Troubadour

I have always thought Hag's MCA output was under-appreciated, though admittedly it lacks the consistency of his classic Capitol records. This is the sound of Merle in transition, and the results are a mixed bag of highs and lows, from his heartfelt but ultimately lightweight Elvis tribute, for example, to the sublime "Serving 190 Proof" album, which stands as one of his best ever. (Let's just forget all about the cringe-inducing "Bull and the Beaver", which gets my vote for the worst thing by far Haggard ever committed to vinyl)... Even if (like me) you already own most of this material, there are still plenty of treasures to be found even for Hag completists, like the early version of "Troubadour" (a song that didn't see daylight until a re-recorded version found its way on Merle's "1994" release for Curb), or a live version of "Fightin' Side of Me" that MCA released in the wake of the Iran hostage crisis in 1980. And with the entirety of the MCA material assembled in once place, it's fascinating to follow Haggard as he hones a sort of lean country swing sound over the course of his tenure at the label -- a sound that, once fully formed, would characterize his string of hits for Epic in the 1980s. Bear Family's album-sized package itself is stunning -- simply everything a boxed set should be, with pristine sound and a 68-page hardcover book containing extensive notes, a meticulous discography/sessionography and page after page of photos (most of which I'd never seen previously). A beautifully done set that's essential for Haggard fans.

There's not a easy way to review this Bear Family box collection of Merle it's as well compiled as there 3 previous box sets of his Capitol recordings now this is all of the M.C A. material and oh what a surprise you get all the albums from 1976 to1981 starting with my farewell to elvis to songs for the mama that tried plus the unreleased its all in the game album acquired by C.B.S along with the duets with Leona Williams and songs from the soundtracks Killers Three and The Legend of the Lone Ranger plus unissued material.Yes it's expensive but well worth every cent it's great

I do not know who 101 Distribution is because this is a Bear Family release - also, your 4 CD track listing is about 60% incorrect - whoever put your listing together deserves a rap on the side of the head with a wet noodle - The Hag deserves better, a lot better, than this - please review the 4 CD listings in the box set to get it right and make the changes accordingly - I am now looking forward to the next box set release which would be his 18 Epic albums which includes the Mercury album he made with Leona Williams - I believe this translates into an 8 CD box set, maybe even 10 CD's - Bear Family has always done an outstanding job - Thank you

This box set has Haggard's MCA material (some was recorded during that period but released by Epic). The songs tend to be more typical of country music than his earlier material. That's not to say it's bad, but I think it's a step down in his career. It is a pleasant set of one of Country's greatest.

Awesome box set, especially to get the Ramblin' Fever and I'm Always On A Mountain albums. Those would have been the hardest to get for me. I had all the other albums on CD but this box set with the extra cuts is great. Thank you, Bear Family.

All the great MCA recordings with some rarities. These recordings don't seem to get the credit they deserve. Just one of the many phases of Merle's extraordinarily career. I can hardly wait until Bear releases the Epic recordings and beyond. (If they do.)

Overall impressed. Comes with neat book.

Listen to

You get what you pay for. And oh what a joy this is. Get it if you can because you will pay more for the individual CDsPlus you get the hardback book with pics info and a well detailed track by track session info.Gotta love Merle whichever label he was on

Nice to have all of Merle Haggard's MCA era songs in one place. I very much enjoy Merle's time on that label, a time where his music set a higher bar.

Top Quality great delivery timeJ.Kramar

Tremendous collection including some not often heard Haggard selections.A must for any Haggard fan.

im a massive fan