stellar tracks included here is Haggard's first single, "Sing A Sad Song." Several of Haggard's great prison songs are included, among them "I'm A Lonesome Fugitive," "Mama Tried," and the Death Row classics "Sing Me Back Home" and "Green Green Grass of Home." Other hits appearing here are the Haggard-Bonnie Owens duet "Today I Started Loving You Again" and the ironic title track, which pays homage to a place "where even squares can have a ball."

Digitally remastered by Mark Chalecki (Capitol Mastering).

This is part of Capitol's Cornerstone series.

Includes liner notes by K. Vincent.

Audio Remasterer: Mark Chalecki.

Recording information: Muskogee, OK (1969).

Personnel incudes: Merle Haggard (vocals, guitar); Gene Price (vocals, bass).

Q (4/02, p.130) - 4 out of 5 stars - "...Superb full-on trad country, full of live sparkiness..."
Mojo (Publisher) (April 2002, p.121) - "...Haggard offered something that was downhome and honest....[he] provided a musical history lesson that spanned from the blue yodel era of Jimmie Rodgers...through to a then contemporary truckin' theme in White Line Fever..."