Merle Haggard – The Peer Sessions
Thirty-three years have passed since Merle Haggard’s first album-length homage, a two-LP salute to Jimmie Rodgers. His now-legendary Bob Wills tribute appeared a year later. Both were magical, time-machine-like productions that introduced many listeners to both artists and to Haggard’s deep-rooted preservationism. This collection, recorded from 1996-99, honors not an artist, but the rich, fertile catalog of Peer-Southern Music (now called Peermusic). Indeed, it was retired Peer executive and Country Music Hall of Famer Roy Horton who conceived this album with Haggard.
The differences in past and present versions are profound. When Haggard recorded “Peach Pickin’ Time in Georgia” and “Miss The Mississippi And You” for the Rodgers album and “Time Changes Everything” for the Wills, he was in his early 30s. Those versions reflected the sincerity and enthusiasm of youth. More deeply interpretive, these later versions reflect age and experience. Exploring the lyrics’ unabashed, timeless sentimentality takes precedence over evoking the past.
That empathy extends to the Jimmie Davis standards “Shackles And Chains”, “If It’s Wrong To Love You” and “Hang On To The Memories”. The last is a 1999 duet with the centenarian Davis, who’s still in surprisingly good voice. “Sweethearts Or Strangers” and “Time Changes Everything” feature another lion-in-winter moment: Nashville sound icon Owen Bradley (who died in 1998) reminding all of his piano skills.
At this point, Haggard could coast through the remainder of his career on past hits. To his credit, he’s chosen to write new material. Nonetheless, it’s reassuring to see that he remains insistent on looking back as he looks ahead.