I’m a Lonesome Fugitive

Not really my jam or apparently Merle's best work. But competent textbook country.

The Good: Realizing that Merle isn’t selfish, so he goes on the lam alone… The Bad: Us not understanding why such an outstanding fella like Merle would be a fugutive… The Ugly: He’s not running from the law… he’s running from his ex-wife! I am playing catch-up as this album was presented to me during a great trip I had to Japan, and at the time I was actually NOT enjoying this album much… So, I thought that I would give the album some time, listen to it more attentively, to see if I would start liking it better… Middle of the road for me… I much preferred some of the other country music that has been presented to me on this list… 2* upgraded because I can...

Not typically a country fan, but I’m intrigued by this man. He has a lovely voice. Honestly this album is so solid. True banger. Can’t find anything bad to say about it despite the fact that it’s not my style.

I am learning that I am a fan of this old country music style. Never heard of this musician but enjoyable cd to listen through.

Americana, defined. This is what Country music should always sound like.

Many of my favorite musicians respect Merle Haggard, so I was disappointed that I found this to be standard, unremarkable, middle-of-the-road sad cowboy music. When it comes to midcentury twang, this corny stuff has nothing on Townes Van Zandt or Patsy Cline.

"If you want to be my woman" was the one song that moved at a pace I'd have liked, if it weren't for the Country part of the song. You know, like everything else about the song. I don't dig Country. This is a good example of why.

Pretty generic country album that I didn't mind listening to. Nothing mind blowing or unique, but decent overall sound. Pretty much exactly what you'd expect from this album. Top tracks: I'm A Lonesome Fugitive, House of Memories, Mary's Mine

Just as I expected, the knee jerk “country sucks” reviews flowed in like a polluted river. Correction: contemporary country fucking sucks, yes — this kind does not. Haggard, Nelson, Jennings, Campbell, Williams et al., knew how to write songs with heart and soul. Haggard sounds like he’s gonna open up his veins on some of these tracks. He might have been a redneck asshole — hell, most of them were — but he kept it to himself. And he has the most twanged-out countryfied voice you ever heard. Give real country a shot. You might like it, and that’s okay.

Not my preferred genre, but I'm open to country music and I appreciate the ability of many players. I don't dislike this, but can only really take it in small doses. Moving on....

One of the best Country singers from this era, good to see he's represented on this list. I'm A Lonesome Fugitive isn't the first album I'd pick, but it does come from his best era. It's a really traditional Country album with exactly 6 songs a side, working around to a pretty short total album length, as was often the case for the Capitol albums of this era. It's a nice collection of songs and Merle Haggard is great at telling stories and hardship in his work. Just a simple, yet lovely Country album.

This was another album a lot like Tragic Songs of Life by the Louvin Brothers, it's a genre you could call "stereotype country." It's the type of country that everyone thinks of when someone says country. But this has something that the Louvin Brothers don't, and honestly I'm not sure what it is. I didn't mind this though, I thought it had pretty good lyricism and the instrumentals didn't bother me too much. Still not amazing but not as bad as I expected. Favorites: I'm a Lonesome Fugitive, Life in Prison, Skid Row

I am aware of Merle Haggard and have 3 songs liked by him on Spotify, but none are from this album. I've never listened to this one before. Thoughts while listening to this 3 times ... - Sort of reminds me of earlier stuff by Jimmy Buffet. Seems like Jimmy must have been somewhat influenced by Merle - also a little bit of Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson I guess - anyway - it was pretty fun and I ended up liking 6 of the 12 songs and excited to see them pop up on my automated playlists Liked songs on Spotify: 6/12 Rating: 3/5

I have neither the words not the experience to really know if this is any good. It sounds like a lot of other country from the time to me. I love 'If you want to be my woman' though. Banger.

Nope

This album is a pretty great one. The songs may not be much innovative but it has great ones. And I absolutely adore this kind of country. There is some melancholic touch here too, mainly because of the way Haggard sings. It adds so much to the songs. They don't feel plain at all. There's feeling. So, I've found this album really pleasant and delightful.

Classic country from a songwriting icon. Fun album to listen through. Highlights: "If You Want to Be My Woman" and "Skid Row"

Not more country :( thankfully this is only 30 minutes, I CAN DO IT! Wow that was painful.

👎🏻

wasn't on Spotify, and the YouTube feed played one song then a bunch of other people, so did not listen.

I am once again convinced all country and western music sounds the same.

I read one of the earlier reviews that it could be worse, but you could do a lot better; that is pretty much it.

Clearly country, clearly crap. I didn't listen to the whole album as I don't want the algorithm to decide that I really want to listen to Norwegian country music like it did a few years ago. It took 18 months or more to purge that out. Johnny Cash he aint.

Ihan ok. 3/5.

Positively surprising.

Mixed Up Mess Of A Heart

Country immer gut

hmm, nicht schlecht, aber etwas zu depri für meinen Geschmack.

1001 denkt schon Country ist mein Lieblingsgenre obwohl es nicht stimmt, aber dann kommt wieder ein altes Country Album und es ist Gangster Shit der nur 4 Sterne bekommen kann

Authentic country music. Pull up a bar stool and try not to get tears in your whiskey.

I am not a fan of country music.

I'm a lonesome listener

Just too old school “this is my pops country” for me.

I don't want to be hard on Merle but I don't think this is his best record.

“We got both kinds of music: Country and Western!” It has no real relation but the Blues Bros reference seemed to keep popping into my head. I am going to get my negatives out of the way first. Apparently the Okie from Muskogee doesn’t smoke marijuana or take his trips on LSD, but murdering his love is acceptable, and deserving of death because if he dies his pain will go away. How about her pain? Oh yes, she’s DEAD!! This is early MAGA hypocrisy at its best. Blame Obama, screwing it at six year old! Maybe if ya’ smoked some weed you wouldn’t be in prison and she’d been a pretty color! Okay, now onto the positives. This album is a classic country/western album showing a lifestyle of simplicity and storytelling, which is an earmark for country music even today. There are some fun tracks on here like If You Want to Be My Woman with its great guitar work and blues-inspired piano. Skid Row is pretty funny too. If I was a Hard Hat in the late 1960s culture wars I would have probably loved this album as it reflected a generation of Silent Americans. My problem has always been the Silence part…

Random thoughts: * This is real country music. And I like it. * It was consistent and good. I didn't listen close enough to pick out any songs but I did spin it more than once because it was a good listen. * Susan even said this kind of country music she could handle and she didn't even make me turn it off. * I may have heard this before but so cool that Merle Haggard attended a Johnny Cash concert while he was incarcerated at San Quentin in 1960. * Also, I saw Merle Haggard open for Bob Dylan. He was actually more entertaining than Dylan. We got one of those nights Dylan was fairly uninterested in the crowd.

