Roots Volume 1
It's entirely appropriate that the cover photo here--Merle Haggard seated in front of a fireplace and surrounded by the albums of his favorite country singer--bears more than a passing resemblance to Bob Dylan'sBringing It All Back Home. OnRoots, Volume 1, Hag brings it home here by honoring some of his earliest influences, recording their songs in the swinging, stripped-down honky-tonk style popular during the middle of the 20th century. Merle coversHank ThompsonandHank Williams, but he devotes the most time toLefty Frizzell. Indeed, Merle sings classics like "Always Late" and "If You've Got the Money" in a voice brimming with Lefty's patented curlicued phrasing. What's more, he's signed up Frizzell's old lead guitarist, Norm Stephens, to reprise his most indelible licks. The highlights come, though, when Haggard sings his own songs, particularly "More Than My Old Guitar," where Merle not only insists he loves his wife more than his six string but more than "God loves the poor."--David Cantwell