The new millennium has seen a lot of really great musical happenings that helped to offset the atrocities that brought the previous millennium to a close. One of the things I love the most is seeing the respect given to and availability of Country legends works again. Of course, this trend started when Cash and Rick Rubin joined forces but it has certainly extended far beyond that. The latest case in point is I Am What I Am, Merle Haggard’s first album for Vanguard Records.
Resurrecting Haggard is I’m sure no easy task as his music isn’t quite as philosophical or as Pop oriented as some of his contemporaries. He kind of falls through the cracks in many ways (not unlike Willie Nelson I suppose)- particularly when it comes to tradition. I Am What I Am is exactly as it says it is- it’s a man doing what he does best and that happens to be semi-Jazzy, traditional sounding Country tunes that would have felt just as at home (maybe more so even) if they had been released in the early 60’s Honky Tonk Jukeboxes. Haggard is first and foremost a storyteller and the stripped down production style of this record compliments that really well.
There are a few highlights here, my first choice being “Oil Tanker Train.” The song oozes working class simplicity, the kind that is becoming more and more lost with each passing year. The lament of “Bad Actor” is another wonderful moment on the album. Haggard speaks with so much wisdom that it’s hard to ignore him (whether he’s making it up or not is beside the point). Other highlights include “I’ve Seen It Go Away” and the Bob Dylan-esqe title track, which closes the album in a strong way.
For every good moment though, there’s a weak one to offset it. There are a myriad of semi-cheesy love songs on here that I wasn’t able to connect with at all. And the Mariachi “Mexican Bands” still has me shaking my head- it’s not that it’s bad, it just completely disrupts a fairly focused album in my opinion. When all is said and done though, it’s like the album title says.
I believe this will appeal to Haggard’s longtime fans that still follow his music but I’m not sure I see anyone rushing back or newer, younger fans grasping it. Either way, I believe it to be a completely honest representation of a man that has earned the right to do whatever the hell he wants, anytime, all the time.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
