The Bottom Line
There's little doubt that Merle Haggard is an enduring country music
legend. In 1968, when "Mama Tried" first hit the shelves, he was riding high as the CMA Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year, coming fresh from the 1967 Album of the Year, "Lonesome Fugitive." A terrific slice of early Merle.
Pros
- "Mama Tried"
- "Green Green Grass of Home"
- "I'll Always Know"
Cons
- None.
Description
- Contains the signature hit classic, "Mama Tried."
- Largely a collection of covers, done in classic Merle style.
- A solid part of Merle's Capital Records collection.
Guide Review - Merle Haggard - Mama Tried
When I was a little girl, we listened pretty much exclusively to country radio, and my Dad hardly ever bought the records we heard unless he was extremely impressed by the singer. We had records by Hank Williams and Patsy Cline, and we owned "Mama Tried." Merle Haggard blew people away when he first came on the scene in 1965 (when I was a year old), and by 1968, he'd released seven albums and proved himself a staggeringly gigantic figure in country music.
"Mama Tried" is largely a standout album due to the phenomenal title cut, a Merle classic with one of the most instantly recognizable guitar licks in country music. Merle's own songs are few here; instead he demonstrates his always impressive vocals on such classics as "Green Green Grass of Home," "Teach Me To Forget," "Folsom Prison Blues," and "Little Ole Wine Drinker Me." Considering the amount of music he'd put out in these early years, it's kinda understandable if he went a little dry once in a while.
Merle's music ages extraordinarily well. There is no one who can even come close to him in sheer talent today, even if they go platinum in two minutes. Merle Haggard stands alone.
