1996

1996

by Merle Haggard
1996

1996

by Merle Haggard

CD

$15.99 
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Overview

In late 1995, Merle Haggard stood on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry House, acknowledging the music industry's ovation as he accepted his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. A few months later, however, his next album came out with no fanfare at all. His record company didn't send promotional copies to reviewers until the album had been out for nearly a month, and no advertising or promotion has been devoted to the music. The album artwork and cover reflect this lack of care: the title, 1996, is boxed on the cover like a tomb, exactly like Hag's last set, 1994. What's inside deserves more attention. Recorded in Bakersfield, Haggard's album takes a jaunty yet melancholy look at a middle-aged man's concerns. Not everything works; "Kids Get Lonesome Too" has a grandfatherly sentimentality, but it's not very substantial. The rest carries plenty of meat: "Sin City Blues" bemoans the temptations of New Orleans with Dixieland verve; "Beer Can Hill" is a humorous reminiscence about honky tonkin' in Bakersfiel; and "Untanglin' My Mind" (a hit for co-writer Clint Black) is a textbook example of the difference between the stiff perfection of Nashville over-production and the loose, life-affirming musicianship that Haggard prefers. The album's standout is a cover of Iris Dement's great "No Time to Cry," which Haggard fills with aged, tired wisdom. ~ Michael McCall

Product Details

Release Date: 01/23/1996
Label: Curb
UPC: 0715187779624
Rank: 100955

Tracks

  1. Sin City Blues
  2. No Time to Cry
  3. Beer Can Hill
  4. Truck Drivers' Blues
  5. Too Many Highways
  6. Five Days a Week
  7. Kids Get Lonesome Too
  8. If Anyone Ought to Know
  9. Untanglin' My Mind
  10. Winds of Change

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Merle Haggard   Primary Artist,Guitar (Electric)
Dawn Sears   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
John Anderson   Guest Artist,Vocals
Johnny Paycheck   Guest Artist,Vocals
Iris DeMent   Guest Artist,Piano
Buck Owens   Guest Artist,Vocals
Dwight Yoakam   Guest Artist,Vocals
Norm Hamlet   Dobro,Guitar (Steel)
Abe Manuel, Jr.   Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background),Viola,Fiddle,Vocals,Strings,Accordion,Percussion,Vocal Harmony,Guitar (Acoustic)
Bobby Wood   Piano (Electric)
Joe Manuel   Wah Wah Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Eddie Curtis   Bass
Mark Yeary   Piano
Terry Hardesty   Guitar (Acoustic)
Oleg Schramm   Piano
Seymour Duncan   Guitar (Electric)
Jim Belkins   Violin
Tim Howard   Guitar (Electric)
Bob Teague   Vocals
Hilton Jr. Reed   Bass,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Biff Adam   Drums,Percussion
Don Markham   Trumpet,Saxophone,Penny Whistle
Leland Sklar   Bass
Clint Strong   Guitar (Acoustic)

Technical Credits

Lou Bradley   Engineer,Composer,Producer
Merle Haggard   Producer,Composer
Joe Manuel   Tic Tac,Composer
Clint Black   Composer
Terry Hardesty   Composer
Tim Howard   Composer
Theresa Lane Haggard   Composer
Abe Manuel, Jr.   Composer,Producer
Bonnie Owens   Composer
Iris DeMent   Composer
Max D. Barnes   Composer
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