Country.

2/10 - a tough listen, real elvis hillbilly stuff

Unremarkable country.

Ok 2/5

Never liked country music and this album embodies everything country. Just not for me. At least it was really short.

Such vibes

I'm not a country guy, but I can appreciate the classics.

Bleh

Hmmmm.

1967. but not bad at all - especially for country music.

Yeah, it's a classic. Simple, repetitive music and cliché lyrics about god, america and women, that's country music for ya. It's probably a great representative of its genre, but pretty boring to me.

Love me some Merle, country should still be like this. Where do we go now? 7/10

Classic Haggard. I really like that lean, hardy Bakersfield sound on this album, even though only a few of the songs are all too memorable. Best song: Life in Prison

Lyrics that make you laugh and cry

This some old school country. It's pretty simple, but really nice, actually. The songs are a bit same-ish, so I can see this getting pretty tired, but also the songs are very short (compared to modern song lengths). The harmonies are excellent and not overdone. And I love me some steel guitar. It's not a nothing album, but I don't really think it's special? Maybe I'm wrong, though. Favorite Song(s): All of Me Belongs to You, Drink Up and Be Somebody

Rednecks that live out in the middle of nowhere (relatively) near where I live in the middle of the midwest US try to tell me that true outlaws listen to classic country like this. When I listen to it I have a hard time understanding the "outlaw" part, but I definitely understand the racism and willful ignorance that boils just below the surface that keeps this music popular in those areas. All that said, Merle Haggard had a great voice, and his classic country sounds influenced a lot of groups outside of country (like the Beatles).

Life is Prison was kind of a bänger. Otherwise it's the same old country shite that I don't have much tolerance for.

Yawn. Same old country themes with some twangy music. You only need to listen to the first two songs to know what every other song will sound like - either a riff on criminality or ‘romance’. The only blessing is that it’s just over 30 minutes long so the suffering is short-lived.

If you want to listen to a classic of the country genre, this is probably one of the best albums for it, but looking back, I have to question anyone who would voluntarily want to do so. 2.5/5

I'm going to try my best to write a shorter review for this one, because I really don't have a ton to say. This is a very average old-school country album and that's about it. There's nothing wrong with that, but it also leads to I'm A Lonesome Fugitive being an album without a ton of substance to it. Nothing is done poorly, but nothing is done exceedingly well either. The vocals, writing, music, and everything else is alright and nothing more. Of course, old-school country is a style of music that I'm somewhat fond of, but not in love with, so that leads to this being an album that I can't really say anything negative about, but there's also not much positive I can say either. It's very average and that's okay. Not every album has to be a masterpiece. 3/5.

- Another assaulter/abuser on this list (domestic and beyond). - The good: Merle's voice is pleasant & the album is short. - The rest: The instrumentation doesn't hit as well... I don't enjoy the bend, slide, or clipping on every note of the guitar and constant walking baseline. This feels like paint by numbers honky tonk. - Bored of the love and/or "I'm a tough, broken man" themes. And, I know that he was incarcerated, but I didn't really believe him when he was singing about being a Lonesome Fugitive, so I just kind of feel a distance from everything when he sings it. He's a storyteller, but I don't feel like he's ever really being introspective/vulnerable. - It all felt very "conservative man in the patriarchy" - not my bag, at all. "Little bitty woman"?! & a song about trying to kiss someone in his Cadillac who "tries to push him" off? Gross. And, of course: "Insane with rage, I took my darling's life Because I loved her more than life" Fuck off Merle Haggard. - Flagrant misogynists get a 1.

Nice easy listening. lots of this style of country sound the same to me which isn't a bad thing. Cool that he actually went to jail AND saw Johnny Cash in San Quentin. You couldn't be called Merle Haggard and NOT be a country artist

Pretty enjoyable classic country, sounds a bit generic but thats probably because it was influencial, really makes me wish I could read the article in the book for why its in the list

Strange this is the Merle Haggard album which is on this list. drinking bottles of cheap beer, and being oh so lonesome. The dream.

Waarom moet alles zo over-the-top country zijn? Onderwerp, geluid, accent. Anders telt het niet ofzo? Pedal steel maakt een hoop goed, maar verder heel erg.

Not my thing

Merle Haggard, US-amerikanischer Country-Sänger und Songwriter, festigte mit diesem 1967 erschienenen Album seinen Rang innerhalb der Bakersfield-Bewegung. Die Aufnahmen entstanden in den Capitol Recording Studios in Hollywood, Kalifornien. Der klare, direkte Klang der Produktion unterstützt Haggards nüchterne Erzählweise. Der Titelsong „I’m a Lonesome Fugitive“ wurde zu einem seiner prägenden Stücke und beschreibt das Leben am Rand der Gesellschaft aus persönlicher Perspektive. Auch „Branded Man“ und „The Fugitive“ stehen exemplarisch für seinen Stil zwischen Honky-Tonk und traditionellem Country. Die Songs verbinden reduzierte Arrangements mit einer Stimme, die weniger auf Pathos als auf Erfahrung setzt. Genretypisch im Country verankert, zugleich geprägt vom raueren Bakersfield-Sound, wirkt das Album geschlossen und thematisch konsequent. Für mich gehört es zu den Aufnahmen, in denen Haggard seine Rolle als Chronist einfacher Lebensrealitäten überzeugend ausformt. Unterm Strich bleibt es amerikanisches Western-Gedudel, das vermutlich besonders bei Trump-Anhängern Gefallen finden dürfte.

