Merle Haggard Album: «16 Biggest Hits»

- Customers rating: (4.1 of 5)
- Title:16 Biggest Hits
- Release date:1998-07-14
- Type:Audio CD
- Label:Sony
- UPC:007464693212
- Average (4.1 of 5)(14 votes)
- .8 votes
- .3 votes
- .0 votes
- .2 votes
- .1 vote
- 1 Swinging Doors Merle Haggard and Willie Nelsonimg 2:53
- 2 The Bottle Let Me Downimg 5:00
- 3 I'm A Lonesome Fugitiveimg 3:14
- 4 Branded Manimg 3:08
- 5 Sing Me Back Homeimg 2:50
- 6 Mama Triedimg 3:17
- 7 Hungry Eyesimg 3:29
- 8 Workin' Man Bluesimg 2:36
- 9 Okie From Muskogeeimg 3:15
- 10 The Fightin' Side of Meimg 1:24
- 11 Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)img 3:15
- 12 I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drinkimg 4:32
- 13 Big Cityimg 3:00
- 14 Are The Good Times Really Over (I Wish A Buck Was Still Silver)img 4:13
- 15 Going Where The Lonely Goimg 4:50
- 16 Silver Wingsimg 2:47
I picked up this CD in a store and when I got it home, realized that instead of the original versions of his hits, we have re-hashed re-recordings from 1994! What a let down! I was expecting the old classics recorded with the Strangers! Shame on Sony Music for not labeling this collection on it's outer package for what it is. Thank you Amazon for honestly describing the contents on your website!
Anyone want a slightly-used Merle Haggard CD??
I've been a Merle Haggard fan all my life and this CD is about as great as he gets. But, if you want the original recordings of these hits, look elsewhere.
This is vintage Merle Haggard at his best with a very wide selection of his singing and writing work covering the period from 1966 thru 1971 and on to 1981. These are all studio recordings with great instrument acoustics with very good voice to instrument balance levels.
A mature Merle Haggard looks back to his early hits in this CD that was mostly recorded in the mid-to-late '90s, nearly three decades after these songs were chart-toppers. His voice has a bit more whiskey and gravel in it, but is still that unique sound, often a sound of pain, that is purely Merle. These are tales of hardship and loneliness, and Merle has at one time or another in his life lived them. The song I always find to be a heartbreaker is "Hungry Eyes", where Merle's writing genius captures a story of need so vividly we can almost see it in our mind's eye. "Working Man Blues" is a great toe-tapper, as is "The Fightin' Side of Me", a song that expresses how many of us feel in the present time.
Most of the tracks have simple but excellent backing, but there is no recording info given as to who is in the band in the minimal liner notes.
There are three tracks that were previously released: Two from the "Big City" CD from 1981 (tracks # 13 and # 14) and one from the "Going Where the Lonely Go" from 1982 (track # 15).
This is a terrific CD, as long as one isn't expecting the original recordings; I appreciate the legendary Haggard at every stage of his long career...and this look back at his early work is wonderful...music that tells stories from a time long gone, but still so relevant today.
The sound for the most part is good and total playing time is 50'58.
good cd, but there were a few songs that could have been there but were not, but still recommend to merle lovers

