I Am What I Am

by Merle Haggard

Overview

Perhaps there's a measure of defiance in the title of Merle Haggard's 2010 album I Am What I Am, but it's also a statement of plain fact: almost 50 years into a recording career, there's no changing the fact that Hag is who is he is, and he's comfortable in his own skin, broken-in but not worn-out, never pushing too hard but never coasting, either. Sometimes Haggard's easy touch is too light, slipping into sleepiness, but the striking thing about I Am What I Am is its casual mastery, the subtle shading in his vocal phrasing can make his songwriting appear effortless. And to an extent, it is: Hag's tending the same fields he has for years, sliding into swaying ballads, stepping it up for a bit of Western swing, tipping his hat toward Mexico, swinging through some Dixieland jazz, a love of railroads and family, spiking his sentimental, nostalgic streak with clear-eyed realism, always blurring the line between a late night in a beer joint and a Sunday afternoon picking on the porch. But like with any of Haggard's great albums, much of the pleasure lies in the details, whether it's the sly lyrical turns of phrase in his writing or in the suppleness of his performance, things I Am What I Am has in spades. It's familiar enough to feel comforting on the first listen, resonant enough to sound better with each subsequent spin; it's so true to Haggard's essence that it could stand handsomely as his final album, an understated summation of where he's been, but it's made better by having no trace of self-conscious finality -- this wasn't constructed as a last word, but it's just a reflection of who Haggard is, which is nothing less than one of the great American singer/songwriters. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	04/19/2019
Label:	Craft Records
UPC:	0888072084131
Rank:	62666

Tracks

1. I've Seen It Go Away
2. Pretty When It's New
3. Oil Tanker Train
4. Live and Love Always
5. The Road to My Heart
6. How Did You Find Me Here
7. We're Falling in Love Again
8. Bad Actor
9. Down at the End of the Road
10. Stranger in the City
11. Mexican Bands
12. I Am What I Am

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Merle Haggard   Primary Artist,Fiddle,Guitar,Vocals
Biff Adam   Bass,Drums
Doug Colosio   Piano
Don Markham   Trumpet
Red Lane   Guitar
Norm Hamlet   Guitar (Steel)
Gary Church   Trombone
Scott Joss   Fiddle,Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Reggie Young   Guitar
George Receli   Drums,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Tim Howard   Guitar,Soloist
Theresa Lane Haggard   Vocals
Rob Ikes   Dobro
Ben Haggard   Drums,Guitar,Soloist,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Doug Colosio   Composer
Freddy Powers   Composer
Merle Haggard   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Hollis Flatt   Mastering
Lou Bradley   Producer
Scott Joss   Harmony,Composer
Benny Quinn   Mastering
Bill Bentley   A&R
Theresa Lane Haggard   Harmony,Composer,Liner Notes
Carrie Smith   Design,Art Direction
Brian Catena   Mastering
John Scott G.   Composer
Travis Huggett   Photography
Theresa Haggard   Composer