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Perhaps there’s a measure of defiance in the title of Merle Haggard’s 2010 album I Am What I Am, but it’s also a statement of plain fact: almost 50 years into a recording career, there’s no changing the fact that Hag is who is he is, and he’s comfortable in his own skin, broken-in but not worn-out, never pushing too hard but never coasting, either. Sometimes Haggard’s easy touch is too light, slipping into sleepiness, but the striking thing about I Am What I Am is its casual mastery, the subtle shading in his vocal phrasing can make his songwriting appear effortless. And to an extent, it is: Hag’s tending the same fields he has for years, sliding into swaying ballads, stepping it up for a bit of Western swing, tipping his hat toward Mexico, swinging through some Dixieland jazz, a love of railroads and family, spiking his sentimental, nostalgic streak with clear-eyed realism, always blurring the line between a late night in a beer joint and a Sunday afternoon picking on the porch. But like with any of Haggard’s great albums, much of the pleasure lies in the details, whether it’s the sly lyrical turns of phrase in his writing or in the suppleness of his performance, things I Am What I Am has in spades. It’s familiar enough to feel comforting on the first listen, resonant enough to sound better with each subsequent spin; it’s so true to Haggard’s essence that it could stand handsomely as his final album, an understated summation of where he’s been, but it’s made better by having no trace of self-conscious finality -- this wasn’t constructed as a last word, but it’s just a reflection of who Haggard is, which is nothing less than one of the great American singer/songwriters.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Red Lane, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Reggie Young, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kevin Williams, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Merle Haggard, Composer, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Hollis Flatt, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - LOU BRADLEY, Producer - Doug Colosio, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - George Receli, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ikes, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bennie Quinn, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2010 Vanguard Records, A Welk Music Group Company ℗ 2010 Hag Records, Inc. Manufactured and distributed
Kevin Williams, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Merle Haggard, Composer, Producer, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Joss, Guitar, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Hollis Flatt, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - LOU BRADLEY, Producer - Doug Colosio, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Theresa Haggard, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Howard, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ben Haggard, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Norm Hamlet, Steel Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Biff Adams, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Bennie Quinn, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2010 Vanguard Records, A Welk Music Group Company ℗ 2010 Hag Records, Inc. Manufactured and distributed
Red Lane, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Reggie Young, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kevin Williams, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Merle Haggard, Composer, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Joss, Guitar, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Hollis Flatt, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - LOU BRADLEY, Producer - Theresa Haggard, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - George Receli, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ikes, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bennie Quinn, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2010 Vanguard Records, A Welk Music Group Company ℗ 2010 Hag Records, Inc. Manufactured and distributed
Gary Church, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Kevin Williams, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Merle Haggard, Composer, Producer, Vocals, Fiddle, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Joss, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Hollis Flatt, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - LOU BRADLEY, Producer - Doug Colosio, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Theresa Haggard, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Howard, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Norm Hamlet, Steel Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Biff Adams, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Bennie Quinn, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2010 Vanguard Records, A Welk Music Group Company ℗ 2010 Hag Records, Inc. Manufactured and distributed
Freddy Powers, Composer - Red Lane, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kevin Williams, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Merle Haggard, Producer, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Joss, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Hollis Flatt, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - LOU BRADLEY, Producer - Doug Colosio, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Howard, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - George Receli, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Don Markham, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Bennie Quinn, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2010 Vanguard Records, A Welk Music Group Company ℗ 2010 Hag Records, Inc. Manufactured and distributed
Kevin Williams, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Merle Haggard, Composer, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Joss, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Hollis Flatt, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - LOU BRADLEY, Producer - Doug Colosio, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Theresa Haggard, Composer - George Receli, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Bennie Quinn, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2010 Vanguard Records, A Welk Music Group Company ℗ 2010 Hag Records, Inc. Manufactured and distributed
Reggie Young, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kevin Williams, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Merle Haggard, Composer, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Joss, Guitar, Fiddle, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Hollis Flatt, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - LOU BRADLEY, Producer - Doug Colosio, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Ben Haggard, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - George Receli, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Bennie Quinn, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2010 Vanguard Records, A Welk Music Group Company ℗ 2010 Hag Records, Inc. Manufactured and distributed
Red Lane, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kevin Williams, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Merle Haggard, Composer, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Joss, Composer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Hollis Flatt, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - LOU BRADLEY, Producer - Doug Colosio, Composer, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Howard, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ben Haggard, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - George Receli, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ikes, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bennie Quinn, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - John Scott G, Composer
(C) 2010 Vanguard Records, A Welk Music Group Company ℗ 2010 Hag Records, Inc. Manufactured and distributed
Reggie Young, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kevin Williams, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Merle Haggard, Composer, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Joss, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Hollis Flatt, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - LOU BRADLEY, Producer - Doug Colosio, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - George Receli, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Bennie Quinn, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2010 Vanguard Records, A Welk Music Group Company ℗ 2010 Hag Records, Inc. Manufactured and distributed
Reggie Young, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kevin Williams, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Merle Haggard, Composer, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Joss, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Hollis Flatt, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - LOU BRADLEY, Producer - Doug Colosio, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - George Receli, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Bennie Quinn, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2010 Vanguard Records, A Welk Music Group Company ℗ 2010 Hag Records, Inc. Manufactured and distributed
Red Lane, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kevin Williams, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Merle Haggard, Composer, Producer, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Joss, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Hollis Flatt, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - LOU BRADLEY, Producer - Doug Colosio, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Howard, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ben Haggard, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - George Receli, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Don Markham, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ikes, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bennie Quinn, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2010 Vanguard Records, A Welk Music Group Company ℗ 2010 Hag Records, Inc. Manufactured and distributed
Kevin Williams, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Merle Haggard, Composer, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Hollis Flatt, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - LOU BRADLEY, Producer - Biff Adams, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Bennie Quinn, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2010 Vanguard Records, A Welk Music Group Company ℗ 2010 Hag Records, Inc. Manufactured and distributed
Album review
Perhaps there’s a measure of defiance in the title of Merle Haggard’s 2010 album I Am What I Am, but it’s also a statement of plain fact: almost 50 years into a recording career, there’s no changing the fact that Hag is who is he is, and he’s comfortable in his own skin, broken-in but not worn-out, never pushing too hard but never coasting, either. Sometimes Haggard’s easy touch is too light, slipping into sleepiness, but the striking thing about I Am What I Am is its casual mastery, the subtle shading in his vocal phrasing can make his songwriting appear effortless. And to an extent, it is: Hag’s tending the same fields he has for years, sliding into swaying ballads, stepping it up for a bit of Western swing, tipping his hat toward Mexico, swinging through some Dixieland jazz, a love of railroads and family, spiking his sentimental, nostalgic streak with clear-eyed realism, always blurring the line between a late night in a beer joint and a Sunday afternoon picking on the porch. But like with any of Haggard’s great albums, much of the pleasure lies in the details, whether it’s the sly lyrical turns of phrase in his writing or in the suppleness of his performance, things I Am What I Am has in spades. It’s familiar enough to feel comforting on the first listen, resonant enough to sound better with each subsequent spin; it’s so true to Haggard’s essence that it could stand handsomely as his final album, an understated summation of where he’s been, but it’s made better by having no trace of self-conscious finality -- this wasn’t constructed as a last word, but it’s just a reflection of who Haggard is, which is nothing less than one of the great American singer/songwriters.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:36:52
- Main artists: Merle Haggard
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Vanguard Records
- Genre: Blues/Country/Folk Country
© 2010 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company ℗ 2010 Hag Records, Inc.
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