I’m a Lonesome Fugitive
Merle Haggard
1967
Album Summary
I'm a Lonesome Fugitive is the third studio album by Merle Haggard and The Strangers released on Capitol Records in 1967.
WikipediaOf course it's great, it's Merle Haggard. Great music for road trips, especially sections of highway that are less congested so you can just sit back and relax a tad.
Left me broken inside. Damn, Merle, why’d you have to be so loud. Country music really is the music of pain.
Dang, this is some good ass country music. Makes me want to take a shot of whiskey and punch someone in the face cause I can't give up my rough and rowdy ways.
Toe-tapping music at it's finest. I just wanna two-step around the room. :) Love me some, Merle!
Some good, ol' fashioned country music. If there's one thing that I've learned from this album generator, it's that I don't hate country music, I hate modern country music. The songs go down smooth and don't overstay their welcome. Hadn't heard of Merle Haggard before, but I'll definitely be listening to him more from here on out.
Excellent - a true classic of the genre. Good ol' honky tonk Country songs of heartbreak, loneliness, cheatin' women, and running away from responsibilities ;) Haggard's voice sounds great and is well supported by the traditional country sounds of pedal steel et cetera.
I prefer Merle a million times more than Buck Owens. Some will draw the line from Buck to Merle to Dwight Yoakam and they wouldn't be wrong. Merle gets major points for "Mama Tried" and "Okie From Muskogee" two all time bangers (both are obvious 5's). Neither song appears on this album, so seek those out if you've never heard them. If you're looking to do a deep dive on the wonders of Merle, fair warning: Spotify separates Merle Haggard from Merle Haggard & The Strangers, which is just annoying. This album just scratches the surface of the Merle legend, but it'll help you understand why Merle Haggard merits consideration for the Mount Rushmore of country music.
Grâce à cet album, j'ai enfin pu comprendre où voulait en venir mon camarade d'écoute robnouricière lorsqu'il évoquait le genre musical "Bob l'éponge". Je vais vous révéler ici le secret de ce genre musical. Lancez l'album de Merde, et concentrez-vous sur l'instrument à cordes utilisé. Maintenant, pensez fort à Bob l'éponge, dégustant un Krusty Crab dans l'enceinte de Monsieur Crabe, en compagnie de son camarade Carlos. L'immersion devrait être des plus totales, et des bulles ne devraient pas tarder à sortir de votre bouche. Un grand merci à rob et à l'album de merde du jour pour ce petit secret révélé.
Un mauvais album de plus dans cette période sombre que certains qualifieraient volontiers de "Crise du Générateur". On réalise très vite que Merle Haggard est un proche de Buck Owens et qu'il va nous servir la même soupe à base de générique de Bob l'éponge. Merde Haggarl.
Fugitive country. The original OG. Brilliant storytelling, influential, charismatic.
I have spoken before, during my review of Buck Evans' I've Got a Tiger by the Tail, about the kaleidoscope of reasons why an individual wouldn't like country. But why would an individual like country? Well, country is often simple, unpretentious fun. It fits both a rowdy honky-tonk Saturday night and a contemplative moment with a glass of bourbon. Its best singers have qualities rare in other genres: grit, directness and authority. Someone once told me that country is the only genre focused of expressing the listener's travails: when a country singer wails about being unable to make that month's rent, it is sung for the members of the audience who can't make that month's rent. And perhaps the greatest strength of country is the same as the greatest strength of soul: both genres are unsurpassed in making the listener feel a deeper sense of emotion. With soul, the emotion it conveys most profoundly is love; the emotion that country expresses with similar insight is, of course, heartache. Every cowboy sings a sad, sad song. Merle Haggard is my favourite country singer. I am in no way an expert on country, but I know enough to have a favourite singer, and that's Merle Haggard. Merle Haggard was one of the figures representing the most credible stance of country artists: the troubled, wandering bad boy constantly evading the law, not always successfully, and whose unsettled past provided their songs with authenticity and toughness. This is the tradition of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and the outlaw country movement. Merle Haggard's drifter jailbird country was damn more authentic than most. An Okie from California, Haggard's teenage years can be summarised by the extensive rap sheet he managed. After a few periods of reform school, Haggard got inspired to pursue music, but poverty led him to attempt a robbery, which led him to attend San Quentin. He then changed direction and concentrated on becoming the most adept country songwriter there ever was. Oddly, his most famous song is the rather unrepresentative, conservative protest song Okie from Muskogee, which opens with the line "We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee"; in later years, Haggard would love himself some blazing up of a fatso JJ (I understand that's what the kids call it nowadays). I'm a Lonesome Fugitive is Merle Haggard's third album, and exemplifies the Bakersfield sound, which was a California-based anti-Nashville style of country that readily took lessons and rhythms from rock 'n' roll. So, I'm a Lonesome Fugitive has real pep, and If You Want to Be My Woman is a straight-up blues number. But it should be noted that, since it's a 1967 country album, the record serves more as a showcase of Merle Haggard's songs from early 1967 than as a coherent album interlaced with themes and leitmotifs. But like Are You Experienced and Wild is the Wind, I'm a Lonesome Fugitive is a really good showcase. We experience most of the standard rounds in Haggard's revolver: convict troubadour numbers, (I'm a Lonesome Fugitive), murder ballads (Life in Prison), paradigmatic love songs (All of Me Belongs to You), juke joint blues rockers (If You Want to Be My Woman), odes to drinking away one's problems (Drink Up and Be Somebody), odes to just drinking (My Rough and Rowdy Ways). Every song here is mighty fine, and every listen so far has just made them mighty finer. But one property of this album worth noting is that this is not an album for teenagers. The audience this album aims for is adult, even middle-aged. The album's humour is wry and drenched in rye. The sorrows of this album are adult concerns of penury and the losses of serious love, not adolescent infatuations. Even resorting to booze to ease a broken heart, while not necessarily a mature response, is by definition an adult one. So, this has set me to thinking if the snottiness against country stems from age. I can understand perfectly if a teenager has no inclination to seek out some Willie Nelson. How would that teenager feel once they hit 35? Does the predilection to country music depend on how close you are to your first prostate exam? NoRadio, signing off.
