Roots, Vol. 1

1	Always Late (With Your Kisses) 3:14
2	More Than My Old Guitar 3:28
3	If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time) 3:02
4	Look What Thoughts Will Do 2:28
5	My Baby's Just Like Money 2:27
6	Honky Tonkin' 2:51
7	Runaway Mama 4:08
8	I'll Sign My Heart Away 2:29
9	I've Got a Tender Heart 2:21
10	The Wild Side of Life 2:42
11	Take These Chains from My Heart 2:42
12	I Want to Be With You Always 3:00

Barnes & Noble

No mere exercise in nostalgia, Merle Haggard's Roots, Volume 1 is both an homage to artists who fired the Hag's imagination in the first place -- particularly Lefty Frizzell -- and a statement about the unflagging allure of traditional country and honky-tonk music. Recorded in Merle's living room, it sounds like it might have been captured on tape in some tin-roofed joint sitting on the outskirts of town. That's not a comment on the sound quality, which in fact is superb; rather, it says something about the personal, intimate nature of this small-band music, from gentle shuffles such as Frizzell's witty-but-adoring "My Baby's Just Like Money" to Hag's own boisterous, skewed dance-floor rouser "Runaway Mama," with its riotous distorted mandolin solos lending a rather boozy quality to the whole affair. Apart from a number of note-perfect renditions of Frizzell gems, Hag pays tribute to western swing giant Hank Thompson with a blues-drenched reading of the classic "The Wild Side of Life" and a sanguine explication of "I'll Sign My Heart Away." Hank Williams, of course, figures into the mix here via a couple of still-potent evergreens; Hag throws in a couple more strong originals in the proper style; and, for good measure, he coaxes Frizzell's nonpareil guitarist, Norman Stephens, out of a long retirement to add his distinctive guitar commentary. And then Hag sings -- sings like nobody's business, easy and carefree, personably, with deep feeling, conviction, and masterful phrasing, making it all sound as easy as taking the next breath. For him, maybe; for us mortals, it sounds like a miracle. David McGee

All Music Guide

If I Could Only Fly, Merle Haggard's first album for the indie label Anti, was deservedly hailed as his finest record in decades, as audiences and critics recognized a revitalized Hag. It wasn't just that his songwriting was stronger than it had been, but it was also the unhurried grace of the performances that recalled his peaks with the Strangers in the '60s and '70s. If I Could Only Fly set the bar so high that it would have been easy to assume that Haggard couldn't match it with his next album for Anti but, remarkably, Roots, Vol. 1 surpasses its predecessor, ranking among the very best albums of his long, storied career. The title implies that the record is a return to the beginnings for Haggard, and that's true to a certain extent, but Roots, Vol. 1 is hardly a studied, self-conscious tribute. Instead, it's an unexpected return to how country records used to be made, inspired largely by Haggard's teaming with Norman Stephens, Lefty Frizzell's longtime guitarist. Stephens and Hag started playing and not long afterward, they decided to make a record, comprised largely of Lefty songs, but also some Hank Thompson and Hank Williams, along with three tunes from Haggard. There are no surprises here -- if you know country music, you know these songs -- but that's the beauty of the record; since you know these songs so well, it's possible to hear the joy, the elegance, and the brilliance of the performances. And, make no mistake about it, this is a brilliant record, the equal of his legendary Bob Wills tribute, but where that had the spirit of a punk record -- Merle learned how to play fiddle weeks before recording -- this is the sound of a veteran relaxing, playing the music he loves, but personalizing it through his years of experience, both personal and professional. So, it's an album filled with small gems, but they add up to a large triumph -- a rich, masterful album that's not just the best country album of 2001, but one of Haggard's finest moments. Stephen Thomas Erlewine