Hag (album)
Hag | ||||
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Merle Haggard and The Strangers chronology | ||||
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Hag is the twelfth studio album by American country music artist Merle Haggard and The Strangers released on Capitol Records in 1971. It became his fifth album to top the Billboard country album charts. It also reached number 66 on the pop albums chart.
History
Hag was Haggard's first album with a majority of original songs in two years, following two tribute albums (to
Hag was reissued along with Let Me Tell You About a Song on CD by Beat Goes On Records in 2002.[1]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Pitchfork Media | 8.9/10[4] |
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic calls it "one of his absolute best albums—which means a lot, because he recorded no shortage of great records. In contrast to the rowdy live albums and the raucous Western swing that preceded it, Hag is quite quiet and reflective, sometimes referencing the turmoil within America at the end of the '60s, but more often finding Haggard turning inward."[2] Music critic Robert Christgau wrote "Four country hits on Haggard's first straight studio album in a year and a half, but only the simple goodbye song "I Can't Be Myself" escapes bathos."[3]
Track listing
All songs by Merle Haggard unless otherwise noted:
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Soldier's Last Letter" | Redd Stewart, Ernest Tubb | 2:11 |
2. | "Shelly's Winter Love" | 3:22 | |
3. | "Jesus, Take a Hold" | 2:16 | |
4. | "I Can't Be Myself" | 2:51 | |
5. | "I'm a Good Loser" | 2:38 | |
6. | "Sidewalks of Chicago" | Dave Kirby | 2:29 |
7. | "No Reason to Quit" | Dean Holloway | 2:35 |
8. | "If You've Got Time (To Say Goodbye)" | 2:52 | |
9. | "The Farmer's Daughter" | 2:55 | |
10. | "I've Done It All" | 2:15 |
Personnel
- Merle Haggard– vocals, guitar
- Roy Nichols – lead guitar
- Norman Hamlet – steel guitar, dobro
- Bobby Wayne - rhythm guitar, harmony vocals
- Dennis Hromek – bass, background vocals
- Biff Adam – drums
with
- Red Lane – guitar
- George French – piano
- Johnny Gimble – fiddle
and
- Earl Ball – piano
- Glen D. Hardin – piano
Chart positions
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1971 | Billboard Country albums | 1 |
1971 | Billboard Pop albums | 66 |
References
- ^ Allmusic entry for Hag/Let Me Tell You About a Song. Retrieved December 2009.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Hag > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- ^ ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- Pitchfork Media. Retrieved February 19, 2015.