It's 30 minutes of Merle doing his thing. He gets in and gets out, leaving you wanting more. Legend. Best track: Someone Told My Story
Je m’attendais pas a un album country mais j’aime bien le style. C’est plaisnant de decouvrir un artiste comme cela. A reecouter. 4*
One for one what you would expect a country album to sound like and themed after, enjoyed it despite the genre
Hi: All of Me Belongs To You, Skid Row, Mixed Up Mess of a Heart If you're tired of Johnny Cash outlaw country, get into so MERLE, you won't be disappointed. I don't think country gets better than this.
A lot more fun than I expected! I started listening to some of his other stuff, Love Affair With Trains is such a vibe
Die goede old school country hype. love it. geeft me zin om the ranch opnieuw te kijken. Stardew valley hype
This style of country is always such a vibe, and few vibe with it better than Merle.
8/10. Some enjoyable old fashioned country music. I liked that that the songs never really dragged on too much, and thought this was a good length overall.
7/10 pretty good country songs with a nice vocal performance. the first song and the last song were easily the best, and unfortunately nothing else lived up
I quite enjoyed this. Hadn’t heard it before, but was what I expected from a Merle Haggard album, in a good way. Am not averse to a bit of country, but I tend to err on the Johnny Cash / rockabilly side, generally. Some great country titles and lyrics here though, and I particularly enjoyed Drink Up and Be Somebody.
Aquele episódio do Bob Esponja q a Sandy fica cantando que quer voltar pro Texas 3,5
Bless you, Merle. This record is... *Scott Hall high pitch inflection* TOO SWEEEEEEEET! Merle's vocals are like marmalade.
Really enjoyed this, surprisingly so considering I know nothing about traditional country music. Will explore more!
Love me some bittersweet Bakersfield-style country. This is a classic country album, with Haggard in perfect voice. Musically, the Strangers are really tight, with some exceptional guitar work. Fave Songs: Drink Up and Be Somebody, Mixed Up Mess of a Heart, All of Me Belongs to You, Someone Told My Story, My Rough and Rowdy Ways
An entirely unexpected treat. A few country albums have already popped up on my list and so far, whatever the reputation, I've not gelled with them. This however, lean and spare, is a great listen. Most songs a little over 2 minutes, very few ballads, almost punktry.
I prefer the Nashville style over the the Las Vegas style of country music any day. Merle is all Nashville.
Good support for my theory that the best of any genre is probably pretty good.
Clive turned me onto Merle Haggard during one of our many "nothing to do during covid, let's get drunk" sessions. He knew all about this stuff where I only knew of Johnny Cash - Merle Haggard, Hank Williams (multiple), etc etc. He'd gotten into it through his parents so he had knowledge of all this almost-forgotten country from an earlier age. In any case, the lyrics could use some work but the music itself is fantastic. 4/5.
I liked this - a ‘proper’ bit of country with all the cheatin’ fightin’ and lovin’ you could ask for.
Man, I really hate Country Music, But this album is just great. You know how fast food chains use bright oranges and yellows in their dining areas to subconsciously push you out of the restaurant when you're done eating? I think the two words 'Merle' and 'Haggard' do something to my subconscious and make me rank this album higher than I normally would. Here is how my brain interprets those two words: MERLE = super old, wrinkly, rural, complacent and full of hard-earned life lessons. HAGGARD = downtrodden and full of despair. I think the description of those two words fit this album. I mean, if his name was '(The)Getup Kids' I would hate this album. Well, anything named 'Get Up Kids' I would hate. I think it's just the simplicity, tempo and sweet pipes of ole Merle that gets to me and makes it work. Lonesome Fugitive makes me feel like I lifted a rock and found something interesting that I'll forget about in an hour.