I just can’t get behind this sort of thing. Just feels the same as all the other country albums we’ve listened to.

Cant see the merit in this even if I did like the genre. Tough listen. Yet to enjoy a country album on here

Very interesting and different instrumental choice!

Genuinely soulful country with occasional flashes of great musicianship.

2.5

Nice

A pretty solid, enjoyable classic country album. As someone who is generally not a big country fan, there were a few moments where it got a little too foot-stomp/knee-slappy for my liking. Even so, it was pleasant to listen to and didn't overstay its welcome. I didn't find it particularly great, but it was good enough to hear at least once. Overall: 2.8/5

Usually, the biggest problem I find with old country music is that the lyrics and themes are often one-dimensional and repetitive. Although there's obviously no Leonard Cohen lyricism in this, I was glad to find that the songs' themes were diverse and interesting, and often related to real life experiences not many other country songwriters have been through. And, despite the variety, it all amounts to a cohesive outlaw record.

Perfectly ordinary, perfectly standard, does nothing novel or exciting enough to be included but also sounds perfectly fine enough to not despise for any reason, the epitome of an "okay listen." And for an old country singer, he wrote a lot of his own stuff, so I can't fault that

I think Mama Tried from the following year is a stronger record; this one falls victim to some of the sameyness that affects a lot of Bakersfield country records, and as much as I like the overall sound, I do find myself wanting a bit more most of the time. The piano boogie of "If You Want to Be My Woman" is a nice change of pace near the end of the record, though, and the title track and Jimmie Rodgers' "My Rough and Rowdy Ways" also stand out nicely. 3.5/5

1:5

Not really feeling Good old boys country music today celebrating old glory and might of imperial u s of a....

I’m a Lonesome Fugitive I found this to be a perfectly pleasant 30 minutes of late 60s country, with hints at the Outlaw country of the early 70s, but with strong roots in the late 50s/early 60s sound. Indeed, if you told me it was released in 1960 I would believe you, and that sense of conservatism slightly undercuts the Outlaw-ism. He’s got a lovely, expressive voice, the playing is skilled, there are some really nice songs, and he is a very good country storyteller, those classic country lyrics being one of the best parts of it. But, for me, it does struggle to rise above pleasantness - in the main it's an enjoyable but not hugely memorable listen, with only My Rough and Rowdy Ways really standing out. I would happily listen again, but I think there are other albums in this field I would go to over this first, not least the next album on the list, so I’ll go for a 3. 🚂🚂🚂 Playlist submission: My Rough and Rowdy Ways

When The Beatles were releasing 'Sgt Pepper', a certain ex-con was thrumming out some 'by-numbers' country - alternating basslines, twanging tele, brushed drums and tales of heartache and the penitentiary. Which is all to say it's quiet indistinguishable from a huge body of fungible country albums. So what are the positives? Well a good voice (even though backing on guitar is Mr Golden Pipes himself, Glenn Campbell, which is the real criminality here). There's some pretty cool fender twanging. And a couple of decent melodies, 'House of Memories' among them, which, with it's restrained pedal steel and piano, feels like a lilting country classic. 'Mary's Mine' is another with a nice piano-ballad feel ; the subject matter fitting the easy arrangements and pace. But it doesn't have the edge of Johnny Cash. The lyrics and music are all pretty unadventurous. Overall, aside from a couple, rather hackneyed and uninspiring, lacking danger despite the subject matter; a fair voice and a couple of nice ballads.

Feels like listening to AM radio in backcountry Iowa. I can respect it, but not exactly my bag

Not bad. He has a lovely voice, but again not really my cup of tea

Goes down easy. Some quality classic country

Oh Merle. I enjoyed this. Granted I grew up listening to this style of country in my grandma's kitchen. So I'm not sure how far this will go with "the kids today." It's twang reminds us what country once was. The lyrics are sad as it turns out Merle killed a lady and went on the run. Since then he can't find love on the lamb. Poor Merle. Now this is just from the album, but ole Merle was a hellion and did prison time and a wife of his did run around on him. So I'm wondering if the people that wrote this asked him what his thoughts were on the subject and he was thinking murder. It's worth it for historical context and it's fun in its twangy old time county ways. I enjoyed it way more and it lead me to listen to another of his albums. I'm not saying I'm a fan but with all music there is a time and place for it. Maybe not at your next house party, but a quiet rainy Sunday when cleaning out the garage fit it well for me.

This was fun.

I understand why a lot of people roll their eyes at “country music,” but if this record gets lumped in with the glossy, algorithm-chasing pop-with-a-fiddle that dominates today, that’s just lazy. This is something else entirely. This feels closer in spirit to punk or protest music than to modern radio country. There’s grit here. Restraint. Actual storytelling. The songs aren’t trying to charm you—they’re telling you something, whether you’re comfortable with it or not. Merle’s voice is the real anchor. It’s an incredible mix of pure and pained—clear, controlled, but carrying weight. It sounds lived in. Nothing feels theatrical or overcooked. The harmonies are tight without being slick, and the guitar picking is staccato and sharp, almost percussive at times. Economical, precise, and full of character. This isn’t a five for me—not because it lacks quality, but because it doesn’t quite hit that emotional-transcendent level I reserve for the absolute top tier. But it’s a strong four plus without hesitation. Deeply respected. Absolutely worth returning to. And miles away from the caricature people often reduce country music to. If this is what country can be, I’m in.

Probably the most middle of the road album you could get. Quite baffled how it made itself on this list.

need to listen to more merle haggard and classic country. This is good

4/12, 33%

I'm a Lonesome Fugitive - 4/5 All of Me Belongs to You - 3/5 House of Memories - 3/5 Life in Prison - 2/5 Whatever Happened to Me - 2/5 Drink Up and Be Somebody - 3/5 Someone Told My Story - 2/5 If You Want to Be My Woman - 3/5 Mary's Mine - 2/5 Skid Row - 3/5 My Rough and Rowdy Ways - 3/5 Mixed Up Mess of a Heart - 3/5 Average score: 2.8/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ehhhhhh, i didn't find this particularly interesting. most tracks barely held my attention, if at all so far, Johnny Cash and Marty Robbins are the most compelling country artist i've heard so far from this list. i know Merle was a popular performer in this genre as well, but perhaps he put out better records later in his career? i'll investigate further someday

Moins facile à apprivoiser Merle. Je vais y aller avec la recommandation de la docu série de Ken Burns: Country Music. Never Underestimate the Bolo Tie, Baby.

