Tag Archives: Merle Haggard
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REWIND: Five of the best country songs, from a genre novice
Inside the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville on Feb. 12, 2022. Roman Gokhman/STAFF. As you read this (assuming, as usual, that you’re reading it as soon as it’s published) I am on a ranch to see a rodeo. No, really. I know that’s not usually my scene, but I’m…
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ALBUM REVIEW: Willie Nelson shines his guiding light on ‘First Rose of Spring’
Willie Nelson, “First Rose of Spring.” For millennia, humans set their course by the stars. These fiery celestial lighthouses that burned with such eternal constancy served as a compass point for our major journeys. At 86 years young, country legend Willie Nelson still burns brightly enough to set our…
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Album Review: Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy gets Haggard on ‘Best Troubadour’
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy is an old pickup truck: The cracks and rust in his voice testify to the hard miles he’s traveled, the imperfections providing a patina of authenticity in a world full of glossy paint and auto-tune. The sad lilt in his voice invites us to load our…
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In memoriam: 5 artists lost in 2016 and why we miss them
L to R: Buckwheat Zydeco, Prince Buster, Phife Dawg, Jean Shepard, Don Buchla. Art: Roman Gokhman It’s safe to say that 2016 has been something of an all-around dumpster fire, especially when it comes to the sheer volume of iconic artists we’ve lost. The list of familiar and life-changing…