Merle Haggard

Backed by a big band, Merle Haggard performs over two dozen songs before a rapt audience in this 1983 concert recorded at the jam-packed Church Street Station in Orlando, FL. Haggard sings a ten-gallon cowboy hat's worth of his hits (including “Mama Tried,” “The Fightin' Side of Me,” “The Bottle Let Me Down,” and “Okie From Muskogee”), picking some mean guitar and displaying his fiddlin' acumen on six of the songs during this generous set. Unfortunately, the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound and visual quality of this DVD don't measure up. The proceedings appear dark and murky throughout, and the audio seems to be keyed exclusively to Haggard's Telecaster—everything else, including horns and backup singers, range from downplayed to downright inaudible. Given the fact that there are several other Haggard music DVDs available—including 1985's Merle Haggard: Live From Austin, TX from the Austin City Limits concert series, this inexpensive disc is definitely optional. Aud: P. (M. Moore)