Du country sans aspérité.

Meh. Très répétitif.

I was surprised to learn that some songs I know are covers of Merle Haggard songs (although I shouldn't have been). This is an album of classic sounds.

I'm a Bit Bored of 1960s American Country Music

Late 60s country. Very classic and nostalgic.

Solid

Best Song: Drink Up And Be Somebody. There was a kind of earnest honesty to this song that actually felt genuine. Worst Song: Mary's Mine. These stupid ballads always seem so incredibly insincere to me. Just pick an appropriately Biblical popular name and repeat a bunch of saccharine platitudes at her. I even went to Merle Haggard's wikipedia page to see if he was married to a woman named Mary, and this motherfucker has a subsection titled "Wives." Man's had 5 wives and none of them were named "Mary". Overall: This feels like the best of a genre of music that I'm just never going to like. There's nothing obliquely wrong about it, but goddamn if all these sounds don't sound the same. I can tell it is thoughtfully produced, but I just don't like the forced sentimentality, the boring and repetitive rhyming schemes, or the noodle-y guitar tone. So I don't really like any of it.

Some authentic country sounds but not really my bag

Not normally my genre but I was really vibing with this.

oh my goodness

Another country album, another dull car ride. I’m starting to think my musical taste dis not include country. I respect why Merle means to the genre and the artists who idolized him. Pretty neat that he started his career after seeing Johnny Cash perform at a prison. Some songs were pretty nice but nothing I’d go out of my way for.

Dag nabbit, it just ain’t my thang

Fine, just fine

This is a very country album, I can see why it's here, but it's sooooo not for me :P

Classic country both in terms of the melodies but also the stories told - would never have listened to this without album generator, but glad I did - good to hear something a bit different

Really good. 3.5/5

So bad

Classic country.

No me encanta el country

A lot of 50s/60s country starts to sound the same after awhile, but Merle Haggard manages to separate himself from the rest. "I'm A Lonesome Fugitive," "Skid Row," and "Mixed Up Mess Of A Heart" are the best tracks, but overall it's a good, fun country record. If I could give half stars, this would be a 3.5, and while I'm rounding down, it's still a high 3.

Meh

Irgendwie mag ich Country

Didn't listen properly, but didn't move

The first half of this album was definitely better than the second half in my opinion. But I did love the vibe. I really enjoy old country music.

Classic country

3/10 - Someone who likes country can probably tell me why it’s important and iconic, but it’s not for me.

Not a fan of this. Maybe I don't understand this style of country music but it all sounds the exact same. 3/10

מה נגיד. זה היה קאנטרי ועוד קאנטרי של בנים. דווקא את השירים שהציעו לי אחרי האלבום אהבתי יותר. על כן

Not much to say here. Folksy bluegrass tunes. Reminds me of my grandfather which lands it at a 3 on that alone.

Man, I really liked this and did not expect to - catchy, sad-dad music. Another experience that really justifies participating in this.

This album smacks of they got to album number 1000 and realized they should have another country album in there, found this one and thought “that’ll do”. Maybe it represents a major leap forward in the creation of “outlaw country” or something but listening to it with my 2026 ears it’s fine, nothing special

I don’t mind classic country—in fact, I sometimes like it. The title track and “If You Want to Be My Woman” were genuinely enjoyable listens. My problem more lies with the lack of variety on this record. It’s short, but it feels even shorter, as each song is built in the same way: same instrumentation, same tone, same beat. Many of the songs dealt with similar, cliche country themes which get me rolling my eyes (perhaps unfairly, given the year this was written). The times the record deviated from these norms stood out to me, but they were few and far between. I certainly don’t regret listening, but I just don’t think this album will stay in my memory for very long.

Had never listened to Merle before but this is definitely worth a re-listen.

< the Beatles

Sounds like daytime film scheduled on weekend TV when I was a child. Comfort and nostalgia.

Average outlaw country sound, not terrible but there is certainly better.

I didn't hate it, but it neither spoke to me or entertained me

Hugo Duncan the album. Can’t lie listened to this walking through Tesco and I did have a bounce in my step 😂

Suppose this is a concept album of sorts. The production is surprisingly clean, not bad at all

3.5/10

It's fine. I like older country, but don't get excited by this album.

The title track is enough to get the album to four stars, and the rest of the material is solid enough to keep it there. Haggard wrote most of the songs, naturally, and you have to respect that. The cover of Jimmie Rodgers’ “Rough and Rowdy Ways” is pretty darn sublime.

Pretty nice, but nothing special aside from the title track. Faves: I'm A Lonesome Fugitive, House of Memories, Skid Row

2.5.

I liked this! Tapping my foot, good solid tunes! Like the album cover too

Honestly might had made me like country music. thank you website

🤢

Not bad, but not for me.

is this the original sadcore?

Outlaw country at its best

This was a real stretch for me! Interesting to go in a very different direction.

Didn't make myself as a country fan but this is quite smooth and relaxing.

Dans le genre, c'est pas plate. Mais Hendrou aime mieux ça que Marco.

Du country correct mais Phil aime moins ça que Marco.

Golden age country music, full of great songwriting and soul.

A collection of perfect tunes for feeling blue.

Some good, ol' fashioned country music. Nothing else. Special - not at all. Solid 2 Stars

1,5

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Big fan of Merle - a proper country musician in touch with what it’s all about and none of that kitsch but this one is less engaging than Swinging Doors and on ‘Life in prison’ he’s ripping off his own licks. Even so, it’s worth a thousand of the pop-in-a-cowboy-hat records they claim is country these days.

Merle is a legend. His ability to tell the story of working class folks as well as his own life experience is exceptional. None of the biggies on this album and that may have made me more engaged with it.

Solid classic country. It’s been a week of good old stuff so far, let’s see if that continues!

