| Back to the Barrooms | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 10, 1980 | |||
| Recorded | June 1980, Nashville, TN | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 35:34 | |||
| Label | MCA 5139 | |||
| Producer | Jimmy Bowen (all tracks except 1), Snuff Garrett (track 1) | |||
| Merle Haggard chronology | ||||
| ||||
Back to the Barrooms is the thirty-first studio album by American country music singer Merle Haggard, released in October 1980. He is backed by Norm Hamlet and Don Markham of The Strangers.
As the title suggests, Back to the Barrooms features some of Haggard's hardest drinking songs since his early honky-tonk classics "Swinging Doors" and "The Bottle Let Me Down." "I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink," his only solo #1 hit at MCA, features an extended jam unusual for a country single at the time, consisting of Larry Muhobarec on piano, Don Markham on saxophone, and Reggie Young on guitar. The self-explanatory "I Don't Want To Sober Up Tonight" and the title track are also unabashed odes to getting drunk. The single "Misery and Gin" had appeared on the soundtrack to the film Bronco Billy , in which Haggard had a cameo role, appearing as himself. A music video was also made for the song.
"Leonard" is Haggard's tribute to his friend and mentor Tommy Collins. Haggard had been recording songs written by Collins throughout his career, beginning with the novelty "Sam Hill" in 1964 and scoring a #1 single with "Carolyn" in 1971. Collins, who had never heard the song, was in the studio the day Haggard cut it and, as he tells Daniel Cooper in the liner notes to the 1994 box set Down Every Road, he was overwhelmed: "It's hard to describe how you feel when you first fall in love, it's hard to explain how you feel when you become the father of a child. It's one of those things it's hard to explain. I was very honored, and very humbled by the fact that he did that." [1] The song became a Top 10 hit.
Other notable tracks include "(I Don't Have) Any More Love Songs", which is a Hank Williams, Jr. song from his 1979 Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound , and "Can't Break the Habit," a song co-authored by Haggard and his third wife Leona Williams. Haggard and Williams, who married in 1978, began having troubles around this time and their divorce would begin Haggard's long descent into alcoholism and cocaine addiction.[ citation needed ]
"Easy Come, Easy Go" is a cover of a song by The Sutherland Brothers from their 1979 album, When the Night Comes Down.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
The LP was released in October 1980 and reached number 8 on the Billboard country albums chart. Thom Jurek of AllMusic insists that Back to the Barrooms "is really about is the wreckage caused by broken amorous relationships and boozy escape as the only way to cope." Calling it his strongest album on MCA, Jurek compliments Jimmy Bowen's "progressive country style" and calls it Haggard's "most consistent, inspiring performance since he left Capitol, and was the beginning of a creative renaissance, though the personal toll it took on him would prove considerable." [2]
All tracks composed by Merle Haggard; except where indicated
Strings on "Misery and Gin" arranged and conducted by Steve Dorff
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
A Taste of Yesterday's Wine is a duet studio album by American country music artists George Jones and Merle Haggard, released in 1982. They are backed by Don Markham and Jimmy Belken of the Strangers. The album includes the song "Silver Eagle", written by Gary Church, also of the Strangers. This was their first album together; their next album together, Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again, did not come until 24 years later in 2006.
Big City is the thirty-third studio album by American country music artist Merle Haggard backed by the Strangers, released in 1981. It was his debut on the Epic label after ending his association with MCA. Big City peaked at number three on the Billboard Country Album charts and number 161 on the Pop Album charts. It is an RIAA-certified Gold album.
Going Where the Lonely Go is the thirty-fifth studio album by American recording artist Merle Haggard backed by The Strangers, released in 1982.
Men'll Be Boys is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Billy Dean. It was released in 1994 on Liberty Records as his final album for the label before Liberty's country music division was merged with Capitol Records Nashville. The album produced only two singles in "Cowboy Band" and "Men Will Be Boys", which respectively reached #24 and #60 on the Billboard country singles charts.
The Way I Am is the thirtieth studio album by American country music artist Merle Haggard, released in 1980.
My Love Affair with Trains is the twentieth studio album by American country music singer Merle Haggard and The Strangers, released in 1976. The LP rose to number 7 on the Billboard country albums chart.
The Roots of My Raising is the twenty-first studio album by American country music singer Merle Haggard and The Strangers, released in 1976. It was his third release in 1976 and his last on the Capitol label until his return in 2004. It reached number 8 on the Billboard country albums chart.
Ramblin' Fever is the twenty-second studio album by American country music singer Merle Haggard, released in 1977. It was his first on the MCA label after recording for Capitol Records since 1965. It was also his first album without crediting The Strangers. It reached Number 5 on the Country album chart. Ramblin' Fever was reissued on CD in 2002.
A Working Man Can't Get Nowhere Today is the twenty-sixth studio album by American country music singer Merle Haggard and The Strangers, released in 1977. Even though Haggard had moved to the MCA label, Capitol created this release from tracks previously recorded in 1975 and 1976.
Serving 190 Proof is the twenty-ninth studio album by American country music singer Merle Haggard, released in May 1979. It reached Number 17 on the Billboard Country album chart. Two singles were released and both peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Country Singles chart — "My Own Kind Of Hat" and "Red Bandana".
Songs for the Mama That Tried is a studio album by American country music singer Merle Haggard with backing by the Strangers, released in 1981. A gospel album, it reached Number 46 on the Billboard country albums chart.
That's the Way Love Goes is the thirty-eighth studio album by the American country music singer Merle Haggard backed by The Strangers, released in 1983.
"I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Merle Haggard. It was released in October 1980 as the second single from the album Back to the Barrooms. The song was Haggard's twenty-sixth No. 1 country hit, and stayed at the top position for one week and spent a total of twelve weeks on the country chart. It features a memorable saxophone solo by Don Markham of The Strangers. The song was covered by Warrant on their 2017 album Louder Harder Faster.
"Someday When Things Are Good' is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Merle Haggard. It was released in March 1984 as the third single from his album That's the Way Love Goes. The song was Haggard's thirty-first number one country single as a solo artist. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of thirteen weeks on the country chart. Haggard wrote the song with then-wife Leona Williams.
The Strangers were an American country band that formed in 1966 in Bakersfield, California. They mainly served as the backup band for singer-songwriter Merle Haggard, who named them after his first hit single "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers". In addition to serving as his backing band, members of the Strangers also produced many of Haggard's records, sang lead vocals on select tracks, and co-wrote many of Haggard's songs with him, including the No. 1 singles, "Okie From Muskogee" and "I Always Get Lucky with You".
"Misery and Gin" is a song written by Snuff Garrett and John Durrill, and recorded by American country music artist Merle Haggard. It was written specifically for inclusion in the 1980 movie, Bronco Billy, and released as a single in June 1980. It was co-released both on the Bronco Billy soundtrack album and Haggard's studio album, Back to the Barrooms. "Misery and Gin" reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 4 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks.
"I Had a Beautiful Time" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Merle Haggard backed by The Strangers. It was released in January 1986 as the first single from the album A Friend in California. The song reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
Devoted To Your Memory is the 22nd album by country singer Moe Bandy, released in 1983 on the Columbia label recorded at Woodland Studio "B".
Rainbow Stew Live at Anaheim Stadium is a live album by American country music artist Merle Haggard with backing by The Strangers. It was recorded in October 1980 and released in July 1981 on MCA Records.
Heart to Heart is a duet album by Merle Haggard and Leona Williams with backing by the Strangers, released in June 1983 on Mercury Records. It reached number 44 on the Billboard Country music chart.
