Pride In What I Am

Merle Haggard turned in one of his finest album efforts to date in 1969's "Pride in What I Am."

This LP followed  the release of three top ten albums in 1968, including the number one album, "Sing Me Back Home," from January, and a solid #4, Mama Tried album, released in September of the same year. 

While "I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am" was the only track on the album that was a hit, the album is certainly not lacking in strong material, as evidence by a respectable #11 placement on the US country album chart. The other selections may not be among his most celebrated songs, but they're all small gems that illustrate what a fine songwriter he is. "Pride In What I Am" may not be among his flashiest, but is another excellent record album by one of the most reliable recording artists in country history.

Merle Haggard wrote "I Take A Lot of Pride In What I Am" about being comfortable with who he was - he didn't care about what other people thought of him. The song is a first person narration by a homeless drifter who laments his lonely, rootless existence but at the same time celebrates "living off the side of our great land..." as he defiantly proclaims, "Things I learned in a hobo jungle are things they never taught me in a classroom."

A lot of good things happened to Merle Haggard in 1970, the year this album was released. He was both entertainer of the year and Top male vocalist of the year in 1970.

His previous album "Okie from Muskogee" was also voted album of the year and the title song was single of the year.

This is a fun vinyl record and shows Merle's talent with his impersonations of Country Legends no longer with us, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Hank Snow and Buck Owens. You have to hear this LP Album live to appreciate how close Merle gets to sounding exactly like these great artists. They may be gone but owning this "Fightin' Side" album, will keep their memories alive. With exception to the lead song, it's hard to pick a favorite off this great album. Here are a few I believe you would enjoy.

• Merle's band, The Strangers, makes a live version of "I Take A Lot of Pride In What I Am" better than the original single cut. 
  

• Next is one of Merle's newer songs, heard for the first time in an album, "Every Fool Has A Rainbow."

• T.B. Blues is sure to have Jimmie Rodgers looking down and smiling at Merle's performance.

• Merle introduces his "Strangers," who re-create one of their recently recorded instrumental hits, Stealin' Corn.

• A comedy song written by BobbyWayne, Harold's Super Service, is fun song about a stripped down Model "A" and the owner's request for cheap, no charge service.

• In this medly Merle does his impersonations of Marty Robbins, Hank Snow, three of Johnny Cash, then Buck Owens. Near perfect on every one.

• Merle sings his own award-winning composition of "Today I Started Loving You Again."

• And the two Haggard patriotic hits that bring down the house, and the curtain: "Okie From Muskogee" and "The Fightin' Side of Me."