Au début c'est pas désagréable mais ça devient ennuyeux au fil des titres 2/5

Præcis som jeg forestillede mig al country lød som før jeg begyndte det her projekt. Ikke et kompliment

Ganske hyggeligt!

Masculine depression in the 60's: If I can't have my girl, no one can, I'll kill her and hopefully someone will kill me.

Enjoyed this more than I expected to

No, this is too much country for me.

Nice

Nie ma nigdzie tego nawet do posłuchania xddddd i do tego western xddddddd nie No gorsze niż jazz ten gatunek muzyki nie powinien istnieć to jak discopolo dla Amerykańców xddddd

It took me decades to figure out country music, and I especially find it hard to figure out what folks find in older country which often has thin production and boring songwriting. This is not the case here. Incredible guitar playing with some cool pedal steel on top, Merle’s vocals are incredible and it makes for some great songs. I do find it weird that an outlaw would belt out such tunes rather than do something tough but this album is romantic and beautiful. Good choice for folks who “don’t like country”.

Good old dive bar outlaw country. Not a big Merle fan but this is an exception.

Not really my wheelhouse, but I could hear why this would be significant to the long-haul truckers and farmhands of America.

Some artists and genres have grown on me going through this list. Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits for sure, also I've enjoyed some of the jazz stuff more as I've gone on. Around three quarters through the list though and the country albums have mostly just not grabbed me. This was no different

Maybe it's because it's 5:25 am but hearing this made me realise that if I was born on that time and all that was on radio was this I would have kms

Just bland background music, presumably for people who weren't ready for contemporaries like Chuck Berry and Little Richard.

33. not worth a listen

A country album at last! Merle is the real deal so good to see this album on the list. Track one has such a plaintive feeling to his voice, a vulnerability core hidden in the heart of the tough outlaw. He’s no George Jones as a singer but no one is and there’s a definite emotional depth and soul to his singing. And the guitar, beautiful - aolidly country but flourishes of beyond country. No surprise when i looked it up and it is Glen Campbell, insanely good guitarist. Great album.

eu tb sou um lonesome fugitive... FAVS (top 3): all of me belongs to you, house of memories, menções honrosas: im a lonesome fugitive, drink up and be somebody, whatever happened to me, if you want to be my woman, marys mine compraria o vinil: talvez gente mt gostosinho e bem clássico eu gostei nota final: 3.5/5

It’s aight

Boring!

This has a certain charm. The songs are good in that 1950's-60's way that country puts into simple words the feelings of loneliness. The music is not challenging, but the musicians are very competent, almost to the point that it sounds like they are on auto-pilot. It's just so much more formal-sounding than one would expect from 'outlaw' country (if that's what this is).

Interesting early country

Cool

Music you’d expect from a guy named Merle Haggard. Not bad, just very expected. Best song picks are “Life In Prison” & “Drink Up And Be Somebody”. Super soft 3/5

It's alright, real honky tonk though. Original country!

2.0

ive been starting to rly look forward to getting new country records from this, esp since geroge jones' The Grand Tour (album 417 for me) has been one of the biggest surprise growers of all my new discoveries...an increasingly important album to me! this one is also one of the best ive gotten so far...more comfortably situated with a rock sound and songwriting palate (without actually being country rock), its a bit more Firmly Shaped in the songwriting then a lot of other classic country, which runs closer to the blues (a rigid but emotive harmonic language giving room mostly to the performer and the lyrics). the songs and performances range from good to rly spectacular...and while the grand tour remains my fave Album Construction ive yet heard from classic country, theres a uniting sense of Alienation on here that makes for a cohesive and potent listen all the same. separation from society, love, and the self to varying degrees...sad, but also slightly freeing and comforting. country music appeals to the desire to Settle Down, so perhaps its most basic tragedy is for settling down to be impossible.

Nope. This is so much of what I do not like about country.

More country... not awful but not something I'd ever listen to on my own time. It was completely forgettable. I gave it a 1 because I'm really not in the mood for this shit, sorry.

Kolejny generic country album. Willie Nelson zrobił to dużo lepiej. Kiedyś takiemu generykowi postawiłbym pewnie 3, ale słuchanie tych samych rzeczy po raz dziesiąty mnie już nuży.

Nothing special, but nice country

Its missing the rawness and honesty that makes this kind of country great. Too bad.

I thought Merle was born with facial hair.

Glad this project is pushing me to listen to more classic country. This was a solid one from Merle, not sure I'll go back to it but def nothing to complain about. Just a solid classic country album.

Good for the clink, less so for yoga.

A nice collection of road songs based on rebel life nonconformity and loss love.

It’s no Marty Robbins, but it’s allright 3/5

Quintessential US country and western music. Never heard it before or will again, but enjoyed the step back in time

Solid old country. It all kind of sounds the same to me. However, it’s a warm sound.

didn't finish, i guess i dont like country

I'm not sure I've heard much (or possibly anything) by Merle Haggard, so it's nice to get a full album of a name I know I should have listened to before now. And weird album cover aside, it's a good collection of country tracks. 3⭐️

It's the Hag ... and it is beautiful!

I enjoyed this more than I anticipated I would

I was lucky enough to see Merle Haggard in concert before he passed, and it was an absolute banger of a performance. He absolutely still had it. This is a treat!

My favorite Merle, before he became an angry, reactionary good ol boy.

