The record I pulled ended up being Merle Haggard's 1968 live album Okie From Muskogee.
The fact I pulled a Hag record should come as no surprise to me, as I have a lot of Hag records. This one in particular though is one of my favorites. I like to call it Merle's "Folsom". That is a good comparison because much like Cash's "Folsom" & "San Quentin" twofer, Merle had "Okie" and 1970's "Fightin' Side of Me". Both great live albums that should go together as a pair (much like Cash's).
Okie was recorded live in Muskogee, Oklahoma and features the song the album takes it's title from. Sadly I don't think the fine folks of Muskogee realized they were on the butt end of Merle's very tongue in cheek (and often misunderstood) "Okie From Muskogee". "Okie", written from his dad's perspective about the events of the time (the 60's man...) became sort of anthem that Haggard never intended. Here are his own words on the subject: "It started out as a joke. We wrote to be satirical originally. But then people latched onto it, and it really turned into this song that looked into the mindset of people so opposite of who and where we were"
For my money though the best song on this album is without a doubt "Silver Wings". This version of the song is in my opinion THE version of "Silver Wings". So stripped down, just Haggard and the strangers, some of Hag's most soulful vocals and I just love it when he says to Roy Nichols "Pick it Nichol's" right before he lays some tasty licks on us.
This is without a doubt one of my top 3 Country albums of all time, which is what inspired me to start this recurring feature.....Might as well start it with something REALLY GOOD, call it luck of the draw.
Okie was recorded live in Muskogee, Oklahoma and features the song the album takes it's title from. Sadly I don't think the fine folks of Muskogee realized they were on the butt end of Merle's very tongue in cheek (and often misunderstood) "Okie From Muskogee". "Okie", written from his dad's perspective about the events of the time (the 60's man...) became sort of anthem that Haggard never intended. Here are his own words on the subject: "It started out as a joke. We wrote to be satirical originally. But then people latched onto it, and it really turned into this song that looked into the mindset of people so opposite of who and where we were"
For my money though the best song on this album is without a doubt "Silver Wings". This version of the song is in my opinion THE version of "Silver Wings". So stripped down, just Haggard and the strangers, some of Hag's most soulful vocals and I just love it when he says to Roy Nichols "Pick it Nichol's" right before he lays some tasty licks on us.
This is without a doubt one of my top 3 Country albums of all time, which is what inspired me to start this recurring feature.....Might as well start it with something REALLY GOOD, call it luck of the draw.
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9 comments:
Great record. The guitar solo on Workin Man Blues is really good.
Confession time.
I know little of Haggard's music besides a handful of his "hits".
Last week I'd decided to remedy this so this post is timely.
My eMusic credits renew next week and I was going to use October's allocation to get started,then over the weekend I was browsing at a local second hand vinyl store and got a copy of an EMI compilation "Branded Man" with "20 Top Ten Country Hits"
Any suggestions on where to go from here with Merle?
Cheers,
Simon
well this very album is one of my favorites along with Fightin' side of me. I'm also a big fan of his two tribute albums, the Jimmie Rodgers one and Bob Wills one.
but to start out, you can get some great twofers on amazon....I would suggest either Lonesome Fugitive/Branded Man, Strangers/Swinging Doors, or Mama Tried/Pride in what I am
There is a fantastic article on Hag in las week's Rolling Stone, "The Life and Times of a Badass Legend."
Merle and George Jones are the top two greatest male voices EVER in Country music. EVER.
"Okie..." was a joke that almost got away from him and it saddled him for years to come as this "right-wing" icon. Personally, I love the song, it's right up there with "Redneck Mother" for stirring up my white-trash blood!
Long Live the Hag!
PS. The Knitters version of "Silver Wings" has John Doe's best vocal...EVER! Thanks.
Okie From Muskogee always left a bad taste in my mouth because I was never in on the joke. It's a song that I've never been able to listen to but it is a good live album. Okie fits right up there along his association with Nixon and Reagan. Seeing how Merle is such a bad motherfucker I overlook these things. For someone who was always such an anti-authoritarian to be associating with two of the hardest law and order pricks out there always seemed weird to me. I know Reagan pardoned him but....I don't know? Two presidents who fucked the working man who Merle wsa supposed to be all about. It's hard/impossible to not respect and love Hag and his music.
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This would be a great regular feature on your blog - the randomness makes it very interesting.
very cool choice and a great post!
while it's nowhere near my top 3 country records, I do enjoy this one a lot (don't have the Fightin Side album - gotta change that now!). it's got a rather casual feel about it and sometimes appears to me as an artifact from a totally different time (and to me a different country as well). it's a fantastic record to just put on, lay back, pour am ice cold and begin the night (but hell, which good country record isn't really? hehe...)
cheers,
MLP
p.s. and I agree with the above, this would be a cool regular feature!!!
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