Track Listing

1. Mama Tried
2. Workin' Man Blues
3. Silver Wings
4. Always Wanting You
5. Okie from Muskogee [Live]
6. Living with the Shades Pulled Down
7. Branded Man
8. Carolyn
9. If We Make It Through December
10. Fightin' Side of Me
11. Bottle Let Me Down
12. House of Memories
13. Today I Started Loving You Again
14. Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)
15. Honky Tonk Night Time Man
16. Sing Me Back Home
17. What Have You Got Planned Tonight, Diana
18. I'm a Lonesome Fugitive
19. Hungry Eyes
20. Old Man from the Mountain

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17759 in Music
• Released on: 2002-02-26
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Amazon.com

Merle Haggard Photos

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Customer Reviews

Not exactly his 20 greatest hits but a fine collection
With 38 number one country hits and many other top ten country hits, it isn't possible to even come close to encompassing his career on a single CD. Quite apart from his hits, there were some that got away. Silver wings (included here) was only released as a B-side but is now regarded as one of Merle's classic songs. Today I started loving you again, another of Merle's B-sides included here, has been covered more frequently than any of Merle's other songs and has also become a classic. The inclusion of B-sides would normally devalue a hits compilation but it is clear that Capitol made big mistakes when deciding not to release these two songs as A-sides at the time.

There are a few other songs here that were only minor hits or weren't hits at all but most of the songs here are selected from Merle's number one hits - classics such as Mama tried, Always wanting you, Okie from Muskogee, Branded man, If we make it through December, Fighting side of me, Daddy Frank and Hungry eyes among them.

If you really only want a single CD of Merle's music, this is one of the best you'll find, but if you can afford it I recommend that you pay a bit extra for the double-CD containing all his number ones (40 #1 hits), which I've also reviewed. You won't find Bottle let me down (a top ten country hit but not a number one) nor will you find the two classic B-sides or the other lesser hits and non-hits, but you'll get all the number one hits that didn't make it on to this collection.

great!
probably the best single-disc collection of Merle Haggard at his peak

You've gotta love this CD - It's the best of Merle
I was fascinated to find out that Merle either wrote or co-wrote most of the songs on this CD. I would recommend this CD to anyone who likes the "real country" music. All you have to do is listen to this CD and you will know that Merle has lived what he writes about. You will like this CD!