I Am What I Am

Description

The word legend usually makes an appearance at some point when discussing Merle Haggard. Its an acknowledgment of his artistry and his standing as the poet of the common man. Its a tribute to his incredible commercial success and to the lasting mark he has made, not just on country music, but on American music as a whole. Originally issued on Vanguard in 2010, Haggards late career album, I Am What I Am bristles with all the arresting qualities for which this unrivaled artist is prized. Every song is imbued with the near alchemical power of his dazzling vocal performances, and Merles interpretive mastery and unmatched phrasing continues to bring on impressive measures of sensitivity, candor and authority. Never conventional, often confrontational, always outspoken, a 73 year old Haggard remained as aggressively bent on revealing unspoken truths as ever here.