I'm a Lonesome Fugitive/Branded Man

Be the first to write a review

Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - David McGee
Merle Haggard's third and fourth studio albums, respectively, I'm a Lonesome Fugitive and Branded Man, find the rising former San Quentin inmate asserting his own personality more forcefully. Third time proved the charm for Hag, who replaced his departing guitarist, the outstanding Roy Nichols, with two formidable pickers, James Burton and Glen Campbell, and brought to vibrant life this selection of mostly original songs. Although he didn't write "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive," Haggard was so deep into the character he effectively made the song his own. This spare, haunted country lament -- radically altered from the pop-inflected treatment it had been given in an earlier ...
See more details below
CD (Remastered / Bonus Tracks)
$15.38
BN.com price
(Save 19%)$18.99 List Price
Other sellers (CD)
  • All (8) from $10.37   
  • New (8) from $10.37   

More About This Product

Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - David McGee
Merle Haggard's third and fourth studio albums, respectively, I'm a Lonesome Fugitive and Branded Man, find the rising former San Quentin inmate asserting his own personality more forcefully. Third time proved the charm for Hag, who replaced his departing guitarist, the outstanding Roy Nichols, with two formidable pickers, James Burton and Glen Campbell, and brought to vibrant life this selection of mostly original songs. Although he didn't write "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive," Haggard was so deep into the character he effectively made the song his own. This spare, haunted country lament -- radically altered from the pop-inflected treatment it had been given in an earlier unreleased version (available as a bonus track on the Strangers/Swinging Doors and the Bottle Let Me Down reissue in this same series) -- was Hag's first No. 1 country single. Vocally Merle had dispensed with his Marty Robbins affectations and settled into a rich high baritone, an instrument of remarkable clarity and emotion, and eschewed the strings of earlier albums in favor of Ralph Mooney's robust pedal steel musings. The approach throughout both albums is straight, hard country, albeit with a tender underbelly in stirring tear-jerkers such as "Go Home" and the wrenching honky-tonk weeper "House of Memories." The title cut from Branded Man is Hag's sequel to "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive" and his first self-penned song to top the country chart -- echoing its antecedent, it stands toe-to-toe with the original as a classic of its kind (and take note of his adoption of George Jones–style phrasing). Fugitive also contains Merle's first issued cover of a Jimmie Rodgers song ("My Rough and Rowdy Way"), anticipating an entire album of Singing Brakeman songs a couple of years later, and a rather overt tribute to fellow Bakersfield trailblazer Buck Owens in the jaunty "Mixed Up Mess of a Heart," featuring Glen Campbell and Merle doing their best Don Rich–Buck Owens vocal impersonations on the choruses. Assured and rich in content and character, these albums mark the moment when Merle Haggard started pulling away from the pack en route to country's pantheon.
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • Release Date: 2/21/2006
  • Label: Capitol
  • UPC: 094634479424
  • Catalog Number: 44794
  • Sales rank: 70,715

Album Credits

Performance Credits
Merle Haggard Primary Artist
Technical Credits
Merle Haggard Composer
Casey Anderson Composer
Tommy Collins Composer
Red Simpson Composer
Hank Cochran Composer
Randy LeRoy Remastering
Bonnie Owens Composer
Kay Adams Composer
Liz Anderson Composer
Elsie McWilliams Composer
Vern Stovall Composer
Bobby George Composer
Chris Clough Reissue Producer
Howard Kim Reissue Design
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
( 0 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously