{"product_id":"the-best-of-the-best-of-merle-haggard-1972","title":"The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard 1972","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003eThe album you're holding is The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard, a quintessential compilation of the \"Hag’s\" early hits. It was released in September 1972 by Capitol Records.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003eA High-Water Mark for Success\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003eBy the time this album came out in 1972, Merle Haggard was arguably the biggest star in country music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"4,0,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"4,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eCommercial Success:\u003c\/b\u003e This compilation was so popular that it eventually went \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"4,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"76\"\u003ePlatinum\u003c\/b\u003e, selling over a million copies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"4,1,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"4,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eThe Title:\u003c\/b\u003e The title isn't just hyperbole. Haggard already had a \"Best of\" volume out; this was a \"best of the best\" collection, pulling together his most iconic #1 hits from the late '60s and very early '70s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"5\"\u003e The Photo with the Dog\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003eThe cover photo is famous among Haggard fans for its vulnerability. It features Merle in his signature 70s vest and sideburns, holding a small Rat Terrier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7,0,0\"\u003eMerle was a lifelong animal lover and often took his dogs on the tour bus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7,1,0\"\u003eThis image helped cement his image as the \"Working Man's Poet\"—a tough guy with a soft, sensitive heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"8\"\u003e Iconic Tracklist Highlights\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"9\"\u003eThis album contains what many consider the \"Bakersfield Sound\" starter pack:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-path-to-node=\"10\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10,0,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"10,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003e\"Okie from Muskogee\" \u0026amp; \"The Fightin' Side of Me\":\u003c\/b\u003e These songs made him a cultural icon (and a controversial figure) during the Vietnam War era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10,1,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"10,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003e\"Mama Tried\":\u003c\/b\u003e Perhaps his most famous song, it’s semi-autobiographical, referencing his time in \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"10,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"96\"\u003eSan Quentin State Prison\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10,2,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"10,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003e\"Silver Wings\":\u003c\/b\u003e Despite being one of his most beloved songs today, it was originally just a \"B-side\" to \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"10,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"104\"\u003eWorking Man's Blues\u003c\/i\u003e. Its inclusion here helped solidify it as a classic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"11\"\u003e The \"Bakersfield\" Pedigree\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12\"\u003eThe record was produced by \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12\" data-index-in-node=\"27\"\u003eKen Nelson\u003c\/b\u003e, the man who helped create the \"Bakersfield Sound.\" Unlike the slick, string-heavy \"Nashville Sound\" of the time, this album features the raw, electric, and twangy guitar work of Merle’s legendary band, \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12\" data-index-in-node=\"241\"\u003eThe Strangers\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"13\"\u003e Historical Context\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"14\"\u003eJust a year before this album was released (1971), Merle Haggard received a full pardon from then-California Governor \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"14\" data-index-in-node=\"118\"\u003eRonald Reagan\u003c\/b\u003e for his past crimes. This record represents the moment Merle officially transitioned from a \"fugitive\" with a record to a legitimate American musical institution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"15\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Rockin' Cowboy","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48042311417994,"sku":null,"price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0726\/3607\/2074\/files\/1000062555_1_bbe87151-4a78-453b-8d21-ccdebd579fd2.jpg?v=1776382633","url":"https:\/\/rockincowboyclothingcompany.com\/products\/the-best-of-the-best-of-merle-haggard-1972","provider":"The Rockin' Cowboy","version":"1.0","type":"link"}