Merle Haggard's criminally underrated second album for Anti- – finding him looking back to the songbook of Lefty Frizzell and other classic honky tonk laments with a master's touch – essential for Hag fans or anyone ready to be schooled in true, real deal, hokum free country music. The production is barely a production at all – Hag set his band up in a cabin on his property and basically lets it all play out live and direct, a God given gift to those of us who loved the songs he recorded in the 80s and early 90s, but couldn't deal with the glossy over-production – and his voice sounds better than it has in years. Includes the excellent originals "More Than My Old Guitar" and "Honky Tonk Mama", Lefty's classics "Always Late (With Your Kisses)", "If You've Got The Money (I've Got The Time)", "My Baby's Just Like Money" and "I Want To Be With You Always", plus Hank Sr's "Honky Tonkin". If only this thing sold well enough for Anti- to bankroll Vol 2, we coulda died happy. CD