5/10 Country is always going to be a more difficult genre for me. I have no cultural links to it, so it’s got to do a lot of the heavy lifting to make me connect with it, whereas other genres I can meet a little more half way. But when a country album really hits the heights, I can still find myself fully on board. The first half of the album felt like more of a struggle to me, with a few too many slow tracks, and too much crooning, which is always something I struggle to connect with. I find it an uninspiring and often insincere type of vocal delivery that turns me off a song pretty quickly. There were some nice moments in that first half when the pace got driven up a bit and the band got a bit more involved, particularly the guitarists and piano player. There wasn’t a vast amount of range or development to many of the ideas, but given that only one song ran over 3 minutes, that’s hardly surprising. In the second half, there were times when this record really got moving, and there were some really good moments. It felt fun in a way that the first half rarely managed, and I found myself tapping my feet and bouncing along with it, quite enjoying the swing and swagger of the performances. Merle Haggard has a good edge to his vocal delivery when things are moving, and when the band got more involved again, the level just jumped up. I can’t say I’m likely to spend much time with this again in future, but it was a pleasant enough experience and has me optimistic for any future country albums that might live up to the highs on this record. I'm A Lonesome Fugitive - There’s a nice flow to this and some nice bits of nuance to the instrumental parts. Some nice vocal harmonies too. It’s perhaps a tiny bit plodding, but it’s nice enough. He’s got a nice warm vocal tone too. All Of Me Belongs To You - We get a bit more zip on this one and it has a nice toe-tapping rhythm. There’s some nice guitar work in there too. It doesn’t have much range or variety, but it's less than three minutes long, so does that really matter? House Of Memories - This is more crooning, which is the type of music from this era that I struggle with a lot more. There’s some nice piano and slide guitar in there, but it doesn’t do a lot for me in general. Life In Prison - Straddling the line between the crooning and the more up-beat stuff, this is a bit better than the last one, but it’s still a bit plodding. There’s a good little guitar solo in there that gives this a slightly different edge, but ultimately, it’s a bit dull. Whatever Happened To Me - And the tempo drops again. There’s some nice piano work on here in a couple of places, but it doesn’t do enough to save it from the plodding drudgery and crooning monotony of this song. Drink Up And Be Somebody - Finally, a bit of a lift. There’s a decent pace to this and we’re back to having more of a toe-tapping rhythm. The instrumental work is solid and there are some nice vocal harmonies in there too. Not bad. Someone Told My Story - Again, there’s not a bad lilt to this one. It’s a bit too welded to the downbeat, which gives it that plodding edge, but it feels like Merle’s giving it a bit of range from that, despite nudging his way into crooning territory a little too much for me. If You Want To Be My Woman - This is much, much better. Good pace, a bit of swagger and it actually sounds fun. Quality guitar soloing and the bass and piano provide a really solid swing to the beat. Some nice rhythmic stops in there too. I could have done with more like this on the album, as I really enjoyed this one. Mary's Mine - I could, on the other hand, have done with less of this. Crooning, slow, plodding and dull. There are some decent bits of piano in there and the rhythm section feels like they’re trying to inject a little bit of momentum to it, but it’s just not very interesting. Skid Row - We’re back! I can’t pretend I’m ever going to be an enormous country fan, but I can at least get behind something like this a little more. It’s got drive, pace and a some more of that much needed swagger to it. Ram those thumbs in your belt loops, kick out your feet and jig along. My Rough And Rowdy Ways - While the pace has dropped a little here, there’s enough of a swing to this and it doesn’t resort to the crooning stuff that drags some of the other slow ones down. More good guitar playing, a nice edge to his vocal delivery and a finger clicking lilt to the rhythm. Not bad at all. Mixed Up Mess Of A Heart - Let’s end this on something of a high. The bass player feels like he’s finally woken up and gets to do something a bit more interesting. It’s got a good kick to it and I particularly like the piano work. The vocal delivery is great, as are the harmonisations. This has a solid pace, is really good fun and gets it all done in no time at all. A solid way to end the album.

None of these songs are familiar to me, since I never intentionally listen to country music. At least I know who Merle Haggard is. He has a good clear singing voice, and all the tracks are pleasant country music. Perhaps this was a seminal country music release. I noticed that all the tracks were short, typical for the 1960s.

Merle Haggard is a fun name. I probably would mix him up with Milton Berle if I ever heard of him before. I like when they put the song titles right on the album cover. Two albums in a row that mention a "rolling stone"! I wonder if we'd use that expression more if it weren't for the band. Probably. Well, this was fine. I don't like country music or these songs in particular, but the vocals are nice and clear, the songs are short, and there's no loud or annoying noises. Is that what passes for a 3 these days?! I guess so.

DEF HAS LATIN AMERICAN INFLUENCES

01) I'm a Lonesome Fugitive - 7,0 02) All of Me Belongs to You - 7,0 03) House of Memories - 6,0 04) Life in Prison - 6,0 05) Whatever Happened to Me - 6,5 06) Drink Up and Be Somebody - 7,0 07) Someone Told My Story - 6,0 08) If You Want to Be My Woman - 6,0 09) Mary's Mine - 6,0 10) Skid Row - 6,0 11) My Rough and Rowdy Ways - 5,5 12) Mixed Up Mess of a Heart - 6,0 TOTAL: 6,25 (63/100) Current ranking: 569/768

It was okay, I guess. I actually preferred some of rhe unplugged stuff that wasn’t on the actual album.

Enjoyable

Good album. 3 *

Sad cowboy broke the law 😞

It's a pleasant enough listen, but it's country, and that will never be a bit of me. There are some head bobbers on this album and as country albums go, I can tell it's a half decent one. The pace & flow of the songs are also relatively chill and I could definitely see myself happily listening to this as a bit of background music. A mid to strong 5/10.

Capital C Country. I don’t know the genre that well but I certainly prefer Johnny Cash and Marty Robbins to this. There is a brevity to this which I did like and a few songs did stick out. I liked Drink up, Someone told my story, If you want to be my woman, Skid row and Mixed up. The back half certainly stronger for me.

Some solid oldy outlaw country, this particular remastered mix I listened to was actually pretty crisp-sounding for a '67 album. I'd say in general, the self-pity and loathing aspect of this record is clearer than usual, there's just so much sadness, regret, and hopelessness poured into so many of these songs - you can't help but feel bad for this random poor guy as he drinks his sorrows, and life, away. 'Life In Prison' particularly struck me as remarkably dark, even for this genre, a song about a man who is genuinely at the end of his line. Musically, the more upbeat 'If You Want To Be My Woman' and 'Skid Row', while not too thematically fitting, were a nice change of pace from the very mopey mood of this thing; going in this barroom rockabilly direction. They're not exactly happy songs, though, just catchy, especially the latter, which seems to build on the protagonist's rock bottom-ness as he stands outside, homeless and filled with regret. Pretty cool, nothing new or unique for this genre, and I wouldn't be able to pick it out from a group of other albums in the genre, but it was still a pleasant listen and not too long.

