Down Every Road 1962–1994

Down Every Road 1962–1994 is a compilation album by American country singer Merle Haggard, released in 1996. It covers music from his earliest work in the early 1960s to his Epic releases of the late 1980s. The boxed set includes three CDs of material recorded for Capitol (up to 1977) and one of Haggard's later MCA and Epic recordings.

Down Every Road 1962–1994
Box set by Merle Haggard
Released	April, 1996
Genre	Country
Length	282:26
Label	Capitol
Producer	Various

Composition

Down Every Road 1962–1994 comprises 100 songs recorded from 1962 through 1994, across four CDs.[1] Each CD represents a different period of Haggard's career.[2] The first CD includes songs from 1962 through 1967, when Haggard released his first few albums with Capitol Records.[2] After a three year stint in San Quentin State Prison, Haggard rekindled his interest in music, and became one of the leading artists in the Bakersfield sound genre.[3] The CD contains some of Haggard's first hit singles, such as "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers", "The Fugitive", and "Branded Man".[2] The latter two songs contain semi-autobiographical lyrics about prison, which is a common theme found on many songs from the first CD.[3] Additionally, the CD contains some of Haggard's first known recordings with Talley Records, such as "Skid Row" and "Sing A Sad Song".[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	A[5]
Los Angeles Times	4 Stars[4]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic deems the album "not just the perfect Merle Haggard box set, it's one of the greatest box sets ever released as well, since it truly presents all sides of its subject, while offering nothing but sheer pleasure in terms of mere listening. "[1] Robert Hillburn of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "Merle Haggard writes of troubled souls and sweet dreams with the timeless simplicity of a great folk artist, while singing with the soulfulness and conviction of a classic bluesman. There is also in his body of work the independence and renegade attitude of a legendary rocker. It's no wonder that he is one of the most commanding artists of the modern pop era... The only weakness in this four-disc package is that it shortchanges Haggard's post-Capitol years."[4]

It was ranked at number 477 on 2012 updated version of Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, stating that it "is the ultimate collection from one of country's finest singers."[6]

Personnel

• Merle Haggard – vocals, guitar

The Strangers:

• Roy Nichols – lead guitar
• Norman Hamlet – steel guitar
• Tiny Moore – mandolin, fiddle
• Eldon Shamblin– guitar
• Ralph Mooney – steel guitar
• Gene Price – bass
• Gordon Terry - fiddle
• Ronnie Reno – guitar
• Bobby Wayne – guitar
• Marcia Nichols – guitar
• Clint Strong – guitar
• Mark Yeary – piano
• George French – piano
• Dennis Hromek – bass
• James Tittle – bass
• Johnny Meeks - bass
• Jerry Ward – bass
• Wayne Durham – bass
• Biff Adam – drums
• Eddie Burris – drums
• Don Markham – saxophone
• Jimmy Belkin – fiddle
• Gary Church – horns

Tracklist

1962-1967

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Skid Row"		1:46
2.	"Sing A Sad Song"		2:33
3.	"You Don't Even Try"		2:16
4.	"Sam Hill"		2:32
5.	"(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers" (from Strangers)	Liz Anderson	2:29
6.	"Just Between The Two Of Us"		2:44
7.	"If I Had Left It Up To You"		2:23
8.	"I'm Gonna Break Every Heart I Can"		1:59
9.	"Swinging Doors"		2:52
10.	"The Bottle Let Me Down"		2:47
11.	"High On A Hilltop"		2:58
12.	"I'll Look Over You"		2:09
13.	"The Fugitive"		2:57
14.	"House Of Memories"		2:46
15.	"All Of Me Belongs To You"		2:40
16.	"Mary's Mine"		2:56
17.	"Someone Told My Story"		2:32
18.	"Go Home"		2:34
19.	"Whatever Happened To Me"		2:57
20.	"Loneliness Is Eating Me Alive"		2:34
21.	"I Threw Away the Rose"		3:20
22.	"Branded Man"		3:06
23.	"You Don't Have Very Far To Go"		2:19
24.	"Somewhere Between"		3:05
25.	"Sing Me Back Home"		2:48
26.	"The Son Of Hickory Holler's Tramp"		2:58
27.	"Seeing Eye Dog"		1:58

