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Release Date: 08/19/2008
This 14-track compilation covering
Merle Haggard's
Epic years from 1981-1986 is as complete as a single disc can possibly be. It doesn't replace the double-disc
Essential Merle Haggard, but it does offer a stellar collection of tracks from that period, including some expected singles -- a couple of which, like
"Big City" and
"Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star," were Top Ten smashes. Not all of the choices are obvious, though. Sure, the aforementioned tunes, as well as
"Are the Good Times Really Over for Good (I Wish a Buck Was Still Silver)," "Goin' Where the Lonely Go," and
"I Always Get Lucky with You" are here. But there are also three killer duets --
"Yesterday's Wine" with
George Jones,
"A Place to Fall Apart" with
Janie Fricke, and
"Pancho and Lefty" with
Willie Nelson -- in the mix. There isn't a weak tune in the bunch. For the money, terrible packaging aside, it's difficult to beat. [The
Sony Playlist series is a new budget format for releasing compilations and best-ofs. It functions as a conventional disc for any player in an eco-friendly package that contains only the track list and source album titles. However, It also functions as a CD-ROM featuring a large PDF file with complete liner notes and track information, CD-quality and MP3-ready files, photos, wallpaper, and other extras.]
~Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
;)
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