Alright.

There’s a guy who gave this album 1 star and reviewed it by saying “Oh, it's country. Fuck off then.” His favorite music genre is Britpop. This 5 star rating is for that guy.

Some of these song lyrics have not aged well. This takes me back to driving out to the farm as a kid.

Generally pointless and uninteresting

I really enjoyed this. I like country music like this - each song is a clearly-sung little story.

2.5. it was fun.

A classic country record, exactly what I imagine. I understand why it has so many fans, but it’s not really my taste. Still, the clean guitar tone is genuinely pleasant to hear.

yee haw

Nee-haw

This beer was cried-into when I arrived.

Nice listen, love how they get right in and out with 12 songs packed into 31 minutes. I am a cowboy now

Merle writes and sings well, and this album is no exception (though the big hit was not written by him.) It's good country, but it's not *great* music. It's no better than a lot of other "good albums" that came out at the time. The only reason it might stand out is that good country isn't really very common. Most country music is poor, so in its genre, this is above average. But overall, it's simply good, not great.

I'm not normally a big fan of country music, but I tried to give this album a fair chance. I don't think it's interesting enough to warrant more than a 3. I understand that the more stripped-down style is intentional, but I just don't vibe with it. This album isn't bad; it's just ... not that good. Maybe I'll listen to this when I'm in a different headspace and I'll enjoy it then. For now 3/5

Like a poor man's Johnny Cash.

Average country album of its day.

I could smell the Marlboros and stale beer while listening to this album. It's not so album I would have chosen to listen to, but I'm glad I did.

This was a fine album, short and sweet, but not something I’ll seek out again

This was bad. I didn't like it.

I like country music. It's what I grew up listening to. This is just very generic and doesn't give me a reason to love it. Today, country isn't my genre of choice, but it really depends on the song. I don't think I'd really listen to any of these again, but who knows? Solid album overall

4/10

Uggh... country shit Top 1001 albums, you gotta be kidding

"This is what country music is... Merle Haggard is a great songwriter... Merle Haggard is a GREAT singer... "Life In Prison" is a song i've done here in my den countless times... every song is great... every singing performance is great... if you don't sound like this... YOU ARE NOT COUNTRY... you are a pretender who wishes they could do a country song... yes, i'm talking to you Beyonce... and a few others who know who they are... Five Stars... all the live long day."

This is really not my jam. There are so so many country albums in this list, and I get there are lots of people who enjoy this but I feel like gouging my ears out listening to this album. Best: I'm A Lonesome Fugitive Worst: If You Want To Be My Woman

Country music at it’s most familiar.

Pure and simple country. Not the crap they play on country radio now, but the good classic stuff. I really like Merle Haggard’s voice. Nice album.

??? Country nice. c

Album No. 0069 on my list (lol). I've never heard of Merle Haggard before, and unfortunately, the likelihood that I'll listen to his music again after listening to "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive" is rather small. It's a country album, but rather of the boring kind. My favorite tracks were "I'm A Lonesome Fugitive", and "Life in Prison". The whole album is not terrible, but it's nothing I'd actively listen to. Could imagine it playing in the background in some bar in Oklahoma or whatever. 2/5 stars.

Actually listenable country. I wouldn't put this on every day but this was a fun discovery.

2/5 - another one that's just not my thing, first track was pretty cool though

This is the kind of country I grew up on

What a fun ass Merle album to get tbh, not one with one of the huge hits, just a warm hug that feels like I'm in the garage with my grandpa all over again

the best thing i can say about this is that it is short

went into this fully expecting to hate it because i am not a fan of country, but left pleasantly suprised! what a great voice haggard has!

Solid Bakersfield sound right here. Hadn't heard this one before but I like it. No issue with including this so long as this list also has some Buck Owens on it somewhere, for he's the real king of Bakersfield.

I'm not sure I've heard much (or possibly anything) by Merle Haggard, so it's nice to get a full album of a name I know I should have listened to before now. And weird album cover aside, it's a good collection of country tracks; the best for me were the title track, "Life in prison" and "Drink up and be somebody". It's a bit strange having his clear crooning voice singing somewhat dark and sad tunes over often-upbeat-sounding arrangements, but perhaps that's part of his appeal. And very cool to read that Merle Haggard was inspired to pursue a country career when he heard Johnny Cash sing at San Quentin in 1958 (or possibly 1960) while he was a prisoner there. (That and having some of his prison mates get executed leading the type of life he was pursuing.)

Really enjoyed this, esp Drink Up and Be Somebody, and/but the only way "If You Want To Be A Woman" could be any creepier is if it were sung by Jerry Lee Lewis.

It’s giving Johhny Cash at Folsom/San Quentin vibes, but not quite to that level. But still, ‘I’m A Lonesome Fugitive’ is a solid album from Country’s golden era.

Mit der Backstory gut hörbar

Schon ganz cool, nochmal hören? Eher nicht

Für Country ganz gut

12 times the same song.

Nei takk.

60

Charming lil old school country album.

Classic country. Not really my thing. A little too "twangy" for me.

It was fine, not much else to say. Some decent songs

Yup.

Fine. Short. Fun voice. Country

A poor listen in every way.

The title track reminded me of an ex-boyfriend and the time we dodged a train conductor after realising our tickets weren’t valid on that service. I felt so guilty, I asked him if he thought they could track us down via CCTV and he started singing I Am A Lonesome Fugitive at me. Credit where it’s due, that was pretty funny. Anyway, despite clearly not being cut out for the outlaw life, I enjoyed this.

Pretty good. I’m m not a big country fan but this is classic.

enjoyed it but wouldn't be something i'd listen to

I was hesitant to listen to this album but gave it a go due to my aversion to country music . This proved to be the case and have to admit to fast forwarding a lot of the tracks as there was nothing ground breakin* in this album and is a johhny cash rip off , or maybe the other way round ? Either way nit for me

Love

A good album, I liked I'm A Lonesome Fugitive and All Of Me Belongs To You the most.

