Merle Haggard - Merle Haggard Presents His 30th Album '1974

Tracks list

       In 2004, Shania Twain released a "Greatest Hits" after making four albums
between 1993 and 2002. Anyone wanting a perspective on how the music business
has changed since the 1960s and '70s (especially as far as country music is
concerned) should stack those figures against Merle Haggard's early output: he
released his first album in 1965, and dropped Merle Haggard Presents His 30th
Album in 1974. And yes, he really did put out 30 LPs during those nine years,
and while His 30th Album is a solid piece of work, the album doesn't sound as if
Haggard intended to make this LP into an event -- this is pretty much what one
would expect from a Merle Haggard album at the time. Hag drops in a few
excellent songs ("Things Aren't Funny Anymore," "Don't Give Up on Me," and
"Holding Things Together") alongside a bunch of good ones, and mixes up some
tough, funny honky tonk sides ("Old Man from the Mountain," "Honky Tonk Night
Time Man," and "It Don't Bother Me") with more heartfelt themes ( "The Girl Who
Made Me Laugh" and "White Man Singin' the Blues"). If Merle Haggard didn't come
up with a masterpiece for his 30th album, you could argue he didn't have to --
he made consistently stronger albums than most of his contemporaries in country
music, and he was still doing that 30 LPs and nine years into his recording
career, and that in itself is a pretty impressive accomplishment.

1.01 - Merle Haggard & The Strangers - Old Man From The Mountain (2:24)
1.02 - Merle Haggard - Things Aren't Funny Anymore (2:45)
1.03 - Merle Haggard - White Man Singin' The Blues (Recorded in 1973) (1:59)
1.04 - Merle Haggard - Travelin' (2:12)
1.05 - Merle Haggard - The Girl Who Made Me Laugh (2:43)
1.06 - Merle Haggard - Honky Tonk Night Time Man (2:42)
1.07 - Merle Haggard - Holding Things Together (3:00)
1.08 - Merle Haggard - The Seashores Of Old Mexico (3:45)
1.09 - Merle Haggard - Don't Give Up On Me (2:23)
1.10 - Merle Haggard - A King Without A Queen (2:46)
1.11 - Merle Haggard - It Don't Bother Me (2:29) 

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