I love Merle Haggard so much. Here he is at the peak of his powers. Bakersfield at its best.
just looking at the cover i expect road trip country vibes... and i was right! this is just the willies roadhouse radio station in my grandpas truck driving to town from the cabin. the vibes are immaculate, album added 👍
This country man sure has some good yarns about going to prison and such. I'm a sucker for this exact country sound (and very few other country sounds)
Music to hop a train and roam the Midwest to. Before he was defined by “Okie from Muskogee,” Merle Haggard and his band spun country gold out of this set of melancholy tunes.
Legacy country music here. Sad, sweet, strong, and poignant, sometimes all at the same time. There is something (genuine?) about this one that made me feel connected to the music. Good stuff.
4.5 I’ll always be the first to admit that my distaste for country music is mostly due to my own ignorance about the genre. I have really only ever found one country artist that I truly enjoy (Johnny Cash). Otherwise there are a few singles here and there that I like, mostly from Fallout: New Vegas, but I never bothered to discover more country. That’s where this list comes in handy because in the case of “I’m a Lonely Fugitive” I think it’s fair to say I had a great time listening. The subject matter is quite melancholy and I think I only heard one John Deere reference. Surprisingly, I liked Merle’s voice and the guitar work was really intricate and well done. There were times I felt like this is the emo of country with lyrics like “My life will be a burden every day, if I could die my pain might go away” sounding like they were ripped straight out of Devil and God or The Black Parade. I liked just about everything about this album. Favorites: I’m a Lonesome Fugitive, House of Memories, Life in Prison, Someone Told My Story, Mary’s Mine, Skid Row, Mixed Up Mess of a Heart
7/10 fun country music but nothing special makes me wanna go fishing from the back of a pickup truck or some shit haha
Liked it more than I thought I would. You can tell these are from the heart.
So I was quite prepared to say "similar to Johnny Cash" (which I love), give it a 3 star rating and move on, possibly skipping a track or two. But the more I listened the more it wormed its way into my head. Glad to add this to my 4Star+ playlist
Wasn’t too familiar with these tunes exactly, but I’m bery familiar with the combination of Merle’s stories and Roy Ernest Nichols‘ guitar playing. There could be 5000 Merle Haggard albums that sound just like this, I’m really not sure, but it hits like this classic form at its peak, and it brings me joy.
Classic Merle haggard Excellent outlaw country Definitely a must listen for any country fan
I just like Merle Haggard. Enjoy the Bakersfield sound, and I slightly prefer this album to Buck Owens's I've Got a Tiger By the Tail, but both are great classic country records. Bonnie Owens's harmony vocals are the secret weapon on this album, adding some extra depth to Someone Told My Story and the title track. Drink Up and Be Somebody and If You Want to Be My Woman are both fun uptempo stomps, and Life in Prison is a just a banger of a classic country track.
One of the most influential albums Merle ever made, practically creating the Outlaw Country sub-genre. Not a very popular or lasting genre, but it was original for the time. It sure is fun and I enjoyed the album. 4/5
Pleasantly surprised by this album. Not the biggest fan of Merle and his politics, but this was a nice collection of outlaw country songs
Perfectly fine and enjoyable album, although "if you want to be my woman" may get ol Merle cancelled today
I'm A Lonesome Fugitive is the seed of every cowboy country song. Yea this album is a solid encapsulation of the change of country from the blues to the outlaw.
Merle klingt älter als er aufm Cover aussieht, aber vielleicht hat man damals mit 30 auch schon alles zigfach erlebt und ist ein alter weiser/weisser Mann mit Gitarre, dessen Geschichten sich ein bisserl anhören wie die Lebensberichte eines Rowdies wie Nelson Muntz, der zwar bekanntlich auch eine weiche Seite hat, aber noch bekanntlicher ein Vertreter vom schäbigen Gesocks , ein brutaler Vollasi und wirklich der letzte ist, dem ich über länger gern meine Aufmerksamkeit schenke. Weniger erstaunlich die Aufmerksamkeit, die solche Worte abverlangen: "My life will be a burden every day If I could die my pain might go away" Tiefgang den einen, schlimmer Kitsch den anderen. Ich wähle den Mittelweg und lasse mir von dem Ganoven angesäuselt ein paar Sympathiepunkte aus den Rippen leiern, um genau zu sein genau: 3.0
A more country Johnny Cash. Rather than being an imitation, Merle Haggard sang from experience, having been serving a 15 year sentence in San Quentin when Cash played there. Haggard may be the more authentic jailbird, but somehow his songs sound less so and lack some of the Cash grit, poetry, emotion, and magic. Maybe it's unfair to consider this through the prism of Johnny Cash, but it's impossible not to. 3/5.
Low-key it was p good. I actually liked the sound of it, and the lyrics made it better for me than modern country. I liked I'm a Lonesome Fugitive, Life in Prison, and If You Want to be my Woman
When singing about being a criminal felt kinda wholesome. It was good but didn’t totally grab me
100 % wat ik van country zou verwachten. Eens plezant om naar te luisteren, maar niet snel voor herhaling vatbaar
De cover toont al meteen wat voor soort album het wordt. Zeker niet slecht, maar ook geen echte uitschieters.