3 - some good real country music

Not my thing

It was fun to listen to. A lot of songs sound similar. But the lyrics are great

Was Merle the first country star to sing about his John Deere? Surely not. I’m not a big country fan, and this didn’t change my mind. It’s not terrible by any means, but it’s definitely not for me.

Fun. But not great.

This is a banger of an album. Songwriting, production, and musicianship are top notch. It's catchy, it's fun, it touches on serious themes...I love it.

Decent but very repetitive musically and thematically as it is mainly droning, broken heart songs. Also, I swear all country songs that focus on this theme have the same kind of vocals. It had 2 more fun songs which were based on the more outlawish side of things (well one of them anyway) which were good and actually changed it up a bit. Other than that it’s quite 1 dimensional and kind of sounds like the louvin Brothers but without the harmonies. Favourites: title track and Skid Row. Overall, 5/10.

Started as 3. Ended as 2

No honky tonk good time on this country album. There’s a heavy lived in sadness to it especially after finding out he’d done time before writing it.

Enjoyable but forgettable. Diet Glen Campbell

Nice

62/100. A nice country record. Nothing groundbreaking here, but it’s an easy listen. A solid example of classic country charm.

Legendary Outlaw twang. On the right day, behind the wheel of a car with the windows down or a cold rain pounding, this could easily go up a star.

Love some Merle softies

Solid outlaw blues country but an album's worth is a lot.

A stereotypically bad country album.

Classic country. The kind you hear in tv shows set in Texas. It has its charms, sure. But you have to like this kind of music to really appreciate it. And I don’t. ⭐️⭐️

Wow, this was depressing in a way that only country music can be.

Sounds like Country to me. 2,9

Zero idea of what to expect. Never heard of this artist or album. Pleasantly surprised with melodic slide guitars, country lyric tropes, charming harmonies and a short run time.

Solid old style country. A generally good listen

I enjoyed this listen as a fan of “outlaw country.” It’s morose and heartfelt at the same time. The songs are about hiding pain as a man, being forlorn over a woman, feeling wronged, fortunes gained & lost (monetary and otherwise), and facing consequences. It’s the platonic ideal of what country music should be. A couple goofy songs keep it from being perfect, but it’s a strong 4/5. I think only Willie might have a chance to beat this one in the country genre.

This is the two hundred fourteenth album I’m rating. I was listening to some country yesterday, and I really don't like modern country. Adding to my Playlist - House of Memories, Whatever Happened to me, If You want to be my Woman, My Rough and Rowdy Ways, and Mixed Up Mess of a Heart. Not Adding to my Playlist - I'm a Lonesome Fugitive, All of me Belongs to You, Life in Prison, Drink Up and be Somebody, Someone Told my Story, Mary's Mine, and Skid Row. House of Memories - Not as good as Panic! at the Disco but still pleasing. All in all I liked 5/12 songs. Not particularly amazing but I have a soft spot for that country twang so I'll say I liked it.

marginaal beter dan de gemiddelde country...

I've always liked this style of country, even though all of it seems to sound too similar. For that reason I will be handing out another 3/5.

274/1089 - Slightly more interesting than the Willie Nelson album I had a few days ago. I tried giving country more of a chance (before the project I was mostly unfamiliar with it and didn't care for the accents) but Country in general is way too repetitive for me. Some bluegrass is kinda cool like Bela Fleck or the Punch Brothers.

I am not a country fan, so this unfortunately didn’t strike a cord with me.

Classic country (—or Americana-adjacent.) Makes me want to fire up Fallout: New Vegas another time. Overall, sounded kind of same-y, but not bad by any stretch.

this is probably good country but I can't get into it

There are times this journey has taught me new things about myself--I never realized how into late 80s/early 90s NY hip hop I was or psychedelic rock. Introduced me to bands that I never heard of before that I now love or made me appreciate musicians that I may have scoffed at before. But there are times that it is only deepened my already existing opinions about bands or genres and one thing I have had confirmed and confirmed again is my dislike of country music. Especially old country music. Especially old country music about murdering women.

Classic outlaw country ... and probably its best singer.

Outlaw Country before it was even a thing. Simple songs with complex subject matter. Great old school country from all angles- instrumentation, vocals, song themes. What a country stalwart and you can feel his experiences and emotions through the songs he sings on this record.

Merle sounds very smooth on this, with the twangy waltz behind him; I think I prefer outlaw Meelrle

ну не люблю я кантри мужичков

В аду играет кантри

I fail to understand where the “outlaw” part of “outlaw country” comes from.

This album was written about Len Houmous’ famous break out from prison in 1962. He got out, proved his innocence and held Johnny Cash accountable for his actions! An incredible year! 3.2 1/12 I’m A Lonesome Fugitive

Nice country actually, not as good as Marty Robbins

Not my thing

Considering the fierce competition from the year 1967, any albums on this list in the Cash-esque “retro-country” style come off as a little underwhelming. (Yes, that excludes Cash himself, but only because he hams it up spectacularly by interacting with the audience and adding little quips that make him instantly loveable.) Merle Haggard presents us with a slew of very inoffensive country-pop tracks that would be much more impressive if released in the 40s or 50s. The vocal harmonies, the (very, very simple) chord progressions, the twangy electric guitar... everything screams “dated”. For a list of the 1001 most important albums of all time, this has got to be on the lower end in terms of importance. Either that or (more likely) it just doesn’t quite belong on the list. But dang it, I’m A Lonesome Fugitive is still such a fun time. It takes you on a slow, laid-back, lilting journey through various country and proto-rock clichés, and not a single track is more obviously “fillery” than the rest. One highlight is If You Want To Be My Woman, which gives us a sudden uptick of energy amidst several drowsier ones. It’s packed with piano-driven energy, and it follows a blues progression – two elements that, when combined, are almost never a miss. Drink Up And Be Somebody is also strong for its more prominent, complex guitar line in the verses and pre-verses. Of course, the title track is also worth mentioning, this time for just being indescribably positive and beautiful. If some of these tracks were improved upon using cutting-edge techniques/styles of the period, the album would have some serious firepower. 3/5 Key tracks: I’m A Lonesome Fugitive, Drink Up And Be Somebody, If You Want To Be My Woman