Swinging Doors and the Bottle Let Me Down
Swinging Doors and the Bottle Let Me Down | ||||
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Ken Nelson, Fuzzy Owen | ||||
Merle Haggard and the Strangers chronology | ||||
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Singles from Swinging Doors | ||||
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Swinging Doors and the Bottle Let Me Down is the second studio album by American country music singer Merle Haggard and The Strangers, released in 1966 on Capitol Records. It is sometimes called Swinging Doors and has also been released with two fewer songs as High on a Hilltop.
Recording and composition
In April 1966, Haggard traveled to Nashville to record for the first time with disappointing results. "Seemed like there was a period where I was paddlin' around in the water tryin' to do something and it just wouldn't work," Haggard recalls in the
Haggard's new recordings largely centered on
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Pitchfork Media | 8.8/10[3] |
Swinging Doors would top the Billboard country albums chart. AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote in his review: "In addition to the two masterpieces from which the album took its name, the record included a terrific version of Tommy Collins' "High On A Hilltop," and plus excellent songs like "The Girl Turned Ripe," "If I Could Be Him," and "Someone Else You've Known." There's a few weak tracks, but Haggard and his band are in fine form, making the filler enjoyable."[2]
Track listing
All songs by Merle Haggard unless otherwise noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Swinging Doors" | 2:51 | |
2. | "If I Could Be Him" | 2:51 | |
3. | "The Longer You Wait" | 2:18 | |
4. | "I'll Look Over You" | 2:07 | |
5. | "I Can't Stand Me" | 2:16 | |
6. | "The Girl Turned Ripe" | 2:17 | |
7. | "The Bottle Let Me Down" | 2:45 | |
8. | "No More You and Me" | 2:18 | |
9. | "Somebody Else You've Known" | 2:07 | |
10. | "High on a Hilltop" | Tommy Collins | 2:58 |
11. | "This Town's Not Big Enough" | Liz Anderson, Donna Austin | 2:43 |
12. | "Shade Tree (Fix-It Man)" | 2:20 |
Personnel
- Merle Haggard – vocals, guitar
- Roy Nichols – guitar
- Ralph Mooney – steel guitar
- George French – piano
- Jerry Ward – bass
- Eddie Burris – drums
with
- Lewis Talley – guitar
- Billy Mize – harmony vocals
- Bonnie Owens – harmony vocals
and
- James Burton – guitar, dobro
- Glen Campbell – guitar
- Phil Baugh – guitar
- Jack Collier – guitar
- Glen D. Hardin – piano
- Bob Morris – bass
- Bert Dodson – bass
- Jim Gordon – drums
- Helen "Peaches" Price – drums
Chart positions
Chart (1966) | Peak position |
---|---|
Billboard Country LPs | 1 |
References
- ^ Down Every Road 1962–1994 compilation album. Liner notes by Daniel Cooper
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Swinging Doors > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- Pitchfork Media. Retrieved February 19, 2015.