1968-1970

No.	Title	Length
28.	"The Legend of Bonnie And Clyde"	2:04
29.	"I Started Loving You Again"	2:21
30.	"Is This The Beginning Of The End?"	3:02
31.	"I'll Always Know"	2:21
32.	"Mama Tried"	2:12
33.	"In The Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)"	2:44
34.	"Teach Me To Forget"	3:14
35.	"I'm Looking For My Mind"	2:09
36.	"The Day The Rains Came"	2:39
37.	"California Blues (Blue Yodel #4)"	2:49
38.	"I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am"	2:47
39.	"I'm Bringin' Home Good News"	2:47
40.	"I Can't Hold Myself In Line"	2:54
41.	"It Meant Goodbye To Me When You Said Hello To Him"	2:31
42.	"Hungry Eyes"	3:27
43.	"Silver Wings"	2:43
44.	"Waitin' For A Train"	2:50
45.	"Jimmie Rodgers' Last Blue Yodel (The Women Make A Fool Out Of Me)"	3:06
46.	"California Cottonfields"	2:46
47.	"White Line Fever"	2:48
48.	"Workin' Man Blues"	2:34
49.	"Okie From Muskogee"	2:42
50.	"I Can't Stop Loving You" (Live)	2:53
51.	"Huntsville"	3:06
52.	"Irma Jackson"	2:26
53.	"The Fightin' Side of Me"	2:52
54.	"I'll Be A Hero (When I Strike)"	2:02

1970-1976

No.	Title	Length
55.	"Right Or Wrong"	2:35
56.	"Trouble In Mind"	3:13
57.	"Stay a Little Longer"	2:47
58.	"The Farmer's Daughter"	2:54
59.	"Tulare Dust"	1:46
60.	"Carolyn"	2:32
61.	"Someday We'll Look Back"	2:29
62.	"Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)"	3:09
63.	"Grandma Harp"	2:10
64.	"It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad)"	3:19
65.	"I Wonder If They Ever Think of Me"	2:49
66.	"If We Make It Through December"	2:41
67.	"The Emptiest Arms in the World"	2:51
68.	"Everybody's Had the Blues" (Live rehearsal)	3:05
69.	"Things Aren't Funny Anymore"	2:41
70.	"Honky Tonk Night Time Man"	2:37
71.	"Holding Things Together"	2:57
72.	"Here In Frisco"	2:28
73.	"Kentucky Gambler"	2:39
74.	"Always Wanting You"	3:05
75.	"Living With The Shades Pulled Down"	2:55
76.	"Running Kind"	3:01
77.	"It's All In The Movies"	3:11
78.	"The Way It Was In '51"	3:20
79.	"I Never Go Around Mirrors"	2:43
80.	"What Have You Got Planned Tonight Diana"	3:06

1977-1994

No.	Title	Length
81.	"If We're Not Back in Love by Monday"	3:15
82.	"Ramblin' Fever"	3:10
83.	"It's Been a Great Afternoon"	2:48
84.	"Red Bandana"	2:34
85.	"Footlights"	2:56
86.	"My Own Kind of Hat"	2:56
87.	"Misery and Gin"	2:48
88.	"Leonard"	3:27
89.	"I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink"	4:31
90.	"Rainbow Stew" (Live)	2:36
91.	"Big City"	3:00
92.	"Are the Good Times Really Over (I Wish a Buck Was Still Silver)"	4:15
93.	"You Take Me for Granted"	2:39
94.	"Pancho and Lefty"	4:46
95.	"That's the Way Love Goes"	3:02
96.	"Someday When Things Are Good"	3:33
97.	"Let's Chase Each Other Around the Room"	2:48
98.	"Kern River"	3:21
99.	"Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star"	3:23
100.	"In My Next Life"	3:48

References

1. Erlewine, Steven Thomas (n.d.). "Down Every Road". Allmusic. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
2. Daniel, Cooper (1996). Down Every Road 1962–1994 (liner notes). Merle Haggard. Capitol Records.
3. Roberts, Michael (May 16, 1996). "Old Hag". Westword. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
4. Hillburn, Robert (April 26, 1996). "The Road to Merle Haggard Paved With Recording Gems". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
5. Nash, Alanna (April 5, 1996). "Down Every Road". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
6. "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. May 31, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2012.