Rating:
Genre:
Country
Release Date: 03/23/2004
With a title like
40 #1 Hits, it's easy to assume that the collection will contain nothing but number one hits, whether it's from the
Billboard charts or
Cash Box, and it's also easy to assume that it would contain
all of an artist's number one hits. In the case of
Merle Haggard's double-disc 2004 collection, neither is true. Using just the
Billboard charts as a guide -- which is an assumption, since the liner notes do not specify which charts are used, but
Billboard is the standard-bearer -- singles like
"I'm Always on a Mountain When I Fall" and
"If We're Not Back in Love by Monday" did not top the charts, and singles like
"What Have You Got Planned Tonight Diana" that did reach number one are absent. Still, these are exceptions to the number one rule, three of only a handful on this collection. Besides, quibbling about whether tracks reached number one or not doesn't matter to the average audience, who will view
40 #1 Hits as an excellent cross section of
Hag's biggest and best material, and the only compilation outside of the classic
Down Every Road box set to draw from his three main record labels:
Capitol,
MCA, and
Epic. Not all the great songs are here, but nearly every song here is great, from 1967's
"Branded Man" to 1988's
"Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star." Razor & Tie's
The Lonesome Fugitive remains the best compilation of
Haggard at his peak and
Down Every Road the most comprehensive set, but this occupies a middle ground between the two, offering a thorough overview of
Merle's long career as a
country hitmaker, and it's a terrific listen to boot.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
;)
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